Minnesota Weave

A fun and quick project!

I got this birch loom (actually a pack of 5) from weaveitbee on Etsy. They are super affordable. I contacted her after seeing I think a Texas one in her shop and asked if she could make a Minnesota one and she did! There was no extra cost either and she updated me periodically about how it was going. She also tagged me in her insta story when I posted a photo of this, which was neat. She has several states plus other shapes.

Ok, on to the project. These smaller looms also come with notches on the ends instead of holes or just nothing and you wrap it around. But for the first two, you do it how I describe below. The vertical threads are called the warp (and the horizontal are called weft). When you put on the warp it’s called warping. You tie a knot to start with and go up and down, but it might not be how you think. Ugh, I can’t find any pictures so I’m going to just draw on this one.

To start weaving (just realized weft is the noun form of weave!) You just start. I was wondering if you tie a knot but I don’t think so. I did one knot in this one but just one for some reason.

I taped up the end of this so it wouldn’t unravel because it was very loose. I also taped the end of the warp thread so it would go easier into the holes. You could also use a needle for warping and/or weaving if that works for you.

Here is the finished weave with the ends out. For tucking in the ends, you do need a needle I’d say in most but maybe not all cases. The ends just go under a few threads on the back.

I glued on a turqoise cabochon over where I live (it’s a little off I guess if you consider the outer edge as the outline of the state, which it is).

When you weave you have to keep a little slack in the yarn so that the warp yarns don’t bow inwards. That was harder to do in this because I didn’t want to have any yarn on the wood, and the holes were sometimes offset.

The best part of this was that it only took max an hour and a half. I didn’t realize it would go that fast. It probably was because the yarn was really thick.

Enjoy if you decide to weave!