I lobe the tilt on mine, too
@tobascokat @AFrayedKnot Thanks you two. My shuttle just keeps slipping so I started setting on the side trays while I beat.
@Floppy2 I have a Louet Jane, but weave on the Erica at my LYS. I prefer the overhead beater of the Jane but don’t like the wooden heddle bars. But I like the metal heddle bars on the Erica and hate the beater. I think the Jane is easier to warp because it’s a bit “roomier”. But if you want a small footprint, I’d go with the Erica. They all have pros and cons. It’s why we end up with so many looms!
My thoughts exactly. I tried to avoid having more than one, but it is impossible. Each of them have their good and bad side and just like wheels, knitting needles, and crochet hooks, more than one version is needed. I just have to get rid of the heavy all-oak jack loom in my basement now! 8 shafts of solid oak it too heavy to treadle for anyone!
@Floppy2 I love my 8 shaft Louet David. It’s heavy enough for most things, but really easy to treadle. I was able to work on it when I was recovering from rib and spinal fractures. But if I could only have one loom, I’d go with the Louet Spring. I love countermarche looms!
Last winter I bought a 15” Cricket and had great fun with it. I am away from home for the summer and have purchased , used, a 32” Ashford w/stand. I can’t wait to get it home and start using it. It has been highly recommended by a weaving friend that I buy an Ashford Simplelt – 10”. I am hesitating because I feel that I can do on the Cricket anything that I would do on the Simplelt. Any suggestions about that?
There are a few things about the SampleIt that I like better than the Cricket. 1) The SampleIt can do double heddle work which the Cricket simply cannot do. 2) the SampleIt can take a 15epi heddle allowing you to use laceweight yarn which the Cricket cannot do. 3) the SampleIt has a captive heddle which keeps it from sliding side-to-side when you’re beaming the warp. The SampleIt comes in a 10" and a 16" width. Personally, my vote is slightly for the SampleIt. However, if you use and love your Cricket and don’t much care about the three things I mentioned, stick with the Cricket and spent the money on more yarn!!
Because the warp goes from beam to beam on the Sampleit, the weaving area becomes small as the cloth builds up. I like the Cricket because it has separate cloth and warp beams. Personally, I mostly use the 8 and 10 epi reeds for drapey scarves and cloth.
@1mowmow, you’re right about that. The separation of the warp/cloth beams and the back/breast beams in the Cricket is very nice. However, I don’t put a long enough warp on any rigid heddle loom to make that much difference and I typically use the 12epi or 15epi heddle which minimizes the “tilted” weaving surface. BTW, the side-to-side slide in the Cricket can be taken care of by clamping the heddle to the loom when you’re beaming the warp. I got the smallest 1-handed bar clamps I could find at my local hardware store. A C-clamp would probably work well, too.
You could also get around the cloth build up by doing the Saori catch technique. I use a 20” variable dent reed on my 15” Cricket (longer works, too). I would like to get my hands on the Ashford variable dent reed to see if I could make it work on the Cricket. Then I could have the reeds you mentioned if I could buy extra segments. You can see my loom in a previous post (I think that’s a 25” reed”).
Since you already have a small loom, no need to get another…unless the Ashford does something the Cricket doesn’t 
Still love my little Cricket baby thing.
I have a 24" Beka ridged heddle. I have not done a whole lot on it, still learning! I did make a couple of totes and purse. Combines knitting and weaving for one. Just like playin!
Hi everyone, I have a 16 " Kromski Harp Forte rigid heddle, love it! I added a Weavers Choice heddle (12 to 5 dpi) I’m looking at a smaller Ashford that has the 2 dpi for making yarn art. My loom is waiting for a project but I did finish a forever “dog on the loom” table runner made of salvage edges of painter drop canvas cloth. Its rough but works for the 7 1/2 ft picnic table.
Looking forward to seeing and learning about your weaving projects!
Wow! Now that is a huge project. It looks great on your table.
Hi Fiber Passion! That is a pretty spot to weave and your table runner looks fantastic! I’m getting ready to warp for some handspun cotton towels on my RH loom, and I also hope to do the new pick-up class by Liz Gipson. Meanwhile, some languishing spinning and knitting projects are getting some attention, and I’m prepping for a sweater spin, and working on baby blankets. Needless to say, sometimes I go a while between weaving projects but I’m always excited to be planning and dreaming about the next one.
That’s an amazing table runner! I wouldn’t have thought of using drop cloth strips, but why not??
Thank you Yarnforall, I was sure glad it was done!
Hi Carlota, Thank You! I’m the same way , i’m knitting socks right now but this thread has got me excited to warp up the loom. Liz Gipson is awesome, I got her dvd on double weaving. Lots of fall project in store : ) Looking forward to seeing your projects.
Hello Debbi, Thank you. I recycle the salvage edges of fabrics. Edges that would be tossed are beautiful to use in fiber art, spin and weave.