Great Idea Looming

When we think back to childhood we all can identify with something that was a favorite toy or activity.  For me it was the Etch-a-Sketch; I have four of them still today.  For my friend Stephanie Harris it is the Pot Holder Loom.

Stephanie said when she was a kid she used to make millions of them; everyone got them as gifts and her family used them around the house, car and traveling in the family's RV.  She was never in short supply of loops to weave across her loom. After college Stephanie found herself in need of new potholders so she pulled our her loom that generated bright colored gifts for family and friends and started making herself new potholders.  She also replenished the well worn pot holders her mom still used. At that point she could go into the local store and find the cotton loops required to weave her new potholders. 

When I was a young girl I remember just randomly weaving color loops across the loom.  Stephanie weaves patterns into hers, "The letter "I" one is my favorite (the I with the full top and bottom of the letter!) and a 9-square pattern that I make is my second favorite."

Recently Stephanie wanted to weave back into the fun of childhood and make more potholders.  Unfortunately the cotton loops and metal looms are not available in stores, so she went online and was able to find an abundance of cotton loops and a new metal loom. Your local store might sell loops, but they are nylon; cotton loops hold up through the wash and remain durable.  "I have never felt heat through one." said Harris. 

I asked her where she purchased her supplies and she told me she bought them at www.hobbymasters.com  (Cotton Loops  Metal Weaving Loom.) She also said she found a "higher quality" of loops on www.amazon.com that are specially made for  potholder looms.

“I love both types...the "imperfect" ones have a lot of character, but they are "imperfect." Some don't fit, some are flawed, so you can't use all of them. But you get so many in the bag it doesn't matter. And they are still nice and make very high quality potholders.

The Harrisville ones are "perfect." Every loop fits and is useable, they colors are very bright and vibrant, and they actually make slightly larger potholders.

In the future, I will continue to do the mix of brands. I got a TON of white loops with the Wool Novelty set and none with the Harrisville set, so I did mix and match the two brands in some potholders. With the Harrisville brand, you can purchase bags of individual colors, though. So if your kitchen is black and red, you can buy bags of black, red, and white loops to customize.”

Since her recent restart Stephanie has made 34 new pot holders.