Weaving

DIY Gentle Soak Recipe for your handwovens!

As weavers, we spend so. much. time on planning, preparing, then actually weaving a finished piece.

And it doesn’t stop there, because after all, a piece is not finished until it’s finished!

After choosing how we are going to finish our ends by either stitching, sewing or at least securing, we then come to…

THE WET FINISH!

But hey, it’s actually a pretty simple process and doesn’t take all that much time or effort. The really hard part is waiting for the piece to dry!

*This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you click on a link and purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I think it’s rather fitting then, that after all that hard work, we should finish off with as much love and care that we started with. That’s why I wanted to share my Gentle Soak Recipe with you today!

You can make it yourself, it’s economical as you only use a small portion for each woven piece, and best of all it feels luxurious to use – almost like a little treat to the weaver at the end of a project.

THE RECIPE

Dr Woods Baby Mild Castile Soap

Essential oil (optional) of your choice.

Glass bottle with a dispenser or glass cruet with stopper. I ordered some glass dispenser bottles, but when they got lost in the mail I ended up finding a cruet in a kitchen supplies store and used that instead.

THE METHOD

I pour the Castile soap into my 150ml (5oz) bottle until half full. To this I add my essential oil, approximately 15 drops depending on the strength of oil I’m using. I stir this around with a wooden skewer until I feel it’s well blended, then top up the rest of the bottle with more Castile soap, stirring again. Store with the lid in place.

Some essential oil blend suggestions:

There are so many lovely oils that can be used alone (you know how much I love the simplicity of lavender!)

Other oils that work beautifully as singles are peppermint, rose absolute and rose geranium.

If you want to try making some of your own blends, there are kits available where oils that go well together are sold in a pack. You can also buy already blended oils, taking the guess work out of it for you.

Oh, and if you don’t want to add your own oils, the Dr Woods Castile soaps also come in peppermint, lavender, and tea tree.

Don’t like essential oils? Just use the pure baby castile, which has no added scent on it’s own.

WHY DO I NEED TO WET FINISH?

Sometimes, removing a project from the loom and having a good look and feel of it for the first time can be a bit disappointing! It may feel stiff, rough, and look, well… a bit lacklustre!

Enter the magic of the wet finish!

Allowing the project to soak in warm water with a mild detergent enables all those lovely fibres you have spent so much time and care to weave take in the water, plumping them up to maximum level and allowing them to bloom. Then, as the fabric dries, all those fibres settle into their rightful place and live happily ever after.

If you cut your fabric when it is still in loom state (prior to wet finishing) you will notice a dramatic difference to cutting it afterwards. The threads will want to spring apart, they are not settled in place yet.

Wet finishing also causes your fabric to shrink slightly (how much depends on the fibre). This is another important step in the finishing process.

An interesting experiment is to photograph your before and after wet finished fabrics. The difference can be quite amazing!

HOW TO USE THE GENTLE SOAK TO WET FINISH

I have used this gentle soak recipe with both plant and animal fibres. I have made a video tutorial on the wet finishing process so that you can see how easy and non stressful it all is:

Here are the step by step instructions:

Place a squirt (around 1 teaspoon per item) of the gentle soak liquid into a sink or container that you intend to wash the item in.

2. Run enough warm water into the sink or container to enable your item to be covered.

3. Place your item into the water, gently pressing to submerge. Continue gently pressing until the item takes on enough water to sink down.

4. Leave the item, without agitating for at least an hour.

5. Gently rinse the item in just warm water briefly.

6. Using a clean, folded towel, press the excess water out of your item.

7. Lay the item flat and in the shade until totally dry.

Now, there are exceptions to these rules, as mentioned in the video. For example, I wash cotton kitchen towels in a hot machine wash. Not all projects need to be dried flat – sometimes I will hang the piece depending on what it is. If I have a piece that may be misshapen by being hung, I will dry it flat.

