Caterpillar Pencil Case Pin Loom Pattern

Make your own super cute caterpillar pencil case with pin loom woven shapes. This zipper pouch uses only 2 pin looms: 4″ square and 2″x4″ rectangle! If you also have a 1″ square, you can add little finger grips and zipper pull (pictured but optional).

This is a beginner friendly project as each shape is woven in plain weave. The Caterpillar Pattern includes step by step written instructions and lots of photos. Here’s what’s in the tutorial:

  • Caterpillar Pencil Case
  • Step-by-Step Written Instructions
  • 10+ color photos and charts
  • 7 pages

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More about the Caterpillar Pencil Case

We call this Caterpillar Pouch a pencil case, but it’s also a fun size for storing other craft and hobby supplies like crochet hooks. The Caterpillar Pencil Case is pretty quick to stitch. It takes a little longer if you want to line the bag…which we totally recommend as woven squares aren’t the most secure for sharp objects like pencils.

Here’s what you’ll need in order to make your own Caterpillar Pencil Case:

  • Pin Loom Square: 4” (and 1″ optional)
  • Pin Loom Rectangle: 2”x4”
  • Yarn: Lion Brand Yarns Vanna’s Choice (Acrylic, 170 yd/3.5 oz;),
    #180 Cranberry, 20 yd;
    #172 Kelly Green, 20 yd;
    #171 Fern, 30 yd
  • Fabric for Lining: 1 sq. foot
  • Zipper: 8” Green
  • Felt: remnants of brown, blue, grey.
  • Needle: 6” weaving needle, tapestry needle, sewing needle
  • Thread: Green
  • Washable Marker
  • Fabric Glue
  • Straight Pins

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Roman Soldier Gnome Pin Loom Pattern

It’s easier than you think to pin loom weave your own Roman Soldier. This step-by-step pattern will guide you every step of the way – showing you how to fold, tuck and sew squares and rectangles into a Roman Soldier Gnome including a helmet, spear, and shield.

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Here’s what people are saying about our pin loom patterns:

  • “Well written pattern, nicely illustrated with good photos showing any tricky parts.”
  • “Well written pattern. Highly recommend her patterns.”
  • “This pattern in incredible and the designer is wonderful!”

The Roman Soldier Gnome Pin Loom Pattern is available in our Etsy shop.

About the Roman Soldier Gnome Pin Loom Pattern

The Roman Soldier Gnome measures approximately 13″ tall x 9″ wide and 5″ deep while holding the shield. This toy soldier tutorial includes:

  • Gnome Instructions
  • Helmet, Shield, Spear, Belt, etc. Instructions
  • Step by Step Written Instructions
  • 16 Pages
  • 40+ photos

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More about the Roman Soldier Pin Loom Pattern

The Roman Soldier Gnome is made with only 5 pin looms. We use these sizes a lot. Here’s what you’ll need to make your own woven warrior:

  • Pin Looms: Square: 2” and 4”
  • Pin Looms: Rectangle: 1” x 4”, 2” x 4” and 2” x 6”
  • Yarn: Lion Brand: Basic Stitch – Medium (4)
    • RED HEATHER #400G – 100 yds
    • ALMOND #121L – 40 yds
    • SILVER HEATHER #404J – 100 yds
    • WHITE #100 – 120 yds
    • MUSTARD #158I – 20 yds
    • MAHOGANY #126AL – 40 yds
  • Needle: 6” needle for weaving and yarn needle for sewing
  • Stuffing
  • Beans: to weigh the gnome down
  • Felt: gold, 2” square
  • Fabric Glue
  • Skewer: 8 ½” long, wooden
  • Fabric Marker: – white, dark
  • Pins
  • Pet comb: – metal
  • Steamer (optional)
  • Spray Starch (optional)

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Santa Gnome Pin Loom Pattern

Is that you, Santa Claus?

Weave your own Santa with gift sack with this easy to follow step-by-step tutorial for Pin Loom Weaving. This pattern is beginner friendly – everything is woven in plain weave and the tutorial shows you how to tuck, roll and cinch pin loom woven squares and rectangles into jolly old St. Nick gnome / stuffed toy.

