Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom: Discover the Full Potential of the Rigid-Heddle Loom, for Beginners and Beyond

by Syne Mitchell

Overview

Rigid-heddle weaving is simple to learn, is easy to master, and offers a lifetime of possibilities to discover! Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom covers everything rigid-heddle weavers need to know about the craft, from the basics — how to select a loom, set it up, and get started — to a wide variety of fun techniques that yield beautiful results. Begin by exploring a variety of weave structures, including finger-manipulated laces, tapestry, and color play with stripes, plaids, and multicolor yarns. Then move on to more complex designs and irresistible projects, from pillows and curtains to bags, shawls, and even jewelry. Explore warp-face patterning, weft-pile weaving, weaving with fine threads, woven shibori, shadow weave, and the textural effects you can create with different yarns and with wire and conductive thread. Everything you need to know is here, with fully illustrated step-by-step instructions to ensure success.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781603429726
Publisher:	Storey Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	11/03/2015
Pages:	296
Sales rank:	158,410
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Syne Mitchell, author of Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom, teaches rigid-heddle weaving nationwide at conferences and private workshops. She is the host of the podcast, Weavecast, that features interviews with weavers and other artists from around the world.

 

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: Welcome to the Warp Side
The Magic and Mystery of Weaving
Old and New Looms: From Simple to Complex
A Quick Tour of the Rigid-Heddle Loom
What Kind of Rigid-Heddle Loom Should I Buy?
 
CHAPTER 2: Get Set to Weave
Choosing Yarn
Planning Your Width and Length
Sett for Success
How Much Warp?
How Much Weft?
Measuring the Warp
Using the Warping Board Method
Warping with the Direct-Peg Method
Winding the Warp On and Threading
Warping the Loom
Threading the Holes
Tying onto the Front
Preparing the Weft and Beginning to Weave
Winding Weft Yarns
Spreading the Header

CHAPTER 3: Get Your Weave Thing Going
Making the Shed
Finding Your Beat
Advancing the Warp
Removing Your Woven Fabric from the Loom
Tech Support: When Things Go Wrong
Tension Problems
No (or Teensy) Shed
Diagonal Fell Line
Selvedge Problems
Fabric That’s Too Dense or Too Loose
Broken Warp Threads
Unweaving and Cutting Out
Getting the Perfect Finish
Securing the Weft
Wet-Finishing Your Fabric
Dealing with Warps That Go Wrong
Removing Warp for Future Replacement
Weaving Ugly Things
 
CHAPTER 4: Color Theory in a Nutshell
The Courage to Make Colors Sing
Designing Warp-Wise Stripes
   MORSE CODE SCARF
   RANDOM-STRIPED BLANKET
Designing Weft-Wise Stripes
   OMBRÉ SCARF
Designing Plaids
   TARTAN TABLE RUNNER
   DOUBLE (OR TRIPLE) YOUR MONEY: PLAID FELTED POT HOLDERS
Using Painted Skeins Cleverly
   THREE SCARVES FROM PALINDROME SKEINS
 
CHAPTER 5: Slow & Fancy
Weave Structure Basics
Leno
   LENO CANDLE COVER
Brooks Bouquet
Spanish Lace
Danish Medallions
Clasped Weft
Soumak
   SOUMAK-WOVEN COASTER
Tapestry Weaving
   TAPESTRY COVER FOR A DIGITAL E-READER
Transparencies
   AT HOME
Weft-Pile Weaves
   LOOPED-PILE WASHCLOTHS
 
CHAPTER 6: Fast & Fancy
Floats as Design Elements
Honeycomb
   HONEYCOMB PILLOW
Weaving Spots
   SPOT-BRONSON SCARF
Supplemental Weft Inlay
Doup Leno
   DOUP LENO CURTAINS
Double Your Heddle, Double Your Fun!
Fine Cloth with Two Heddles
   COLOR GAMP
   COTTOLIN KITCHEN TOWELS
Theo Moorman Technique
   THEO MOORMAN SCARF WOVEN WITH TWO HEDDLES
Three-Heddle Adventures
   THREE-HEDDLE STRAIGHTDRAW (1-2-3-4) SAMPLER
Converting Four-Shaft Weave Drafts for Use with a Rigid-Heddle Loom
Overshot
   OVERSHOT SCARF
 
CHAPTER 7: Textural Effects & “Wild” Yarns
Elastic Yarns
   ELASTIC HAIRBAND
Do-It-Yourself Yarns
   REWOVEN FABRIC BAG
Crazy-Skinny Yarns
   SPIDER-SILK SHAWL
Fuzzy Yarns
   DIAPHANOUS MOHAIR SHAWL
Weaving with Wire
   WIRE CUFF BRACELET
Going Further Outside the Yarn Box
   WARP SEPARATOR
Creating E-Textiles
   LED BOOKMARK
Woven Shibori
   WOVEN SHIBORI SCARF
Shadow Weave
   SHADOW WEAVE SCARF
Beads and Baubles
   BEAD-WOVEN BRACELET

Appendix
Loom Maintenance
Unwanted Holiness
Loom Assembled Incorrectly
Loom Out of Square
Split Wood
Missing or Broken Brake
Removable Back Rods

It’s Cloth . . . Now What?
Weaving Fabric to Wear
Tools for Sewing Handwovens
Working with Narrow-Width Fabric
Assembling the Pieces

Glossary
Further Reading
Online Resources
Metric Conversions
Acknowledgments
Index

Editorial Reviews

"Knitters, beware: Syne's book will make you a weaver. "
— Cat Bordhi, author Versatildes

"Inspiring, fresh ideas with excellent step-by-step photos."
— Betty Linn Davenport, author Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle Loom

“I've been wanting this book and I didn't even know it! It makes me want to drop everything and weave — NOW."
— Sarah Anderson, author The Spinner’s Book of Yarn Designs

“Concrete information that all levels of weavers need to know now or in their future weaving lives.”
— Peggy Osterkamp, author Weaving for Beginners

"Here is the go-to handbook for every rigid-heddle weaver. Especially groundbreaking is Syne’s easy-to-follow method for translating 4-shaft weaves to the rigid-heddle loom, including twill, shadow weave, overshot, and more."
— Madelyn van der Hoogt, founder The Weavers' School; former editor Weaver's and Handwoven magazines

"An inspiring and comprehensive resource that holds the hands of beginners and challenges advanced rigid-heddle weavers with a broad range of techniques."
— Jane Patrick, creative director Schacht Spindle Company; author The Weaver’s Idea Book

From the Publisher

★ 10/15/2015
Mitchell is a modern Renaissance woman: she's an sf author, a technical writer who has worked for Google and Amazon, a podcaster, and an accomplished handweaver. Her debut weaving book provides a thorough education on the art and science of weaving, from choice of warp and weft yarn to various warping methods to styles beyond plain weave. There's ample coverage of the technical side of weaving, but Mitchell has both a sense of humor about her topic and a historical perspective on weaving that makes this book compelling. Weavers who worry that a rigid heddle loom is too limiting will be thrilled by the directions for converting four-shaft weave drafts for use on such a loom, which opens a world of possibilities. A variety of projects, from simple plain-weave blankets and scarves to explorations of woven lace, reinforce the instructions. VERDICT Notable for its full coverage of rigid heddle weaving, one of the most accessible pathways into this ancient art, this is an essential addition to weavers' bookshelves, right next to Mary E. Black's (long out-of-print) The Key to Weaving and Deborah Chandler's Learning To Weave.

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