Thanks for reading, I hope this was helpful to you.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Krokbragd – How to Design and Weave, Book Review

by Kelly 22 Comments

I had been following along the writing of this book for some time, so I was thrilled to see it published and available.

*This post is not sponsored, however it does contain affiliate links, which means if you click and buy I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

You all know of my love affair with the Scandinavian weave structure Krokbragd, so a brand new 2019 publication devoted to it was something I had to jump on right away!

I always get this funny feeling when a new weaving book arrives on my doorstep. It’s a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Will this book change my life? Will this book be a total waste of money? Will this be a valuable addition to my weaving library or will it be relegated to the charity bin?

Well, I can assure you that Krokbragd: How to Design and Weave by Debby Greenlaw is not in the least disappointing and is, in fact, very impressive!

It seems that the author Debby is a lady after my own heart, having traded suburban life for a more creative and simple existence in the country, surrounded by animals and weaving.

The book starts out with a historical overview of Krokbragd and other Scandinavian weaving techniques, including beautiful historical pictorial examples. It then goes on to cover threading and treadling options, explanations of the structure, drafts, yarns and weaving options.

This book is so comprehensive, so affordable and there is no fluff or overkill. Just the style I love! I admit that much of what is written and taught in the book is not new to me, but it certainly gave me food for thought on a few levels.

Firstly, the threading variations that I have not yet tried, for example, threading over rose path instead of the usual single point 3 shaft I use.

Secondly, the drafting and designing section. This part is so invaluable! I have always had trouble designing Krokbragd off the loom and usually design as I’m weaving. As krokbragd is weft faced and woven over 3 picks which condense to make a single row, I find it hard to get my head around what a design will look like before I weave it. Debby’s chapter on design has given me some new ideas for how I could better go about designing off the loom, which would allow me to plan my projects more effectively.

But, to be honest, what I love most about this book is that as you read, you feel you are talking to a weaving friend, not someone who has been weaving since forever ago and wants you to know that they know infinitely more about weaving than you do! (Have you ever had someone come across like that in a book?!) It is obvious that Debby has written this book out of a love of weaving and a joy of sharing.

Krokbragd: How to Design and Weave is available as a physical, soft cover book or as a Kindle download.

*Since the completion and publication, Debby has discovered some errors. As a course and pattern writer, I know how easily this can happen and how frustrating it is. If you have purchased the book, you can go to the “Errata PDF” at the bottom of this page to access amendments. Debby is also working with Amazon, where her book is being sold, to determine the best way forward with this issue.

Trust me, if you love Krokbragd, you want this book for your weaving library!

If you’re as interested in Krokbragd as I am, here are some of my past blog posts for you to take a peek at:

I deleted my last post and wrote about Krokbragd instead

New Krokbragd Bag Class

Krokbragd Mug Rug Weave Along

What is Krokbragd?

Krokbragd Weave Along Round Up

Plus I have a bunch of Youtube videos on the topic:

Krokbragd Playlist

And a couple of classes over at my Online Weaving School:

Krokbragd Bag Class

Krokbragd Mug Rug Weave Along

Let me know your thoughts on Debby’s book if you already have it or if you decide to purchase, I would love to know if it has inspired you too.

Thanks for reading dear Weavers, until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Hand Woven Tapestry Necklace

by Kelly 8 Comments

I completed 4 towels on my floor loom for the April #weaveforme challenge, but considering they were for a class as well, I did feel like I had cheated just a little.

*This post contains some affiliate links, which means that if you click and purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

So, I decided that I needed another project that was exclusively for me. I’ve been keen to start another project on my tapestry loom and thought it could be fun to weave a necklace or two. This is entirely different from my usual, often very practical projects.

I had a few hiccups to begin with. I wanted to use up some Appleton’s Crewel Embroidery Wool in a lovely range of colours that I had leftover from a crewel project long ago. This is a very thin and light wool.

