When most people think of weaving, they think of the part where the shuttle is passed back and forth and the weft is beat into place—which is, in fact, called “weaving.” Most tend to forget that planning, warping, and finishing are also important parts of the process. Here is a way to approach the process in small steps so you don’t feel like all the preparation just gets in the way of weaving.
Plan your project. To start, take a mug of your favorite beverage to a quiet sunny spot. Surround yourselves with yarns, calculator, project planning sheet, colored pencils and paper, and inspiring books, photos, or samples of cloth. If you plan to work from a pattern, check to make sure you have everything you need. If not, you might need to make a trip to the yarn store (gosh, darn). If you plan to design your own project or modify an existing one, start with a vision of what you want, then plan how you’ll achieve it. Choose the yarn and calculate the warp and weft amounts (use the project planning sheet on page 124). Feel free to doodle, sketch, and imagine all aspects of your project from start to finish. This is the dreamy stage when all things are possible—relish it!
Note: The tasks for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday usually average around twenty minutes apiece. You may want to have the Warping Checklist on page 123 handy as you work. If you feel energetic, feel free to do all three on the same day and get weaving even faster!
Measure the warp. You’ve already spent time readjusting to the work week—answering e-mails, making phone calls, attending meetings, and whatever else is involved in your week-day routine—and you probably don’t have much extra energy. Grab your project notes, measure off the leader string, wind the warp, and tie your choke. Then walk away. That’s all you have to do today!
Thread the heddles. Take a big breath of fresh air and plop yourself down in front of the reed and start threading. You’ll want to have clear focus when you do this so pick the time of day that’s best for you. Take advice from your third-grade math teacher and check your work!
Wind the warp onto the loom. It’s hump day and time for an energizing task. For me, this is when it all comes together. As I watch those threads glide onto the loom, I envision all the possibilities ahead. I usually make plans for a bit of sampling (but, wait, I’m getting ahead of myself).
Sample. Thursdays are the new Fridays. It’s time to gear up for the upcoming weekend. Celebrate by doing some sample weaving. Use that extra ten inches of warp to tinker with colors you might not ordinarily use, practice a bit of lace, or simply weave a few inches of your project to get a handle on how firmly you want to beat the weft.
It’s the weekend and time to weave! This is usually the day I stay up late and listen to a book on tape or watch a movie with my family while getting a good start on my project. I sometimes get together with friends to work on projects together.
Keep up the good work. Set aside part of the morning, afternoon, or evening to finish up your project. Depending on how ambitious you were, you can probably finish in a few delicious hours between errands, exercise, family time, and other weekend chores.
(I know that this is technically a week and a day, but since I usually start planning for my next project while finishing the last, I don’t count it!) As you are gearing back up for work, settle in for a bit of finishing time. If you hemstitched your ends, this could just mean washing, or you can try a new elaborate fringe. Now you can sit back and admire your handiwork. Job well done.
A Final Note: If at anytime in the process you feel discouraged or if things aren’t working the way you like—walk away! Some days it seems that nothing goes right. Give yourself a little time, then come back to it fresh—you’ll have renewed energy to tackle any problem, especially when approached in small tasks at a time.