Table Looms

John and Teruko Low designed and built Woolhouse Tools in Armstrong, BC, from 1979 until about 2016. In 2021, Tim and John reached an agreement that allowed Tim to further develop John's innovative table loom design. The looms were modernized to enhance usability, reduce weight, and improve production feasibility.

Loom Name	Production Status	Weaving Width	# Of Shafts	Key Position	Heddle Length	Heddle Qty.  Supplied	Modern/Orig.	Folding Style	Weight (w/o reed)
Alice	In Production	10”	8	Top	7”	400	Modern	Quick	12-13.5 lbs
Norah	In Production	16” or 23"	8	Top	7”	400	Modern	Quick	15 lbs
Mimi	Not In Production	16”	4 or 8	Top	7”	400, 400	Original	Flat, Standing
Julie	Not in Production	16”	16	Top	8”	800	Modern	Quick
Modern Carolyn	In Production	23”	8,12	Front	7”	400, 600	Modern	Does Not Fold
Margaret	Not in Production	23”	16, 24	Front	10.5”	800, 1200	Original	Standing

Weaving Width

The maximum width you can weave on your loom. Our table looms are available in 10", 16", or 23" widths.

# of shafts

Indicates the number of shafts and control keys.

Control Key Position

Woolhouse table looms feature either top-facing or front-facing keys.

Heddle Length

Woolhouse looms use Texsolv heddles available in 7", 8", or 10.5" lengths.

Heddle Quantity

Refers to the number of heddles included with your loom, typically based on the number of shafts and weaving width. Additional heddles can be added or repositioned, even during threading!

Modern vs. Original Looms

Original Looms: Constructed from solid birch in Armstrong, BC. Always branded with the "Woolhouse" or "Woolhouse Tools" logo.

Modern Looms: Designed to incorporate the best aspects of John's designs, utilizing ApplePly for various components to reduce costs and add features—such as beater stowage on the Alice and Norah models—that are not available on Original looms.

Folding Styles

Quick Fold: Exclusive to Modern looms, this method allows users to fold the loom while maintaining tension on the warp. It requires fully removing two thumb screws and loosening the other two. A designated spot is provided to securely stow the beater/reed assembly when not in use—an enhancement not found in Original Woolhouse looms.

Standing Fold: Unique to Original looms, this is the quickest folding method, ideal for storing an unwarped loom. Note that tension is lost when using the Standing Fold.

Flat Fold: Exclusive to the Mimi model, this method requires the removal of all four thumb screws, and the loom castle must be fully detached and rotated 90 degrees. Warps can be tensioned during Flat Fold.

Features

Woolhouse looms offer smooth action, with cords running over pulleys rather than being dragged over rods or through eyes.

The beater is not fixed to the base, allowing users to easily reposition it for comfort during weaving. The peg nearest to the weaver serves to store the beater when folding a warped loom or when in Standing Fold.

The wooden ratchet and pawls operate the beam smoothly with 32 stops.

Rubber feet protect your table surfaces.