Hello, Little Looms Summer ’26!

Posted on by texasgabi

With some people across the world still drowning in that cold, white stuff on the ground, it is so refreshing to receive this color-bursting issue of “Easy Weaving with Little Looms”, Summer 2026. The magazine is loaded with ideas around spending summer in the city or in the country!

I had the honor of designing the Hexie Knot Mat pin-loom project for this issue, a fun table topper that is woven of the delightful DMC Eco Vita Raffia yarn.

I used two looms, the Original Jewel Loom, R, and the Original TURTLE Loom™, R, both looms in regular sett for worsted weight yarns.

This is the first published project that uses a pattern weave on the Jewel loom. An easy-to-weave twill pattern creates an interesting directional effect, just because of the weaving method that is used for this loom. The pattern becomes even more interesting when you put several jewel shapes together!

On the Original TURTLE hexagon pin loom you will weave a fun new pickup pattern that looks like a knot. The pattern originated from an 8-shaft draft that I “translated” into pin-loom weaving.

Both patterns have potential far beyond the table topper.

Once you master the mat project, go ahead and plan to use those patterns for other projects.

For example, add coasters to your summer table outfit by weaving single knot hexagons and crocheting a little border around it!

I wove the hexagon in DMC Eco Vita Raffia, shade 04, and used DMC Petra Size 3 in color 53837 for the border. Crochet one round of single crochet along the edges, then randomly work scallops in a final round.

Your imagination will be the limit: Try to organize the twill jewels in different directions. Weave the knot hexagons in yarn instead of raffia.

But let’s get back to the magazine issue for a moment …  for pin-loom weavers (and other pin looms) there are not one, but two blankets to choose from, the cutest cuddle mice to make, and a handy purse that may also serve as a perfect storage case for weaving tools.

And of course there’s so much more … that lacy hemp rigid heddle loom pattern is waiting to be sampled on a pin loom, the color scheme of the title model is stunning (and you could make such a scarf in those colors using a pin loom), that wedding bouquet band invites to dream, and Tom Knisely’s feature about the linen lifecycle is hard to put down.

For your convenience we offer the print magazine in our Etsy store so that you can just add it to your loom order. However, the best deal is to subscribe to the magazine through the publisher Long Thread Media, which will give you instant online access to now 10 years of Little Looms content.

Did you see our ad in this issue? We will release the pattern for the breezy top Roxanne on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

Make sure to be back for that, or even better: Subscribe to be notified about new blog posts so that you don’t miss any TURTLE news!

Let’s Have a Countryside Brunch

Posted on by texasgabi

Weave Together 2025 location: York, Pennsylvania. Theme: Traveling. Retreat focus: Weaving immersion, yarn, good food.

There is no escape … this is inspiration for an outdoor brunch with a country table setting! I grabbed some looms, yarn from the Marketplace, and designed a Countryside Brunch Table Topper, which is our third Weave Together 2025 project.

The Yarns

Lofty Fiber’s LoftyCotton Pillow Soft yarn is a beautiful thick/thin cotton that weaves up great on our F – fine sett looms, but for this project I used it double-stranded on the R – regular sett which allowed me to blend colors.

I also discovered Circulo Natural Multicolor 4/6 at Lofty Fiber, a variegated thick cotton that weaves up into a sturdy fabric on the R – regular sett looms.

Looms and Instructions

To make the project, weave:
– 6 jewel shapes on the Original Jewel Loom, R, in Circulo Natural, I used multicolor 9392
– 12 hexagon shapes on the Original TURTLE Loom™, R, holding two strands of Pillow Soft together (I used colors Gold and Cayenne)

Joining pieces that are not organized in rows and columns is not always easy (ask any quilter), so here are a few “best practices” tips that you may find helpful when assembling your table topper:

To assemble the center circle, layout the jewels with the end tails pointing together and the start tails pointing into the same direction, for example “all to the right”.

Join the jewel pieces along the long sides first. Secure the first stitch (splice the yarn tail with the first stitch as shown), then whip stitch along the side, skipping about every fourth stitch.