The Santa Gnome Pin Loom Pattern includes:

  • Santa Claus Gnome
  • Santa Gift Sack
  • Step by Step Written Instructions
  • 40+ Color Photos
  • 18 Pages

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More about Santa Gnome Pin Loom Pattern

This version of Kris Kringle, aka Santa Claus, is made with worsted weight yarn. He’s approximately 12″ tall x 7″ wide x 4 1/2″ deep.

Only 3 pin looms are needed to make this festive home decor Santa Gnome. We use these pin looms all the time, especially in our Gnome series. You’ll need:

  • Square 4″
  • Rectangle 2″x4″
  • Rectangle 1″x4″

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Materials Needed to Make Papa Noel

Chances are, you have most of the tools you’ll need to make this Papa Noel, aka Santa Claus, Gnome. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Pin Looms: Squares: 4”
  • Pin Looms: Rectangles: 2” x 4” and 1” x 4”
  • Yarn: Lion Brand: Basic Stitch – Medium (4)
    • RED HEATHER #400g – 175 yds
    • BLACK #153 – 32 yds
    • ALMOND #121l – 16 yds
    • WHITE #100 – 132 yds
    • MUSTARD #158 – 4 yds
  • Needle: 6” needle for weaving and yarn needle for sewing
  • Stuffing
  • Beans: to weigh the gnome down
  • Fringe Twister, Gold Cord or Braided Yarn
  • Fabric Marker/Chalk: – white, dark
  • Straight Pins – (optional)
  • Pet Comb – metal (optional)
  • 1 ½” pompom maker
  • Steamer (optional)

Santa by Any Other Name

Santa Claus is known by many names: St. Nicholas, Sinterklaas, Kris Kringle, Papa Noel, and Father Christmas. No matter what you call him, this Gnome is sure to bring festive cheer this holiday season with a “Ho, Ho, Ho” and “Merry Christmas” to everyone you know.

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Monster Pin Loom Pattern

Make a monster with a 4″ pin loom square following this tutorial with photos.

Pin Loom Monsters Pattern for 4″ Squares

These cute and cuddly monsters were made with only a 4″ pin loom square. They are super easy and really fun to make. Learn to make textured squares and how to tuck and fold squares to make ears, arms and feet.

  • Pajama Keeper – the mouth is left open so kids can tuck their PJ’s inside.
  • Pillow Pal – the monster is stuffed with fiberfill and the mouth is sewn closed.
  • Purse – sew a zipper in place of the mouth and use this monster as a purse. Pattern includes instructions for a crocheted shoulder strap.

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Monster Pattern: What’s Included

This is a tutorial with photos to make the trio of monsters pictured here. The pattern includes:

  • Step-by-by-Step Instructions
  • Pattern for 2 textured woven squares with photos
  • Step-by-Step Photos for shaping the ears and arms
  • Crochet instructions for eyes, teeth and purse handles (or use felt)
  • 20+ photos
  • 14 pages

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More about the Monsters Pin Loom Pattern PDF

As we mentioned, the monsters are made with only one loom: a 4″ pin loom square. We used medium worsted weight yarn, specifically: Red Heart Soft and eyelash yarn. The textured squares use two colors on each square. The furry head also uses two different kinds of yarn. The ears, arms and legs are woven in plain weave with one color yarn.

The pattern is surprisingly easy to make. We include step-by-step photos for several steps…like the ears and how we warped the loom for the special squares. And of course, each step is written out from start to finish.

There is a tiny bit of crochet. But you can make the eyes and teeth with felt if you prefer.

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Frankenstein’s Monster Gnome Pattern

Frankenstein’s Monster just got a whole lot cuter. And now you can pin loom weave your own gnome. Here he is sporting a Frankenstein’s Monster hat and a trick or treat bag. He’s all ready for Halloween and a spooky night of trick or treating.

The PDF pattern is a step-by-step guide to pin loom weaving your own Frankenstein’s Monster and Pumpkin Trick or Treat Bag. Every shape is woven in plain weave. He measures 10″ tall x 7″ wide x 4 1/2″ deep.

