Pot Holder Loom

This summer Maddie has been working her way through her favorite workbooks, but we have also been doing more arts & crafts, and over the last week the theme has been weaving.  While at Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, I bought a kit for Maddie from The Spinnery that included a nice metal potholder loom, plain jersey loops and kool-aid.  Kool-aid? you ask.  Yep!  You can actually dye the loops with kool-aid and that's just what we did:

Here's the first batch which we did in a tie-dye kind of style.  We are already on our third batch.  The  last two were done using two similar colors so that we could really smoosh them and  get out all the white spots.  Basically all you do is put the loops in a microwave proof dish -- we used a pyrex pie plate and did 36 loops at a time.  Then you sprinkle on the kool-aid -- we used 2 packages for each batch of 36 loops.  Then spray the loops with water.  The spraying is the magical part -- the dull powder turns into bright color which spreads throughout the loops.  After that you smoosh the loops, adding water as needed to saturate, then microwave for about 3 minutes.  I stirred mine a couple times because I have a really old microwave that has hot spots.  Cool and rinse.

Putting on the first layer of loops -- the "warp".

Then the actual weaving!  adding the weft!  Although Maddie is only 5, she was able to do the weaving with pretty much no problem. 

There are pot holder loom instructions available online from Harrisville Designs which include several other projects -- check it out!

Comments

[Karen]

That is a great project. I love that they have you dye the loops. Maddie's potholder came out wonderfully. My mother still uses the ones I made in the late 60's.

[Vicki]

Great Job Maddie! That looks like fun. I remember making potholders as a little girl. I bet my 5 yo would love one!

[Tsoniki]

I had one of those when I was a kid and lost the instructions. So for years I had a pot holder on it and never took it off!

Great project for little ones - I'm about to start homeschooling my almost 5 year old (5 on Thursday!) and I think I will get her one of those as well. She loves being crafty. :)