Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons

Giveaways

Weaving School Birthday Giveaway!

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You know you’re busy when you completely miss important milestones, like I did this year!

The Online Weaving School turned 7 last week and yes, I totally forgot 🤦‍♀️

But it’s never too late for a celebration, right?!

One of my favourite ways to celebrate a milestone is with a giveaway, and from past experience I don’t think any of you object to the idea either.

Before I launch into the specifics, I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you who has supported me these past 7 years. Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons simply would not exist without you, nor would Kelly Casanova Designs. I am grateful for you!

OK, here is the deal. There will be one prize winner. The prize is:

OR

If you already have a Premium membership, you will receive $157USD credited to your PayPal account. If you have a monthly or 6 monthly membership, you will be upgraded to a Premium membership for one year.

  • 3 digital download patterns (your choice but patterns only, ebooks excluded) from my Shopify store worth $24 – $35AUD.

FOR A VALID ENTRY

  1. Please ensure you have registered an account with the weaving school. It is free and easy to do, and will ensure that if you win I can enrol you in your membership without any problems.

2. Tell me in the comments below what winning this prize would mean to you.

Please note that all comments need to be approved manually (thanks spammers 🙄) so please be patient as you wait for approval.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO JANET, WHO HAS BEEN NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL.

Best of luck to all of you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

5th Birthday Giveaway!

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This month the Online Weaving School turns 5! 🥳

It’s hard to believe that the years have passed so swiftly and that the weaving school has come so far since it’s humble beginnings in 2017.

If you want to find out more about how the weaving school began, you can check out this post or this Youtube video.

Please note, this post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

To celebrate 5 wonderful years of learning, sharing and community, I’m having a giveaway! Are you ready to have some fun? 🥳

I’ve teamed up with Nicky from Thread Collective for some awesome prizes.

Here are the prizes, in no particular order:

  • $100AUD Gift Voucher for the Thread Collective. The winner can choose what to spend the voucher on. You could spend just the voucher amount or you could use the voucher towards a larger purchase, the winner gets to choose.
  • This is a fun one 😉 If you purchase a new membership during the month of May, 2022, you instantly go in the draw to win a membership refund. This applies to any membership (and yes, if you’ve already purchased in the month of May you are automatically entered). If the winner purchased a Premium or Basic membership, they would receive a full refund for their first year. A 6 monthly membership would receive a full refund for their first 6 months. And a monthly membership would receive a full refund for their first month.

If you purchase a membership this month, you are still free to enter the other prize draws!

How to enter:

Leave a comment underneath this post (comments posted elsewhere will not be accepted, sorry!) telling me how the Online Weaving School has impacted your life.

Two comments will be selected to win either the Ada Yarns or the Gift Voucher. One winner will be selected to receive the membership refund.

The giveaways will be drawn at the end of the month, May, 2022. Winners will be notified by email.

A big thank you to Nicky from Thread Collective for collaborating on this giveaway! And a massive thank you to all of you who support my work and make the Weaving School possible ❤️

P.S. If your comment does not show up right away, don’t panic! I have comment approval turned on to keep the spammers at bay and sometimes it may take a while for your comment to show.

If you want to see the companion video for this post, please watch here:

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW CLOSED, THANK YOU TO ALL ENTRANTS.

CONGRATULATIONS TO JOAN, HELEN AND LORI!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Herringbone on a Rigid Heddle Loom

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I am really excited to be offering the Herringbone on a Rigid Heddle Loom class!

Not just because herringbone is such an enchanting weave, but also because this class is very unique.

Usually when I release a new class, I focus on a particular technique or means to set up the rigid heddle loom. This presents a problem. I’m always asked how to set up in other ways.

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

For example, if I use a single heddle, heddle rod and pick up stick to weave a particular project, students will ask how to weave it with two heddles. And vice versa.

For this class, I decided to spoil students by providing not just one, but three options for setting up the loom to weave herringbone.