Here’s what’s included in the Frankenstein’s Monster Gnome Pin Loom Pattern:

  • Gnome with Frankenstein’s Monster Hat
  • Pumpkin Trick or Treat Bag
  • 14 Pages
  • 35+ Color Photos and Charts
  • Detail Written Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Complete Materials List

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Mary Shelley introduced Frankenstein’s Monster in her novel Frankenstein in 1818. The concept of electricity to spark life into Frankenstein’s monster was introduced later in James Whale’s 1931 film. The main plot remains consistent, but modifications are made with each adaptation of the story…and now he’s been changed once again. This time Frankenstein’s Monster is a Halloween costume and this gnome is hoping to gather a ton of candy in his oversize pumpkin trick or treat bag.

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The Step-by-Step tutorial makes this gnome really easy to make. If you can pin loom weave, then you can make this gnome. He makes for a great handmade Halloween decoration. But…he’s also fantastic gift for those friends and family members who are fans of horror books and films.

Here’s what we used to construct our own pin loom woven Frankenstein’s Monster:

  • Pin Loom Squares: 4” and 1”
  • Pin Loom Rectangle: 2” x 4”
  • Pin Loom Triangle: 2”
  • Yarn:   Red Heart: Soft – Medium (4)
  •             GRAPE #3729 – 100 yds
  •             BLACK #4614 – 40 yds
  •             WHEAT #9388 – 25 yds
  •             GUACAMOLE #4420 – 20 yds
  •             LIGHT GREY HEATHER #9440 – 10 yds
  •             CORAL #9251 – 16 yds
  •             WHITE #4600 – 120 yds
  • Needle:  6” needle for weaving and yarn needle for sewing
  • Stuffing
  • Felt: Black, remnant
  • Button: (2) 5/8”
  • Beans: to weigh the gnome down
  • Fabric Marker/Chalk: – white, dark
  • Straight Pins – (optional)
  • Tacky or Fabric Glue
  • Pet Comb – metal (optional)
  • Steamer (optional)

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Selecting Yarn for Pin Loom Weaving

Unlike knit and crochet, you can’t change the pin size on the pin loom to weave with yarns of various weights. The pins are fixed and to get a traditional weave, you are limited to a certain size of yarn. Or are you? Let’s take a closer look at yarns and what yarns work best for pin loom weaving.

Three variables should be considered when selecting yarn for pin loom weaving: yarn weight, fiber content and yarn structure. Below is a photo of yarns in various fibers and weights including wool, silk, nylon, cotton and polyester in superfine (1), sport (3), and medium worsted (4) weight.

See Yarn Label for Details

Yarn labels have a wealth of information. Some have more info while others make you turn to the internet for answers. Refer to the label below and see if you can find the following information:

  • Washing instructions (yes, you can wash and dry this – elsewhere on the label it gave more detail washing information)
  • yarn fiber (100% acrylic)
  • yarn weight (medium worsted (4))
  • skein weight (3.5 oz/100 g)
  • skein length (170 yd/156m)
  • knitting needles recommended (9/5.5mm)
  • crochet hooks recommended (J/10/6mm)
  • this label even says it’s great for making afghans, scarves and sweaters!

Yarn Weight for Pin Loom Weaving

A thin yarn creates a fabric with large holes between strands while a thick yarn creates a fabric that’s really dense. Most people weave with yarn that’s somewhere in the middle. Below is a photo of a 4″ square woven in Lion Brand Yarns Vanna’s Choice which is a medium worsted weight (4) yarn.

Light or DK weight (3) and medium worsted weight (4) are what most people use to weave on a standard pin loom. It creates a fabric that has some drape but also tight enough to use for flat or shaped projects like afghans, shawls and toys.

We’ve made afghans, gnomes and even vegetables with worsted weight yarn! Pictured below, the Viking Gnome was made primarily with Lion Brand Basic Stitch (4). The vegetables were made with Red Heart Soft (4).

Fine (2), superfine (1) and lace (0) weight yarn can also be used. For very loosely woven fabric, weave it as a single strand. For a drape similar to light or worsted weight yarn, then double up the threads.

