Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons

Weaving

Should I abandon my project?

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The other day, I cut the warp off my loom way before I was finished the project.

But let me explain!

This project was literally months in the making, from dressing the loom (which I did in stages and just that step alone was worked on over weeks!) to tweaking the loom, to the actual weaving.

This was my first “big” project on my countermarch loom and I felt I was ready for it. I ordered the threads and made my plan – a full width warp (almost 60″), very long (I don’t even remember how many yards I initially put on), fairly fine threads and a 4 shaft, straight draw twill. The plan was to weave enough yardage for 2 skirts. I like long skirts, so wanted plenty of fabric.

So, what went wrong with this grand plan?

Probably too many things to include here, but here were the main issues:

  • I warped at my warping board and then used the plain beam to warp. Given that it was such a long and wide warp, this was very difficult to do on my own and achieve a suitable tension.
  • I discovered what weaving a wide warp is like. It’s harder than I thought. It put a lot of strain on my back, having to reach and shuffle across my weaving bench with every throw of the shuttle.
  • My sheds were… not good! A result of my poorly tensioned warp.
  • I really should have practiced more with the “new to me” countermarch loom before attempting a project of this magnitude.

It was just a struggle from the beginning and there were no real “ah” moments of settling in and getting into a happy weaving groove with it. It was mostly troubleshooting and battling.

I spent a lot of time at the loom, trying to work through it. I did not want to waste all that warp yarn I still had left.

But eventually it became too much, a built up stress in my mind and I took the scissors and cut the warp off.

PHEW! What a relief! At this stage, I have a little bit of useable fabric and no regrets for the wasted warp. I chalk it up to a learning experience, and boy, did I learn a lot!

I decided to make a list of positive and negative outcomes of this whole experience to see how they balanced out:

The positive outcomes

  1. In my attempt to make this project easier, I attached the flying shuttle race, which I had not yet tried on this loom. I was hoping it would improve my edges and speed up my weaving. Guess what I learned? I don’t like to use a flying shuttle! My edges were worse and the flicking action required for the shuttle irritated my old wrist injury.

2. I bought an end feed shuttle. This was my next attempt to improve my weaving experience, and yes it did and I’m super glad to now have an end feed shuttle in my weaving tool kit. I will be using it frequently!

3. There was a lot of loom/tie up/tension problem solving to do. So, even though it wasn’t a good project for me, it did help me to get to know my loom better and fine-tune things that needed it.

4. I learned that large and long projects in a basic twill are boring for me. I still love the idea of weaving larger projects like blankets, but would choose my weave structure and pattern more carefully.

5. Here is something really important this project taught me. It’s OK to abandon a project!

The negative outcomes

  1. I did feel guilty for wasting yarn. I’m a careful, frugal person in general – I use the material goods I’m blessed with wisely and it went against my natural inclinations to waste yarn when I know there are others who would just love to be able to afford some yarn.

However, the positives have outweighed the negatives considerably and I am glad that I made the decision.

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

So, what is my advice to you?

I am frequently asked about abandoning projects, which is the reason I’m sharing this in the first place. I always encourage a weaver to press forward with a project if they can. But I spend a bit of time troubleshooting with them first, because, more often than not all they need is some encouragement and to try a different technique or two before they are on their way again.

I also encourage you to think carefully and reasonably (as I did with this project) before making any decisions. Getting to a point of extreme frustration and grabbing the scissors before you’ve really thought about it is not a good idea and could lead to real regret.

Here are the things I recommend you consider before making the decision to abandon your project:

  • If the project is preventing your from moving forward, cut it off. I have heard of weavers who will put a loom away for years because they can’t bring themselves to finish a project – not a positive solution.
  • Imagine cutting the project off the loom. How does it make you feel? Relieved? Anxious? Happy? Unhappy? Defeated? Enthusiastic?
  • Is the project sapping your weaving joy? Would starting a new project alleviate that?
  • What is happening in your life right now? How is your mental health? Do you need to strip things back to basics?

One more thing.