I warped at 18epi with the same Ashford Tapestry Warp thread I have been using for all my tapestry work. Warping all went according to plan and I was ready to weave.

When I started weaving, however, I did not like what I saw! The wool is so thin that even though I beat down very hard, the warp thread still showed. It looked ugly! Now I had to put my thinking cap on and make some decisions. If I used a thicker weft, I was concerned that the 18epi would end up being too close. I wondered if I would be able to change the spring at the top of the loom that spaces the warp, in order to change the epi.

The Appleton wool. This was after beating really hard!

I loosened off the tension and went for it. I took off the 18epi spring and placed a 12epi spring on instead. Then I carefully rearranged all of those warp threads into their new spaces. This presented me with a new problem. My warp, now that the threads were space further apart was way too wide for the necklace project I wanted to weave!

Out came the thinking cap again (it received more use than normal on this particular day). I found that if I divided the warp in half, that would be just the right width for a necklace. Plus, that would allow me to weave 2 necklace panels simultaneously. Bingo!

On one panel (left in the photo above) I used hatching with 2 contrasting wools – one solid black and the other a hand dyed variegated of similar weights.

The second panel used a worsted weight wool in dark purple and the same hand dyed as the other. The purple yarn was quite a bit heavier than the hand dyed, I dealt with that problem by doing extra rows on the middle panel to build it up at the same rate as the dark purple. These rectangular shapes are not joined, I used this technique because I wanted clean lines.

I was able to weave both panels at once, which worked out really well. My original intention was to continue to weave additional panels for extra necklaces, but I really wanted to complete the April challenge before too much of May had passed, plus I had other projects mounting up that needed to be started, so I decided to finish up and just do the two.

Finishing the fringes and making into a necklace.

I decided to use hemstitching and a tapestry braiding finish (I’ll have a video tutorial for that soon) to finish the fringes. At the bottom of the hemstitched hatched panel, I wove the fringe back into the work. I took the fringe at the top, placed my faux leather necklace on top, and began weaving the fringes individually back into the work, looping the fringe threads around and encasing the necklace band as I went.

I wasn’t sure if this would secure the panel onto the band with enough strength, but now that I’m finished it is surprisingly hardy and doesn’t move.

The fringe looped over the necklace and woven back in to the fabric.

Once all the fringes were woven in securely, I snipped them off close to the fabric. The back of the necklace doesn’t show, but if I was worried about it, I could have sewn on a piece of felt the same size as the panel to cover the back.

I have not yet finished the other panel, but I’m so glad to have completed another project for the April #weaveforme challenge. The challenge was so popular that I would love to run it again next year. What do you think?

If you would prefer to watch this post and see a bit of a demonstration of the actual weaving, here you go!

And, if you have an interest in learning more about tapestry weaving on a rigid heddle loom, I have a class that will teach you all the basics and get you on your way.

I hope you all enjoyed following along with this project and reading and watching about it.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to hand hem your hand wovens

by Kelly 4 Comments

Hand hemming. It just sounds good, doesn’t it? It takes you back to the days when time was spent stitching with a needle and thread. Quiet, meditative, and artfully skilled.

I’ll be the first to admit that most of my hand woven pieces are hemmed on my sewing machine, due to a lack of time and a love of convenience. But, I do enjoy stitching with a needle and thread at least occasionally, and it does provide a different finish to a machine stitch.

*This post contains some affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and purchase, I receive a very small commission at no extra cost to you.

If you are more interested in hemming your hand wovens on a sewing machine, this post has got you covered. The initial steps are the same, whether you are hemming by hand or machine.

Begin by laying out your washed or wet finished and dried piece. Fold in the corners (“dog ears”) and iron down on the cotton setting of your iron.

Next you begin to fold down the edge that was previously serged or zigzag stitched and press with the iron.

Now we make another fold, a little bigger than the last and press that down as well. Place pins along the fold to help hold it in place during the stitching process.

