A peg loom is a very simple tool used for weaving. A key feature of the looms are the pegs that jut out from them. Some looms are four-sided, while others consist of a single row of pegs. The size of the peg loom depends on the size of the project being made. Small, square looms are commonly used by children to make pot holders, while professional weavers may use large, single-row looms to produce beautiful tapestries.
One common style of peg loom consists of a straight piece of wood with a row of dowels, or pegs, jutting out of the top. The pegs stretch from one end of the wood to the other and are spaced equally apart. Usually, the pegs fit into holes drilled into the wood and should be easy to remove as a person weaves on the loom. The pegs also have holes drilled through them at the bottom.
To use this type of peg loom, the weaver pulls one piece of warp thread through the hole at the bottom of each peg. The warp thread should be at least three times the length of the finished rug or tapestry. The weaver should line up the loose ends of the threads so that they are even and arrange the threads so that they hang neatly away from the loom. If the weaver wants tassels on the end of the tapestry, she should tie the threads together at the loose ends.
To weave on the peg loom, a weaver should take the weft thread and weave it in and out of the pegs, starting a few pegs in from the end of the loom. When the weaver reaches the opposite end, he should wrap the weft around the final peg and weave his way back, repeating the process until he has woven the weft up the vertical length of the pegs. Once the pegs are covered in weft threads, the weaver should slowly pull the pegs out of the loom one by one so that the warp thread is pulled up through the weft thread and she can continue to weave the rug.
Another type of peg loom is commonly used by children to create pot holders from fabric loops. This peg loom is a plastic or metal square with little pegs sticking up on all four sides. The child stretches loops from one peg to another across the width of the loom. The child then weaves another loop from one peg to the other, over and under the stretch loops, and across the length of the loom.