If you are the type of weaver who has the problem that you find it difficult to NOT abandon project after project, that is a separate issue and needs to be addressed. I do think it is important to have discipline and finish projects rather than constantly “project hopping”.

I hope this post has given you some points to think about and make the right decision for you.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Ask Kelly – What is the difference between bobbins and quills?

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The world of boat shuttles is a vast one, with lots of choices to suit your weaving situation. Today’s Ask Kelly question is about the differences between bobbins and quills used for boat shuttles.

Pictured above – Schacht end feed shuttle (requires pirns).

“Hi Kelly, I was wondering if you could explain the difference between a quill and a bobbin- I have my heart set on using a boat shuttle, finally purchased one only to find that with the bobbin the shuttle I bought, is to high to go through the shed (rigid heddle loom). I found some low profile boat shuttles, however, many of them say they take quills- so- I come to you to find out the difference and if you know of any low profile boat shuttles that take bobbins.
Thanks, Cindy.”

Pictured above – Ashford boat shuttle (requires bobbins).

Hi Cindy,

That is disappointing about your boat shuttle!

The main differences between quills and bobbins are:

  • Quills are made usually of paper or cardboard, bobbins are generally hard plastic.
  • Quills are smaller, lightweight and noiseless. You will usually see low profile shuttles require quills, as bobbins are too big for the lower width.
  • Quills are so named because originally quills from feathers were used to load up yarn in the shuttle.
  • You can either purchase quills or make them yourself, which makes them a great lower budget option. Usually when you purchase a new boat shuttle online, there will be information included as to what kind of bobbin or quill you need. Even if you’re buying a shuttle second hand, you can google the shuttle type to find out those extra details.

Pirns were not mentioned in the original question, but they are definitely worth noting here too, because again, they are another way of loading some boat shuttles.

A pirn will usually be used with an end feed shuttle and is generally made of wood or plastic. It is long and tapered, so it looks different to both bobbins and quills.

Loading a pirn with your weft thread is not done in the same way as a bobbin or quill. Bobbins are quite simple to load and can be done with either a manual or electric bobbin winder or even an electric drill (I have a video that demonstrates how to do that here) for super fast loading!

Loading a bobbin is a back and forth action, moving from one end of the bobbin to the other as it rotates.

A pirn, on the other hand needs to be started from the larger end and wound in little bouts and repeats. It’s hard to explain without showing! It’s also best to wind a pirn with a purpose built pirn winder (I wish I had one of those!) which holds the pirn at both ends, holding it very steady, but also leaving you with one hand free to tension the yarn as it winds on (which is another difference – a pirn needs very firm tensioning as it’s wound).

I hope this post has helped to clarify bobbins and quills for you. If you have a question you would like to see in a future Ask Kelly post, leave it in the comments section or feel free to email me directly.

If you would like some further resources on boat shuttles in general, have a look at these resources:

Boat shuttle comparison…

Can I use a boat shuttle with my rigid heddle loom?..

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

Ask Kelly – Specific actions for neater edges

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Ah, neat edges, aren’t they every weaver’s dream?

While I do think that sometimes we can tend to over obsess about obtaining the neatest edges possible, I still have to acknowledge that straight edges on hand woven fabric are a joy to behold.

Today’s Ask Kelly question addresses the straight edges conundrum and provides some specific steps that I know will make a difference to your woven edges. I’ll be particularly speaking to weaving neater edges on a rigid heddle loom.

Read right to the end to find links for further learning!

“Thanks for your very informative weaving videos. I have been learning a lot. I am a brand new weaver (month one) and have done a few projects on my Cricket rigid heddle loom. Still learning the terminology and have definitely not been able to get straight edges even after watching your video about it. Need more details about what you are doing specifically – you make it look easy but mine do not look like yours.“

Denise

Hi Denise,

Neat edges are one of the biggest challenges to the newer weaver and probably what I get asked about the most 😊

Yes, you do need to be patient and get lots of practice in. Over time you will start to notice a difference. You will start to understand more about what good warp tension feels like (this is actually crucial to weaving neat edges), you will get to know different yarns, weave structures etc. 

