Kelly

Life after lockdown – How to plan and prioritise with a daily practice planner

Some parts of the world are beginning to emerge from the COVID 19 pandemic crisis by tentatively lifting restrictions on lockdown and stay at home orders.

*Disclaimer – I am not a medical doctor or psychologist. I’m just a person living life and making observations. If you are concerned about any aspect of your mental health, please seek help from medical professionals.

Here in Australia, the government is moving ahead with plans to reinstate some freedoms we enjoyed before we all learned the term “coronavirus”.

As an online creator who has the privilege of being in touch with people from all different backgrounds from all over the world, I have unexpectedly learned a lot over this lockdown period. Mostly about my fellow humans.

I’ve seen a huge surge of people who, temporarily released from the obligations of a “normal” life, have found wonderful ways to fill the gaps and use their time productively. Weaving, baking bread, making and doing in a way that we have not previously seen. I wrote about this at the beginning of the pandemic, sharing how much I was enjoying a return to simpler times.

My Online Weaving School has seen one if it’s biggest months, with so many new members joining and eager to learn. In a time of great uncertainty, by business is going ahead in leaps and bounds.

In some ways, it seems lock down is just what the doctor ordered for so many people. Even for those who switched from a workplace to working at home, they have found that they have so much extra time without having to commute to and from work and expending energy to do so.

It has been really wonderful for me to watch so many people joyfully finding the time to do what they would rather be doing, or discovering new learning opportunities and diving right in. How inspiring!

But, something concerns me about all this new found fervour.

What happens when everything goes back to normal?

How are people going to reconcile their former lives with their current (perhaps much preferred?) lives? People still have to work for a living, how will they find the time to continue pursuing the things they truly want to do?

Now is a great time to ponder such questions and to begin planning. Setting aside some time to make plans is going to make you feel a whole lot better about your future. There is something about having goals written down on paper that can soothe anxiety and empower you to feel in control of your life.

I’ve put together a very basic but rather pretty Daily Practice Planner that has helped me to gather and organise my thoughts in a really manageable way.

Here is what the blank planner looks like. I’ll take you through some of my own planning as an example. I don’t want you to copy what I’ve written, but to use it as a guide. You should write down what is most relevant to you and your own life.

Let’s start with column one – Important Daily Practices. Generally these are things that you are already doing, but if there are practices you would like to incorporate into each day, write them down as well. Print out as many sheets as you need to accomodate your daily practices or import the file into Adobe Acrobat where you can edit PDFs.

My first important daily practice is “Faith and Spirituality”. Under “What it looks like currently“. I’ve written the basics of what this topic looks like for me in my everyday life. When you write down what your topic currently looks like, be honest, don’t try to sugar coat it. No one has to see this list, it’s for your benefit only.

Working across, I fill in the next column “How I wish it looked ideally“. This is like the best case scenario column. If you could have that daily practice exactly how you want to, what would it be? Write it in and don’t worry if it seems too perfect or not achievable.

Now for the last column. This is the back down to earth column. It’s a recognition that nothing is perfect and your “ideal” may not be the most realistic thing for you. It’s validating the fact that you have higher ideals and it’s going to help you to move towards “better” not “perfect”. It is also to prove to yourself that you are not a victim of your circumstances. Yes, most people have to work for a living and yes, that can take a lot of time and yes, you may wish you could just do what you want to do instead. But this column shows you that you can make positive changes to fill that necessary cup of self investment.

So, for my last column, instead of writing down “attend daily Mass”, which I know is not really achievable for me due to time, work and family demands, I have written what I know can be achievable for me – “go to 1 additional Mass per week”. I can make that work, I can pick the day of the week to make it happen and I’m not tied in to commitment if I can’t do it every single week. It’s a good place to start. Likewise, with the 1 page per day of the bible. It’s about making a habit and keeping it but making it as easy as possible so that I will actually do it. These things are stepping stones that may eventually equate to bigger and better goals, but for now it’s more important to just make a start.

Here is my first page completed and I will likely print out at least one more page. You can do as many as you like, but don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to make too many changes at once or overthinking it.

Print your PDF here:

Daily-Practice-Planner.png Download

So, what do you think, would this be a beneficial activity for you? Plans can and do change, but taking a few minutes to fill out your own chart could be just what you need.

Leave me a comment if you complete a sheet and let me know how it helped you, I would love to hear all about it!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to weave Snowmen on your rigid heddle loom

by Kelly 9 Comments

Snowmen are not something you might naturally think of when wondering what to weave next on your rigid heddle loom, but I love any excuse to make pictures on my loom, especially if they are as cute as these little snowmen guys are!

Weaving snowmen on your rigid heddle loom may not be as difficult as you think. We employ a type of overshot technique to create floats. Depending on the length of each float, we can then arrange them to make pictures. We warp the loom as we normally do for plain weave.

Overshot usually uses a thicker weft for the patterning (or floats) and a thinner, contrasting weft for the background (plain weave, commonly known as “tabby” when used in this way).

*This post contains affiliate links.

The weft floats do not become incorporated into the fabric, they literally float on top, which is why we use tabby in between pattern rows to tie the whole thing down and create a stable fabric. It also gives that lovely, slightly 3D effect of the pattern or picture being slightly raised.