Below is a photo of a 4″ square made with superfine (1) yarn held double for both warping (wrapping yarn on) the loom and weaving the square.

two strands of superfine yarn on pin loom

Yarns labeled bulky (5), super bulky (6) and jumbo (7) are too big for most pin looms. There are some pin looms with more space between the pins, but those are not as common. So as a general rule you want to avoid these fibers. But…maybe not. See Breaking the Rules below.

Yarn Fiber Content for Pin Loom Weaving

The great news is you can weave with any type of yarn whether it’s animal or plant based, man made or repurposed material. The bad news is, some materials are easier to weave than others.

The easiest yarn to pin loom weave with those with elasticity. When you pull on the strand, does the yarn stretch? If so, than it has some elasticity and will be easier to weave. Examples would be acrylic and wool.

warping pin loom with acrylic vs cotton

The yarns more challenging to weave are made with fibers/materials that have no elasticity like cotton and bamboo. They can also be used for pin loom projects and may even be preferred because of their fiber content (like dishcloths). You will just need to weave a little differently. Namely, you need to warp (wrap the loom) more loosely, see photo above for reference).

Yarn Structure for Pin Loom Weaving

Basically you’re looking for smooth vs. textured yarns. A smooth spun yarn like the cotton, acrylic and polyester chain pictured below are easier to weave because you will be able to see your strands as you weave. The Eyelash yarn will make it difficult to see your strands.

Most yarns are not single stranded, meaning they are constructed with 2 or more strands/plys twisted together. There is an S twist, Z twist, chain and more. Above, the cotton and acrylic are S twist and the polyester is a chain. We haven’t noticed any difference in S vs. Z twist and are mostly concerned about yarns that have bumps, halos (fuzzy) and eyelashes. Textured yarns are super challenging to weave on a pin loom and generally avoided. But…see Breaking the Rules, below.

The polyester chain (Lion Brand Let’s Get Cozy Lazy Days) has a nice elasticity and weaves up nicely, though it’s easy to accidently split the yarn. Just be sure not to pull too tightly as you finish pulling the yarn each weave. You don’t want to “cinch” it which will cause the square to have concave looking sides. As mentioned, the smooth texture of the chain makes it really nice to weave.

Below is a photo of dishcloths that were crocheted, knit and pin loom woven with eyelash yarn. You can read more about our experience on the blog, Scrubby Dishclothes…and why we say eyelash yarn should be avoided.

crochet, knit, pin loom dishclothes with scrubby yarn

Breaking the Rules

We generally warp/wrap three layers of yarn on the loom and weave one. Most of the time we warp and weave with the same yarn. But mixing and matching is popular too. It changes the entire look of a pin loom woven fabric and can have a drastic effect on your project.

This is where you can experiment; break the rules and use different yarns. You can use a different yarn for each layer or just some of the layers.

Smooth Textured Warp and Textured Weave

A popular combination is wrapping the loom with a smooth yarn then weaving with a textured yarn. This is a great compromise and will save you a lot of frustration and heartache.

Want a scrubby dishcloth? Try warping in cotton and weaving with scrubby.

Another fun combination is warping in acrylic and weaving in eyelash. Below is a photo of Santa’s Belly pillow that incorporated eyelash yarn for just the weave portion. Woven Christmas Decorations were made with 4″ pin loom squares and medium worsted weight (4) yarn.

pin loom christmas decorations

We loved the look of eyelash yarn in woven squares so much, we included it into the beard of the gnome bag found in the Pin Loom Quilt Book of Ideas, too.

A diary of 100 quilt like shapes to make on a pin loom.

Breaking the rules is where you turn on the creative juices. If you have a yarn that you love but think it would be too difficult to use on a pin loom, try using it for only one or two layers. You can also try it for a partial layer to create gorgeous stripes or embroidery.

Yarns to Pin Loom for Beginners

Putting all this information together, we do have a few recommendations for beginner pin loom weavers. It’s not an exhaustive list, just a place to get started. Here are a few yarns we recommend you use as you learn:

  • Cascade 220 Superwash or Cascade 220 Superwash Sport
  • Lion Brand Basic Stitch or Heartland or Baby Soft
  • Red Heart Soft
  • Caron Simply Soft

More could be said, more rules could be made and broken, but we’ll leave it at that.

