Loom Question.

Q: I'm relatively new at beading in general, and loom beading in particular. I find that the most work involved in looming is warping the loom. Is there an easy way to do this? I'm working on a piece for a friend (an American flag for his rearview mirror) and it's 26 rows wide. I spent the better part of 2 hours last night threading the loom! There has GOT to be an easier way to do this. Any help would be appreciated.

A: Don't know what you are doing, or what your loom looks like, but it should take only about 10 to 15 minutes to set up a loom for 26 rows, if that. Even if you have no spacers, and have to weave in a dummy row that shouldn't take more than about 10 minutes more. Can you give us a little more detail as to what your loom is made up of, and what you are doing now? The only thing I can think of is that you are trying to do a longer piece than your loom can easily handle, and that is creating the problem since you would want to roll things up on the end bars - then it gets tricky. If this is the case, you can buy or build a longer loom. If you need more length to weave on than this loom gives you, build yourself a longer one with some smooth lumber, and springs from a hardware store a few nails, and cup hooks and a little time knocking it together and you'll have a good sturdy loom that doesn't cost too much. I have two home-made looms as well as an expensive 'Mirrix' loom (which I love), and the kind of wire loom you have. I have even woven using a cardboard box for a loom and recently taught a class where most students used stretcher bars for a loom. The only reason to cut the threads is because the instructions for these looms tell you to do so. The reason they tell you to cut them is because they assume you are using the roller bar and making long strips. If you are just making bracelets, I would suggest you bend the two ends with the springs so they are at a right angle to the tabletop. That will increase your beading area. Then I would do as the others suggested. Tie the thread to the nail and go back and forth.

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