A Fiber Arts Studio | Weaving & Knitting | Teacher & Purveyor
Well, I’m back to doing the things I do, I just haven’t been posting about them. The photo is a sample for a class I’ve developed and will be teaching at the Weavers Guild of Greater Cincinnati in the fall. I’ll let you all know when it’s scheduled. It is a symmetrical mixed warp scarf that I direct warped, right onto the rigid heddle loom. It’s quite the stash buster.
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.
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!
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!
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.
