My Handwoven Thoughts

I’m going to be able to sneak a warp of baby blankets in between weaving for my Certificate of Excellence in Handweaving. I’m excited! It is not often I can do custom work. But in July I can weave baby blankets to order. Well, they will have to fit into the patterns I can do on this warp, but customers can pick the pattern and color combination they want.

These baby blankets will be handwoven from 100% cotton. They are soft, comfortable and safe for the baby, no fringe to get in the way. The size will be about 36″ x 45″ and that makes them useful wherever they go. Plenty of room to lay the baby on the floor with a few toys and large enough to wrap him up in for months. They are big enough to cover a toddler for a nap. (more…)

The very first book I would recommend for a new weaver is “Learning to Weave” by Deborah Chandler. This book starts with and introduction into looms and weaving equipment. It gives enough information to help with the purchase of the first loom and the basic equipment needed to start weaving.

It quickly moves into the process of “warping” a loom. For those of you who are not familiar with this weaving term, it means setting the loom up with the threads attached to the loom and held under tension during weaving. The pictures are clear and the step-by-step instructions are easy to follow.

After the loom is warped, there are many important things to learn. This book will answer most of the questions that arise and assist a new weaver in understanding the weaving process. It describes the basics of thread interlacement in weaving, how to plan a project, and how to read a draft. A draft is the pattern a weaver follows to set up the loom and weave a specific pattern. Some basic weave structures are discussed and the back of the book has some great information charts. I have been weaving for more than ten years and this is still the reference book I use as I am researching a new project.

So if you have just started weaving or think weaving may interest you, this is the first book I would recommend. This is the book I use as a text book when I give weaving lessons.