I’ve been playing at being a weaver. Its not the same thing as being an actual weaver but it lets me get a glimpse into what that must be like. Its probably pretty fun to be a weaver. But I don’t think I’m going to be one.

I made a second bookmark on my… actually I’m not sure what to call this particular play-loom. I bought it a decade ago and have long since lost all the packaging it came with. If it had pegs I’d call it a peg loom. It might technically be a lap loom but its only 8 x 8 inches square.

Whatever its called, I used it to make a second bookmark. Its far less cruddy than the first bookmark I had made and so I showed it off to pretty much everyone I know.

Here is a generalized version of how the conversation went when I showed any friend my new bookmark:

Not Me: That’s so pretty! Did you make it?

Me: Yep.

Not Me: I love those colors. Its woven right?

Me: Yep. That’s weaving. 

Not Me: How long did it take to make this?

Me: Hours.

Not Me: .. really?

Me: Yep. 

Not Me: Well, its very pretty. (and then they handed it gently back to me)

I agree. I can crochet up a bookmark in ten minutes. So I think this is the last woven bookmark I’ll make. I’m not much of a weaver I guess. But… it would be nice to have a woven coaster, in white and black plaid don’t you think? So I warped the play-loom to get that ready and now its over in the corner waiting for me to come make my coaster.

But I didn’t start on that right away because I have a second loom which is a few steps up in quality from the play-loom. Its a backstrap loom from Harrisville Designs that they market for kids who want to play at weaving. Kids like me.

Its still a very simple loom. One end of the warp threads get tied off to the leg of my desk while all the other ends are held by that clamp in the foreground. Then there is a strap that goes around my back and I hold the loom out in front of me at tension while I weave. It only makes thin strips of weaving, like belts and camera straps. But it does has an actual ridged-heddle card to play with.

So now I have a handwoven camera strap.  I certainly got better as I went.

 

But I do think that if I warped with all one (dark) color) and used a matching (dark) color for the weft and that weft was a bit puffy and fuzzy than I could weave a camera strap that didn’t show any mistakes at all. I think it should be in purple, don’t you? Me too. I just need to re-warp this baby. Then I’ll have a camera strap I can wear with pride and no one could see my mistakes, like they can with this one.

 

But how many camera straps does one woman need? If I wanted to make anything real, like a scarf, I’d have to buy a real loom. Like an Ashford KNITTERS loom (yes that’s what they call it). But I can make scarfs with needles and hooks if I want so why bother? I mean if I was going to be a real weaver, I’d need a 36 inch (at least) floor loom for $2000. And a room to put it in.

I’m not going to be doing that. So I guess I’m not going to be a weaver.

I’ll just buy the current issue of Hand Woven Magazine for my Nook instead. Its no where near $2000.

And I only need that magazine because its the linen (i.e. flax) issue. I did spin my first successful flax yarn last year you know. Most of that is just siting in the yarn closet waiting for me to figure out what to do with it. I’m sure that flax yarn would make nice handkerchiefs or something. I just need to get a bit better at handweaving before I start with my limited supply of handspun flax.

But I don’t think I’ll be doing much weaving.

 

Probably.

 

Maybe.

 

Unless I magically acquire a few grand and a new spare bedroom. Then I’ll totally take up weaving because its pretty fun. 

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