Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons

Rigid heddle weaving

Calculating warp for the rigid heddle loom

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At a request from a student, I have put together a warp calculations sheet and a companion video. Both are available here. You do need to sign in to access the materials, but I have made these completely free for your benefit. The video can be viewed on Youtube if you prefer. 
The printable PDF includes a sample sheet and in the video I take you through another sample, just to make sure you “get it”!
I have already had a huge amount of positive feedback from students who have found these useful, so please take a look if it’s of interest to you.
Happy Weaving!

Three Heddle Adventures!

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I am so pleased to announce that my first stand alone, feature class is now available to purchase!

This is the biggest class yet and involved a whole lot of work. I’m so excited to be able to share it with you now.

This course is a comprehensive introduction to weaving with three heddles. This is an amazing tool to know, as it extends the humble little rigid heddle loom to really show it’s capabilities.

We start with a straight draw twill sampler and progress to the project, which is a beautiful scarf.

I really hope you can join me on this adventure! 

For more information click here.

Can you really weave that on a rigid heddle loom?!

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I hear that a lot. And most of the time, the answer is yes!


Take my newest pattern release as an example. Did you know I have 2 patterns in my Etsy shop now? Yes, I’ve been a busy little bee.

My new project is entitled “Happy Fibonnaci Kitchen Towels”. “Happy” because of the happy colours and “Fibonacci” because I based the design on the Italian mathematician’s sequence. These are a perfect example of using the rigid heddle loom to obtain the WOW factor.


With the right arrangement of colours and a pick up stick you can weave a towel that looks like it’s hot off a multi shaft loom.

I hope you find the time to weave some beautiful towels for your kitchen or to give as a special gift.

Log Cabin Table Runner series

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The newest series on my Weaving Lessons Channel is a beautiful table runner that utilises the log cabin technique. This is a colour and weave technique on a rigid heddle loom that looks very complicated but is all about the colour order and arrangement.

The exciting news is that this project is also my first PDF weaving pattern in my Etsy shop! Hopefully it will be the first of many patterns for me.

And if you don’t fancy a table runner, how about a gorgeous scarf? 
So many possibilities with a striking pattern and simple loom!

Houndstooth sampler placemats

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I present you with the newest lesson on my Weaving Lessons channel!

I haven’t really delved into colour and weave in any previous lessons and I thought it was high time to explore these fascinating techniques with you.
Like much of rigid heddle weaving, houndstooth is deceptively simple. The weave structure is plain weave, the wow factor comes from the threading of colours. The lesson includes detailed video instructions as well as a printable PDF with extra information and calculations.
Perfect for beginner weavers and a quick project for the more experienced, I hope you can join me for this one!

A little glimpse into creative family life

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I filmed this yesterday afternoon because it felt like a bit of milestone. In steaming hot weather, with a pedestal fan blowing on us, my 9 year old, set up and weaving mostly independently on the rigid heddle loom while I was weaving at the floor loom. It’s funny how things can happen so naturally and then you suddenly realise you’re living a dream moment. I posted it on Youtube, thinking it would probably be largely overlooked as viewers seem to prefer my instructional videos to anything else.


But what a response! Quite a few commented that the video had brought tears to their eyes, for different reasons. For one subscriber, it was that her parents had never invested the time in her that she craved. For another, the video brought back wonderful memories of her own creative homeschooled upbringing. Many commented on the simple beauty of the video. 


Wow, was I surprised. And so pleased. It reminds me that I am so blessed to be able to share with others in this way. It encourages me that, even if I feel like I don’t do a good enough job as a parent, others think I do. And it gives me joy, that God has much work for us to do, if only we will co-operate, love and trust.


I hope you are all having a most blessed week, until next time 🙂



Double heddle weaving

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Recently on my Weaving Lessons channel, we explored some of the possibilities of weaving with two heddles on a rigid heddle loom. It’s these sort of techniques that really open up the imagination of what can be achieved on this humble loom. We covered sett, patterning, twill, double layer and tube weaving. Fascinating stuff! 

I love to polish off a series with a project or two, to enable students to see the new techniques in action and apply them practically.

I’m not telling what the project is (yet), but if this warp is anything to go by, it’s going to be a beauty! This pure new wool is “Bloom” from Bendigo Woollen Mills and is just a delight to look at, a beautiful intricacy of colours.

I’ll be back once the videos for this project are posted, stay tuned!

Honeycomb without the calories

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The title is a little misleading, I am, of course referring to the weave structure honeycomb rather than something edible. 

It is a gorgeous structure though, and one that is easy to achieve despite the fact that it looks quite involved. 

Check out my latest video series on weaving honeycomb on a rigid heddle loom.

Follow this link to the introductory video!

Tapestry style weaving on the rigid heddle loom

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Another busy day where my thoughts turned to weaving and the temptation was to declare myself “too tired to weave”. I couldn’t bear to think of calculating and planning a project. 
So I didn’t.
 
*This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on the link and purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
I put a short warp on my rigid heddle loom and started to weave.

 

 
No real plan, just wanted to weave. I liked what I saw, so I decided to share with you in video format so you too can weave like this.
 
            There are three videos in total, here is the first one for you!