Peg loom help

I watched the video over on ancestral skills forum about weaving with a peg loom. She was weaving a fleece rug.  It was excellent!!!

I made a peg loom, and wove a sample, a 1 foot square rag rug.

Lots of questions now.  I’ve always woven rugs,  both rag rugs and fleece rugs, and weft faced wool rugs at about four ends per inch. That is not going to work on a peg loom!

I wonder if anyone has any guidance for me on what size dowels to use, and how close to space them.

Another problem, I didn’t put a header on my sample.  I think it would be more durable WITH a header.  So far, my best idea is to make a “real” bottom for my rug, and a similar “top” once I am done with the weaving.  I don’t know whether to just make 5 or 6 passes with twine, and whether that would be on the pegs, or below the pegs?  (The one video that recommended that wasn’t very clear.)  Whether I should use something similar to  lease sticks after knotting the warp threads; sticks then twine then the weft material.

Maybe I am defeating some of the benefits of the peg loom?  It just seemed like a lot of work to pull the warp threads from both ends, and not very easy to end up with even tension on the warp in the finished rug.

I’m just starting this as a new creative undertaking, and as you can see I have plenty of things to figure out.  

I’ve watched plenty of online videos, but these issues don’t seem to get addressed.  Plenty of weave circles on peg loom type of thing.

So far the peg loom weaving appears to be weft faced.  With space between  pegs limited, would it even be possible to have anything but a weft faced weave?

Everything and anything you tell me can help shorten the road to mastery😊.

Thanks very much

Is this loom similar to a peg loom?

I am not really familiar with textile terms.

https://permies.com/t/174135/permaculture-fiber-arts-tools/fiber-arts/Shaped-loom

https://permies.com/t/197461/permaculture-fiber-arts-tools/fiber-arts/Learning-woven-clothing-tracking-progress

I had something similar as a kid though I did not know the name.

Here’s the other thread, where I saw the video on peg loom rug weaving.

https://permies.com/t/119638/peg-loom

Maybe I should have started my thread over there in the ancestral skills place, but I thought textiles got a lot more use. I will go ask over there. I’m going to try to post a photo of my pig loom prototype

Thekla, thank you, so much!! What an awesome way to quickly use raw fleeces! I know that doesn't help you, right now, but I truly appreciate you showing us the door to this the rabbit hole!

Isn’t it fabulous, Carla?


I’ve woven fleece rugs before but all cleaned and carded, and on a “regular” floor loom.

I don’t have a floor loom now but I am on fire with the desire to make rugs!

I thought this peg loom thing would work, and I am sure it will.  I just thought SURELY the textile forum here would hold the experience it will take me awhile to generate 😊

And here’s my sample 😊

It’s 120 square inches, and weighs 10 ounces.  The weight of the warp is nearly negligible.  I figure rough estimate of 12 ounces old sheet per square foot of rug.

I used cotton twine from a cone I got in a yard sale, but I am considering ordering some linen or cotton warp.  I think the cotton twine would blow out, not stand up to the hard use a rug gets, but I will need to get my bigger better stronger loom assembled first.  One thing I learned on the sample is that it is a real pain if the pegs are wobbly.  I needed a deeper hole and or a closer match for the diameters of hole and peg.

One thing I saw on yt was if you want a fat warp, tie a loop through the hole in the peg and pass the warp through the loop.

I have a couple spools of rug warp, but (after I bought them) my local friends who twine told me the rugs are much softer, way more absorbent, and last longer, with fabric strips, for the warp. So, since I don't have a twining loom anyway, I've been trying to figure out what I want to do with my warp. I've also come to realize Just. How. Much. WORK it takes to process a fleece. The problems are the solution, with this method, and we need several rugs. And some sleeping pallets would make it so much easier to fit more of our kids and the kids they bring along (still hoping those might someday include the grandbabies I so dearly want). I have plans to start felting some alpaca rugs, in the Indian namda method, but I'll need warmer weather (or for hubby to clean the garage, lol), for that. I just have to figure out how many fleeces I'll need for the various sizes, and Ithink this peg loom idea is going to be perfect!

Wow!  No wonder you were so glad to see this method!

Will you “build” your own loom?  There are commercially made—- maybe that should say cottage industry produced—- peg looms available.

In trying to get more warp ends per inch, I went with 6 inch long 5/16 inch diameter pegs in 3/8 inch holes.  The pegs were too wiggly.  I think maybe I will go with 1/2 inch dowels next time, and make them longer.

I never heard of cloth strips as warp.  I guess it would depend on the cloth and the width of the strips how strong it is.  If I had a spinning wheel, I might try twisting the cloth strip.  I am sure that would make it tougher!  If it won’t fit through the hole in each peg, I saw one woman make a loop which she put through the hole in the peg, and passed the fatter warp through it.

I have some abominable polyester fabric I could possibly use as strips for warp.  I kind of like that idea.

Yup,

There are vendors on Etsy selling peg looms of all shapes and sizes.  I looked at item descriptions and some tell peg size and spacing, so now I just need to do some thinking and reading.

There’s even a 6 foot wide peg loom.  And it breaks down into 2 pieces for more convenient shipping and storage.  What a great idea, but I need a smaller project first!😁

I've only been told about cloth warp by a a couple of friends who twine - not everyone uses it, but they've said it wears really well, and is great, wherever you want a really soft &/or absorbent rug, like bedside, baby's room, bath mat, kitchen sink, etc.

I'll definitely make my own. I've got some 4x4s, so I can drill 1.5" deep, take your advice, and do the 1/2"x... what would you suggest? 8" long, so I'd have 6.5" above the base, to give plenty of room for a few passes, and still have enough peg left to hang onto?

I'm also planning to (eventually) build a twining loom, if I can find an adequate rod for each end, to help govern the tension. Yes, I'm pretty sure that's what most weavers first picture, when they talk about a peg loom.

8 inches sounds good…

Awesome! Now, I'll figure out spacing, pick up some dowels, and get busy! I'm sure it will fit nicely in between all my other projects, lol!

Me too, decisions about peg size and spacing, then building the loom.

I have a wonderful friend who has a workshop full of wooden slabs. And tools all kinds. He has built everything from fine furniture and cabinetry to designer houses.  He has a saw mill. After his stroke he quit working for hire. As soon as he gets home from visiting his children for Christmas, I am hoping he will join me in the loom building project.

If not I’ll go solo, but there will be a world of difference between what I do alone, quite serviceable and maybe a little funky, and what I do with my friend, every bit as functional, and that much artistry as well

We’ll both be peg weaving in no time!

My more than sister was here with her daughter and granddaughter for a couple hours.  The grand daughter is 18 months old.  The peg loom, unstrung, just pegs and holes to put them in kept her busy for a long time… a multi purpose item!