Fixing Shedding problems in tapestry weaving

Fixing Shedding problems in tapestry weaving

How many times as a newer tapestry weaver have you felt frustrated because you’re weaving along and suddenly your wefts are in the wrong shed?

Wait, what is a shed anyway?

How many of us who have been weaving tapestry a long time remember those days when every time we added or subtracted a weft in our design our sheds were wrong? Or we are trying to fill in a dip between two forms or add a new color into a pattern and there were either lice or the wefts just wouldn’t go where we wanted them to go?

We have ALL been there.

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Sketch Tapestry: Weave your world

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Sketch Tapestry: Weave your world

The Easy Weaving on Little Looms Summer 2023 issue has landed and in it is an article I wrote about my favorite summer weaving activity, sketch tapestry.

Sketch tapestry is what I call my practice of weaving something simple and fairly quick from an environmental inspiration. I also call it my tapestry diary and I’ve been doing it since 2016. I find this practice a lot like sketching. Especially if I practice it while traveling or backpacking, it reminds me to take the time to look at what is around me as I explore. If my intention is to weave something about my day, I’m much more likely to actually stop for an extra moment and explore whatever caught my eye and spend some time really looking.

The weaving woodwork of Jim Hokett

The weaving woodwork of Jim Hokett

Jim Hokett’s business was called Hokett Would Work. He was a woodworker and his little pun was quite a joke actually because I have met few people who worked harder than he did. For many years after finding his beautiful looms at a conference booth, I purchased his looms and tools. He did eventually retire several years ago and the tapestry weaving world has missed him ever since.

Jim passed away suddenly on March 6th. I wanted to post some of his work here as a remembrance. I hope you’ll tell me your memories of using his tools or maybe interacting with him in the comments.

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Woven doodles and finishing work

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Woven doodles and finishing work

Sometimes a little doodle on the loom is all you need to find your weaving momentum again. I had completely forgotten about this little tapestry until last night. I have a very large pile of small and large tapestries that need finishing work. I hate to say it, but that pile has been growing since 2020. I know because virtually all the tapestries I wove on Change the Shed over the last three years are on that pile.

Last night when I was feeling weary and just wanted to relax on the couch and watch TV, I decided it was the day to tackle that pile. Instead of knitting while watching, I would finish those tapestries. And indeed I did the finishing on two small ones in an hour. One of the ones on the top of the pile was this little guy.

Let your hands take over from your brain for a bit

Let your hands take over from your brain for a bit

Have you ever found that state where you lose track of time, completely immersed in something? Where time seems to expand endlessly and your world is simple and completely about whatever you’re doing? For me that happens with hands-on making. It happens with tapestry weaving but also drawing, knitting, and other art or craft I might be engaged in.*

I recently read Michelle Obama’s newest book, The Light We Carry. It is a delightful read. Near the beginning of this book, she talks about knitting.

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In celebration of Woven Color

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In celebration of Woven Color

I’ve found myself doing some lectures for weaving groups again recently and so I’ve been talking about my teacher, James Koehler again. I was his apprentice and I do like to talk about this model of learning.

James passed away unexpectedly on March 4, 2011. I often do put up a blog post on the anniversary of his death to celebrate his life and especially his work as a tapestry artist. James was a devoted teacher and I think he would want to know that his book, Woven Color, has inspired people to weave tapestry or at least to think about how an artist comes to that profession and where their work comes from.

My favorite stories about wool

My favorite stories about wool

I have some book recommendations for you. This post was going to be about one book which just came out, Unraveling: What I Learned about Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater by Peggy Orenstein. (It is clearly NOT the world’s ugliest sweater.)

And then just as I finished reading the book, I saw this marvelous review by Jillian Moreno on Modern Daily Knitting. And right then I decided I would let Jillian tell you about Unraveling and I would give you a list of my favorite books that tell stories about wool. I love every one of these books, have read them all more than once, and will likely read them again (okay, I haven’t read Peggy’s book a second time yet, but I just finished it… give me a few months). They’re all written by masterful writers in story-form. They’ll grab your attention and maybe even make you laugh or cry a little.