This weekend I achieved an amazing milestone TEN THOUSAND books sold!! Março GIFfrom Março GIFs If you're a fan of the PBS television show Antiques Roadshow, you're probably familiar with the typical reaction of people who find out that their $2 flea market find or a family heirloom stored in the attic for decades is actually worth thousands of dollars. They often say, "Wow, I had no idea!" Similarly, I'm amazed to announce that ten thousand books have been sold. Wow, I had no idea! When I hit the publish button for my first book, 'Krokbragd: How to Design & Weave,' I hoped to sell 100 cop ..read more

Today marks the end of my five-part series on finger-manipulated weaving techniques. In the first post, I discussed the general attributes of these weaves and explained the methods of leno and Mexican lace. The following post covered Spanish lace; the third post was about Brooks Bouquet. Lastly, the previous post focused on Danish Medallions. Today, I will explain how I combined different techniques to create a wall hanging. Yarn In the previous posts, the examples were made mainly using cotton. However, I opted for Euroflax 14/2 linen (630 yd/110 gm) for the wall ..read more

This post is the fourth in the series, looking at finger-manipulated weaving techniques. The first post described the general attributes of these weaves and the methods of leno and Mexican lace. The following post looked at Spanish Lace. The last post was Brooks Bouquet. Today is the decorative technique of Danish Medallions. The basic Danish Medallion uses a button-hole type stitch to create rounded groupings of plain weave. The magic happens when these groupings are outlined with a different color or a heavier design thread. Sounds simple enough, yet there is opportunity ..read more

This post is the third installment in a series looking at finger-manipulated weaving techniques. The first post described the general attributes of these weaves and the methods of leno and Mexican lace. The following post looked at Spanish Lace. Today is the lovely Brooks Bouquet. Brooks Bouquet was made popular by Marguerite G Brooks, a bobbin lace expert. This technique produces little “bouquets” or knots on the right side of the fabric and warp floats on the other side. Brooks Bouquet creates a stretchy fabric with open, airy lace and a beautiful pattern. A little 4-pane ..read more

This post is the second offering for a series looking at finger-manipulated weaving techniques. The first post described the general attributes of these weaves and the methods of leno and Mexican lace. Today's post looks at Spanish Lace. Spanish lace consists of rows of weft woven back and forth in small sections, typically in plain weave. Eleanor Best refers to Spanish lace as Spanish Stitch, while other sources call it Spanish Openwork Stitch. When the weft threads are drawn tightly, it is called Spanish Eyelet. Samples I wove these samples on a warp of 8/2 unmercerized cotton, natural (3360 ..read more

“I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, it is for everyone! The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born tonight in Bethlehem!” Entering the house where the baby and Mary his mother were, they threw themselves down before him, worshipping. Then they opened their presents and gave him gold, frankincense and myrrh. Luke 2: 10, 11; Matthew 2: 11 As Christmas is celebrated by countless millions around the world and through the centuries, the tradition of gift-giving is a special part of this season. I, too, wanted to give you a small gift. I created a puzzle that I hope you ..read more

This post is the first offering for a series I've planned to look at finger-manipulated weaving techniques. Today's post describes the general attributes of these weaves. Then we'll explore two weaves: leno and its cousin, Mexican lace. Finger-manipulated is a group of weaving techniques that, rather than the shafts on your loom managing the threads to achieve patterning, the weaver's fingers or a pick-up stick manipulates the threads. There are many different types and variations, each creating a different lacy effect. The weaves include leno, Brooks bouquet, Danish medallions, Spanish lace ..read more

I have something fun to share today, a guest post from a fellow weaver, Mary Trimmer. I receive many delightful emails from readers of this blog and my books. It is always exciting to hear from weavers who have utilized my books and classes! In September, I received a lovely email from Mary Trimmer. She presented an interesting idea to weave a krokbragd rug with fabric strips. I had not thought about that possibility. Well, Mary not only thought about it, but she also did it! I am sharing her ideas, findings, and weaving photos with her permission. I know you will be inspired. It started with ..read more

In March, I wrote about the Combo Spin I did and the project I planned to knit with the handspun yarn. Remember the four fiber braids that I started with? Well, here’s the completed jacket! It’s the Harlequin Swagger coat by Jane Slicer-Smith. This was a fun knitting project. The miters are basic knit and purl stitches with a double decrease in the center (SK2P). SK2P - Slip one knit-wise, knit two together, pass slipped stitch over Interesting patterns are created by varied combinations of stockinette and garter stripes in two colors. My variation comes from using the variegated yarns fr ..read more

It’s been a while since I’ve done a ‘Let’s Weave . . .’ post where I take a look at a particular weave structure. Today’s exploration is basketweave. Plain weave To set the stage for our look at basketweave, I’ll first give a brief refresher on plain weave. Plain weave is a fundamental weave structure in which the weft travels over and then under adjacent warp ends. In the next row, the weft does the opposite, traveling under/over a warp end it previously went over/under. So, every weft thread interlaces each warp thread. Plain weave creates a smooth, stable, and strong cloth but possesses les ..read more