You may also be interested in trying a technique where you thread both edge threads in a hole. This helps your edge threads to be under a more similar tension and can make a big difference to how your edges look. I have a video for doing that here-

Of course, there is so much more I could say on this topic, but I’m trying to focus on the main points that will make a difference to your weaving.

An important point to make is that if you’re weaving anything other than plain weave, your best bet will be to install floating selvedges to ensure that your weft thread always wraps at the edges. Floating selvedges are easy to install, check out these resources:

What are floating selvedges?…

How to use floating selvedges…

So, what about those specific actions for neater edges?

Great warp tension is really essential to neat edges (and to a successful project too!) You can learn more about how to obtain great warp tension in these online classes:

Woe to Go Beginner’s class

Setting up for Success class (member’s only)

And here are some more resources to help set you on the journey of weaving neater edges:

Help, my edges are wonky!

Troubleshooting loose slot threads…

Lifeline selvedges technique…

Yet another neat edges tutorial…

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

The last point that I want to make is to not worry if your edges are less than perfect. The best solution to slightly wonky woven edges is really just time and practice. Your edges will get better, just keep going!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Ask Kelly – How sturdy is hemstitching?

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Hemstitching must be one of my favourite topics to discuss.

Why?

Because I love things that are both beautiful and functional, and hemstitching fits that bill perfectly. I just think it’s a glorious way to finish a woven piece when you want to maintain a fringe.

Personally, I think the hemstitch is an essential for any weaver’s skill library.

And the good news is, you really only need a tapestry needle to do it. Plus (and this is a big bonus, in my opinion!) you can hemstitch the piece while it’s on the loom.

This means that when you remove the piece from the loom, it’s secure and the ends are finished!

Oh, and in addition to the benefits already mentioned, almost any yarn used in a woven project is suitable for hemstitching.

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

If you are looking for resources on learning to hemstitch, I have a lot of those. Make sure you read to the end of the article to find extra helpful links.

This week’s Ask Kelly question is related to hemstitching. It’s a great question and the answer is important to know:

“When you do the hem stitch on the edge of the weaving can you cut the warp and wear it without it coming adrift or do you have to weave the ends buck up into the fabric, for extra security?

So far I have done the hem stitch but then gone over it with the sewing machine and/ or added bias binding for necklines etc.

I’m thinking this may be unnecessary overkill.”

Leonie

If you’re using hemstitch and then having a fringe, it is fine to just hemstitch and then not do any further fringe treatment and you don’t need to further stitch over the ends. However, you do want to leave some length for fringe. If you cut too close to the hemstitch because you don’t want a fringe, then the hemstitch will unravel.

I have found hemstitching to be extremely reliable as a way to secure edges, again, as long as that fringe is present and not cut too close to your hemstitched knots.

If you are hemstitching but don’t want a fringe, you can always, as you suggested, weave the ends in.

Also, I generally only use hemstitching for fringed or sometimes for tapestry etc where I weave the ends back in. If I want to use the fabric to sew with then I serge the raw edges. With a sewing machine, you could do a double row of zig zag stitch to secure edges.

OK, now let’s have a look at those extra hemstitch resources I mentioned before:

Hemstitch Basics Ebook…

Italian Hemstitch Tutorial…

All about hemstitching…

Hemstitch Youtube Playlist…

Hemstitch as a feature (member’s only class)

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Hem handwoven fabric on a sewing machine

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I’ll be the first to admit that hemming a project is not my favourite past time, I would prefer if it could just be magically done for me (picture the elves and the shoemaker and you’re on the right track!)

What I do love though, is the crisp, professional finish that hemming hand wovens with a sewing machine gives. Not only does it look really, really good, it is also highly functional with a strong edge.

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

I have my own particular ways of hemming hand woven fabric on my machine and I’m going to take you through the process step by step today with some of my kitchen towels!

You can see that my raw edge is secured on a serger to prevent any unravelling during the wet finishing process. It is helpful to give the whole woven piece a good press before beginning, it’s always easier to work with pressed fabric.