If you need more details on these steps, this post is more step by step.

Now we are ready to stitch. Use a needle (not a tapestry, you need a sharp point for this task) and a length of good quality sewing thread (I always use Gutermann Sew All Thread) and knot the end of the thread. Slightly lift the edge corner of one of your hems. In this space you will begin your thread and lodge your know to make it invisible.

Take your needle into the base cloth and pull through to lodge the knot. Fold the hem back in place so that the thread is wedged between the hem and the base cloth.

Take the needle into the fold of the hem, close to the corner and close to the edge of the fold. Pull the thread through.

Now, take the needle back to the base cloth, horizontal to the fold. Pick up one or two threads, very close to the fold of the hem, but not on it. This is the fabric underneath the hem. Pull through.

Now, take the thread vertically through the fold of the hem once again. Pull through, and return to the base cloth to repeat these steps.

Once you are proficient at this, you may want to eliminate one step of the process by combining the two stitches into one action. It is best if you watch the video to learn to do that, it is much easier to show and tell!

Finish up by knotting the thread and burying it into the cloth, using your needle. Cut off any loose ends. Give your hem/s a quick press and they’re good to go!

So, what is your preference? Hand hemming or machine? Let me know by leaving a comment!

Do you like the towel I’m hemming in the photos? It is one of 4 towels from my Floor Loom Weaving sequel class. It’s almost finished, won’t be long now! Make sure you’re on my email list to receive notification of when it goes live.

I hope you enjoyed today’s tutorial and until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Darn it! Mending hand woven towels.

by Kelly Leave a Comment

It’s bound to happen. That moment when you realise there is a little or large or even gaping hole in one of your hand wovens.

I love using my hand woven towels in the kitchen. I mean, if you’re spending a lot of time doing menial tasks ie. dishes, you might as well be doing it with something special and beautiful.

We don’t have a dishwasher, and with 6 family members we tend to wash and dry a lot of dishes every day.

The first time it happened, I may have gasped, my eyes may have goggled a little and my head may have drooped. Just for a moment. But, one thing you learn through being a parent is to not be too precious about your material possessions. It’s likely they will get broken or damaged at some point. I would still rather use things than have them sit in a drawer somewhere.

Towel 1 was the worst with one large hole and one small hole.

So, anyway, two of my not very old, fairly recently finished hand woven towels had, shall we diplomatically say, “person inflicted holes”? Likely pierced by a sharp knife in the act of drying it?

I began contemplating what could be done about the said holes and I thought of the wonderful old art of darning, something our Grandmother’s did all the time and my own mother avoided like the plague. Needless to say, this art was not passed on to me. But, since having children, I’ve done my fair share of mending clothes with usually passable results.

Towel 2 was in better shape with just one smaller hole.

The trick with handwovens is to try to trace the original path that the broken or snapped threads took. Easier to do if you have a good understanding of the weave structure you used, but you can still get on alright by observing the threads that are still intact.

Once you’ve observed the pattern of the threads and determined how many warp threads and how many weft threads are broken, you can start tracking where these threads should have been and try to follow their original path.

*This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on one of these links and purchase, I receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

Using a needle (I used a tapestry needle) and matching the original threads as closely as possible, (I wasn’t able to do this as I had run out of the original threads, but I found some pretty good matches amongst my stash) start your thread 1 -2 inches out from the hole. Doing this also usually allows you to follow the path of the original thread up until it reaches the hole where it is broken.

It doesn’t matter whether you start weaving in warp of weft threads first. After you have woven through and past the hole (hopefully in a pattern very similar to the one that was broken) you continue to follow the pattern with the needle for another inch or two out the other side. Leave tails hanging out from where you began and finished.

This technique worked really well for my smaller holes. Although I didn’t get an exact copy of the original pattern, I was able to replace the broken threads in a way that didn’t look terrible!