Because of the varying length in floats, there is something you need to keep in mind when doing this kind of weaving. Quite often, and particularly with a thicker yarn like I’ve used for this sample, the floats at the back of the work will be long. This might make the piece unsuitable for some uses. For example, a kitchen towel with long floats on the back is not ideal. The floats will catch on things and likely become a bit ratty and not neat looking over time. That is the other consideration – the back does not always look attractive and you may not want it on show. In my sample below, you can see the added untidiness of my having embroidered on details like the scarves.

A way around this issue is to plan to use this technique in a pattern where the back of the work will not show. Some ideas are notebook or journal covers, a table centrepiece or runner where you intend to sew a backing to the piece, a cute Christmas wall hanging and so on.

Here is what you will need to weave a sample like this one:

A rigid heddle loom (I used my 24″ but a Sampleit size is fine if you just want a small sample)

10 dent reed

A pick up stick

A knitting needle is handy but not essential

Yarns-

There are no set yarns for this project, but I will share what worked well for me and give suggestions for possible alternatives.

For the warp I used a fingering weight (Australian 4 ply) cotton in a hand dyed medium to dark blue. Rug warping cotton would work fine.

My tabby weft (background weft) was a lighter but strong coloured light worsted/dk weight (Australian 8 ply) in wool.

For the pattern weft, I used a cream coloured aran weight (Australian 10ply) in wool.

For the little hats, I used some black fingering weight wool – you don’t need very much of that.

I love to use wool, particularly for the patterning in this type of weaving because it works so well. Because it has that lovely fluff and bounciness, it fills in any gaps between pattern wefts and makes the design look full. You will notice that my pattern weft is only slightly thicker than my tabby weft, but the pattern weft still stands out due to it’s loftiness.

The embroidered details are what really bring these little snowmen to life. Stick arms, scarves, eyes, carrot noses, buttons down the front – the amount of detail is up to you. You don’t need to be a great embroiderer as the details are all just worked in simple straight stitches. For the scarves, to give them that really nice shiny look, I used Bambu 7. This yarn can be quite difficult to obtain, so here are some alternatives:

5/2 bamboo weaving yarn

Pure Bamboo yarn

DMC Embroidery floss (my favourite brand)

Anchor Embroidery floss

If you decide to use embroidery floss, don’t separate the strands, use all 6 of them for just the right snowman thickness.

If you would like to weave some snowmen of your own, here is a printable PDF that gives you the weaving sequences and details:

Snowmen-on-a-rhl Download

You will also want to watch and follow along with the instructional video to see the weaving in action:

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Let me know if you weave some little snowmen of your own, and as always, leave any comments or questions underneath, I love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

7 Tips for weaving on an Inkle loom plus free pattern!

by Kelly 25 Comments

Inkle loom weaving is so fun, easy to learn and affordable to begin.

If you’ve been thinking about starting to weave on an inkle loom, I strongly encourage you to have a go. Inkle looms are simple devices that won’t take up much space and won’t break the bank either.

If you’re an absolute beginner weaver, an inkle loom is the perfect way to test the waters without making a big investment. Ashford makes two sizes, the Inkle Loom and the Inklette. The Woolery have put together a nifty starter’s kit that includes an Inklette, yarn to get you started, and Anne Dixon’s fabulous pattern book.

*This post contains affiliate links

There are only two sheds on an inkle loom – up and down. In the warping process, you alternate between heddled and unheddled warp threads. When you are ready to weave, you an either push down on the warp threads to achieve a shed or lift them up to achieve the other shed.

If you’ve never seen an inkle loom in action, my Youtube series in which we weave a lovely floral band, from start to finish is an excellent place to start:

If you want to learn more about the basics of inkle looms, I wrote a blog post about it here.

First we will go through the tips I want to share to help you weave better inkle bands, and then we will talk about all the details of the free project.

Tip 1- Use a warping stand or similar to feed the yarn easily off the cone while you’re warping the loom.

This is not essential but it just makes the warping process so much easier. I don’t have to worry about yarn cones toppling over or not feeding off the cone smoothly. It also helps to keep the cones separate and far enough apart that the threads won’t tangle with each other as you’re changing colours. I just pop the warping stand underneath the table that I have the loom sitting on for warping and away we go.

You can purchase warping stands complete and ready to go, but if you want to save some cash, you could make one yourself like my husband and I did:

Tip 2- Find a comfortable position in which to weave

One of the bonuses of an inkle loom is that you can take it anywhere. But it’s still important to think about your posture and find the most comfortable ways to weave, especially if you’re going to be at it for a while.

Some inkle weavers will clamp the loom to a table to keep it sturdy but I like to have it close to my body where I can comfortably reach to change sheds and beat. I also like to rest the loom against my body to keep it sturdy, as I find that feels most natural to me. If I’m using a table to rest the back of the loom on, that position would look something like this:

Note the comfortable, high backed chair with additional cushion to keep my back comfy. The loom rests on the edge of the table by placing the horizontal wooden bar against it, and the front of the loom rests at about the bottom of my bra level (sorry, couldn’t think of a better description!)

My favourite position is sitting in my recliner with my feet up. That’s my idea of relaxation!

Once again, the front of the loom is pressed against my body for sturdiness and ease of beating.

