OR… HOW MANY LOOMS DO YOU REALLY NEED?
Well, the answer to that is between none and never enough.
“None” in itself is a misnomer because you always need some kind of framework for weaving. At the very least you need some way to create a steady tension for the warp(long vertical) threads, and some even method to pull the weft (shorter horizontal threads) through.
A weave is a criss-cross pattern of threads of some kind. If you’ve never done any kind of weaving, this is what the most basic weave is about.
Over/under, whether you look at the threads crossing or actually doing the weaving. Over one, under one, over one…
Technically, you don’t need a loom for this. You just need a means to establish and keep a tension on the long (vertical) threads and something to pull the horizontal threads through — over/under.
Your fingers, a needle, a piece of cardboard to wind some thread over… Any of these things will work to pull the thread over/under the warp (vertical) threads.
Even strips of paper will do. It’s still weaving. It’s not making cloth, but it’s weaving — so it’s not about the loom.
So what is is about the loom?
It’s when you want to get a certain thickness (or fineness) of cloth, or when you want to achieve a specific design or pattern, or when you want to use a certain yarn and there’s only a certain kind of loom that will work with yarn so fine and delicate.
It’s also about the width and length of the cloth or project you want to create. Of course, you can piece together small weavings to create a bigger one, but that will not give you the same result as a one-piece cloth.
But most importantly, it’s about the craft. It’s about the pleasure of weaving in different ways with different tools and watching yarn being transformed into cloth — large pieces, small ones, carefully planned patterns and random ones, lacy effects and good solid material.
So you can start weaving right now if you have some cardboard and some scrap yarn, or you can go looking for a traditional floor loom and learn from a master weaver.