This helps to cater for different learning styles and also differing budgets.

Method one uses two heddles, a pick up stick and a heddle rod.

Method two uses one heddle, 2 heddle rods and a pick up stick.

Method three uses three heddles.

Each method provided has step by step video instructions, visual threading charts and written instructions.

Students will complete a classic herringbone scarf as the class project.

To complete this class you will need:

A rigid heddle loom, 10″ or wider

10 dent heddle (number of heddle required depends on your method choice)

Also, depending on your set up choice, you may need:

Pick up stick

Heddle rod/s

Elastic bands

Tapestry needle

Full yarn requirements will be available upon enrolment.

The class will be available for single purchase, or, if you are a member of the Online Weaving School, this class will be included in your membership. Premium members currently have early access.

Now, for a little fun! As a pre-release celebration, I’m offering two of you the chance to win this class. The winners will be given access to the class upon it’s release shortly.

Here are the entry requirements:

  • You will need to be registered with the Online Weaving School. That way, I can enrol the winners in the class.
  • In the comments section below, tell me whether you would be most interested in method one, two or three to complete the class.

The winners will be announced at the end of this week.

Please note – if you don’t see your comment posted right away, don’t panic, I have to approve all comments first.

*UPDATE – THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS – ERIN MCGANN AND LYETTE MONGEON

Crazyshot Book Review and Giveaway

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Myra Wood is a well known fibre artist with an impressive array of artistic skills and talents. In fact, I’m quite amazed by all her achievements in teaching, writing books and creating. She is a huge inspiration!

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

Myra has just released a wonderful new weaving book that I am so excited to tell you about – “Crazyshot! Creative Overshot Weaving on the Rigid Heddle Loom”. “Crazyshot” is creative overshot weaving for the rigid heddle with bold patterns and colours.

The book provides beautiful colour photo, step by step instructions and explanations. The patterns look extremely complex and yet are achieved with just one heddle and one pick up stick! There are 14 stunning projects included.

You may be thinking “this looks way too advanced for me!”, but that is the beauty of it. All you need is the basics, plus a good dose of patience and an adventurous attitude.

Let’s have a chat with Myra and find out more about her and how the new book came about.

Tell us a little about your background in fibre arts.

“I was a pretty crafty kid. My mom taught me how to sew and crochet and we made tons of Barbie doll and kid’s clothes. I continued crafting through adulthood, adding new crafts every couple of years- more sewing, quilting, embroidery, tapestry and bead weaving, tatting, you name it, always with an emphasis on creative expression. In 2003 I started teaching knitting classes at a local yarn store and within a couple years I began teaching knitting and crochet on the US national circuit for XRX/Stitches, Vogue Knitting, guilds and special events. Along the way, I taught 5 classes for Craftsy and wrote 3 books and published lots of patterns. Up until Covid, I was traveling around the US almost every month. ( I don’t miss the airports but I do miss seeing everybody in person).“

When and how did you first become interested in weaving?

“In 2012, I saw my first rigid heddle loom at a trade show and had to have one. I dove right into the deep end buying a 20” with a stand while I was there and all the rigid heddle books I could find. Needless to say, my yarn stash was already a bit ridiculous so when I found out I could use the same yarns I was ready to go. My loom arrived a couple weeks later and it’s been a love affair ever since. I now own 4 rigid heddle looms, all of which are usually warped with some experiment or another.“

Crazyshot is not the first book you’ve published, but it is your first weaving book. What was the inspiration behind the book?

“In all honesty, your Branoe class blew me away. I kept thinking about Fair Isle and Mosaic knitting and other charted needlework while I was learning. I looked for more info on Branoe and found very little but I did discover a rich history of supplemental weft weaving from all different cultures throughout time. So I started experimenting and this book is the result of combining lots of different ideas from various charted needlework. Many times my books have come out of wanting to see the book I wish was already out there.“

Something that students often ask me about is how to choose colours for a project. I noticed that in “Crazyshot” your project colours are strikingly beautiful and harmonious. Do you have any tips for those who are nervous combining and choosing colours?