Tip 3- Additional warp tensioning

You should do your best to achieve really good tension using your tensioning peg, but if you feel you are lacking a little, you can take a small section of cardboard separator and wedge that in at the starting peg, underneath your band.

You can also wedge an additional piece at the top back peg if needed. It really does make a difference!

Tip 4- Weft tensioning is different to other weaving.

If you come from rigid heddle weaving, you will be used to fixing up your edges as the weft travels around the warp threads, especially if you use my neat edges technique. But inkle weaving is different. Your warp threads are under high tension and the weave is warp faced, not balanced. If I’m asked how much tension to place on your edges with your weft thread, I would say probably more than you think. You want to really pull each weft pick into place and feel it move to create a very firm band. This is something that each inkle weaver needs to find a sweet spot for, but a hint is that you need enough tension so that your weft thread is not looped, bubbled or otherwise really visible at the edges, but not so much that your edges end up bumpy, lumpy or wavy rather than nice and straight.

Tip 5- Use the first 2 inches as practice

To be honest, your first 1.5 – 2″ is probably not going to be so pretty. It takes a little time for the warp to come together and for you to find the right amount of weft and warp tension, as well as a suitable beat. Don’t worry about those first couple of inches, I generally cut that part off and don’t use it.

Tip 6- Your woven band will be much, much narrower than your warp

I have some measurements here to demonstrate just how much narrower.

Here is my warp before I began weaving and the threads are all sitting in order. They are not pushed really close together or anything, so there is a little bit of natural spacing.

As soon as I start to weave, the band begins to narrow and draw in. It’s up to me to practice and find the right amount of draw in and tension to make a firm, consistent band.

And, by this stage I’m in my happy place with tension and the band remains a consistent width as long as I keep tensioning in the same way.

Tip 7- Your tension will improve

At the very beginning of your band, you may find it hard to get as tight a tension as you would wish for. If that is the case, try tip 3, but also know that when you have woven a little and can advance your warp for the first time, your tension will improve dramatically. Actually, the same can be said of all the looms I own. The initial weaving is a little “getting to know you” session and once you are over the first hump (advancing the warp) everyone becomes much more settled and happy.

OK, that was the last tip I have for you today, so let’s get onto the free project discussion!

I must admit that I’m quite smitten with this inkle band and that’s why I knew I had to share it with all of you.

I have included the pattern draft I designed in the PDF, but if that is a bit beyond you, don’t worry, I’ve also included the colour order so that you can weave this band, regardless of your level. You can download and print out the pattern here:

Free-Inkle-band-pattern Download

If you are interested in using the exact same yarns that I have for this project, here are the details:

8/2 Maurice Brassard unmercerised cotton in Navy

8/2 Maurice Brassard unmercerised cotton in Fuchsia

8/2 Maurice Brassard unmercerised cotton in Limette pale (green)

8/2 Maurice Brassard unmercerised cotton in Peacock

8/2 Maurice Brassard unmercerised cotton in Jaune Fonce (yellow)

I’m not going to give exact quantities, but this band does not use an awful lot of yarn and is a great way to use up smaller quantities of leftovers. I made the shortest warp that my inkle loom takes. I used navy as the weft, as it is best to use the same colour as your warp edges, it helps to blend it in and make neat looking edges.

My band measurements when finished and off the loom were about 59 x almost 1.5 inches.

I hope you enjoy weaving your own band! If you are interested in increasing your knowledge or want access to a lot of pattern examples and types for your inkle loom, I highly recommend Anne Dixon’s wonderful book The Weaver’s Inkle Pattern Directory. I do have this book listed in my Amazon shop as well, but for some reason it is crazy expensive to buy on there at the moment!

Be sure to check out my Inkle weaving tips video on Youtube to see some of the tips in action:

If you’re looking for comprehensive Inkle instruction, check out my Inkle Weaving Course online.

Leave me any questions or comments you have down below, I love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to weave Krokbragd on a rigid heddle loom

by Kelly 8 Comments

Krokbragd weaving has captivated my weaving heart and mind ever since I first laid eyes on it. So, what is it krokbragd? And how is it pronounced?!

Krokbragd is a twill weave structure that has Scandinavian origins. It is woven on 3 shafts and is weft faced (meaning the weft is dominant, covering most of the warp). It is pronounced “croak-brod”, or sometimes “croak- brog” or “croak bra-rg”, “crok -brog” or “crok – brag”. Clear as mud? 😂

I was thrilled when I discovered years ago that krokbragd could be easily woven on my rigid heddle loom. The idea of weaving this colourful, detailed cloth without having to use a bunch of shafts and without having to purchase extra tools was very appealing to me.

*This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for further information.

This weave structure produces bold and colourful patterns. These patterns can be built into little pictures as well. The weaving sequence has three simple steps and does not change, so the patterns are formed by changing colours. It’s quite magical!

The more you experiment with krokbragd, the more you feel that the possibilities are really endless. Choosing contrasting colours is one of the keys to success, as this keeps the patterns distinct. Another important consideration is to ensure your warp yarn is thinner than your weft yarn to ensure good coverage. The aim is to not have any warp yarn showing at all.

