The Boss is never going to replace a production loom, and we’re ok with that. Rigid heddle and multi-shaft looms are complex on purpose — you can program them with virtually infinite possibilities and weave reams of fabric. But smaller size and simpler design doesn’t mean limited creative possibility. We’ve embedded each of our pattern bars with a highly generative weave structure, so that a simple turn of the bar between rows builds the pattern underneath your hands.

We’ve found that it actually creates more possibility, not less. It’s similar to a keyboard that plays just one or two octaves — it’s not a concert organ, but you can still play chords, noodle fruitfully, and write a million songs. The Boss makes weave structures accessible in a similar way, by allowing you to explore patterns directly and intuitively.

So, yardage—no. But a new, dynamic way to understand patternmaking? A low-pressure, low-investment way to be creative? A springboard to bigger and better things on your full-sized loom? We think so.