Congratulations, Barbara Ruuska,
you are the winner of our Weaver’s Guide Launch giveaway!
Please check your email for more information.
Have you heard? The Little Looms magazine now provides a free Confident Weaver’s Guide to Pin Loom on their website, and the TURTLEs and I are proud to sponsor the launch.
I think there is no doubt that Long Thread Media has gathered an impressive amount of high quality information since they started 10 years ago, created by a team of passionate fiber and publishing experts and curated tastefully by their incredible editor Christina Garton. It is even more precious (and humbling) for a small community like pin-loom weavers to receive such attention.
However, with this treasure trove of information comes the question – particularly for a beginning pin-loom weaver – where to start. This is where the Weaver’s Guide steps in. View it as a well organized introductory gateway to pin-loom weaving for beginners, and for advanced weavers it will serve as an easy-to-use platform to quickly find information and inspiration.
The guide is organized in sections that round it all up: Getting Started and Basics, Yarn and Tools, Finding a Project, Joining Pieces, Finishing Ideas, Tips and Troubleshooting, and Going Beyond, or Watch and Learn pin-loom video courses.
Meet a Special Feature
Sponsoring means that we help to make it possible to put all of this together. However, the Little Looms team and I decided to do more. You will see “Gabi’s Picks”, where every month I will highlight a few of the over 170 pin-loom weaving patterns and add a little story. Take a look at the August picks and read their story!
What About the Banners?
The TURTLEs and I firmly believe in providing wholesome solutions.
I’m a Maker. I make pin looms. It started with the patented hexagon and jewel-shaped looms, and we made them suitable for a large variety of yarns. And then arose the desire to add shapes that will work together with these looms for even more design options. You can see all the looms that we currently make in our Loom Catalog or visit the Bluebonnet Crafters store on Etsy to make a purchase.
I’m a Designer. The first hexagon loom was born out of the dilemma that I could not find the loom that I needed (you can hear the story in this Long Thread Podcast episode). As a lifelong crafter I often have ideas on what I want to make and then find a way to make it. When successful, I delight in sharing those ideas with others. This is why you can find over 30 of my contributions in the Little Looms library, and more than 200 more project ideas here on the blog, on Ravelry (you have to login to see the list), and on other sources like the Schacht website (Entrelac-Style Cowl and Autumn Cross-Body Pouch) .
I’m an Author. For looms like hexagons and jewel shapes there is much less information and instruction available then for the more traditional square looms like the Weave-It. I enjoy providing what I have discovered in educational articles through Little Looms. The frosting on the cake for me is when I get to write about a good book (for example “Make 30 Cute Critters with One Pin Loom” in the Spring 2026 issue) or an organization that is dear to my heart, like Handspun Hope.
I’m an Instructor. Sharing knowledge has become a big part of my daily routine. Each of our looms comes with written instructions, and our Bluebonnet Crafters YouTube channel features dozens of videos with instructions and project ideas for TURTLE and other looms. Contact me any time if you have a specific question. I’m also a member of these pin-loom communities on Facebook or Ravelry that I can highly recommend … maybe I’ll see you there!
Comment for a Chance to Win
Still reading? Yay! I hope that the Weaver’s Guide will amplify your love and appreciation for pin looms.
I’m very interested to hear any comments or questions that you may have about this new resource, please comment below! What do you like about the Weaver’s Guide? What do you not like? Should there be more/less of …? Would you like to see added …?
THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED, but feel free to comment or ask anything at any time … thanks for joining the fun!
The TURTLEs told me that I need to add a raffle for your effort, so on the last day of August 2026 I will ask Mr. Random to select a name out of those who left a comment, and this person will win a TURTLE loom of their choice. The giveaway is open to all and the winner will be announced here on the blog early September.
I am really enjoying your looms and I take them with me everywhere! I would love to feature them in my shop if you do a trunk show!
Thank you, Sandi, for your kind comment! I love trunk shows, but at the moment I just don’t have enough time to do it all. But … never say never …
I’ve been loving my rigid heddle and Little Looms has introduced me to how neat pin looms are too! It’s amazing what we can do with a string and the drive to make stuff.
Welcome to the pin-loom world! Have you seen the Hope vest that I made, which combines rigid heddle and pin loom weaving? There’s so much more to explore in that direction.
I love your “It’s amazing what we can do with a string and the drive to make stuff.” … That’s a keeper!
You are so wonderful. Your knowledge, kindness, your talents, and sharing so much information on weaving.
Thank you, Tammy. It’s my pleasure!
I’m enjoying weaving on my Turtle looms. great for a mental health break.
I think you bring up a VERY important point, thank you!
We all need a break once in a while, or something to sooth our minds (and hands). And I keep hearing from people that go through hard times where pin-loom weaving has become their lifesaver.
Gabi,
You’ve been such an inspiration for many of us. You’ve provided basic instructions for looms beyond the Turtle Looms which has been very helpful.
When looking through the Little Looms magazine and my full online account, I haven’t found a good way (I’m probably just missing something) to sort through finding patterns for specific looms. For example, if I want to find all of the patterns that use a 4″ Turtle Loom is there a quick resource?
Wow, Barbara, that’s an excellent question!
If I want to do a search like this, I usually start in the Little Looms Library (on the main menu, click “Projects & More”, then “Little Looms Library”).
Once you are there, you can set filters for a bunch of things. In your case, in “Type” I’d click “Projects/Patterns” and then go to the “Pin Loom Shape” section and click on “Hexagon”. This will result in this list of (currently) 44 projects.
It’s not as detailed as you are asking for, but it will give you a decent list with pretty pictures to quickly flip through to see if there’s anything to your liking (warning … you may find things that you didn’t look for but fall in love with).
