Pin-Loom Shapes: The More, the Merrier!

Most pin-loom weavers (myself included) often start their journey with one pin loom. With this single pin loom, we weave one shape, over and over, to create different projects. Eventually though, we hear the call of other shapes and find ourselves either learning to weave multiple shapes on one pin loom or buying a set of similar-sized pin looms in different shapes.

With different pin-loom shapes, it’s suddenly easier to create 3-dimensional projects. No more folding and refolding to get rectangles and triangles—simply weave the necessary shape on the respective loom. While many of our original stuffed animal projects, including all the ones featured in our Zoo Crew eBook, could be woven using a 4" square pin loom, having a few more shapes and sizes of pin looms makes constructing these projects even easier.

Beyond just making 3-dimensional weaving projects easier, using multiple shapes of pin looms allows you to create some truly spectacular flat pieces of cloth as well. In fact, seeing how weavers use these different shapes together to create incredible finished products is one of the many things I love about pin-loom weaving. Take the Star Shawl by Greta Holmstrom from our Fall 2023 issue and shown at the top of the page. Greta combined woven diamonds and hexagons (all with the same side length) to create starburst patterns on a field of white.

The Phoenix Rising Shawl by Gabi van Tassell from Fall 2023.

Another fantastic example from that same issue is the Phoenix Rising Shawl by Gabi van Tassell, shown above. The hexagons and elongated pentagons in Gabi’s shawl make me think of fireworks going off in a pitch black sky. Unlike Greta, who used whipstitch to join her pieces as invisibly as possible, Gabi chose to use a decorative crochet join, giving her piece a bit of a stained-glass feel.

The Cathedral Window Blanket by Gabi van Tassell from the Fall 2022 issue.

Speaking of stained glass (and Gabi van Tassell), I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention her Cathedral Window Blanket, which was the cover project for the Fall 2022 issue. For this one, shown above, Gabi joined jewel-tone squares and elongated hexagons together using crochet in black for her homage to geometric stained-glass windows. The result is just incredible!

I could go on and on about the possibilities, but instead I’ll encourage you to go out and start exploring new designs yourself. If you need a starting point, quilt designs are great, as are tangrams and other geometric block sets (just make sure whatever you get has all the shapes you want to use in your weaving). Fair warning: Once you start combining pin-loom shapes, it can be hard to stop!

Happy Weaving!

Christina