Because the weft is packed in, krokbragd produces a dense, heavy fabric. Historically, in Scandinavia, items with this structure were mainly heavy duty pieces such as chair and travel cushions as well as for warmth in the form of bed coverings. It was also used artistically, mainly for wallhangings. It is likely that some wallhangings served a double purpose of keeping the home more cosy, as hangings were sometimes used as door coverings to keep out cold draughts.

I wove this beautiful krokbragd sampler on my Sampleit loom.

Once your rigid heddle loom is set up and threaded for krokbragd (which can be done either with a single heddle, pick up stick and heddle rod OR with two heddles), the same three step sequence is woven over and over, the only thing that changes is your weft colours. This is how you build patterns, by altering the colours. Three rows of weft passes equals one completed krokbragd sequence.

Let me give an example:

If I weave my 3 pick sequence in just one colour (lets say blue), I will have a solid row of blue once I’ve packed the weft down with my tapestry beater. The instructions would look like this: (“B” stands for blue)

B,B,B x 1

If in my next sequence I introduce another colour, I will start building a pattern: (“Y” stands for yellow)

B,B,Y x 1

Even better than trying to explain how it works is to show you how it works. This free beginner video will show you how to get started, give you the information you need to set up your loom and then give a basic krokbragd pattern for you to try-

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can move on to some more adventurous, but still fairly simple patterning, like these little birds-

And one of my favourites, tulips!-

Once you have been through these videos you can start to design some of your own krokbragd pieces. There are a couple of ways to do this – either on the loom, as you are weaving or as a separate design, either on graph paper or using weaving software. I like both methods for different reasons!

Designing on the loom is very intuitive and relaxing, You can write down the colour changes as you go, that way if you find a design you love you can revisit it later because you have the instructions ready to go.

Designing off loom is also very beneficial. It allows you to plan out very specific designs to try on the loom. If this concept interests you, I recommend Debby Greenlaw’s book Krokbragd – How to Design and Weave, which I reviewed in this post.

Over at my Online Weaving School, there are three krokbragd classes available. The first one, is the Krokbragd Mug Rug Weave along, which is available to members only. This is a great class that provides instructions for different threading methods, so you can choose to use pick up sticks and a heddle rod or instead use two heddles.

Then there is the Krokbragd Bag, which is a gorgeously fun and functional project. This class uses two heddles to achieve the three shafts, which is not as difficult as it sounds! You can see a roundup of some of student’s beautiful pieces from this class in this post.

And thirdly, my newest offering is Krokbragd 101, which is an “all you need” comprehensive course to get you weaving beautiful krokbragd.

Krokbragd can even be woven on an inkle loom by turning the warp faced draft into a weft faced draft. I wrote about a Krokbragd inkle band I wove in this post.

Krokbragd is such a captivating and addictive weave structure, I hope you will love it as much as I do. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them down below, I love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Wash Your Hands Towels Free Rigid Heddle Loom Project

by Kelly 93 Comments

How many times have you heard “wash your hands” lately?

Probably more than you can count! Why not turn this routine into a joy with beautiful, handwoven towels? This free project is perfect for both beginner and experienced weavers, offering a fun and creative way to brighten your home while practicing essential weaving skills.

*This post contains affiliate links

Why Make Handwoven Towels?

If we’re washing our hands frequently, we might as well enjoy the process! These towels are practical, vibrant, and customizable. With bright colors and soft cotton yarn, they’re designed to bring happiness to your daily routine.

This project is beginner-friendly, but you’ll need to know how to warp, thread, and set up your rigid heddle loom for plain weave. If you’re still learning, check out my Woe to Go! Beginner Rigid Heddle Weaving class. for step-by-step guidance.

Both towel designs are quite adaptable and can be varied in many ways. I give you some ideas on how to go about this in the video class.

Tools and Materials Needed

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

*Rigid heddle loom 24” weaving width or wider (yes, you can also use a smaller loom with the understanding that your towels will be narrower than mine).

*1 x 10 dent heddle (or a 7.5 – 8 dent heddle if using Sugar n Cream yarn)

*3 stick shuttles longer than the width of the project. (For the first towel we are weaving with 3 weft colours).

*1 pickup stick longer than the width of the project (additional pick up stick to aid transfer of pick up is optional – a stick shuttle can be substituted.

*Reed and threading hook

*A sewing machine and serger are very handy for hemming but not essential

I used a beautifully soft and lofty cotton to weave these towels on my rigid heddle loom. We will be using the same warp for both towels, but as you can see, using different techniques makes the towels wonderfully varied in how they look.

If you’re in Australia, my yarns were from Bendigo Woollen Mills in the following: Pomegranate, Peacock and White cotton 10ply. But, if you need substitutes, here are my recommendations:

Sugar n Cream in red

Sugar n Cream in white

Sugar n Cream in aquamarine

I Love this Cotton

Knit Picks Dishie

Two Towels, One Warp

Both towels use the same warp setup, but different techniques make each unique. This project includes a downloadable PDF with warp calculations, weaving instructions, and pickup sequences.

Wash-your-hands-towels-1 Download

Towel 1: Plaid Design

The first towel uses the same color sequence for the weft as the warp, creating a vibrant plaid pattern. This is a great opportunity to practice frequent color changes by cutting and introducing new colors.

Key features:

Plain weave borders.
Simple pickup design in the center.
Alternating weft colors (4 picks each color).