For some of my towels I will weave a band of plain weave on either end of my towel (this does help to reduce bulk a little and can be a very effective look). For other towels, I will just weave the pattern throughout the whole towel. This also works just fine for hemming as long as the fabric is not super bulky.

This is what I call my “dog ear” technique.  Fold in a corner on each side of the hem and press down with an iron. There are 2 reasons for this – 

1. The corners can get ugly and a bit ragged in the washing process – I want to hide them!

2. Towels have a tendency to be wider at each end. This reduces a little of that “flared out” look.

Once my dog ears are pressed down neatly, I take the raw edge and fold it over, usually around 1/4″ but more if it’s particularly raggy. I try to make this folded edge nice and straight. Press with the iron.

Now I fold again, this time 1/2″ or more and press. Now all raw edges and corners should be completely encased and hidden. Once pressed, you can also place pins along to hold everything in place if you wish.

Take it to the sewing machine (different towel in this photo but the same process). I use Gutermann sewing thread. I learned early in my sewing journey that life is too short to sew with cheap threads that will break over and over! Sew with a straight, medium stitch close to the folded edge (roughly 1/4 – 1/8″).

Sometimes I will choose to do a medium zig zag stitch, which also looks great. Again, stitch close to the folded edge but not over it. Don’t forget to reverse stitch at the start and finish.

For an almost invisible finish, you can hand hem with a needle and thread, you can find that tutorial here.

If you would love to make better use of your sewing machine but lack the confidence, check out my free beginner’s series here:

What about the long edges?

Sometimes you may also wish to hem the long edges, particularly if the woven piece is a towel. For most of my own kitchen towels, I don’t do this extra step, as I’m usually happy with my edges the way they are.

However, if you find that your long edges are not as presentable as you would like, a simple solution is a single fold hem. The edges are technically already “finished” ie. they won’t unravel, so folding them over about 1/4″ and sewing close to the edge will provide an attractive, straight edge.

There are two things to note if you intend to use this method though:

  • It is best to plan for this extra hem so that it can be calculated into the project in the beginning. This will ensure that your project is the width you intended.
  • I find it best to complete the side hem first, before completing the end hems. This way the less bulky hem (the long sides) can tuck neatly into the double folded hem at the ends.

I now have a comprehensive online class for members of the Online Weaving School that covers many different aspects of finishing your hand woven cloth, from cutting to securing raw edges and all manner of hemming options.

While we’re talking about towels, perhaps you will be interested in the towel projects I have on offer!

Online class:

Happy Fibonnaci Towels

Diamond Stripe Towel Weave Along (currently only open to members of the Online Weaving School)

PDF Patterns:

Lux Hand Towels

Happy Fibonnaci Towels

Diamond Stripe Towels

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Ask Kelly – Independent warping issues

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Today’s question is in two parts, but both are related to direct warping a rigid heddle loom.

Personally, I love direct warping, it’s one thing that makes the rigid heddle loom so attractive to me. Direct warping is fast and efficient and I just love it.

Starting out direct warping can be made more painless when someone has shared the best tips and tricks with you, and that is where I come in!

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

Read on to find out some of my tips for more successful direct warping.

“Hi Kelly!

Can you help me with two problems I had with warping for a baby blanket when the warp has to be 62 inches?  I’m working on a Ashford rigid heddle – 24 inch with acrylic worsted yarn and 7.5 10/30 shaft/heddle.

  1. When winding the yarn, the peg can’t hold the yarn – I have to start overlapping it to get it all on the peg, plus I’m having great difficulty in not pulling too hard on each strand so it doesn’t pull the peg off the table. If I go loose, then I have terribly loose first warp thread that I have to tighten and the next and the next….so I lose a lot of yarn and time.

2. When taking the yarn off the peg and winding on to the back bar,  I tried to  hold the yarn myself – which I have done successfully for shorted warp length (I’m single and there’s no one else in the house)…didn’t work well because the middle yarns became too loose.  Do I just need to get someone else to hold the yarn while I wind the back bar?   How else to do this?

