If the bars are thinner than 1” in diameter, they are in danger of breaking under tension. I recommend learning to weave on the backstrap loom with a fairly narrow weaving -not wider than 8”, most people start with a very narrow belt, 2”- 3” wide.
It is difficult to weave that wide on a backstrap loom, especially for a beginner. If a weaver wants to weave wider than 24”, the loom bars must be a little longer than the width of the weaving. The loom bars should be at least as wide as the weaver’s hips. If they are much shorter than 24”, it will be impossible for the backstrap to hold them while wrapped around the weaver’s waist. These bars should be at least 24” long, and very straight. I like to use 2 square bars in my set up because they make rolling my weaving up while weaving a little easier. I assume this is because traditional looms are made from found wood, which does not come in square. It also is not traditional anywhere as far as I know.
I like to use 2 square bars, and one round bar however, this is not necessary.
Ancient mayan backstrap loom how to#
You can create more parts for your loom as you need them by following these instructions.īut if you love the idea of making your own loom, as I do, and you are willing to spend a little time doing it, these instructions are all you need!! How to Make Your Own Backstrap Loom Keep in mind that you can never have enough loom parts! Serious weavers often have a collection of many sizes of loom bars, shed sticks and battens to accommodate different sizes and styles of weaving. That being said, if you want to get weaving right away you can buy a starter loom here. There is something about weaving on a loom made of sticks I found myself in the forest that is incredibly satisfying. I find it is absolutely worth the time it takes to make these things. And making your own batten will take quite a bit longer than buying one already made. To gather your own sticks from the wild will take quite a bit longer than just buying dowels at a hardware store. Making your own backstrap loom is not an incredibly difficult project, but there are varying levels of time investment required. The backstrap loom is such a simple piece of equipment that anyone with interest and a little dedication can make one for very little cost. However, this loom can be rolled up, weaving and all, and taken almost anywhere. Also, every weaving on the backstrap loom needs to be set up individually. Very stretchy and/or fuzzy yarns are difficult to work with on a backstrap loom. The weaving width on a backstrap loom is limited to how far a weaver can reach while strapped into the loom. There are plusses and minuses to weaving on a backstrap loom. More mechanized looms like treadle looms and rigid heddle looms are much more limited in weave structures because of their mechanizations. Because the loom is so simple, there are infinite levels of intricacy that are possible. Both simple and complex textiles can be woven on the backstrap loom. The simple technology of the backstrap loom, consisting of not much more than sticks, yarn and the weavers’ body itself, is deceptively primitive. Backstrap looms, indeed, have been used throughout the world, and very early in human history. Backstrap looms were used by the ancient Maya the fact that the ancestors of these ancient Maya still use backstrap looms today speaks to this loom’s functionality and importance. It is thought that early treadle looms of China evolved from the original backstrap loom. It is known that weaving predates pottery. Cloth and looms are made of materials that easily disintegrate over time, so archeologists can only guess at the beginnings of this craft. However, it really is not known whether or not humans wove even earlier than that. It is known that humans were weaving cloth in the Stone Age in the earliest agricultural villages. It is considered, along with a simple frame loom, to be one of the original looms with which humans made cloth. The backstrap loom is an ancient technology.
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