The Craft Cycle

Peg looming is one of the simplest forms of weaving. The peg loom itself is a simple tool made of a flat piece of wood and a series of pegs sticking out of it. The meditative weaving is the only thing standing between you and a unique piece full of texture. I have absolutely fallen in love with this craft and wanted to share my peg looming journey so far!

The Inspiration

I find genuine joy in reimagining items and using them to create something new. Peg looming has been a great way to use up a substantial amount of recycled fabric by turning it into rugs! You can make all sorts of things on a peg loom but rugs has been my particular interest. I have found that old bed sheets are a particularly good source of fabric for these projects partially due to their size but also the fabric they’re made from.

I have amassed quite the collection of fabric from family, friends and charity shop rags. I’m rather specific in that I want to use fabrics that aren’t good enough to donate. Holes, stains and overwear are my bread and butter. The aim of these projects is to try and use what would otherwise be waste.

I take inspiration from the textiles themselves and the natural world when designing the project. For example, I started weaving with some blues and thought it looked like the ocean so started picking out blues, yellows and greens to build up a seaside theme. I just allow every piece to form in a way that feels right.

The Set-Up

Setting up the peg loom is a super simple process but does require some planning! This is the time I decide how long each warp thread will be which then dictates the size of the final piece.

Each warp thread goes through a small hole at the bottom of one of the pegs then hangs down the back of the loom. This is repeated for each peg then it’s ready to go! The simplicity of the set up is one of the main draws of peg looming for me and is a lot less labour intense than many other forms of weaving.

On the Loom

Once set up, I weave the weft (fabric strips) back and forth along the loom until I fill up the pegs. Then, I pick up each peg and push the woven fabric further down the warp. Then repeat! The simplicity is amazing and rhythmic, repetitive motions make it such a relaxing and meditative craft.

It is the perfect evening activity whereby you can pick it up and put it down at any point and each little bit you add makes marked progress.

I adore watching the woven fabric grow row by row, as if it’s being printed out. Each piece of fabric adds colour, texture and personality and I purely go on feel for which fabric strip to add next.

Finishing a Project

Once I’m happy with the length it’s time to remove the piece from the peg loom. This is slow process that involves checking the tension of the weaving then cutting each warp thread, one at a time, and tying them in position. I choose to weave in the ends for a neater finish but you can also use these ends as tassels!

And just like that the rug is complete!

Thoughts and Feelings

I cannot express how much I adore the look, feel and personality of a peg loomed rug. Each fabric holds a memory, be it to me or someone else, and I find that such a beautiful thought. I really enjoy looking through it and picking out different sections and reminiscing on what they used to be such as a dress, t shirt, or pillow case.

Creating a new textile is very rewarding and I’ve really enjoyed the scale you can work at on a leg loom. The final piece is really nice and thick and feels great underfoot. It also means that I use up a lot of fabric which is perfect!

Getting the chance to slow down and make something physical is such a joy. Being creative for the sake of being creative is a lot of fun and I’d highly recommend anyone who is interested to give peg looming a go!

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