Schacht Cricket Loom Review: Is the $265 15 Inch Rigid Heddle Worth It?

Schacht Cricket 15" specs

Specs above come from Schacht Spindle Company's Cricket Rigid Heddle Looms page and Schacht's feature bullets on the Amazon listing.

What can you weave on a Schacht Cricket 15 inch loom?

A rigid heddle loom is the simplest shaft-style loom: one slotted and holed heddle lifts and lowers alternate warp threads, so each pass of the shuttle makes plain weave. The Cricket clamps to a table, and the 15 inch width sets the limit on how wide your cloth can be. Woven cloth also draws in a little, so plan finished pieces slightly narrower than the loom.

The warp is the set of threads held under tension on the loom; the weft is the yarn you pass across. With an 8-dent reed, a 10 inch scarf needs about 80 warp ends. Estimate the yardage for warp and weft with the yarn yardage calculator, and allow extra warp length for fringe and loom waste as your pattern directs.

Is the Schacht Cricket a good loom for beginners?

It is one of the most frequently recommended first looms, for three reasons. First, everything is in the box: reed, shuttles, clamps, warping peg, threading hook and even two balls of yarn, so a beginner can warp directly from the loom to the peg across a table and start weaving without shopping for extras.

Second, the 8-dent reed matches the yarn most knitters already own. Eight ends per inch suits smooth worsted and DK weight yarns for balanced cloth, so your stash becomes weaving yarn. Check the yarn weight chart before choosing a warp.

Third, it grows with you. Schacht sells extra heddles in other dent sizes for finer or thicker yarns, a variable dent reed for mixing yarn weights, pick-up sticks for textured patterns and a second heddle kit for two-heddle weaving. A floor stand lets you weave from an armchair instead of a table.

For knitters and crocheters, it is also fast. A scarf that takes weeks on needles can come off a rigid heddle loom in a weekend.

What is the honest weakness of the Schacht Cricket loom?

Width. Fifteen inches is generous for scarves and towels but not for shawls, ponchos or blankets, which must be woven in panels and seamed. If wide cloth is the goal, a 20 or 24 inch loom saves a lot of joining.

One heddle slot. The standard Cricket is built around a single heddle, with a second heddle kit sold separately. Weavers who quickly want doubleweave or finer setts sometimes wish they had started with the Schacht Flip, which has a 10-dent reed and slots for multiple heddles.

Unfinished wood and assembly. The maple arrives unfinished, and Schacht publishes an assembly manual and drilling template. Many weavers apply a light wood finish before use. Allow time before your first warp.

Tabletop comfort. Weaving leaning over a table can tire the neck and shoulders over long sessions. The optional floor stand or a table at a comfortable height helps.

What do Schacht Cricket loom owners consistently report?

• Praise: warping directly to a peg is quick and easy to learn.
• Praise: having starter yarn and all tools in the box means weaving on day one.
• Praise: light and compact enough to store on a shelf or take to a class.
• Praise: plenty of beginner patterns and classes are written for the Cricket.
• Complaint: the 15 inch width limits larger projects.
• Complaint: assembly and finishing before the first project.
• Complaint: uneven selvedges while learning, which improve with practice.

Most frustrations come from technique rather than the loom: tension, beating evenly and managing edges. A beginner class or video series shortens that curve considerably.

Schacht Cricket vs Ashford SampleIt: which rigid heddle loom is better?

Our Ashford vs Schacht rigid heddle loom comparison covers the two looms beginners shortlist most. The Cricket includes starter yarn; the SampleIt adds an inch and a double heddle kit.

Our best rigid heddle looms roundup ranks folding and wider options too, such as the Beka Fold and Go 20 inch.

What else do you need to start weaving on a Cricket?

The box covers the essentials. Beyond it, most weavers add a pair of good scissors, a tapestry needle for hemstitching, a tape measure and a few extra balls of smooth worsted yarn such as Lion Brand Vanna's Choice (3 Pack) (about $19) for warp and weft.

A swift and ball winder helps turn skeins into balls that feed evenly from a shuttle. And many weavers eventually want to weave their own handspun: the Ashford Kiwi 3 (about $629) is a popular first wheel, covered in our Ashford Kiwi 3 review.

We found no recall notice in the manufacturer or listing information we reviewed; CPSC's recall search by company is the place to check. Warranty terms were not stated on the Schacht page text or listing we read, so ask your dealer.