Category: classes

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Classes

Update:  Currently I am not teaching due to working full time.  I will post when I have more time in the future to teach.

The classes below are the ones I usually teach in the order they appear.

The first one is Beginning Weaving on a Rigid Heddle Loom,  In this class you learn to weave a scarf in a day! NO experience necesary.  Loom kits are available to rent for class.

The second one is Waffle and Pick Up on a Rigid Heddle Loom. This class requires you to have previous successful warping of your loom and your own Rigid Heddle loom, since you must warp it on your own prior to the class. If you are a guild member, a loom rental can be arranged from the guild.) you will learn how to use a pick up stick to create textures and patterns in your weaving.

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All Wrapped Up

I’m getting ready to wind my warp for a workshop I am taking at the Weavers Guild of Greater Cincinnati.  Nationally renown weaver Rosalie Neilson (of rep weave fame) is conducting a workshop on block design and color with huck lace at the Guild house and it starts next week.  First I had to get my vintage but new-to-me 4 shaft, 4 treadle,  22″ Harrisville Designs loom ready for the workshop.  I wanted to use it rather than my Dorothy loom table loom since it has treadles.  The HD loom was a freebie from a neighbor of a friend who was cleaning out her basement. I was so excited to get it because I really like my bigger HD loom.  The “new” loom needed shaft cables and tie up cords replaced along with a good cleaning.  I also rearranged the direct tie up from 1, 2, 3, 4 on the treadles to 1, 3, 4, 2 so that I can “walk” the treadles while weaving.

I finished up the restoration yesterday and started to prepare my warp today.  I had to choose 4 colors, one is for a border to separate the blocks and the other three are the colors for the blocks.  We were instructed to make a wrap of our warp colors to see how they all went together. Making a wrap is a common part of design in weaving. I dithered a lot and finally settled on the colors I had originally been drawn to and wrapped them up. They are a bit bold aren’t they?  Now to wind the warp!

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Value Contrasted

I have a beginning rigid heddle weaving class upcoming class at the Weavers Guild of Greater Cincinnati .  Learn to Weave a Hounstooth Scarf.  There is only one space left in the class.  This post is to help the new weavers pick their yarn for the class.  It will also help anyone who wants to make a color and weave effect in a project too.

The yarns chosen for class should be a worsted (medium or size 4) weight yarn to use in an 8 dent heddle or a bulky (size 5) weight yarn if you want to use a 5 dent heddle for faster weaving.  A wool or wool blend (or nice acrylic) is ideal.  For a nice size scarf you need one 100 gram ball of each color. Yarn should not be mohair or anything fuzzy or lumpy.  Avoid singles and get a plied yarn.  For a houndstooth you need 2 different colors that contrast in value.  One should be a dark color and one should be a light color to produce the best effect.  Colors that are close in value can look nice too, only the color and weave effect will be more subtle.

I like to take a digital photo and change it to monochrome (black and white) That will show you the difference in value of your yarn.

The photo above show some different yarns that are close in value.  When you change the color of the one on the left to black and white on the right, they are obviously almost the same in value and look like the same color in monochrome.

This photo above shows yarns that have a discernible difference in value. You can see in monochrome how much they differ.

Happy Weaving!

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Roc the House

Roc Day

Wow, long time no post. I enjoyed the Weavers Guild sale and fall retreat in November, traveled to Savannah to visit my cousin in early December and then I have been teaching, creating, selling, helping my mom who broke her hip and have just plain been busy, especially over Christmas, with two of my kids being able to come home for the holidays (two still live at home too).  Now everyone is back to school and work and my mom is on the mend so its back to work for me.

The Weavers Guild held their annual Roc Day event last weekend.  Its a great benefit of membership.  The mini-classes are all free to members and you can take 2 in the day.  I learned how to weave on the bias on a pin loom and created a proddy flower using rug hooking techniques.  Both were fund and taught by creative fiber artists who are fellow guild members.

 

 

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Silk, Shibori and Indigo

shibori silk scarves
Registration is now closed.  If you wish to plan a shibori silk scarf party for you and a group of 5-10, please contact me at this email and we can set it up!

I will be hosting a 4 hour beginner’s workshop in my yard in Silverton, Ohio Sunday September 18 at 1:00 pm on the art form of Shibori and indigo dyeing. Shibori is an ancient Japanese art in which cloth is bound, stitched, folded, twisted and/or compressed to create patterns in cloth before dyeing.

You will receive a blank silk scarf that is dye ready. We will learn Kumo, Kanko, and Itajime Shibori techniques to create patterns of resist for a beautiful and unique scarf. You will choose 1 or 2 techniques for your scarf, prepare it, dye it in the indigo pot, rinse it, iron it dry and take it home. No previous experience necessary!

Workshop is $35 and includes the scarf and materials needed for the resists, the use of the dye pot and a handout.

Indigo dyeing is wet and messy. Please bring a good pair of rubber gloves that has a long cuff (not stopping at the wrist) to keep the dye from leaking into the gloves. The indigo dye is a slightly alkaline solution and not harmful to most people but stains and can take up to a week to wear off. The more worried you are about blue hands, the better and longer your gloves should be. Wear old clothes and shoes that can get dye on them.

The address and directions to my home will be sent to you after registration.

Limit 10 participants. To register and pay, click “Add To Bag” below. (Registration is now closed and link to register has been removed.)

Cancellation policy 100% refund before September 14, no refund after September 14 unless your space can be filled.
Click here to email Nancy with questions or comments. MeasuredThreads