Tips for Beginners:
If you’re new to using pickup sticks, check out my pick up tutorial for a quick guide before starting this towel.

Towel 2: Classic White

The second towel uses white yarn for the entire weft, with some simple pick up floats, creating a clean and elegant look.

Want to experiment? You can modify these designs with different color sequences or patterns to make them your own.

Color Handling Options

Cut and Start: Cut each color after 4 picks (as in Towel 1).
Carry Colors Up: For tighter color changes (e.g., 2 picks per color), carry the yarn along the edges instead of cutting.

Watch and Weave

This project includes step-by-step video instructions to guide you through the weaving process. Download the free printable PDF, follow along with the videos, and start weaving these beautiful towels today.

This free class is also available at my Online Weaving School.

Share Your Creations!

I’d love to see your finished towels! Tag me on Instagram so I can share your work in my stories. And if you enjoyed this project, please share it with fellow weavers!

Have questions or comments? Drop them below—I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Choc Coated PB Lumps

by Kelly 12 Comments

When I was a teenager I had a friend whose Mum made the most delicious peanut butter balls, coated in chocolate. It seemed every time I visited, there were balls in milk, dark and white chocolate, freshly made and ready to be eaten.

Unfortunately, they were also very unhealthy, made with lots of butter and icing sugar.

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I later came across the American “Buck eyes” which seem to be very similar to my friend’s peanut butter balls. Lately I’ve had a real hankering for these delectable balls, but they don’t exactly fit in with my attempts towards healthy eating and lifestyle.

I thought there must be a way to obtain a similar flavour to the traditional buck eyes in a healthier way.

It turns out there is!

The ingredients are really simple. This is something I’ve come to really love about healthy food, ingredients are usually very minimal because you are using good, natural food close to it’s natural state. It’s a wonderful way to eat.

For this ingredient amount, you will get about 12 chocolate lumps. You can easily double the recipe for a larger crowd.

So, this recipe uses lovely almond flour (almond meal), my secret addiction (peanut butter), vanilla extract, honey and my other not so secret addiction (dark chocolate). You can use either milk or dark chocolate, but if you’re opting for the healthiest option, dark is the way to go.

I used crunchy peanut butter, but you could use smooth if that is your preference.

Now, a little disclaimer. Although the taste is very similar to the unhealthy version, the texture of these is quite different – a little more grainy and cakey. Which doesn’t bother me in the slightest, but I just wanted to let you know.

Choc Coated PB Lumps

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

3/4 cup Almond meal (almond flour)
2 tbsp Peanut butter
1 tbsp Honey
1 tsp Vanilla extract
100 grams Dark or milk cooking chocolate

Method

Place all ingredients except the chocolate in a bowl.
Mash together until fully mixed and forming a paste.
Push mixture into moulds (if using) or roll into balls if you prefer. If using moulds, it's easiest to place them in the freezer for half an hour. Otherwise, regrigerate until very firm.
Melt cooking chocolate over a double boiler or you can sit a ceremic bowl on top of a small saucepan with a little water.
Using 2 forks, dip your peanut butter pieces or balls in the melted chocolate and place on non stick baking or parchment paper.
When all are dipped, place in the fridge to harden, then store in the fridge until you're ready to eat some.

Another disclaimer is that the chocolate coating part is a little messy and the end product a little blobby. Hey, they may not be as Instagram worthy as some, but once it’s in my mouth it’s all the same, so who cares? 😆

If you roll the mixture into balls, you can eat just as they are, without the chocolate coating, if you prefer. Or, if you love the chocolatey aspect but have run out of melting chocolate, you could try rolling the balls in cocoa. I did this recently, and while the result is not as decadent as melted chocolate, they were still totally delicious. Like most of my recipes, these are quite adaptable!

Just recently I decided to try making my own almond flour instead of buying it pre-made. The benefits of making your own are twofold.

The almond flour freshly ground will contain more nutrients than flour that has been sitting in a packet on a shelf for months.

It is much cheaper to buy whole almonds than to purchase already ground.

I actually think freshly ground tastes better too!

If you’re interested in grinding your own almond flour you do need to have a food processor or other appropriate grinder.

I found that I couldn’t get my fresh almond flour ground quite as finely as the commercial stuff, as there is the risk of the almonds becoming too wet as you grind, if you over grind.

But interestingly, I found that I preferred the slightly grittier consistency of the freshly ground whole almonds.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please comment below if you try it and if you enjoy it, please leave me 5 stars to let me know!

How to weave on an inkle loom

by Kelly 33 Comments

Have you ever wondered how to weave on an inkle loom—what it is, how it works, and what kinds of beautiful bands you can create with it? You’re in the right place!

An inkle loom is a simple, portable loom that’s perfect for beginners and experienced weavers alike. It’s designed for weaving strong, narrow bands that can be used for everything from belts and bag straps to decorative trims. In this post, I’ll walk you through what an inkle loom is, how to set it up, and what you can weave on it—so you can start your own inkle weaving journey with confidence!

An inkle loom is basically a wooden frame with pegs for your warp to wind around and be tensioned on. There is also an adjustable tensioning peg to release or increase tension.

*This post contains affiliate links. For more information please see my disclosure policy.