May you enjoy the journey of experimenting with yarns and creating fabrics and projects that you love.

How to Pack Down Yarn in Pin Loom Weaving

Packing yarn is not about going on a trip and deciding what yarn to take with you. Though I’m sure there are some nuances about what to take and how to pack it. This is about how to straighten yarn strands on the loom between weaving passes.

The Problem

When you weave your yarn through the pin loom, the strands above get pushed out of alignment. It just happens. And that’s a problem because you need to weave above that next strand but there’s not much space to work with.

This problem will continue…from the first weave to the last. Let’s take a look at the problem.

The yarn needle pictured above has been woven through the first row on the pin loom. It is ready to be pulled through. You’ll notice the next horizontal line has risen out of alignment and is very near the third strand. On your next weave, you need to weave your needle between those two strands but there’s not much space.

The Solution

After you draw your needle through your weaving, you’re ready to start packing. Packing means to compress your strands to the bottom of the loom. Packing not only helps align the yarn for your weaving, but it helps create a beautiful fabric by compressing previously woven strands which will make your weaving look more crisp and even.

There are a few options for packing. You can use a packing comb, a fork, hair pick or the needle you’ve been weaving with. Experiment with them to see which method or combination of methods you like best. We’ll discuss them in a little more detail below.

packing tools for pin loom weaving

No Packing Comb, No Problem

To straighten weaving strands, you use a packing comb to comb the strand you just wove as well as the next strand to the bottom of the loom. A packing comb is kind of like a metal pet comb. Generally it’s a slender piece of wood with tines. Don’t have a packing comb? Try one of these options:

Pack With A Dinner Fork

You read that right. The tines on a dinner fork tend to be just the right width for packing weave strands. Place the fork above the strand to be packed and pull it toward the bottom of the loom. You will repeat this process several times moving the fork to the left and right to pack strands across the row.

The down side to using a fork is that it’s narrow. You’ll need to move it many times to pack the strands.

Pack with a Hair Pick

The process is the same as using a fork. Place the pick above the strand to be packed and pull down. The obvious benefit to this over the fork is that it has more teeth and can pack more threads at once. The only down side is that it’s one more tool to keep track of.

Pack With Your Weaving Needle

The packing won’t be as tight, but you can just poke at your work with your weaving needle to pack your threads. This is obviously the slowest method, but the benefit is that you don’t need an additional tool. This method works well when combined with the following packing method “Pack As You Weave”.

packing yarn strands on pin loom with weaving needle

Pack As You Weave

The yarn needle itself can be a packing tool. Weave most of the row, then press the needle down toward the bottom of the loom to try to smash all the previous woven strands together. I know, not very elegant, but very effective! Packing as you weave will open up your current work area as well as compress your previously woven strands.

This doesn’t solve the problem of the creating space for the next weave, however. So you’ll need to you use this in addition to the method mentioned above “Pack With Your Weaving Needle”, then you won’t need any special packing tools.

We’ve used all of the methods mention above. And they are all great. We have woven so many shapes and misplaced our packing tools often enough that we pretty much just pack as we weave and pack with the weaving needle.

Take a look at the following image of a pin loom woven square. It was packed in our preferred style. It created a nice looking weave even without the use of a special packing tool.

Now that we’ve talked through a few options, it’s time to get packing!

Packing Isn’t So Hard

As mentioned previously, the last few rows can be more challenging to weave. But that’s not always true. If you weave patterns that go over 1, under 3, for instance, packing is easier because the weave is looser. A great example is Loomette Weave #1 which we blogged about.

loomette weave 1 for pin loom

An example of a project where the packing was easier is the Starfish Trio. The cushion star was woven with two different colors of yarn in a weave pattern of over 1, under 3.

11 Tips and Tricks for Pin Loom Weaving

Pin loom weaving is really quite simple. There aren’t a lot “secrets” to the perfect weave, but there are a few things you may find helpful. Here are some of our favorite weaving tip and tricks, in no particular order.