For the gaping hole I needed to try something else. Subtle mending was not going to suffice for this one, there were many severed warp and weft threads and the gap was wide. I tried. I really did. But it was ugly – perhaps uglier than before I started trying to replace the threads.

At this point I decided to embrace the “Visible Mending” movement. I didn’t have any matching fabric, having woven just this one towel with those particular threads and structure. I hunted in my scraps and samples pile and came out with a couple of pieces that were acceptable – at least they had the same colours!

I cut out the patch sizes I needed – one for each side of the hole and serged the borders of each piece. I used the wonderful sewer’s helper Heat n Bond to attach a patch to either side of the hole. When cool, I machine zigzagged around the edges. Not perfect, but at least I don’t have to look at my botched mending job anymore and the towel is functional in my kitchen once again!

Once I completed the surgeries, I put the towels through a hot (60 degrees celsius) machine wash, dried and ironed. I cut all the tails (including the original leftover broken threads) as close to the fabric as possible, without cutting the actual fabric. Don’t accidentally snip too close and undo all your hard work!

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I’m very grateful to have children who wash and dry dishes for me, even if there are occasional accidents!

Until next time….

Happy Weaving!

4 shaft weaving and sampling

by Kelly Leave a Comment

This week I’ve been working on the sequel to my Introduction to Floor Loom weaving class.

This class will focus on 4 shaft weaving and begins with an optional sampler. I always felt that a sampler was a waste of time and effort, but I have definitely changed my ways! I do a lot of sampling, particularly now that I use a lot of my own designs and need to see and feel how the fabric is going to be before I put it out there to my students. Since I realised what a fantastic learning tool sampling can be, I always recommend it to my students. It can pretty much make or break a project!

Plus, when you’re finished with a sample, you can either cut it up and use it for small project, or keep it to refer back to. Either way, it’s useful!

The next part of the class will move onto 4 shaft kitchen towels, which I designed. Each towel is a little different but equally lovely.

We will weave 4 towels all together.

Here is a sample of the first towel, isn’t it gorgeous?

The towels tie in happily with my #weaveforme plans for April, as I will be keeping them for my kitchen 😊

If you’re interested in the next floor loom weaving class, make sure you are signed up to my email list for announcements and special offers. Instagram is also a great place to keep up with what I’m doing.

Do you have plans for your #weaveforme project yet? I’d love to hear about it!

#weaveforme April Challenge!

by Kelly Leave a Comment

April is challenge month!

We all know that weavers are generous and love to give hand woven gifts. But, how often do you weave something just for you?

I’ll be the first to admit that I rarely weave anything as a gift to myself. But, when I do, it’s so satisfying!

The challenge for next month is to weave something (anything you like!) just for you.

It could be something you need or just something you want, as long as YOU are the one who gets to enjoy it!

If you need ideas, there are a number of free projects on my Youtube channel and over at my Online Weaving School you are spoiled for choice with many, many projects. Don’t forget the patterns available in my Etsy shop too!

On Instagram, share your project photos with the hashtag #weaveforme. You can also share and follow along with what others are doing on the Kelly Casanova’s Weaving Lessons group on Facebook.

I hope you can join in the fun!

Alright, thinking caps on! 😀

I deleted my last post and wrote about krokbragd instead!

by Kelly 13 Comments

I had a long post, all ready to go. It was a little bit of weaving and a LOT of life. I’m glad I didn’t hit “publish” on that post right away. I’ll explain…

The post was written at the end of a really busy week. I had launched a new class for my Online Weaving School, I had made a Youtube video, I had promoted the new class everywhere I could think of to promote it, I had homeschooled the kids and cared for my family, we had been on educational outings, appointments and activities. Yeh, I was pretty tired at the end of that week. And then I sat down to write a blog post.

