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Activities / Khes / Khes Cardboard Loom Mat

Khes Cardboard Loom Mat

Khes-Inspired Coaster Woven on a Cardboard Loom

Level
Intermediate
Duration
2.5 - 4 hours
Budget
₹239 – ₹417
Age
12+
State
Punjab
Craft
Khes

Materials

  • Cotton thread or crochet cotton for the warp and weft
  • Blunt tapestry needles, large eye
  • Stiff cardboard, 12 x 14 cm
  • Fork or comb for packing down the rows
  • Ruler, pencil and scissors

Steps

  1. Set up your table and understand the Khes idea
    Real Khes is a heavy cotton cloth woven in checks and stripes on a handloom, a skill that takes years to learn. You will weave a small coaster-size piece on a cardboard loom with the same over-and-under structure. Clear a table with good light. Lay out stiff cardboard, cotton thread, two colours of cotton yarn, a blunt needle, scissors, a ruler, a pencil and a fork. Expect 2.5 to 4 hours.
    Tip: Choose two strongly different colours, such as red and cream, so the checks show clearly.
  2. Cut a cardboard rectangle 12 by 14 cm and notch both short ends
    Cut stiff cardboard 12 cm wide and 14 cm long. On both short ends, mark a dot every 5 mm, starting 1 cm in from the long edges, to get 21 dots. Snip a notch 4 mm deep at every dot with sharp scissors. Notches at the top and bottom must line up so the threads run straight. Common mistake: cutting the notches too deep, which weakens the card and lets the thread slip.
    Tip: Mark both ends with a ruler first and check that the dots match before cutting.
  3. Wind 21 vertical warp threads on the loom
    Tape the end of the cotton thread to the back of the card at the first notch. Pull it over the front, through the matching notch at the other end, round the back and up through the next notch. Continue until 21 threads run on the front, then tie the end to the start on the back. Keep the tension snug but not tight enough to bend the card. Common mistake: uneven tension, which makes the finished piece wavy.
    Tip: Pull every thread with the same finger pressure.
  4. Thread colour A on a blunt needle and weave 12 rows over-and-under
    Cut 1 m of yarn in colour A, thread the needle and leave a 5 cm tail. Pass the needle over one warp, under the next, across all 21. Turn at the edge and come back the opposite way, so the weave alternates. Push each row up with the fork. After 12 rows you should see a flat block about 2 cm tall. Common mistake: pulling the yarn tight at the edges, which makes the mat narrower in the middle.
    Tip: Leave the yarn in a gentle arc before you push it up. This keeps the edges straight.
  5. Switch to colour B for the next 12 rows to make a block
    Cut 1 m of colour B and weave 12 rows exactly like before. Leave the old yarn's tail hanging at the side, ready to be tucked away later. A second block of the same height gives you horizontal stripes, which is how checks begin. Count your rows out loud, as an uneven block stands out.
  6. Make checks by changing the weft colour every second warp
    For the next band, work with two needles at once. Weave 12 rows with colour A over the left 10 warps and colour B over the right 11 warps, linking them by looping each yarn around its neighbour at the middle. Then swap colours for the next band. This makes squares in chequered blocks, the pattern Khes is known for. Common mistake: leaving a slit between the colours. Loop the yarns round each other at the join.
    Tip: A slit looks like a tiny gap. Loop the yarns round each other to close it.
  7. Keep alternating until the weaving fills the loom
    Continue alternating the chequered bands and the plain bands until the weaving is about 12 cm long and nearly meets the top notches. Leave a gap of about 1 cm at the top for the fringe. Keep checking that the width stays at 21 warps all the way. Take a rest if your eyes feel tired, since counting rows takes focus.
  8. Cut the warp, tie the ends and tuck in the yarn tails
    Turn the loom over and cut the warp threads across the middle of the back. Slide the weaving off the card. At each end, tie pairs of neighbouring warp threads together with a firm double knot. Thread each loose yarn tail into the needle and tuck it under the weave for 2 cm. Trim the tails flush. Common mistake: cutting the warp before you have the weaving off the card by hand, which can pull the rows apart.
    Tip: Put a tiny drop of glue on each knot so it cannot slip.
  9. Trim a neat fringe and press the coaster flat
    Trim the fringe at both ends to 1.5 cm with sharp scissors. Lay the coaster on a table and put it under a heavy book for 1 hour to flatten it. Your coaster is ready to use. Wash it by hand if it gets stained, and dry it flat.

Sustainability

High - reuses cardboard and leftover cotton yarn. Inspired-by exercise: real khes is woven on a full-size loom, a skill which takes years to learn

Safety

Scissors are sharp; keep the warp thread taut but do not wrap thread around the fingers