“Absolutely! I love color and I’m not afraid to use it but lots of times I find myself in color ruts. Give me some blue, green, aqua and purple yarn and I’m off to the races. When I want to step outside my comfort zone, I like to take a skein of a long color repeat yarn like Noro Kureyon and match up all the solid colors I have in my stash to the colors in the yarn. The dyers are very experienced with color and often put together colors I’d never think of combining. I’ve also used variegated yarns to start with and even printed fabrics I love. Color is the most essential element for me so before I start any project, once my colors are chosen, I stick to that palette. I always say you have to love the colors together before you start or you won’t like the end result. I always start with color.“

With all of the creative pursuits you are involved with, how do you organise your time effectively in order to achieve such variety?

“I tend to get fairly obsessive about one craft at a time. I’m passionate about learning as much as possible and experimenting with all the different ways I can express myself with it.

Eventually something else strikes my fancy and I abandon the previous one for the latest obsession. Many times I’ve rediscovered my love for a particular craft years after I thought I was done with it. I feel like I have a great toolbox to work with and I love combining ideas from different crafts.

I’m so lucky to have a dedicated studio and spend my days in it from morning till night. (I told you I was obsessive). As I’m aging, I find I can’t spend the hours I used to working with my hands before they start aching so I try and take breaks and do other things like clean the house and exercise. I did say try. I spend more time reflecting and relaxing now but my wheels are always turning with new ideas so I’m actually planning another book already!“

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And now for some more exciting news. Myra has one signed print copy of “Crazyshot” to gift to one of you lucky readers!

To enter, leave a comment below telling me what appeals to you most about this technique.

  • THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO CATHY MURPHY! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED.

You can purchase “Crazyshot” in either digital or print version from Amazon or from Myra’s website.

If you would like a video course on the Branoe technique, check out my Exploring Branoe course at the Online Weaving School.

I also have some free videos on Youtube to help get you started:

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Krokbragd Patterns Interview and Giveaway!

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Have you all met Debby Greenlaw before? I hope you have, but if not, you may want to read over this post where I reviewed Debby’s first book, the wonderful “Krokbragd – How to Design and Weave”.

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

I am so excited to share the news that Debby has written and released a brand new follow up krokbragd book, titled “Krokbragd Patterns”.

I am doubly excited to announce that, thanks to Debby’s generosity, one of you lucky readers will have the chance to win a personally signed copy of Krokbragd Patterns! Entry details are available at the end of this post.

I thought it the perfect time to have a chat with Debby so that you can all get to know her a little better and find out more about the new book, so grab a cup of tea and get comfy!

Thank you for taking the time to be my blog guest today 😊 Can you start by telling us a little about your weaving journey so far?

“Weaving was my entry into the wonderful world of fiber arts. I am a relatively “late bloomer” in this area, not starting the journey until I retired in 2016 after a 40+ year career as a nurse/nurse practitioner. I purchased an Ashford Sampleit loom at a local fiber festival just to see if I would like this weaving thing . . . I loved it. That lead to a floor loom, a dye garden, a spinning wheel, and eventually knitting needles and crochet hooks!”

What looms do you have and which one gets the most use?

“I have a Leclerc Nilus 4-shaft floor loom, a Kromski Harp Forte rigid heddle, and a Louët Jane 8-shaft table loom. By far the Jane gets used the most!“

You are perhaps most well known for your krokbragd weaving. What is about krokbragd that you love?

“First, I’m drawn to the Scandinavian aesthetic. My heritage says I’m German through and through, but I think there must be some Norse hidden in there. I love the simplicity of design and the color combinations of Scandinavian weaving. Krokbragd embodies both of those characteristics.”

Your first book, “Krokbragd: How to Design and Weave” had been immensely popular. What lead you to write a book all about krokbragd?