One other note: A lot of hexagon projects can be made using different loom sizes, and you are also not always bound to the sett that is used for a specific pattern. Just something to keep in mind when you look around.
Hope this helps!
Such a great resource. You are always so generous with your knowledge.
You started me on my pin loom journey when I purchased the needle needed for a Weave-It that someone gave me.
Oh, my goodness, the needle did it, huh?😂❤️
A lot of people get started with a Vintage Weave-It, and I love seeing that. There’s so much history to this method and I’m fascinated by the idea that this little piece of wood that may be close to 90 years old allows us to craft a plethora of the most beautiful (contemporary) things!
Just precious …
The weavers guide really is a great idea, keeps me motivated when I get stuck trying to figure out how to use one of my many (8 +) little looms. PS> I love turtles and the looms 🙂
Great idea! We need people like you who put the guide to test … let me know if you find anything you need.
Friendly tease: Now … who keeps whom busy? You keep the looms busy, or the looms you?
Thanks to everyone who helped pull So Much information into one place! Bookmarked on laptop and phone!!
Bookmarking … YES!
I think the resource will be wonderful. I had to take a break for awhile and had to look up some things again on how to do some of the weaving on my pin looms. It will be helpful to have for sure!
I think it’s great to read that this is a good “look up” resource, thank you for that feedback, Amanda.
I think this will be a most valuable resource. Not only willl it be an educational resource to which one may continually access, the featured projects will provide inspiration and motivation. Having links to which one may venture further into a subject enhances the value of this resource. A reference to locating suggested ideas saves the reader much time doing a search. The suggestion of other websites with links provided can only motivate the reader to embark on a personal journey to create their own vision. Just reading your plans has motivated me to dig out my looms which have set idle far too long! Thank you.
Congratulations on being such a big part of this venture!
Wow! You put quite some effort into writing up your feedback, this is very helpful.
You highlight some aspects that are dear to my heart … Little Looms has so much information, but sometimes it helps if we can share the things that we discovered, to inspire each other. I hope that “Gabi’s Picks” will help with that a little bit.
What a delight to read that you’re going to pick up your looms again! Maybe you will share your journey!
Love this! A pin loom is such an accessible way to weave and experiment with new yarns, patterns and textures. I love that the individual building blocks as well as the finished project can be simple or complicated, and look forward to seeing all this inspiration in one place.
Yes!, Jackie, you highlight several special features that are unique to pin-loom weaving: Trying out things quickly, and how the modularity of the little fabric pieces invites to combine simple and complicated into a wealth of projects. And yes! again for having one place like the Weaving Guide to collect ideas for that.
I have never tried a pin loom. But it looks so fun. Being creative with such a “limiting” tool is something I am really looking forward to. This resource is a perfect way to help me along.
Oh, yes, come check it out so that we can welcome you to the pin-loom force!
If you’re an online social person, consider joining the Facebook group or check out Looms to Go on Ravelry. Make sure to buckle up before you enter, because … no limits here!
Well, I just learned about pin looms while trying to plan a project for a different loom and I’m in trouble now! I absolutely love hexagons and I’m going to need to get my hands on a hexagon pin loom to give it a try!!
Lol! I love it when that happens … trust me, you’re not alone …
I have a rigid heddle and a subscription to Little Looms. The pin loom projects are so intriguing. Right now I am eyeing The Strawberry Thieves from Winter 2024. Maybe this winter I’ll take the plunge and try my first pin loom project!
How exciting! I like making winter plans around this time of the year …
oh my goodness I’m very happy to find your site. I collect turtles (objets d’art, not real ones anymore) and I seemingly collect looms, having just bought my fifth, but I do not have a turtle loom! “Yet” 🤣
Lol! about the “Yet”!
I’ve always loved turtles, and my roommates during university time were some turtles (whose aquarium took up most of the space in my dorm room), so I understand the liking to collect😂❤️
Welcome aboard!
Being new to pin looms, this is a fabulous resource! There are so many bits and pieces of information out there, to have a really good go-to site is wonderful, time saving and inspirational. I have purchased a number of pin loom weaving books, but all have proven disappointing with poor or missing pictures or diagrams or just down right wrong directions. Yay Gabi for pulling this all together. I own 3 Turtle Looms and love them.
Thank you Barb, for your detailed feedback!
And … oh, don’t get me going on (disappointing) books! There are a few very good books that every pin-loom weaver should have in their library, but particularly over the last year or so there has been so much AI-generated or -assisted rubbish that it is very difficult to detect from the get-go. I’m trying to fight those one book at a time, but it’s a tough game of whack-a-mole. That makes reliable, high-quality resources like the Little Looms Weaver’s Guide even more valuable.
This is a fabulous new resource! Everything you need in one place. BRAVO!!! I got started with pin looms many years ago when I owned llamas. It is so fun to have all the shapes, and to carry on my mom’s quilting tradition in my own way 😁.
Karen, your comment is loaded with goodness! Llama fibers are awesome … I hope that you still have some in your stash that you can weave with. Quilting … YES! All of our “Original”-size pin looms are designed in size to work together to make designs that are borrowed directly from typical quilt designs: The woven fabric pieces are approximately 2″ in side-length when you take them off the loom which is a very common size in quilt designs. And lastly I love that you have that sweet memory of your mom as a quilter. Wonderful thoughts all around.
Love these looms, but rarer than han’s teeth in UK
Glad to hear that you love our looms, Janice. We have two stockists in the UK, the Handweaver’s Studio in London, and Weft Blown. We had to put wholesale on pause for a while when our first CNC Meister struggled with cancer. But now just go ahead and let those stockists know that you would like to see more of our looms!