Once you’ve wound on your warp, you create an extra shed for plain weave by using heddles to pick up threads. By the time you’re ready to weave, you will have shed 1 and shed 2 or heddled and unheddled threads. Pretty simple!

The weave structure that you use on an inkle loom is warp faced plain weave. This means that, although you are weaving plain weave, you place your warp under very tight tension and beat each pick down hard with a belt shuttle so that the warp colours remain visible but the weft threads do not. The warp threads become very condensed together, forming a thick, tight fabric, or band.

Now I’m going to address some commonly asked questions about inkle loom weaving:

What do I get when I purchase an inkle loom?

Whichever brand of inkle you choose, it should come standard with certain pieces. Firstly, the loom itself, commonly made of strong wood and usually requiring some basic assembly, comes with a built in tensioning peg.

You should also receive a belt shuttle, a clamp (this gives you the option of clamping the loom to a table or similar) and an instruction booklet.

You may or may not receive some string heddles, but you will need these, so check before purchasing if they are included. Of course, you an always make your own with some tapestry warping thread or seine twine.

What can I make on an inkle loom?

An inkle loom is for weaving bands. What you can then use the bands for is up to your own imagination!

Some ideas are: key fobs, dog leads, shoelaces, bag handles, decorative trim for other craft or sewing projects, tabs to sew onto your handwoven towels to hang them, stitched together to make a larger project like a bag or purse, bracelets, lanyards, belts, guitar straps… lots of possibilities!

What width and length can I weave on an inkle loom?

I will talk about Ashford inkle looms, as that is what I own and know best. There are 2 sizes available:

Ashford Inkle loom. (just over $100USD)

This is the inkle loom that I have. You can warp it to a length of 110″ and achieve a weaving width of up to 3″.

Ashford Inklette loom (under $100USD)

This is a smaller alternative. You can warp up to a length of 72″ and a weaving width of 2″.

Why is an inkle loom a good option?

You may find the thought of an inkle loom limiting because you can only weave bands on it. However, there are so many variations for the actual bands possible that inkle weaving can keep you very busy for a very long time.

I’ve had my inkle for a few years and feel like I’ve only just scratched the surface. For example, last year I experimented with krokbragd on my inkle. I hear you saying “but you said an inkle is a 2 shaft loom!”

Indeed, it is, just like a rigid heddle loom is, but by doing pick up and adding extra heddles, we can make those extra shafts we need for more intricate patterns.

Weaving this krokbragd band was a fascinating exercise in taking a normally weft faced pattern draft and turning it to produce a warp faced pattern draft. And look at how gorgeous it is! If you want to know more about this project, I wrote a blog post about it here.

It is also such a light and portable loom. I like to sit in a recliner and weave on the inkle in the evenings while watching a movie with my family or chatting with someone. It’s small enough to take just about anywhere.

And of course, in the world of looms, this has to be one of the most affordable. Some weavers make their own, so make friends with google if that idea interests you.

Which yarns are best for inkle weaving?

I have mostly used 8/2 cotton. If you are familiar with me, you will know that I’m not a huge fan of mercerised cotton, aka Perle cotton, but for inkle weaving I have used it many times. It gives a lovely sheen to the bands.

I have also used unmercerised cotton a lot on my inkle. Both are perfect for the task. The colours of your band are all made in the warping process (remember, it’s a warp faced weave).

Here is a little tip – choose your weft colour according the colour of the edges of your warp, that way when you take the weft around the selvedges at the shed change, it will blend in nicely.

Where should I start?

The instruction booklet that comes with your inkle loom should help you a lot to get set up for your first project, however it won’t be long before you want to branch out and learn more. The best book that I have found on inkle weaving is Anne Dixon’s The Weaver’s Inkle Pattern Directory, which is extremely comprehensive and useful for both beginners and experienced levels.

Anne has over 400 patterns to try in all different styles and variations of difficulty. It’s quite an amazing book!

You will also find my Youtube series on weaving a floral inkle band invaluable, as it takes you right through from how to set up your loom to finishing your band after weaving. You will definitely want to check it out and be sure to watch all the videos so that you don’t miss any crucial steps:

You can download and print out this free floral pattern here:

Floral-band-inkle-pattern Download

Also, be sure to check out my article 7 Tips For Weaving on an Inkle Loom which includes yet another gorgeous and free downloadable pattern for you to weave on your inkle loom.

If you’re ready to get more serious about learning to weave on your inkle loom and also delve into tubular weaving, baltic pick up and all the tips and tricks, check out my online Inkle Weaving Course.

Inkle Weaving

Learn the fun and fascinating art of band weaving on your inkle loom!

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Last updated Apr 28th, 2025

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Inkle Weaving course$40

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I hope this article has peaked your interest in inkle weaving and helped you to see the many benefits of this little loom.

I love to weave on my Lojan Inkle Loom! I am a reseller for Lojan products in Australia, if you are interested in ordering please get in touch.

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below, I love to hear from you (and it helps me to not feel like I’m talking to myself here 😆)

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to make bread – my No Knead Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

by Kelly 25 Comments

I’ve been making home baked bread for my family for at least 15 years (yes, I supply ALL the bread, but I have helpers too!) I started baking our bread at home for a few reasons – curiosity, nutrition, economy and self sufficiency. It is the perfect time right now to learn how to bake bread at home.