1. Leave A Tail For Weaving

Weaving in tails can be a pain. To keep them to a minimum, consider keeping only one tail, either the starting or ending tail. Use this tail for joining woven shapes. The length of the tail will vary depending on the project you are making. If you are just joining two shapes, then you’ll want a shorter tail – maybe 8″. If you are weaving a large project and joining lots of shapes, you’ll want a longer tail – maybe 12″.

2. Leave A Tail To Identify The Top/Bottom

It can be challenging to identify which side is the top of your shape and which is the bottom. Consistently only leave one tail on your projects to make it easy to identify. If you always weave in your finished tail, then the starting tail helps to identify the bottom of the shape.

Following the advise of Trick #1 and #2, we were able to lay out the squares in the Falling into Autumn afghan so the bottoms where always down. The top of one square was joined to the bottom of the next. This made joining easier and consistent since the bumps/loops on the outer edge of the pin loom shapes are different on each side. Some woven shapes did need to be turned to make the design, but wherever possible, we tried to lay out and join shapes with the bottom always down.

3. Packing Yarn With or Without a Comb

After the first row (and each row) of weaving you’ll notice that the next couple of strands are out of alignment. The horizonal strands are wavy and uneven making it difficult to find you next weaving path. To straighten the strands, you use a packing comb to comb the strand you just wove and the next strand to the bottom of the loom. Don’t have a packing comb? No problem. You can pack with a dinner fork, hair pick or even your weaving needle. Learn how to pack down yarn and why on our blog: How to Pack Down Yarn in Pin Loom Weaving.

4. Looms Aren’t All The Exact Same Size

Looms can be slightly larger or smaller than their labeled size. Let’s consider the 4″ square loom. Some manufacturers will place the pins so the yarn is woven at 4″ where others will place the pins at 4″, therefore the weaving is slightly larger than 4″. Neither is better, neither is wrong.

You’ll notice this difference when you join shapes together using looms from different manufacturers. You’ll find that some shapes are slightly larger than others. The Zoom Loom (bottom right) and Wunderwag (bottom left) looms have very similar pin placement and work well together. Bluebonnet Crafters (middle top) looms create shapes that are slightly larger.

For the most part, it’s really not a problem to have a collection of looms from various manufacturers. You may find that there is a little bit of pulling or pooling of fabric as you join them. That’s most noticeable on projects like afghans. We use looms from all three of the manufacturers listed previously as well as looms we’ve made ourselves. We mix and match looms all the time.

5. How To Identify The Strand To Weave Over or Under

Sometimes it can be challenging to find the next strand to weave under or over, especially on the first few rows. When you are weaving “Plain Weave” (under one, over one), you’ll know you found the right strand because it will have a little resistance to it.

In the photo above, the needle is grabbing the yarn that’s lower. It would be easier to weave over it, but in plain weave, that’s the one the needle needs to go under. After that’s picked up, the next strand is the opposite. It’s higher so it would be easier to weave under it. So therefore, it’s the strand that you will weave over.

6. Use Both Hands To Weave

Whether you hold the loom in your hands, in your lap or lay it on a table, you may find it helpful to use both hands to weave. One hand will hold the weaving needle and the other will gently press on your yarn to help move strands to the right or left so it’s easier to weave.

In the photo above you can see that I’m pushing the higher strand to the right which allows me to see the next lower strand that I need to pass the needle under.

Sometimes you may find that it’s helpful to move yarn from on top and other times from below. You may also find that you turn the loom a quarter turn to make weaving easier.

7. Turn The Loom For Comfort

One of the perks of pin loom weaving is that it’s small and portable. That means you can turn it any which way you want to make your weaving experience more enjoyable.

The most obvious would be to turn the loom 180 degrees so you weave in the direction that’s most comfortable. If you’re right handed, then you will most likely weave from right to left. So, turn the loom so that you always start your weave on the right.

Sometimes, however, you may find that you want to turn the loom 45 or 90 degrees. Or maybe you want to tilt it up or down because a strand is being tricky to weave over or under. Or you want to get your hand above or below your work.

Great! You can. We lay the loom on our lap for most of our weaving but often pick it up and twist and turn it as we weave.

8. The Needle Gets Stuck On The Pins

You may find that your weaving needle is too wide to fit through the pins. After you’ve woven under and over strands all the way across, you find that the needle gets stuck. The pins are too close together.

