Handwoven

from the editor

I agree with whoever said that if you learn one good tip in a weaving workshop, the fee and time were well spent. The thing is that often the tip isn’t part of the lesson. I bet at least a few of you know the feeling of sitting in a workshop, ostensibly learning something difficult, while in fact you are completely consumed with how your instructor has used paper clips in an innovative way. Recently, I watched a video interview of Nell Znamierowski, a fiber artist known for her bold use of color, who passed away on April 29, 2021. In the video, she tells the story of listening to her doctor explain how he was going to treat her brain tumor. She pretended to listen, but in truth, all…

future themes

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 Reflecting on Deflecting Deflection is caused by multiple factors including weave structure and yarn choice. This issue will feature techniques that cause deflection and the beautiful projects that result. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 Deep Stash We all have yarn stashes, but have we ever looked at them critically? What yarns should be in a stash? How should you care for a stash? Is there really such a thing as a stash-busting project? Should you have one of every color of cotton or just the colors you always turn to? This issue will feature projects and articles that are all about using, expanding, or improving your stash, whether that means adding specialty art yarns or workhorse staples. MARCH/APRIL 2022 National Parks and Museums Being stuck at home for much of 2020 and some of 2021 made many of us…

letters

I don’t think I’ve ever seen this method of warp repair/replacement in Handwoven (or anywhere else) and thought you’d like to use it as a weaving hint. Rather than weighting replacement threads with film canisters, bolts, water bottles, etc., I’ve found that empty yarn cones are the perfect solution. You can wrap any length of thread around one cone, then slide another cone on top to hold the warp in place. If you need more tension on the thread, simply add more cones for more weight. The replacement warp thread never gets tangled and is easily unwound as you weave. —Nancy Taylor I very much enjoyed the May/June 2021 Handwoven. I want to tell you about the book that I used when I wove my Colorado and Israeli tartans. I learned so…

jamdani: fabric of moonlight

Amir Khusro, the famous thirteenth-century Sufi poet, described fine handspun, handwoven cotton so fine that 100 yards could pass through a needle, with a transparency more like water than cloth. He described a fabric so beautiful that it was likened to air, moonlight, clouds, and water: magnificent muslin. In reality, the fabric was so fine that several layers could pass through a signet ring, and it was so light that if washed and tossed in the air, it would dry before landing. Poetry, romance, royalty, legendary tales, trade worth a king’s ransom, secrecy, cutthroat competition—these are all part of the history of muslin and especially the decorative muslin known as jamdani. The term jamdani seems to be from the Persian words jama, meaning robe, and dani, meaning floral vase or floral…

media picks

The Weaving Handbook: The Art and the Craft: Theories, Materials, Techniques, and Projects Åsa Pärson and Amica Sundström Over the past decade of reviewing weaving resources for Handwoven, I’ve read many books aimed at teaching individuals how to weave on multishaft looms. This is not an easy task given the depth and breadth of the subject. In their newly translated book, The Weaving Handbook, Swedish designers and weavers Åsa Pärson and Amica Sundström tackle this challenge head-on and are, on the whole, very successful at doing so. Unlike similar books, this one starts out with a selection of projects. While this might seem a bit odd at first glance—why showcase projects the reader might not even be able to fathom weaving at the start?—it makes sense. There’s a good chance that the projects…

favorite finds

New Colors of Duet Gist Yarn’s Duet yarns are a lovely combination of linen and cotton designed to work as warp or weft on multishaft and rigid-heddle looms. Now this wonderful line has also gotten warmer—in palette, that is—with four new colors: Apricot, Rose, Currant, and Rust. Like the other colors of Duet, these new hues have a mottled appearance (because cotton and linen absorb dye differently), giving the fabric you weave a textured look. Duet is available on 4-ounce cones of 600 yards each. gistyarn.com Sheep Scissors You’ll smile every time you have to snip a stray thread with the Woolery’s adorable sheep scissors by Kelmscott Designs. Available in both silver and primitive, the scissors measure 3.75 inches, making them just the right size to keep at your loom for trimming loose…