A little bit of advice to you all – don’t write blog posts when you’re over tired. And if you do write them, don’t publish them! That’s all I’ll say on the subject for now, except to add that I have now caught up on some much needed sleep and rest and am thankful that, not only did I get over my little self pity party, but also that I decided not to inflict my Whingefest upon your eyes and minds!

Now, let’s get to the fun stuff.

I had been wanting to warp up my inkle loom for quite some time, as it has been sadly neglected and I do so enjoy weaving on it, just for something a bit different. My loom is the Ashford Inkle, which is the larger version, they also make the Inklette, which is more petite for smaller and narrower bands.

I didn’t know what to warp up, so I took a flick through my go – to Inkle book, The Weaver’s Pattern Directory by Anne Dixon. I often recommend Anne’s Handweaver’s Pattern Directory for 4 shafts, as it is so packed with drafts and quality information and her inkle book is no exception.

I started by picking out some colours from my stash that I love (always a good way to start a project, even if you’re not that confident with colour choices). I ended up with a mixture of mercerised and unmercerised 8/2 cottons. If you’re unfamiliar with 8/2 cottons I often use Maurice Brassard as they are great quality and come in heaps of colours. Here is an example of MB 8/2 unmercerised. A comment from Gai has just reminded me of something I wanted to add about mercerised cotton. In general, I don’t like to use it on a larger loom, it twists up on itself and is a general pain in the neck. However, on the Inkle loom it’s different. Because you warp directly on to the pegs without having to do extra threading or moving of the warp, it behaves itself very well. It is constantly under high tension, so is easy to use and does add a lovely “gleam” to the project.

Being the lover of the weave structure Krokbragd that I am, it was a natural choice. Did you know you can weave krokbragd on an inkle loom? Yes, you totally can!

And, did you know that a krokbragd band is as equally gorgeous as a larger loom project? Yes, it totally is!

So now I’m really excited about the design possibilities for this, though I admit that the design aspect is different to what I’m accustomed to – it’s proving quite a challenge for me and is a bit to get my head around. I’ll keep plugging away at it though, and I’m sure I’ll get there.

I love that the reverse side is just as striking as the front.

As soon as I posted these on social media, people were asking me for a class, which I would love to do once I have some of my own designs up and running. In the meantime, if you have Anne’s book or are interested in purchasing (perhaps your library might have it?) this krokbragd design is from page 107.

And, if krokbragd band weaving is of interest to you, there will definitely be more to come!

Thanks for reading, until next time…

Happy Weaving!

*Please note – this post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you click and purchase, I will receive a small percentage of the sale. I only recommend products that I own and love.

Which looms do you have and what is on your Wishlist?

by Kelly 24 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. I only recommend products that I own, use and love.
Ashford 60cm (24″) rigid heddle loom

This is my most used loom at this point and most of the classes I teach are on this loom. Initially, I chose it because the price point fitted my budget at the time, and I had the right amount of space for it. I’ve never regretted the purchase. I think of it as my little workhorse! You can check out the same loom by following this link.

Ashford Sampleit

I bought this one for my girls, who often complained that they never got to weave because my loom was always full. I think I have used it more than they have though! It is so good for sampling new ideas and designs, enabling me to have a couple of rigid heddle projects going at once. It also takes up hardly any space at all.

Ashford Inkle

I love inkle weaving, but unfortunately have not had the time to indulge and explore as much as I would like. Once again, it’s not space hungry and allows me to weave a different kind of project while other larger projects are going on. This loom is for bands, but that doesn’t mean that only band projects are possible, you can sew bands together to make all kinds of cool things. I have a beginner series on Youtube for using an inkle.

David 2 Louet

Aka the love of my life! Alright, that’s taking it a bit far but I do really love this loom. 8 shafts, 10 treadles, made in the Netherlands. Compact, easy to operate, beautiful to look at, and so much more. I review it here if you’re interested. I have the second instalment of my Floor Loom Series coming up soon, so watch out for that one!