More likely than not, the needle is not too big, but you need to twist it a quarter turn so the eye is not as wide. The eye of the needle has a wide side and a narrow side and you just need to give it a turn.

You can create a bit of muscle memory where you naturally turn the needle at the end of your weaving. Your fingers will feel that the needle needs to be turned just as you start to pull it through. It’s something to practice.

9. Snagged Or Split Yarn

It is really easy to snag or split the yarn as we weave. Meaning the needle went through a strand of yarn instead of completely under or over it. Hopefully you catch that mistake as soon as it happens and you can pull the needle out and reweave the strand. But sometimes you don’t notice.

The problem with snagging and splitting yarn is two fold. First, the yarn is trapped in the middle of a strand and will make packing your weave more difficult and may hinder it from packing tight enough. Second, it will show on the back side and look like you missed weaving a strand; it will look like you wove under 3 and have a long strand.

It’s best to pull out the row and reweave it. If you notice it before you finish weaving your shape, you can try to pull out each row and reweave it. But sometimes we don’t notice until the weaving is complete. In those instances, you can choose to go with it or send the shape to timeout. You may find a use for it in a future project.

10: What Yarn To Use

Because the pins are fixed on a pin loom, the yarn is the only variable you can change. There are a few thing to consider when choosing yarn: yarn weight, fiber content and yarn structure. Below is a VERY brief overview of yarns. Check out the post Selecting Yarns for Pin Loom Weaving for a more details look at yarns and pin loom weaving.

You need 8 yards of yarn to make a 4″ square. We wrote a blog post on What Can You Make With 8 Yards of Yarn and compared pin loom to crochet and knitting.

Yarn Weight

Most people use a light weight (3) or medium worsted weight (4) because the fabric of a pin loom woven shape has some drape yet the holes are small. If you use a thin yarn, you may want to double it up.

Yarn Fiber Content

You can use any yarn but those with some elasticity are easier to weave. When you pull on the strand, does the yarn stretch? Then it has some elasticity. Wool and acrylics are easier to weave on a pin loom than cotton and bamboo yarns.

Yarn Structure

Smooth yarns are the the easiest to work with, and most yarns fit into this category. Yarns with bumps, halos and eyelash yarns are very challenging to weave with.

So, if you’re new to weaving or wanting to work on a relaxing project our recommendations. You only need 8 yards to make a square. Try using one of these:

  • Cascade 220 Superwash or 220 Superwash Sport
  • Lion Brand Heartland or Baby Soft
  • Red Heart Soft
  • Caron Simply Soft

The Gingham Gnome pictured below is an example of a project pin loom woven in Red Heart Soft.

11. Warp The Loom: Loose and Looser

If the yarn has some elasticity (like wool and acrylic), then you want to warp (wrap the loom) loosely. If the yarn has no elasticity (like cotton and bamboo), then you want to warp the loom very loosely. Why? Because as you weave, the warp straights get tighter. By the time you weave the last few rows, the warp strands are very tight.

The photo above is the first warp using acrylic yarn (left) and cotton yarn (right).

For the acrylic yarn, you want to be able to press on the strands and feel it flex. The cotton is warped so loose that it lays on the table and looks really sloppy. We’d say they are both just about right. So definitely pay attention to the fiber content.

Conclusion

Phew, that’s quite a lot of information. As with anything, these are things we learned as we’ve spent time weaving. Your experience may be similar…or not. You may be nodding your head in agreement or may have found something that stopped to make you think.

Wishing you an enjoyable pin loom weaving experience.

Loomette Weave #1 Pin Loom Pattern

Loomette Weave #1 is one of our favorite weaves. It’s easy to memorize and adds just a little bit of texture that can really add depth to a fabric. It’s fun to weave because you are skipping more strands. But the floats aren’t too long so they won’t get out of hand.

Below is Loomette Weave #1 woven with Vanna’s Choice yarn on a 4″ loom.

How to Weave Loomette Weave #1 on a Pin Loom

This pin loom weaving pattern begins and ends with plain weave which helps the fabric hold it’s structure. Here’s how to weave it:

Key: U = Under, O = Over

Row 1: Plain Weave (U1, O1) across finishing with U1.