Greatly appreciate your help…“

Elizabeth

Hi Elizabeth,

From what you describe, I’m seeing a few potential issues:

1. Acrylic yarn. Acrylics are so varied that sometimes you don’t know what you’re going to get. I’ve heard of some weaver’s warping disasters where the acrylic actually stretches as they’re trying to tension and they end up with a saggy mess no matter what they try.

I have used a few acrylics but not a lot. It has mostly been a positive experience for me, but admittedly they are not my yarn of choice for a bunch of reasons. I think the key to using acrylics successfully is to know your yarn before warping a project with it. The only way you can really know a yarn you’re not familiar with is by sampling. You only need to do this once for a new yarn, then you can determine whether it’s really going to be suitable for your project or not.

2. The weight of your yarn. It sounds to me like the weight is going to be too heavy for a 10 dent reed. Did you do a sett test before starting? 

3. Single peg. If your yarn is overlapping on the peg, a second peg would be ideal. Then you can place half of the warp on one peg and the second half on another. This helps distribute all of those threads and will also help to alleviate the other problem you were having – loose middle yarns as you’re warping. 

Additional tips:

When warping by yourself, you do need to pay particular attention to that mid section of warp because you are clenching the warp threads all together and the outer threads will naturally be more tensioned than the threads all buried in the middle of your hand. Take your time with the warp, roll a little bit and then go back to the front of the loom, finger comb and re-tension the warp before going to the back to roll again. If you just roll and roll, you don’t have time to nurture the warp with good tension.

Make sure you use good separation at the back beam, a roll of thick brown craft paper is ideal but use cardboard warping sticks or whatever you have on hand. The key here is to not have the warp rolling onto itself, threads on threads that slip in amongst each other as you rotate. By using separators, you’re providing a hard surface for the threads to face against as they roll on and you’re also providing resistance as you roll, which means better tension!

OK, I could go on because there are just so many little nuances that improve a warping experience but I think these are the main things that will help you at this point.

Don’t look at you independent warping as a disadvantage because it absolutely does not have to be, I warp exclusively on my own and have done for many years. 

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Rigid heddle warping tips

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  1. Don’t over complicate it

Warping a rigid heddle loom using the direct warping method is really very simple. Yes, it will take you a couple of warps to start to feel more comfortable with the “newness” of it all (like anything!).

But something I’ve realised, especially after using the more complicated and time consuming table and floor looms, is that direct warping a rigid heddle loom is fast and easy.

Get the key ingredients for warping right and you will be well on your way to being a happy warper (if that’s a thing!)

Over complicating the warping process will lead to frustration, it is so much better to narrow it down and take baby steps without the worry.

2. Use a calculations sheet

A calculations sheet will take all the guess work out of the project for you. It will give you a step by step process to follow and prevent you from accidentally forgetting an important step in the warp.

If you struggle with the mathematical side of weaving, you don’t have to worry, as I think you only need a fairly basic maths level for weaving (hello calculator!) but the sheet will also help with ordering the numbers so that they make sense to you.

I have a free rigid heddle calculations sheet for you to download and use, plus a free video on how to use it available here.

3. Taking threads to the warping peg

When you bring your threads through the slots in the warping process, keep everything straight and open. Keep the loop open and don’t twist your loop as you place it on the peg.

4. Keep threads in order on the warping peg

Place your loops on the warping peg one at a time and in order. Don’t just shove them on there willy nilly – there is a benefit to preserving order as when you come to rolling on the warp you will find a lovely, laid out warp that is well behaved!

Each loop sits just above the last one on the peg, there is no need for bunching. Keep the loops loose enough that you have space to get a finger in behind them, this will make lifting the warp off the peg easy and trouble free.

5. If you’re not enjoying warping, look at the reasons why

This will help you to determine steps to take to make it better and easier.

Try to make it a relaxing process, have a hot beverage or put on some music. If you make a mistake, it’s ok, mistakes are fixable! Take your time, no need to rush.