Before joining the last two sides, use the following method to make a nice center … no ugly hole, and the jewel shapes don’t pull together and pucker.

Tip: This method works for joining other shapes, too!

  • Start with a securing stitch at the top of the current jewel (make one stitch around the last warp and split the working yarn ), to make sure that the yarn stays in place.
  • Gather one stitch at the tip of each jewel shape …
  • Continue all around.
  • Pull in the circle enough to reduce the opening without pulling in the jewels too much.

Next, add the hexagons all around the jewel circle, like a ring or border.

For a neat border, first attach hexagons to the bottom sides of the jewels as shown.

Finally, “insert” a hexagon each into the remaining spaces.

Tip: If you use the hexagon tails facing towards the jewel circle as shown, you can use those tails for the sewing and you will have no tails left after that … which makes a really neat edging for the table topper with no more tails to weave in.

There you have it! All done!
Serve with bread and cheese and a beverage of your choice …

Let’s Face It! (Part 2)

Posted on by texasgabi

This time, integrating patches into pin-loom weaving is about “creating scenes“. The small fabric pieces that we weave make perfect puzzle pieces to put scenes together, and adding patches (with faces) will bring them to life!

I thought of two popular autumn themes to demonstrate … we don’t always allow enough time to craft for this beautiful season:

  • Autumn nature. The heat of the summer is replaced with cooler temperatures, harvests, and colorful leaf changes. Time to slow down and relax.
  • It’s the spooky season! Some people claim that the month of October is far too short to get all the spooky stories told!

FOR THE NATURE LOVER I designed the “Autumn Meadow” table runner on which the animals of the forest gather during a golden sun set.

I used the “Harvest” yarn pack from Herrschners to make the table runner. I like that Herrschners offers budget-friendly yarns in great color combinations for multiple holiday occasions.

The project is woven on the Original TURTLE Loom™, the Original Jewel, and the Original Diamond looms, all in R-regular sett for worsted weight yarns.

I hand-selected a set of “Forest Animals” patches for this project, including bunnies, squirrels, and foxes (two of each), now available in our Etsy store.

You can get the photo-guided step-by-step pattern HERE. The pattern will be 50% off until the end of this month. No code necessary.

FOR A SPOOK-SURPRISE, I designed the beginner-friendly table topper “The Cats’ Eye”. Enjoy a group of black cats gathering during the day, and then, when you turn off the light at night, their “eye” will be watching you! The finished table topper measures about 22″ x 17.5″.

The seasonal orange hexagons are woven in Lion Brand’s Truboo rayon yarn (color 837-133 Tangerine, 1 ball) on the Original TURTLE Loom, F-fine sett. The yarn is listed as a light DK yarn, but it is so smooth that it weaves up beautifully on our fine sett looms.

I used Lion Brand’s DIY Glow -Natural yarn (1 ball), woven on the Original TURTLE Loom, R-regular sett, for the special glow-in-the-dark effect. The yarn (which is polyester but looks and feels like cotton) weaves up beautifully on our R-regular sett looms, and the uses go far beyond “spooky”. In my opinion the glow effect works very well. If you want to try out the yarn, we offer a limited supply for your order convenience in our Etsy store.

I found a fun patches set of black cats that are ready for a social gathering on a table topper … get the “Black Cats” patches in our Etsy store.

Ready to make The Cats’ Eye?

Instructions:

  • Weave 14 orange hexagons on the fine sett and 9 white hexagons on the regular sett hexagon loom.
  • Working whip stitch and using the chart for guidance, sew the hexagons into rows first, then join the rows.
  • Weave in all ends and block.
  • With a sharp needle and sewing thread OR using fabric glue, add the cat patches to the right side of the table topper onto hexagons marked with an “x”.

I hope that you will take this opportunity to “craft for fall” this year … enjoy!

Happy Summer … Winter … Fall!

Posted on by texasgabi

Depending on where on this planet you live, this is the first day of summer or winter. Going by crafting seasons, however, it is the first day of fall! Today we welcome the Easy Weaving with Little Looms Fall 2024 issue!

It may sound like a broken record, but editor Christina Garton continues to outperform herself with every issue.