Row 2: (U3, O1) 7 times, U3.

Row 3: U1, O1, (U3, O1) 7 times, U1

Rows 4-15: Repeat Rows 2 and 3. Use Row 2 for all the even rows, and Row 3 for all the odd rows.

Row 16: Plain weave.

Below is a photo of how your Loomette Weave 1 should look when you have woven all 16 rows and before you remove it from the pin loom.

Taking Loomette Weave #1 to the Next Level

Once you’ve tried Loomette Weave #1, you can incorporate it into most any project. And once you’ve got the technique mastered, you can modify it to create other really fun designs. eLoomaNation.com has vintage weaving booklets available for download that show Loomette Weave #1 and lots of other really fun designs.

Below is a photo of pin loom woven squares with the letter C woven into them. They were created with a bit of plain weave and a bit of (U3, O1) like Loomette #1. Here we demonstrate how different yarns impact the texture.

pin loom woven squares with alphabet

We’ve create a pattern collection of the entire alphabet A-Z plus numbers 0-9 and turned it into a fun and whimsical baby blanket. Learn more about the Pin Looms Alphabet Set and Numbers Baby Blanket on Etsy.

This baby blanket illustrates the textures you can create when you weave (U3, O1) in strategic places in your weaving. The blanket is made entirely of 4″ pin loom squares and edged in crochet.

Toy Soldier Gnome Pin Loom Pattern

Make your own little drummer boy with this Toy Soldier Pin Loom Pattern. We’ll show step-by-step how easy it is to turn yarn into a nutcracker gnome with this PDF download. The toy was made with only 4 pin looms.

It’s quite adorable at 11 1/2″ tall. The finished measurements are approximately 6 1/2″ wide x 4 1/2″ deep x 11 1/2″ tall.

When you look closely at the drummer boy, you’ll notice extra little scallops on the sleeves and shoulders, etc. Lucky for us, this is a natural feature if pin loom shapes. It’s little “cheats” like that which give the illusion of grandeur to the toy soldier.

What’s in the Toy Soldier Gnome Pin Loom Pattern

This step-by-step tutorial for the Toy Soldier Gnome includes all of the following:

  • Toy Soldier Gnome Instructions
  • Drum Instructions
  • Step-by-Step Written Instructions
  • 17 Pages
  • 50+ Color Photos and Charts
  • Complete Materials List
  • Helpful Tips

Toy Soldier Gnome Pattern Available on Etsy

The Toy Soldier Gnome Pin Loom Pattern is available in our Etsy Shop.

Available now on Etsy.

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Pin the Toy Soldier Gnome to Pinterest

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More about the Toy Soldier Gnome Pin Loom Pattern

We rate the Toy Soldier Gnome as intermediate, but it’s very doable by the confident beginner. This gnome is made by folding, rolling and tucking woven shapes. The photos will show you step-by-step how to do that.

Here are the supplies you’ll need to make your own Nutcracker Gnome.

  • Pin Loom Squares: 2” and 4”
  • Pin Loom Rectangles:  1”x4” and 2”x4”
  • Yarn:   Caron Simply Soft –
  • Medium Worsted Weight (4)
  •             BLACK #727 – 55 yds
  •             WHITE #701 – 55 yds
  •             BONE #9388 – 15 yds
  •             HARVEST RED #763 – 75 yds
  •             OCEAN #759 – 40 yds
  •             GOLD #782 – 50 yds
  •             TAUPE #783 – 8 yds
  • Needle:  6” needle for weaving and yarn needle for sewing
  • Stuffing
  • Fringe Twister or premade gold cord – 14”
  • Beans: to weigh the gnome down
  • Fabric Marker: – white, dark, or chalk
  • Pet comb: – metal
  • Steamer (optional)
  • Starch or Hair Spray (optional)

We’ve added a little bonus at the end for turning the drum into a Christmas ornament. This little drummer boy would make a great decoration for a table or fireplace mantel. He’s also a great gift to make for your friends and family who love the Nutcracker ballet or have a passion for drums.

Get your copy of the Toy Soldier Gnome Pin Loom Pattern today.

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