Handwoven - Beginner's Corner

Beginner's Corner

May/June 2008

Beginner's Corner: How much yarn do you need? (268 KB)

There is nothing worse than happily weaving along and suddenly realizing that you are about to run out of warp (or weft) before you’ve reached the woven length you need. You call everywhere to order more yarn (you’d pay for Next Hour) but—oh, no!—that yarn no longer exists. A much better MO for your weaving life is to know how much yarn you need before you start weaving and make sure you have that much or more.

March/April 2008

Beginner's Corner: No More Fear of Color! (620 KB)

Lace weaves offer all weavers, beginners
and experienced weavers alike, exciting opportunities for exploring color—perhaps more than any other weave structure.
Here’s why.

January/February 2008

Beginner's Corner: On The Edge (364 KB)

Selvedges are the bane of beginning weavers. Whenever I look over a new student's shoulder, I almost always hear these words: "I know my selvedges are terrible!” Or: “I haven’t been worrying about my selvedges!" Actually, worrying about selvedges is not a good thing and can greatly diminish your joy in weaving. Here are some ways to create the conditions that will result in perfect selvedges. They may not be the only ways, but in twenty-five years of teaching, I’ve found them to work best.

November/December 2007

Beginner's Corner: Tie One On! (442 KB)

This might seem like a time-consuming process, but it takes less time than threading from scratch. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about whether or not the threading is correct—you’ve tested that with the previous warp.

September/October 2007

Beginner's Corner: A place for new weavers and weavers new to Handwoven! (99 KB)

Articles in Beginner's Corner give you the tools you need for joyful weaving. The series begins with "How to use Handwoven." Learn how to ply fringe, how to do two kinds of hemstitching, and how to read Handwoven drafts and other charts. You'll also find an annotated bibliography of helpful weaving books. Next Beginner's Corner: How to change project instructions to meet your needs, equipment, and yarns.

May/June 2007

Beginner's Corner:
Yarn Substitutions (30 KB)

New weavers are often puzzled by the numbers that identify yarns: 10/2, for example, or 4,200 yd/lb. These numbers are very useful, especially when you want to weave a project that call for lots of yarns. You may not want to buy a whole cone to get just a small amount. Instead, you can substitute a yarn you already have, or a less expensive yarn, or a yarn you can purchase in small quantities. Here’s what you need to know.

January/February 2005

Beginner's Corner:
Washing Handwoven Fabirc (32 KB)

Machine wash, gentle; machine dry. “"Wash by hand." Even though these instructions seem clear, what exactly do they mean? Here are a few tips.

November/December 2004

Beginner's Corner:
What Equipment Do I Really Need? (37 KB)

So, what do you really need? Everyone knows you need a loom, but there are many other accessories to consider. You’ll want to have at least 100 heddles on each shaft—the wider the warp and the finer the threads, the more heddles you’ll need.