MY WEAVING JOURNEY
I'd always like the fiber arts. At early ages I learned knitting from one
grandmother and sewing from the other.
I sewed most of my clothing for years, and sometime later did many
crewel and counted cross-stitch kits.
A decade or so ago I discovered kumihimo (Japanese braiding) and was very
prolific in for a time. It turned out to be the gateway to my current passion,
weaving.
It’s said that weavers either care about patterns or colors, and I’m definitely
all about the patterns.
The early crafts started with kits but now I find making my own patterns
more interesting, challenging, and creative.
For me it’s all about the doing, including the planning, not the product, that I
love.
My first weaving class was fall of 2013 from Laura at A Good
Yarn in Sarasota, FL
on a Schacht 15" Cricket Rigid Heddle loom.
It lit my fire for weaving and I soon purchased one for both home in
Minnesota and winters in Florida.
Soon after that came many excellent classes
with Traudi Bestler at the Minnetonka Center for
the Arts in Wayzata, but I still wasn't ready for a floor loom of my own.
Finally in 2016 I found a 20" 4S Dorset on Craig's List. It was the same loom
I'd been using in most of my classes in Wayzata which gave me some confidence I
could figure it out on my own at home. Wanting a wider loom and more
complex patterns attainable with more shafts compelled me to find my 26" Schacht
8S Baby Wolf, again on Craig's List.
I’ve yet to do much on my new to me Baby Wolf, but I’m looking forward to the
challenges ahead on it.
Along the way I got a Schacht Zoom loom, a little hand pin loom that just makes little
4” squares, so I've made lots of coasters in front of the TV.
I've learned a lot at the workshops (4 so far) with the
Manasota Weavers Guild in
Florida. Doubleweave with Jennifer Moore was the best so far, both the material
and her delightful self. One of the best parts of classes and workshops is just
being around the other weavers. Another way to connect with like minded people
are the various weaving Facebook groups where the weavers there have helped me
out a number of times. On Facebook I belong to
4-Shaft Weaving,
Weaving,
Rigid Heddle Looms,
Strickler in Color, and
Weaving Hacks.
These days I weave on my floor loom at home and regularly volunteer
at the Weavery at the
Annandale Art
and Textile Center in Annandale's
downtown where
developmentally challenged adults work. I mostly dress the looms for them to
weave pieces that are sold there. There
I'm learning tons from Diane Nelson, the Weaving Program Director.
I’m getting to be a better weaver, probably up to intermediate level. There’s no
end to the challenges and new things to learn, and I want to continue to weave as long as I
am able.
MY LOOMS
