Triangle Loom — How to Use

Secure yarn to loom (or you can leave it hanging loose). I tied a slip knot and looped it over a 1-2 edge pin near Cr1. Take yarn alongside 1-3 edge pins up to Cr3 and wrap two pins (#13 and #12).

Continue warping L1 by wrapping two pins and skipping one. Warping along the 1-2 edge will look the same as it does on the square loom. (Please excuse the yucky looking green end; the red dye bled into it and I had to paint over it.) It’s a little tricky to get the yarn between the pins at Cr2. Pay close attention to your pin wrapping at the end of this layer. Pins #4 and #3 are the last two hypotenuse pins you’ll wrap in L1.

When you get to Cr2, follow the same procedure as you would for the square loom (skip one, wrap two as you turn the corner): take the yarn around hypotenuse pins #1 and #2, then across to the 1-3 side of the loom. Go between first and second pin, around two, back to hypotenuse. On the hypotenuse skip pin #3, wrap #4 and #5. Pins #10 and #11 are the last pins you’ll wrap on the hypotenuse in L2. (Same dye problem happened at the end of the red yarn—blue bled into it and I had to paint it.)

This is a look at L2 from another angle.

At the end of L2, just as on the square loom, wrap the two pins at Cr3 (the last one on 1-3 edge plus #13 on hypotenuse). Continue warping L3 by wrapping two pins and skipping one pin. CAUTION: the end of L3 is the most likely place for mistakes in warping. Pay close attention to your pin wrapping here. Except at Cr3 and Cr2, all L3 two-pin wraps along the hypotenuse are directly on top of, or above, all L2 pin wraps. In L3 the last two pins you’ll wrap are #5 and #4.

Here’s a look at L3 from another angle. Note L3’s two-pin wraps are on top of L2’s.

Measure your yarn for L4. The 2″ triangle requires 2 full wraps plus 1 length of the hypotenuse. (You may want to add a little length for more comfortable weaving with the long needle.)
4″ triangle requires 3 wraps plus 1 hypotenuse length.
6″ triangle requires 4 wraps plus 1 hypotenuse length.

L4, R1: At Cr2, insert the needle through the outer loop (Over the red) and Under the first L1 warp (green). The needle begins R1 between hypotenuse pins #1 and #2. Continue weaving across.

Begin R2 at the row 2 mark on the loom. Exit R2 Under L1’s last warp (between hypotenuse pins #2 and #3).

Here’s another look at the needle exiting R2 at the hypotenuse edge between pins #2 and #3.

Here’s a straight-on close-up of the hypotenuse. Please notice L3 loops on top of L2 loops. We’re about to begin the strange part of the adventure of weaving the triangle along the hypotenuse edge . . . (If you’ve practiced my tutorial on “two-color weaving in ends as you go,” this will be a snap for you.)

To begin R3 (and all subsequent hypotenuse [or odd numbered] rows): Between hypotenuse pins #4 and #5, insert needle through L3 loop (blue) and pull it outward. At the same time, scoop the needle point Under the L2 outer loop (red), then Over the first L3 warp (blue), then Under L1 warp (green) and so on across. I can only explain this as “the alchemy of L2 loops becoming L1 warps.”

R3 complete from above.

Straight-on view of L3 from hypotenuse edge. Note L3 loop is now below L2 loop.

R4: Needle exits between hypotenuse pins # 5 and #6.

R5: Needle enters between hypotenuse pins #7 and #8; perform the alchemy here of pulling out the L3 loop and scooping Under the L2 loop. If you’re panicking right now because it looks like the hypotenuse L2 loops are floating free, imagine how I felt! I’d never seen this performed with each layer an individual color. TRUST THE PROCESS; it works. (You can skip down to the end for a sneak peek if you need that kind of affirmation).

R6 exits between hypotenuse pins #8 and #9. I know—you’re worried because the needle is at a slant. (In fact, those slanting L1 and L3 warps caused you to raise your eyebrows too.) Don’t worry, it will all come out right in the end.

R7 in place

R8: Close-up. You may notice that I exited the row between pins #12 and #13 instead of below pin #12. It’s OK (and easier) to do that on the last row since you won’t be making a scallop here.

The triangle is complete on the loom!!!

Here’s what the hypotenuse looks like.

Because my yarn is stiff with dye and paint, its hypotenuse scallops are a bit rigid-looking. If you use normal yarn you can expect a flattish but still detectable scallop. Please note: the hypotenuse edge is an exposed bias edge. It will be stretchy (and fun to play with). Just be careful not to stretch it out of shape if you’re planning to join it with other pieces.