The idea of knowing exactly what was going into our bread, the superior taste and the cheapness of making it has made baking our own a priority.

Around 4 years ago, I bought a Hawos Billy 100 grain mill after wanting one for 10 years (I’m very patient 😎). It sits out on the kitchen bench as it’s in constant use. The first time we set up the mill and ground some wheat, I tasted some on it’s own and was immediately hooked. I had bought commercial wholemeal flour from the supermarket, but grinding it fresh is really next level.

*This post contains affiliate links

I buy my wheat from Simply No Knead and have it delivered. If you’re in the U.S. and looking for some wheat to grind , you can get hard white wheat berries here. If you’re wondering about the differences between red and white wheat, check out this helpful article.

Milling our own grain is a huge blessing at this time when currently there is no commercial flour available to buy due to coronavirus related panic buying. I bulk buy my wheat in 20 kg bags and have plenty of it, I’m so thankful.

I’ve always wanted to share with you all how I make bread. Over the many years of baking for my family, I’ve devised my own methods to make the process faster, easier and more achievable. My methods are no knead, low mess, low ingredients and very straightforward. I’ve tweaked my methods to streamline the process and am very happy to share this with you!

Now, if you have flour and wish to use that, go ahead! This recipe is very adaptable and has the same basic components of flour, yeast, salt, water and oil. You can use white or wholemeal flour, or a combination, they all work. You may have to adjust your liquid amounts slightly, as wholemeal flour takes up more water.

If you prefer your bread on the sweet side, you may want to add in two tablespoons of cane sugar or two tablespoons of honey. I do this occasionally as an extra treat for the kids.

Then you will just need a large mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, 2 bread tins, and you’re ready to bake some delicious bread! If you are going to make bread a lot, you will want a good bread knife, it will take the headache out of slicing. My husband gifted me this Mundial Serrated Knife right at the beginning of my bread baking journey and I use it every single day. Alright, let’s check out the recipe!

Let’s just go over some measurements first so that we’re clear on amounts. If you don’t know how much grain to mill to get the required amount of flour, 5.5 cups of whole wheat grains grinds up to 7.5 cups of flour. This amount of grain and flour also equals 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds). 1 litre of water is equivalent to 1.05 quarts.

Kelly

No Knead Wholewheat bread

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings: 2 loaves

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

7.5 cups Wholewheat flour (I use freshly milled)
1.5 tsp Instant dried yeast
2.5 tsp Salt
1 litre Warm water (Around 1 quart)
3 tbsp Sunflower oil

Method

Weigh and mill your whole wheat grain, if using. Otherwise, measure out your commercial wholewheat flour into a large bowl.
Add yeast and salt to flour and mix through with a wooden spoon.
Mix the warm water and oil together in a jug.
Make a well in the middle of your flour and pour all of the liquid in.
With a wooden spoon, mix gently to begin combining the wet and dry ingredients.
When the water is no longer "sloshy", use a chopping action with the wooden spoon to bring ingredients together. You want to eliminate any dry flour spots.
Once combined and completely wet, let the dough sit in the bowl for 3 – 5 minutes.
Using the folding technique shown in the video, fold the dough whilst turning the bowl slightly. Fold it around 5 times. Then allow dough to sit for 3 – 5 minutes again.
Repeat the folding technique 2 more times for a total of 3 times. You will notice the dough begin to change and become elastic.
Sprinkle with flour, cover with a cloth and allow to sit until approximately doubled. Depending on the temperature in your kitchen, this could be 1 – 2 hours. My dough took around an hour to double in a warmish kitchen.
Oil or flour your bench surface and tip the dough out. It will be stretchy and airy.
Fold the dough in on itself on each side. Cut in half with a sharp knife.
Shape the two pieces of dough into loaves according to the video instructions. Place in prepared loaf tins.
Sprinkle with flour and cover with cloths to rest for around 30 minutes. Begin to preheat your oven to 225 degrees celsius (437 farenheit).
Score your risen loaves with a sharp knife and place in the oven for 35 minutes.
Remove from the oven and tins and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before cutting open.

Did I tell you that this bread freezes well? I make up a batch of 4 loaves at a time, the maximum amount my oven will hold. I usually keep one loaf out for the next couple of days (if it lasts that long, often it does not) and put the rest in individual freezer bags, tie them up well and freeze until needed.

You will want to watch the video I’ve put together in order to learn the techniques I use, as these are crucial to the success of your loaves.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and bake some bread for your family! Please leave any questions in the comments section, let me know if you are going to give it a try, or if you already have. I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy baking!

Healthful Toasted Muesli (Granola)

by Kelly 10 Comments

I know, I know, there are thousands of recipes for toasted muesli (or granola) on the internet. But I’ve been fiddling around to try and make a healthy, not too oily, but not too dry recipe.

And I’ve hit on something pretty darn good! There is the base recipe, but then you can add to that according to what you have at the time. This batch was timed to coincide with a visit to a Lebanese nut shop, so we had a lot of extra delights to put in.

The best part is that many of these ingredients are easily accessible and may be in your pantry already.

It includes those wonderful staples such as rolled oats, raw honey, olive oil, shredded coconut, vanilla extract and sultanas.