Perhaps you need some help in the form of an online class? My best selling class is my Woe to Go Beginner’s Rigid Heddle course. This class will take the mystery out of the rigid heddle loom with simple and achievable steps.

If you would like to view this post in video format, please watch here:

The photos you can see in this post are from The Weekend Scarf project. This is a great beginner’s or newer weaver’s project and is also great for anyone who wants a fast and fun project.

If you’re new to rigid heddle weaving, check out my free list of resources here.

I hope this article was helpful to you and until next time…

Happy Weaving!

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

I bought a toy loom! Was it worth it?

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Recently I purchased a Lavievert Toy Weaving Loom.

My motivation for doing so was twofold – firstly, I was curious and thought it might be a fun experience and secondly, I’m always on the lookout for ways of advising newer weavers on ways that they can get into weaving more economically.

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

Naturally, before I recommend any product I need to first use it and review it myself!

The only other toy or children’s loom I’ve used is a very cheap and basic frame loom, so this loom from Lavievert seemed quite a step up and more similar to a rigid heddle loom.

This loom is very small, compact and lightweight. The initial setup couldn’t really be easier – it comes pre-warped and simply unfolds and then is held in place by a couple of screws.

It also comes with 3 balls of acrylic yarn, 3 little stick shuttles (already loaded!) and a very basic instructions booklet. The booklet only really tells you how to unfold the loom, start weaving and advance your warp – there are no instructions for future warping, which could have been a useful addition to new weavers!

It is made of a lightweight wood, has 2 wooden heddles and wooden beater, and the warp is released and advanced by manually moving the back or front roller. A piece of wood, along with a cog hold the tension. These cogs slip very easily, so it can be difficult to achieve a decent tension, though this does seem to improve as you weave and advance the warp.

The heddles are similar to a rigid heddle, in that they have holes and slots. For the warp that came on the loom, they had it threaded through the holes on both heddles. The heddles are operated by rotating the top beam that both heddles are tied to, which causes the heddles to alternate in rising and lowering, providing two sheds to weave in and producing a plain weave fabric.

Upon measuring these heddles, I found that they are sized at 5 dents per inch – pretty wide apart for such a thin warp. So, when you weave, you get quite a weft faced fabric and it’s better to beat gently to avoid the fabric being too dense (unless of course, you really want a weft faced fabric).

The most frustrating aspect to using this loom was the tension. The warp that came on the loom was very loose in some sections. It seems that the loom is probably not strong enough to hold really good tension but I want to experiment with this further in the future by warping it myself.

The maximum weaving width is around 5.5″, so definitely only a small item loom – again, great for kids who might want to weave doll’s blankets or squares to sew together to make a larger item. Some adult weavers have also told me that they use this loom for sampling for larger projects.

While I found this a fun little loom to weave on, there is definitely a lot of room for improvement! My plan to move forward with it is to re-warp it with a thicker yarn, possibly thread the heddles differently and then to play around with pick up sticks to increase the shaft possibilities.

What I would recommend though, is that if you are serious about getting into weaving, save up the extra money to buy a quality loom. Something like the Ashford Sampleit is a really great place to start, and you won’t have to worry about not achieving good tension or possibly breaking parts.

If you would like to see me unpacking, setting up and weaving on this toy loom, watch this video:

Since writing this article I have used this toy loom more extensively. My experiments lead me to replace some parts of the loom, re-warp the loom and weave some pick up on it. To learn more about that, please see this video:

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

You are a failure at weaving!

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I don’t think I need to ask whether you have that little voice in your head that tells you negative things.

The one that, if you listen too much, will convince you that you are a failure. That you’re not smart enough. Not capable enough. Nope, sorry kid, you’re just not gonna make it!

I’ve heard a lot of people tell me they are a weaving failure. When I hear that, I inwardly sigh. I’ve been there, I know how it feels to be sure that you just can’t do it.

“But Kelly, how you can understand, you’re so good at weaving! You teach weaving to thousands of people all over the world! You’re so talented!“, I hear you thinking, even if you don’t say it.