Previously owned – Ashford 8 shaft 80cm (30″) table loom (the loom available in this listing is a 24″)

I ran out of space when I bought my floor loom, so had to sell my table loom. You can see a demonstration of me using it here and an overview of the loom here. To be honest, I really do miss this loom and often recommend them to others. I can envision myself once again investing in a table loom “one day” but in a smaller format so that it is portable for teaching. The Katie, with it’s light weight and 8 shaft capability would be just the ticket.

Wishlist

Mirrix Little Guy or Big Sister

I have been doing a lot of tapestry work on my rigid heddle loom recently, which has highlighted a couple of things for me.

1. The rigid heddle loom is a good loom for playing around with tapestry, but not the best.

2. I love tapestry!

3. As tapestries are a time investment, it would be ideal for me to have a separate loom for this.

So, why would I choose a Mirrix?

Well, their looms are simple and compact but still a complete tapestry loom. It wouldn’t take up a lot of space that I no longer have the luxury of! I love their sturdy and attractive design, and the shedding devices that many of the loom have is a huge bonus. I have done quite a bit of research and I feel that these are really quality looms, made by weavers for weavers.

There is a video version of this blog post on my Youtube channel if you’re a visual kinda person.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Great rigid heddle weaving books!

by Kelly 10 Comments

My last post detailed some of my favourite books for 4 shafts or more, but today I’d like to talk about some great rigid heddle books.

I already have a video on this topic, but I know some people prefer to read rather than watch, plus I’ve added some extra books to the original list, so here we go!

*This post contains affiliate links.

I’ll start with my favourite and most used book, in fact, this is the first rigid heddle weaving book I bought.

The Weaver’s Idea Book by Jane Patrick This book has so much content and is great for beginners. It allows you to start with the basics and build as you go. Just about everything you need to know initially is contained within these pages and I think of it a little like a training ground for new weavers. It is also hardcover with spiral binding, making it easy to lay flat and view while you’re weaving. Highly recommended!

Weaving made Easy by Liz Gipson. A lovely little book that includes information on loom set up. The projects are simple enough for beginners and interesting enough for all weavers.

Woven to Wear by Marilyn Murphy. I also read this book as a newer weaver and loved how it stirred my imagination. It contains simple garments with lots of plain weave, making it great for beginners, particularly those wanting to get a taste for sewing with your handwoven. The sewing projects are simple rather than finicky, with the use of large shapes instead of small pieces.

Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom by Syne Mitchell This book is awesome value for beginners to intermediate with lots of ideas. For the newer weaver, there is practical information and plenty of inspiration for once you have the basics down. I think of this book as one that you may not fully appreciate until you have some more weaving experience, perhaps a book that will grow with you through your weaving journey. Towards the middle and later part of the book are projects and ideas that may be too challenging for a new weaver, but that an enthusiastic and curious weaver will definitely want to make use of later on. There is a lot of information, it is attractively set out and a joy to flip through.

Weave, Knit, Wear by Judith Shangold This book is responsible for opening my eyes and quickening my heart over the range of possibilities with a rigid heddle loom and garment making. Judith uses mostly plain weave, colour and design to make fabric look special. She includes design layouts and illustrations to help you wrap your head around how garments can be constructed. What I really love about this book is the fusion of weaving, knitting and crochet added in. It really has encouraged me to think outside the square and maximise my rigid heddle loom.

Simple Woven Garments by Sara Goldberg Another really great book on making simple garments with simple, colourful, hand woven cloth. There are more than 20 projects and they are all wearable! There are also details on adjusting garments to your own specifications.

I had to come back and edit this post to include Debby Greenlaw’s new book Krokbragd: How to Design and Weave. I actually like this book so much that I wrote a review for it here, so pop over and read that if it sounds like a book you would be interested in.

To see all my book recommendations is one easy to access place, visit my Amazon Shop.

If you would like to watch this post in video format please click on the video below.

I hope you enjoyed my list!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!