All you need to make this recipe is an oven and a roasting pan.

Kelly

Healthful Toasted Muesli (Granola)

5 from 1 vote

Base recipe

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

5 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup honey
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup shredded or desiccated coconut
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg white (optional)
1/2 cup sultanas

Equipment

Oven, roasting tray

Method

Preheat oven to 170 degrees (C).
Mix all dry ingredients in a tray with sides so it doesn’t spill. A roasting tray is ideal.
Warm the honey until runny and mix in olive oil and vanilla. Pour evenly over dry mix. Mix thoroughly.
Now pour over the egg white and mix thoroughly.
Place tray in the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, take out the tray, turn the ingredients and return to the oven.
Repeat until the muesli has baked for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and stir in the sultanas.

This recipe is super flexible, making it great for when you have certain ingredients on hand. Here are a few options for ways you can vary your muesli.

Add ins (examples of)

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup chopped macadamias

1/4 cup chopped cashews

1/4 cup pistachios

1 cup LSA mix

Chopped dried fruit eg. apricots, peach, paw paw, apple, dates, cranberries

Rules for add ins

*For seeds and nuts, add these in at the dry mix stage.

*For dried fruit add ins, mix in when the muesli has finished baking.

Allow the muesli to cool before placing it in an airtight container. Serve with milk or use as a delicious topping on stewed fruit and yoghurt.

Also makes a delightful gift when placed in an attractive jar.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Don’t forget to comment and let me know how yours turned out. If you love it, you could even leave me 5 stars 😉

When your life is on hold

by Kelly 32 Comments

Where to start when writing a post like this? It’s not like I’ve ever experienced anything like this before. But that’s the thing that really unites all of humanity at the moment. We’re all in this together and none of us are immune from the possible and real effects of the coronavirus.

Many of us are isolated in our homes, some working from home, others facing the uncertainty of job insecurity. No social meet ups. No extended family meet ups. No popping out to the shops to pick up some milk. It’s a completely different lifestyle to what most of us are accustomed to.

I know that there is some concern about the impact all of this could have on mental health if the isolation has to continue for some time. We don’t know at the moment when it will be safe to resume former activities, we don’t know if we will contract the virus, and if we do, we don’t know how bad it will be. There is so much we just can’t predict or plan for.

In many ways, it feels like life is completely on hold. No planning ahead, no getting ready to go back to work or school or social activities. For now, we just have to BE.

People have been talking about the state of JUST BEING for a long time. Of being present in the moment in whatever we’re doing. To think, be grateful, live slow. In the busy, noisy world of today, that goal can feel unrealistic and unobtainable.

Enter quarantine. And self isolating. And social distancing. Enter 2020 and COVID 19.

What if we completely turned this pandemic thing on it’s head and focused on the positives of what it means for us right now?

How many times, as you were rushing off to work in the morning or dragging yourself home at the end of the day, have you wished that you had more time? Have you thought to yourself “if only I had an extra day, I could take the time to learn to…… (fill in the blank)”. Or when you’ve been absolutely run off your feet and wondered why? Why am I doing this? Is this what I was meant for? Then why am I so unhappy?

That hobby that you’ve “always wanted” to get started with. “Maybe when I retire!” you may have joked. Or “I’ll do it once the kids have all left home and I have some time to myself”.

How about now? In this time of major uncertainty, perhaps you feel a bit lost. But maybe it’s time to search and find. Maybe it’s time to discover what God is leading you to – what talents are waiting to be revealed, perhaps even find out what you should really be doing and who you really are.

I’m finding that it’s wonderful time, not just for discovery, but re-discovery as well. I am taking more pleasure and satisfaction in my daily tasks as a homemaker. Baking bread is not just something that I do an have done for a long time anymore, now it’s an important skill that provides my family with food.

Preserving vegetables is something I can take pride in, knowing that my family will have healthy fermented vegetables to eat even if we can’t leave our home to go to the shops.

Our garden has become a major focus as we aim to grow as much of our own food as we can. It’s something that the whole family can work at and reap the rewards and benefits at harvest time. It gives us time out in the fresh air and sunshine too.

I have been thinking for some time how I would like to make soap again, it’s been so long. Now, it happens that you can no longer buy soap, you can however buy ingredients to make soap.

I’ve been writing on this blog since 2008 and if you look back on past posts, many of them are related to simple and frugal living. It’s something I’ve been both striving for and living out for a long time, and something that just makes sense to me. It’s serving us pretty well at the moment!

If you’re interested in reading some of my “posts from the past” related to simple living, I’ll list some here:

The Simple Life

Back to Basics, Frugality revisited

Honey and Oat soap

Cheese and Bacon Scrolls

I have a lot of recipes, all of them are simple and frugal. You can search the “recipes” tab on my blog or type in “bread” or “recipe” in the search bar and you’ll be inundated with posts! I need to do an updated bread blog post, as I make bread in a different, very easy and intuitive way these days.

If you’re looking to learn how to weave, start with my Youtube channel. I promise it will keep you busy for many, many hours!

This has become quite a rambling post, but I guess what I really want to say is: What are you going to do this with this time? How are you going to be different? Are you the person you want to be? The person you were made to be?

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. What will you do with it?