You can make all sorts of woven projects with the simple pot holder lap looms sold in most big discount stores. Here are the basic directions and some ideas!
Materials:
1 Looper Frame (like one makes pot holders on)
2 skeins of fingering weight cotton yarn or handspun of similar weight
threading hook
tapestry needle
crochet hook size d or c
Directions:
Tie yarn on corner peg and wind a warp onto the looper frame and secure. Fill in and weave following the directions that come with these little looms. Or, vary the weave to produce a pattern. To make a basket weave, draw the sideways yarn over two strands at a time. Loop over peg and go the opposite direction. Loop over peg and repeat the whole process
When you have filled in the whole square, tie of the yarn end. Then, take up the end loop and pull the next loop through it, slipping the first loop over. Use the second pulled-through loop and slip it over the next loop until the whole outside has been finished.
Carefully remove the woven square from the loom. Make more squares. You can join them together to make a vest or a hat!
If you used different colors of yarn for the squares, make sure you like your design. Crochet the squares together using the loops on the side. Single crochet a loop on one square, then single crochet on the abutting loop of the square next to it. Go up one line of abutting squares. Then do the same until the squares are all joined. Finally, single or double crochet the outside edge of the whole towel to finish off the outer loops of warp.
If you don't know how to crochet, loop the edges over like the pot holder directions which come with the loom, and then sew together.
You can use wool or other materials to produce other types of cloth to join together for patchwork to make various garments or afghans.
For ideas on how to use all your little squares, check out a patchwork book for ideas and patterns.
To make the bookmarks shown in the top picture, just string part of the loom and fill in the side ways yarns. Finish the ends by the loop over process.