“Simply, there wasn’t a book written on the subject. In fact, several years ago, there were very limited resources available on krokbragd. I saw a social media post that said, “someone should write a book,” and I thought I can do that!”

You are just about to release your second book, “Krokbragd Patterns”. Did you decide to write a follow up book based on the feedback received from your first book? What excites you the most  about this book?

“You’re absolutely correct.  I received emails, comments, and even a review asking for a krokbragd pattern book.  

Hmmm . . . what excites me the most. It would have to be the test weavers. Eighteen delightful women answered my request to be test weavers for the book’s projects. Seeing my designs come alive in their talented hand was so exciting. Their feedback, enthusiasm, and encouragement were invaluable to me during the designing and writing process.”

You are blessed to live in a beautiful location. How do you most enjoy spending your days? What should visitors to your region look out for as a “must do”?

“God has graciously blessed my husband and me with a beautiful place to live, a small farm in rural South Carolina. We share our space with 21 dairy goats, a mini donkey, chickens, a barn kitty, and a playful pup! There are many routine farm chores to keep up with, along with the occasional urgency/emergency. I’ve found my nurse practitioner skills translate well to farm animals! In addition to fiber arts, I also like to garden.  

South Carolina is diverse in natural beauty. It is one of the smaller U.S. states but stretches from the seashore to the mountains. It is also rich in history and historical sites and gardens.”

You can find more great weaving information on Debby’s blog, Flora & Fiber. Books can be purchased through the blog, on Amazon or in selected stores.

Purchase Krokbragd – How to Design and Weave

Purchase Krokbragd Patterns

Now, about that giveaway! To enter, leave a comment below that describes why you would love to win a signed copy of Krokbragd Patterns. If your comment doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry, I will approve it when I see it (I have to keep those spammers at bay!)

Open to anyone worldwide.

I will draw the lucky winner on the Saturday 17th of April, 2021.

  • THE GIVEAWAY HAS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER, CHERI SUTHERLAND!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Online Weaving School 3 year anniversary giveaway!

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It’s hard to believe that 3 years have passed since I began my Online Weaving School. Many of you have been with me for all of that time and longer, but if you’re new here, I’d like to tell you a little about my teaching journey.

*This post contains affiliate links

I’ve always been a creative person but making things with my hands became more important to me when I found myself an at home Mum with 4 children. The urge to relax and create became very strong and somewhat vital. I needed that quiet, meditative time away from my regular daily duties.

I started with embroidery after my mother in law gifted me with some vintage supplies. Then I got a sewing machine and started sewing clothes for my kids. From there I started making dolls. This began my relationship with Etsy, where I sold my dolls. Then bear making, quilting, knitting, spinning, dyeing and weaving. Many of these were learned books, some from just teaching myself and some (especially knitting) from Youtube. Youtube was just becoming a thing at that time. When I came to weaving, I found it the perfect culmination of so many of the arts and skills I had already been practicing for years. When I found weaving, I felt like I had come home.

After I had been weaving for some time and felt very confident at my rigid heddle loom, I felt that I really wanted to share some of the wonderful things I had learned. I was almost bursting with excitement and passion but I didn’t know any other weavers at all.

So I made a video and uploaded it to Youtube. I didn’t know anything about how to teach or how to use Youtube. My son helped me to film and edit to make the video passable. I expected nothing, I didn’t even think about whether anyone would be interested. I just thought it might help someone and I wanted to share.

As it turns out, that video is still helping weavers, 5 years later! People loved the video and asked for more. I made more. And I loved it. It was so rewarding to know that I could help others and share this passion for weaving.

After a while, my Youtube hobby was starting to cost a lot of money in materials and the meagre income from Youtube ads didn’t even begin to cover the expense. I was a stay at home Mum, homeschooling her children and relying on my husband to earn enough income to keep us fed and clothed.