What some people don’t realise is that I got to where I am today simply because I did not give up. I wanted to be a weaver and so I was determined to make it work.

“Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.” – C.S. Lewis

Sometimes it was really hard. Often I wanted to give up. I didn’t want to feel that I was failing over and over. Like most people, I wanted instant success. I still do – it’s a journey.

Oh, and by the way, about that talent thing? Hard work and persistence trump talent any day. Put in the work, do it consistently, learn from your mistakes and just keep going. That is the simple formula for weaving success.

“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

What if we switch this failure thing on it’s head here for a minute? So, you’ve started to learn how to weave and it’s difficult, probably quite a bit more difficult than you envisioned. It’s frustrating, and the only time you’re having fun is at the occasional magic moment when it all comes together and works.

Here are some thoughts that might be running through your head in the moments of frustration:

“I’m not suited to this”.

“I’m not smart enough to do this”.

“I simply lack the ability to do this”.

“It’s too hard!”

Now we will turn those statements around so that we are still acknowledging the frustration, but in a positive rather than negative way:

  • “I’m not suited to this” – “This all feels so unfamiliar at the moment, but I will get past that”.
  • “I’m not smart enough to do this” – “Anyone can learn this, myself included”.
  • “I simply lack the ability to do this” – “I will keep practicing to learn the skills I need”.
  • “It’s too hard!” – “This sure is a challenge, but I know it won’t always feel that way”.

The first statements are what I think of as “giving up” statements. The second statements are you being your own little cheer squad 😀

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison

I see a lot of newer weavers who are simply too hard on themselves. There is a plethora of reasons as to why we (myself included) put ourselves down and talk negatively to our inner selves. The power of the mind is huge and can work to our disadvantage or advantage.

There are so many common traits that I see, and so many of them can be easily remedied.

  • Impatience. Oh yeah, you know it. We are an impatient lot these days. We want what we want and we want it now! But does it make us happy? Indeed, it does not!
  • Unrealistic goals. Goals are great, I love setting personal goals. But setting goals that are waaaay beyond your current skill level with not always be beneficial. Be realistic about what you know now, what you want to learn next, and how you can use those skills in your next project.

Finally, I’d like to leave you with this most excellent quote:

“Remember that failure is an event, not a person” – Zig Ziglar

Your weaving project is just some yarn on a loom, if it’s not going well, don’t internalise it.

I hope this article was helpful to you!

If you feel that you would benefit from some help in your weaving, check out the Online Weaving School for a huge variety of classes for all skill levels.

If you sign up for a membership, you also receive access to the private member’s group. This wonderful community may be just what you need to boost your confidence.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving

Online Weaving School 6th Birthday Giveaway!

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How amazing that 6 years have passed since I took a leap of faith and opened the Online Weaving School!

It has been so humbling to watch this little school grow from a handful of students in the beginning to something I never dreamed would be possible for someone like me. I am so grateful for all who have learned with me and supported me.

If you’re interested in learning more about the story of the weaving school, you can read this post from a few years ago.

The weaving school now has over 1500 memberships and over 10,000 registered users. Unbelievable!

This year I wanted to do something a bit special to celebrate the 6th birthday of the Online Weaving School.

I am very excited to share that I will be giving away an Ashford Sampleit 10″ rigid heddle loom!

Want to know more about what you can weave on little looms? Check out this article:

What can I weave on a small loom?..

This giveaway is now closed. Please scroll to the bottom for the winner announcement.

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

Congratulations to Helen Ashenfelter! Helen commented:

“I would gift this to a friend- Libby- who would like to learn to weave but feels she can’t invest in the loom. She makes things for a local shop who gives to worthy causes in our area!”

Thank you to all who entered. There were so many worthy entries and causes, I do so wish that you could all be winners and I’m sorry if you missed out. Maybe next time it will be your turn 🥰

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

**This giveaway is run solely by Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons and is not affiliated with Ashford or any other party. The giveaway prize is one Sampleit loom and there will be one winner. The photos in this post are representative only – yarns and warps are not included.