Guides
23 posts in Guides.
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GuidesFrame Loom vs Rigid Heddle: Which Should You Buy First?
Frame loom vs rigid heddle vs tapestry loom, decoded: what each actually weaves, real prices from $20 to $495, and which to buy first. Verified July 2026.
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GuidesHand Carders vs. Drum Carder: Do You Need to Upgrade?
Hand carders cost under $100 and suit small batches. A drum carder for wool runs $600 to $835 new, or $250 to $500 used, and about doubles processing speed.
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GuidesYarn Swift and Ball Winder: The Complete Pairing Guide
A swift holds the hank open; the winder cranks it into a cake. Neither does much alone. Winder types, and the best budget and premium pairs, verified July 2026.
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GuidesAshford Kiwi 3 vs Traditional: Which Spinning Wheel?
Ashford Kiwi 3 vs Traditional: castle vs Saxony design, scotch tension vs double drive, and the ratio gap from 9.5:1 to 17:1. Specs verified June 2026.
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GuidesSchacht Baby Wolf vs Louet David III: Floor Loom Comparison
Baby Wolf at $2,386 (4 shafts) vs Louet David III at $5,087 (8 shafts): treadle feel, depth, and when the price gap is worth it. Verified June 2026.
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GuidesBest Floor Looms: Picks for Every Budget and Studio Size
The Baby Wolf wins on portability; the Louet David wins on value. Floor loom picks by budget, shaft count, and studio size, with a TCO table per model.
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GuidesBest Spinning Wheels: Entry, Mid-Range, and E-Spinner Picks
The Ashford Kiwi 3 is the best beginner wheel under $500, the Schacht Ladybug wins mid-range, and the EEW 6 leads e-spinners. Full comparison inside.
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GuidesE-Spinner vs Treadle Wheel: Which Should You Choose?
E-spinners spin anywhere with no treadling; treadle wheels give the full ritual. Portability, price, and drive-system trade-offs for every spinner.
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GuidesFiber Prep Guide: Carding vs Combing vs Commercial Top
Carding makes woolen-spun yarn; combing makes worsted-spun yarn; commercial top does the prep for you. When each method wins for your spinning project.
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GuidesHow Much Space Does a Loom Need? A Room-Planning Guide
Floor looms run 33 to 54 inches deep; rigid heddle fits any table; spinning wheel needs one corner. Measured footprints and minimum room sizes, loom by loom.
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GuidesFloor Loom Anatomy: Every Part Named and Explained
Every floor loom part named and explained: warp beam, castle, shafts, heddles, beater, reed, breast beam, cloth beam, and treadles, with a labeled diagram.
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GuidesRigid Heddle vs Floor Loom: Which One Should You Buy?
What a rigid heddle can weave vs what a floor loom adds: plain weave, twill, lace, prices from $225 to $2,386+, and when to upgrade. Verified June 2026.
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GuidesSpinning Wheel Anatomy: Every Part Named and What It Does
Drive wheel, flyer, bobbin, whorl, scotch tension, Irish tension: every spinning wheel part named with the drive-system decoder every wheel buyer needs.
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GuidesUsed Loom Buying Guide: What to Inspect and What to Pay
Floor looms sell used for $200–900; rigid heddles for $80–200. What to inspect, which red flags to walk away from, and how to price a used loom fairly.
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GuidesWarping a Loom: Back-to-Front vs Front-to-Back Explained
Most US guilds teach back-to-front as the standard; front-to-back suits fine yarns and complex threading. Step-by-step guide to both warping methods.
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GuidesWeaving Width Guide: What Loom Width Do You Actually Need?
Scarves need 12 inches; dish towels 18; blankets 50-plus. Take-in math, finished-width table by project, and which loom width covers which work.
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GuidesWeaving Yarn Guide: Sett, WPI, and What Makes a Warp Yarn
Sett is ends per inch; WPI tells you what sett a yarn needs. Covers warp-worthy fibers, the half-sett rule, and where to buy cotton and linen for weaving.
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GuidesBest Rigid Heddle Loom: Ranked by Width and Budget
The Schacht Cricket 15-inch suits most beginners; Ashford wins wide weaving on cost per inch. Width-per-dollar tables and picks by buyer, prices verified 2026.
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GuidesDrop Spindle for Beginners: The $20 Entry to Hand Spinning
How to choose, set up, and spin on a drop spindle. The specific spindle to buy at $15 to $25, the fiber that cooperates, and the path from spindle to wheel.
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GuidesDrum Carder Guide: The $600+ Tier and the Used Market
Ashford, Louet, and Strauch drum carders at the $600-plus tier: teeth-per-inch counts, availability notes, and where the used market beats buying new.
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GuidesYour First Rigid Heddle Project: A Real Warp Walkthrough
A complete first-warp walkthrough: yarn quantities for a 15-inch Cricket or SampleIt, a weekend scarf plan, and the five things beginners get wrong.
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GuidesUmbrella Swift Guide: What It Is, What to Buy, How to Use It
The fastest way to wind a skein into a ball. Materials, mounting styles, and the models worth buying at each price point, verified June 2026.
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GuidesBest Tapestry Loom for Beginners: How to Pick Your First
A frame loom under $50 is the right first tapestry loom for almost everyone. The honest tier breakdown, a verified comparison table, and your first projects.