So, using a Youtube paid channel, I started to (gasp! how could I even dare to!) charge for classes. This was a big mind shift for me. People wanted to pay me in exchange for classes!! I still ran my free channel, but the paid channel was a huge blessing. Now at least I could cover my expenses, even if I still wasn’t really earning anything extra. When the Youtube paid channels ceased to exist, I had a fairly sizeable following of enthusiastic weavers. And they still wanted more! So, I found Teachable and set up my tiny Online Weaving School and community.

3 years later, that “tiny” weaving school has grown to over 4000 registered users and 750 paid memberships and is still growing! I am still pinching myself. Thanks to the constant support from my wonderful and loyal students, I now provide the income for my family of 6. This is something I never would have dreamed could happen and I have learned so much. I would go so far as to say that having my weaving school has transformed me as a person – or perhaps better to say, it has formed me into the person I was meant to be.

Aside from all of the obvious benefits the success of the school has brought me are the less obvious blessings. The beautiful friendships and relationships I’ve encountered with weavers all over the world. The ability to help others not just to learn to weave, but to share other difficult life burdens. It is amazing to be in a position where you feel you can truly make a difference to the lives of others!

If you already know or follow me, then you will be aware of my recent free project, The Wash Your Hands Towels. I designed these towels in the time of uncertainty while the world was suffering from the effects (and still is) of the coronavirus pandemic. This has been a hugely popular project and seemed to come at just the right time for many weavers at home under lockdown. I’ve seen lots of different versions completed in a big variety of colours, it’s been wonderful to see.

So, I thought a very appropriate way to celebrate this 3 year milestone would be to give away a Wash Your Hands Towels Kit. This kit will be a one off, as I don’t have plans to make kits available for sale.

Included in the kit is all the beautiful Australian cotton yarn you need to make two towels plus a paper printed PDF. You use the PDF in conjunction with the video tutorial. If you wish to know what you need to complete this rigid heddle project, read this post that has all the details.

This giveaway is open to all, wherever you happen to be in the world. Entries are open until the end of this month of May 2020.

To enter the giveaway, please leave me a comment here (only comments on this blog post will be considered entries) and tell me why you would like to win.

Make sure you are on my email list to keep up to date with the giveaway and for the winner announcement.

I look forward to reading all your comments and drawing a winner!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER – VEENA RAGHAVEN!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

1000 sales giveaway!

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THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DEBORAH!

My little Etsy shop recently reached 1000 sales, isn’t that just amazing!?

To celebrate, I’m having a fun giveaway.

The winner will receive a Garden Path Scarf Kit in “Deep Lavender”, which includes the pattern and all the delicious Australian Merino wool you need to weave a scarf. I’m also including some really fun quintessentially Aussie snacks.

Now, before you poke your tongue out at the Vegemite, there is something we need to talk about. You know all those Youtube videos of people from countries other than Australia tasting Vegemite and proclaiming it the most disgusting food ever? They’re doing it all wrong!!!

Vegemite is never, ever, not even sometimes, eaten on a spoon! To be enjoyed as the delightful spread that it actually is, you need to eat it on toast with plenty of butter. Or in a sandwich with butter. But the toast is the most awesome. And just a scraping of Vegemite, not a bucket load.

I’m glad we cleared that up.

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere!

To enter, just tell me in the comments below which item from the giveaway picture is most appealing to you.

I’ll draw a winner in a week’s time, Tuesday 30th July.

Best of luck!

Celebration Giveaway!

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Two recent events have been a cause for celebration for me.

Firstly, my Youtube channel reached (and passed) 20,000 subscribers!

And secondly, it was the 2 year anniversary of my Online Weaving School!

These are both wonderful milestones and I’ve decided to share my happiness by running a giveaway.

The first prize is a Yearly Membership to my Online Weaving School. If you already have a yearly membership, don’t worry, you can still enter and win this as a credit for your next year.

Prize number two is a $50 voucher to spend in my Etsy shop.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There are a number of ways to gain extra entries and you have right up until the end of the month to enter.

Winners will be randomly selected.

All the best with your entry!