Ashford Inkle and Inklette Looms
Ashford Inkle and Inklette Looms
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- Inkle - 110 In: Available to ship
- Inklette - 70 In: Available to ship
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The Ashford Inkle and Inklette weave warp-faced bands, braids and belts, where the warp covers the weft completely. You wind the warp straight onto the loom's own pegs. Leashes hold every other thread, and you push the open threads down or lift them to make each shed. Ashford's booklet suggests belts, bracelets, ties, guitar straps, shoe laces and trims, or bands sewn together into bags, placemats and cushion covers.
Inkle or Inklette
Both come with a shuttle with a bevelled edge for beating and the sliding tension peg, both booklets give the same projects, and both warp and weave the same way. The Inkle takes the longer, wider warp and is the bigger loom, and the table gives each one's figures. If you're torn, call or chat with us.
What's in the box
- The loom in parts to glue and assemble, with the glue and sandpaper supplied. Let the glue set 24 hours on the Inkle and at least 4 hours on the Inklette before you warp.
- A shuttle with a beveled edge for beating
- On the Inkle, a table clamp and a hex wrench
- Ashford's Learn to Weave booklet for your loom, which is also its assembly guide. Its first project is a four-colour band wound from a draft.
| Inkle warp | 51 to 110 in long, up to 3 in wide |
| Inklette warp | 39 to 70 in long, up to 2 in wide |
| Band width | About half the warp's width, set by how tightly you pull the weft |
| Tension peg | Keeps the warp under tension as you weave, and loosens to advance the band. It slides in a slot in the base and locks with a nylon knob. |
| Warp adjustment | 10 in on both looms |
| Leashes | Tied from string or fine cotton, 4 3/4 in on the Inkle, 4 1/2 in on the Inklette |
| Inkle size | 25 1/2 in long, 6 3/4 in wide, 11 1/4 in high |
| Inklette size | 14 3/4 in long, 4 1/2 in wide, 7 1/4 in high |
| Carry bags | Inkle 26 3/4 x 12 1/4 in, Inklette 17 x 8 3/4 in, long by high |
| Build | Beech hardwood, natural unfinished, assembly required |
Spare shuttles, Texsolv leashes and carry bags
A spare belt shuttle fits both looms, and it is the shuttle the Inkle's box holds. Ashford also cuts Texsolv heddles into leashes, fine and smooth, so changing sheds is quick. The Inklette takes the Table Loom Texsolv Heddles and the Inkle the Jack Loom Texsolv Heddles. Ashford's Sibling Star band, a pick-up pattern it wove on the Inklette with Texsolv leashes, needs 30 leashes.
The padded, zipped Inkle carry bag and Inklette carry bag each hold the loom, its shuttle and your yarn for a workshop, a class or a holiday.
Ashford's booklet says mercerised cotton suits inkle bands, and lists its 5/2 cotton beside both looms. Wax or seal the wood after assembly so the glue holds, with Ashford's Finishing Wax Polish for a silky finish.
For cloth rather than bands, the SampleIt is an Ashford rigid heddle loom in 10 and 16 in widths, for sampling yarns and weaving fabric.
Here in Spokane we keep spare belt shuttles, Texsolv heddles and both carry bags. Ashford's 12 month guarantee on manufacturing faults runs through us as your dealer. For anything else, call or chat with us.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Strong, smooth yarn with little stretch. Cotton is the easy start, and mercerized cotton gives the crispest band. Most wool works too, though soft or hairy wool clings to its neighbors and makes the shed hard to open. Silk, nylon and metallic threads add variety, as long as every thread in the warp has about the same stretch.
No warping board. You wind the warp straight onto the loom's pegs, following the path in the booklet, and tie each new color on at the start peg. Beyond the yarn and the leash string, you'll want scissors and two strips of cardboard to spread the warp at the start of the band.
Yes. Stripes and simple patterns come from the order you wind the warp colors, and the booklet's first project is a four-colour band wound from a draft. Lift and drop threads with your fingers or a pick-up stick for pick-up patterns, and the booklet includes a letter chart for weaving words.
Keep the warp very tight and don't let the tension wander along the band. Each time you bring the shuttle out of the shed, tug the previous weft snug before you beat, which closes the little loop between the two outside warp threads. A weft the same color as your edge threads makes the edges look tidier still.