The Fall ’24 issue features seven awesome pin-loom projects from decoration to accessory.
Special mention deserves Greta Holmstrom’s Jaunty Angora Tam, an artfully tailored and embroidery-decorated tam that was woven on the newly patented Original Jewel R, the Original Diamond F, the Elongon 2″ R, and the Original EquiTri F (you can mix-and-match regular and fine sett as needed, but these are the looms that Greta used with her handspun for best fit).

I feel grateful for the opportunity to contribute the Lotus Flower Basketts to this issue. It is an easy to weave project using the now patented Original Jewel F and the Original TURTLE F looms.

The yarn, Asaginu from Noro, is an interesting blend of paper and linen, which gives the fabric just enough stiffness to let the basket stand up on its own. Exploring such a yarn – weaving or not – should be on everybody’s list!

Unfortunately, since I designed the Lotus basket over a year ago, the Noro Asaginu yarn has been discontinued. The yarn is still available in stores, and here are a few resourced that may help you to secure what you are looking for. I’m listing companies that I have personally ordered from with good experience. The list is not complete by any means! You may also check with your Noro-carrying Local Yarn Store who might carry Asaginu. I have used Little Knits, Wool&Co., and Hill Country Weavers, who as of this writing still had Asaginu in stock. I’m also including the “shop finder” of the distributor Knitting Fever. I suggest that you contact the retailers for availability.

Don’t miss out … enjoy exploring the new Little Looms Fall ’24 issue, projects, and features, and all!

Ta-Da! The Original Jewel F – Fine Sett is Here!

Posted on by texasgabi

The first batch of Original Jewel F looms is ready, and we know that some of you have been really, really waiting for it.

Without further ado, here is the new Jewel F loom, “Original” size, which means it works well together with other “Original” TURTLEs like the hexagon and diamond shapes. “F – fine sett” for sock/fingering yarn … American weight 1 – 2 and British weight DK with a knitting stitch gauge of 24-26 work best. Slightly thicker/thinner yarns will make beautiful denser/lacier fabrics.

This wheel sampler shows just a few examples of yarns that work very well on the new Jewel F.

Here’s a closer look at the sampler yarns:

  • Inspirations Patons Kroy Socks yarn is a sturdy, squishy sock wool that comes in many solid and variegated colors.
  • Desert Garden by Dyelicious Yarn has some colors that are dyed with TURTLE looms in mind. I used Lupine for this sample.
  • Many of Berroco’s yarns are perfect for (pin-loom) weaving. I am in love with Lumi, which creates a solid fabric with a festive sheen.
  • Holst Garn Titicaca is a lace weight yarn. Two strands held together create an amazing, super-soft fabric. I found this yarn at the Yarn Barn of Kansas.
  • Another Berroco yarn, Vintage Sock, is a very pleasant to weave, sturdy and easy-care blend that comes in many colors.
  • Fine-sett TURTLEs can’t be without one of the best cotton yarns that I know of, Scheepjes Catona.

If you miss out on the first batch of Original Jewel F looms, don’t worry, there will be more. Batch 2 is in the making and will be ready before Christmas. You can signup on Etsy to be notified when we list more, or you can contact us to get onto our list. That way you will keep your space in line and we will let you when your loom is ready.

When you get your Jewel loom, a great first project is to make some tree ornaments!

The yarn I used here is Chaos Fiber Co Christmas Time, a variegated green/red fingering weight yarn that creates a plaid-like effect while weaving.

How To Make A Tree Ornament:

  • Weave two jewels on your new Original Jewel F loom (or use your Jewel R with thicker yarn).
  • Sew the shapes together along the edges, leaving an opening for stuffing.
  • To give the ornament more strength, insert a piece of cardboard or plastic canvas (you can find the cutting template here).
  • You could also bend into shape or weave a fairy light chain, which will ad a romantic lighting to your ornament. Or use any stuffing of your choice for a more 3D effect.
  • Add a hanger.
  • Embellish with anything you like: Bows, bells, garlands, or embroider a name or a date.

Ready to make, give, enjoy!