The Tartan Version of the TabbyandTweed Beginner Gift Set - with Red, White and Green British Wool and a Guide to Designing Your Own Tartan Pattern
A tartan-specific beginner weaving gift box containing two FSC-certified birch looms, red, white and green British wool yarn, a full instruction booklet, and a link to TabbyandTweed’s blog on how to design your own tartan weave pattern. Everything needed to start weaving tartan - in a box ready to give.
What Makes This the Tartan Kit
This is the tartan version of the TabbyandTweed beginner gift box. Compared to the standard beginner gift set, this kit includes:
- A larger 13cm square frame loom (the standard kit has an 11cm square loom)
- Red, white and green British wool yarn - specifically selected for tartan weaving
- A link to a TabbyandTweed blog post on how tartan patterns are designed and how to create your own
If you’re looking for a gift for someone with a love of Scottish or Celtic textiles, or someone who wants to explore the principles behind one of the world’s most recognisable fabric patterns, this is the version to choose.
How Tartan is Woven
Tartan is created by weaving a symmetrical sequence of coloured threads in both directions of the fabric. The warp (vertical threads) is set up in a repeating colour sequence, and the weft (horizontal threads) follows the same sequence. Where the same colour appears in both warp and weft, it creates a solid block. Where two different colours cross, they blend visually to produce the characteristic interlocking grid of a tartan check.
The simplest version uses just two or three colours in a repeating stripe - exactly what this kit is designed around. The blog link in the kit takes you further, showing how to plan your own original tartan using any colour combination you choose.
The Design-Your-Own Tartan Blog
The kit includes a direct link to a detailed TabbyandTweed blog post covering tartan design: how to choose colour sequences, how to plan the symmetry of a tartan, and how to warp and weave a pattern of your own creation on either loom in the kit. Once you understand the principles, any set of colours can become a personal tartan.
This transforms the kit from a single fixed project into an open-ended creative toolkit for exploring tartan as a design tradition.
Two Looms, One Box
The gift box contains two reusable looms that produce complementary types of woven piece:
- Bookmark loom (6.8cm × 20.8cm, FSC and PEFC certified birch plywood) — for weaving tartan bookmarks, narrow bands and decorative strips
- Square frame loom (13cm, FSC and PEFC certified birch plywood) — for weaving tartan coasters, patches and fabric squares
Both looms are reusable. Once the included yarn is finished, they can be re-warped with any DK yarn in your chosen tartan colours.
What You will Learn
The instruction booklet covers three key weaving patterns step by step:
- Tabby (plain weave) - the foundation of all woven fabric
- Twill - the diagonal interlacement structure used in many tweeds and tartans
- Houndstooth - the classic two-colour geometric check
The tartan design blog extends your learning beyond the booklet, covering colour theory and pattern design for tartan specifically.
What is in the Kit
- Bookmark weaving loom – 6.8cm × 20.8cm, FSC and PEFC certified birch plywood
- 13cm square frame weaving loom – FSC and PEFC certified birch plywood
- Red, white and green British wool yarn – sufficient to weave several bookmarks and coaster squares
- Mini comb and tapestry needle
- Instruction booklet: tabby, twill and houndstooth
- Link to TabbyandTweed’s tartan design blog
The woven bookmark and square frame sample shown in the photos are not included - they show what you will create with this kit.
A Gift for Tartan Lovers
This makes a distinctive and thoughtful gift for anyone who loves Scottish or Celtic textile traditions, or anyone who would enjoy learning to weave a fabric pattern with centuries of heritage behind it. The box arrives gift-ready with no additional wrapping needed.
Made in TabbyandTweed’s workshop in Salisbury, Wiltshire, using FSC and PEFC certified British birch plywood and 100% British wool yarn.
FAQ Section
How do I weave a tartan pattern?
Tartan is woven by setting up a symmetrical colour sequence in the warp and repeating it in the weft. Where the same colour crosses itself it creates a solid block; where different colours cross they blend to form the characteristic plaid check. The kit includes a blog link for detailed guidance on designing and weaving your own original tartan.
What makes this different from the standard beginner gift box set?
This kit includes a 13cm square loom (versus 11cm in the standard kit), red, white and green British wool specifically for tartan, and a link to a blog on designing your own tartan. The standard kit has bright multi-coloured yarn with hand-dyed options and general weaving instructions. This kit is £44 versus £42 for the standard version.
What is included?
Two FSC-certified birch looms (bookmark and 13cm square frame), red, white and green British wool yarn, a mini comb, tapestry needle, an instruction booklet, and a link to the TabbyandTweed tartan design blog.
Is this suitable for complete beginners?
Yes. The instruction booklet covers tabby, twill and houndstooth from scratch with no prior weaving knowledge assumed. The tartan design blog is an additional resource for those who want to go further.
Is this a good gift for someone with Scottish heritage?
Yes. The red, white and green tartan colourway and the design-your-own tartan blog make this a particularly fitting gift for anyone with a connection to Scottish or Celtic textile traditions.
