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Imagine the joy of the recipients of gifts
of hand-woven baby blankets, housewarming gifts of beautiful table coverings, rugs,
afghans, pillows… How about a lovely hand-woven scarf or shawl for a special friend or
family member…?
Do you want to learn how to weave? Where
to start? Unless you already know exactly what loom you want, I would recommend starting
with Harrisville Design’s "Easy Weaver" rigid heddle loom that comes
pre-warped and ready to weave with -right out of the box. These are suitable for both
children and adults who want to get a simple introduction to weaving.
If you’re a hand spinner
or knitter with
lots of fabulous yarns already on hand, the Sprigg’s Triangular Frame Loom is truly
fun and produces beautiful shawls in a very short time. No weaving experience is
necessary!
Now, if you know in your heart of hearts
that you are a weaver and all you need is a loom and a little guidance, go ahead and get
that floor loom. How to choose? What are your space restrictions? Do you want to use
handspun or mohair in your warp? Are you interested in working with fine linen yarns or do
you want to make wonderful rag rugs? Do you want to start with a smaller, portable loom
(to bring to workshops) now and then get a large one later? A great way to start narrowing
down your choices is to review the looms listed in this catalog. Then, DO purchase Debbie
Chandler’s Learning to Weave book. She has a fabulous chapter on choosing the
right loom for you. Her companion videos are wonderful – like having a weaving
workshop in your own home, at your pace, with a teacher that never gets impatient if you
have to review a step over and over again.
All in all, after looking through the looms section, if you
feel the urge to try your hand at this ancient AND contemporary craft, it probably means
you need to do just that. And there is SO MUCH contemporary inspiration out there! In
addition to comprehensive and delightful books and videos on weaving, there are also
beautifully produced colorful and informative quarterly magazines for hand weavers:
HAND-WOVEN from Interweave Press and SHUTTLE SPINDLE & DYEPOT from Hand weavers
Guild of
America (see membership and program info on page 49). There are also weaving workshops
held at arts centers, fiber conferences, fiber shops, and through private instruction
throughout the country and throughout the year. Happy Weaving! |
