Hello, Friends Well, this is a much more difficult letter to write than the last one. Attempts to find a new caretaker for The Weaving Works have not been fruitful, and we have come to the unhappy decision that it is time to close the shop.   !!!   I’m really sorry that it has turned out this way, and sorry for all of the disappointment and sadness that this news brings.   We will all probably feel a bit “adrift” in the coming months, having counted on The Weaving Works as a local institution for nearly 50 years. But as I’ve said before, the weaving and fiber arts community is ..read more

There are several good reasons that a Blending Board is not the right tool for cotton fiber, and the Impetuous Weaver has ignored all of them in her latest fiber-y venture. Here are the resulting tips and observations.       !!!   I am a fan of the "use what you have" mentality in fiber arts. And what I had, one fresh spring morning, was an enticing rainbow of leftover cotton sliver, a blending board, and a glorious idea!   The idea involved preparing the fiber in streaks of rainbow, backed with black, and a liberal sprinkling of sparkle. The leftover cotton from the ..read more

This installment in the Weaving with Handspun series is really more of a show-and-tell than an instructive post, since the project idea comes straight from another blog, and needs no improvement!   !!!   The original post can be found here. It's one of those traditional weaver's ideas, diagrammed and concisely explained. So, I will just run through my variations on this excellent idea, and hopefully inspire a whole swarm of ideas.   The really fun thing about this bag project is the versatility. All that's required is one long strip of fabric- from there, the variations in size ..read more

By now you are probably aware that the Impetuous Weaver cannot resist a rainbow. So what could be more enticing than an all-in-one rainbow yarn!     And, as usual, jumping right into a weaving project results in unexpectedly learning a thing or two, answers some questions, and leads to more questions. !!!   The really wonderful thing about self-striping and gradient yarns is that you get impressive, beautiful color sequences in your warp without any yarn changes. No knots, no stop-and-start, just one smooth, continuous experience in which the yarn does all the fancy work.   ..read more

If you have been a spinner for any substantial length of time, no doubt you have a box (or two!) of lovely little bits of handspun. Whether from sampling a new fiber or technique, or leftover from larger projects, these wee skeins are too precious to get rid of, and too small and varied to become larger projects. May I humbly suggest tapestry weaving as a way to use all the small bits, and enjoy them thoroughly the whole time.       !!!   Tapestry weaving is a slow and meditative craft, and as such, allows you the time to appreciate the varied colors and textures of the ya ..read more

Being a handspinner and a weaver seems like a perfect pairing of skills. So why am I terrified of weaving with my handspun yarns? (spoiler alert: it's the cutting)   I invite you to come on a journey with me.     !!!   Taking pause before diving right into a project is not the norm for The Impetuous Weaver, but this is handspun yarn we are talking about! Each and every yard is precious, having been drafted, inch by inch, through my very own fingers, wrapped around the spindle, carefully plied. In contrast to my main fiber habit of knitting, woven yarn can't just be unravel ..read more

Oh, that delightful time of year when we can shed our layers of woolens and wiggle our toes in the grass! These first sunny days can make us feel a little giddy here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, as though anything is possible (and we also know that "june-uary" could be just around the corner, so Carpe that sunny Diem!).     The big, giddy plan when the sun came out last weekend was to dye a Giant Tub of yarn and fibers outdoors, using the heat of the sun.   !!!   Inspired by everything that is warm and wonderful, I chose bright and sunny shades of Acid Dye: Salmon ..read more

 You know that moment when a new skill you have been struggling with suddenly makes sense and becomes a whole lot more fun? I recently received a bit of advice that led to this AHA! moment for me, regarding spinning silk hankies.     Their name can be deceptive: silk hankies are not fabric, but rather a filmy square of stretched silk cocoon fiber. Naturally a glowing pearly white, they also take dye beautifully, and can contribute to beautiful nuno-felted pieces, or be spun into yarn.   !!!   Multiple silk hankies have found their way to my stash over the years- they ..read more

Hello again, Friends! As we continue to stay home and stay healthy, we will keep up sharing our projects on the blog, to stay in touch and inspire each other to create. Today's projects include lots of weaving, a little knit and crochet, and gardening:   Cassandra: Cass has been working on some pretty crocheted baskets using a paper-type yarn. These are destined for reining in the LEGO stash, but are shown here with softer contents.     Her son will never be lacking in beautifully handknit sweaters! The latest will be a shawl-collar pullover knit in superwash wool. With warm ..read more

As we all settle into new routines, and a different world for a little while, those of us who are makers are certainly grateful for our craft. The act of making beautiful things helps sustain our spirits, and there is also a satisfaction in completing abandoned projects and making a dent in the yarn or fiber stash!   I have been checking in with our teachers, and some former Weaving Workers, so we can share what we are all up to while we can't be together. This is just a sampling of the wide variety of projects going on at home!   Sam: Sam teaches a range of classes, including (but n ..read more