Introduction to Weaving course

[helbel]

I've just finished Day 2 of the Introduction to Weaving course (next weekend is days 3 and 4)

I'm studying here http://www.handweavers.co.uk/

It's awesome.

The shop is wonderful, just filled with yarn and looms and all manner of lovely things. The course itself is excellent, well taught and consistently interesting.

10 people on the course, mix of people some artists/media/fashion people, others like myself who are very much hobbyists. I started knowing nothing about weaving and now feel much more educated (if a little brain dead! It's lots to take in).

It's great to be able to talk textiles with other textile enthusiasts.

We started out sitting down at a loom and learning plain weave - instant satisfaction. We then looked at what works on different loom set ups (e.g. twill didn't 'work' on mine due to the way the loom was threaded. I could still weave a twill pattern but it looked messy). Lots of moving around looms and trying out different types of looms/set ups.

Also working with different yarn. Naturally I hated the wool yarn but I also worked with cotton and silk and that was great.

We're starting now to learn how to change things on the loom, how to get the yarn on and off and how to make a warp. Suddenly what made no sense yesterday made sense today when I had a go at threading a loom.

Having the best time and really looking forward to days 3 and 4 next weekend.

[RosemaryH]

It sounds wonderful, I envy you.

Rosemary

[Mabel Figworthy]

Sounds great!

[maggs]

Sounds as if you are real;y enjoying yourself, will this be taking over from cross stitch

[helbel]

Well I can't say it'll take over from cross stitch (so many hobbies! so little time!) but I think I might sign up for a term of evening courses and see how that goes.

Part of me wants to run off and buy a loom and pattern books and yarn at once but the sensible bit of me is holding back going "Yes but what are you going to do with the cloth once you've weaved it"

Plus cross stitch is much more portable. I'm looking at 'portable' table looms - they look rather bulky to me and yet people do travel with them to workshops.

[agi]

This sounds fantastic.
I learnt weaving in Finland 22 years ago, but it wasn't a real course, just somebody showed me the basics and they helped me if I needed help. I went home and soon bought a loom. I haven't used it for years but I am planning to set it up this summer again.
I am sure you won't be able to stop once you get into it.

[Mabel Figworthy]

I like the website's description of textile enthusiasts as "threadheads and fibre fiends"

[Nachstenliebe]

I just took a nice long look at the site... That place looks amazing!!! Glad to hear you're enjoying the class. It does indeed sound like so much fun!
Faith

[mags]

That sounds wonderful

[helbel]

Weaving course - Part 2

So the second part of the weaving course. Still great, still highly recommended.

Saturday morning was taken up with theory, all very interesting but tricky to keep up with in the heat. Another demo of putting a warp on a loom. Afternoon was weaving, I tried doing silk weft on a soy silk warp and doing distorted weft effects. Very nice but silk is unforgiving in showing every mistake.

Sunday - wove a selection of double weave and twill on cotton, changing the twill patterns and the weft to tencel as I went along. In the afternoon I made a warp which has now been chained ready for me to put on a loom for when I start weekly courses in September.



All that thread cost me less than 4 pounds. and there's 6" (across) of 3 metre lengths

Other pictures on my Flickr here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27496119@N ... 346793793/" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Some of them are truly dreadful, please note I didn't choose any of the warp colours and we were told to choose heavily contrasting colours so we could see the patterns taking shape.

My warp that I made is tencel, I hope it'll be ok to work with as I found that

1. Wool is horrid (not a surprise)
2. 3/16 cotton is too bulky
3. Silk is lovely but tricky to work with
4. Tencel feels lovely but is rather slippy.

I was amazed how easily understandable it is to weave. It seems so complex at first, but in reality it isn't. I'm sure if I bought a loom tomorrow I could stick my warp on the loom and start weaving without too many problems.

In summary, weaving is great and you should all try it

[agi]

Wow, I am all envy!
You have done some lovely pieces, congrats! Another thing to put on my list of "When I have all the money and all the time I want"