Insert the shed stick [6]

Two strips of heavy duty cardboard arrived with your kit. One of them you have already inserted at the bottom end of the loom to block your weaving and leave a space for finishing off the woven piece.

The second strip is to be used as a shed stick which will facilitate passage of your shuttle or weaving needle as you work. In more complex table-top looms, the shed stick will normally be in wood and have notches cut along all its length. Turning the stick towards the top or the bottom of the loom will separate the warp threads in an upper or lower position leaving an open space between the threads through which to pass the shuttle.

Your cardboard shed stick is much simpler and will divide the warp threads in one direction only. This means that your shuttle will slip through the divided warp in one direction, but you will still need to weave it in and out of the threads for the return row. Nonetheless, it is very useful for a beginner until you perhaps move onto larger and more expensive equipment!

NB. if you didn’t purchase the kit, cut yourself 2 strips of sturdy card (such as that in cardboard boxes) about 4cm x the width of your frame.