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June 27, 2023 newsletter

Tuscan Tea Towels

Are you old enough to remember Nat King Cole’s song – 🎶 Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer 🎶? As we head into the summer, we thought it might be the time to have an eye-popping but easy warp waiting for you on your loom for when you were ready for a bit of “lazy” instead of “crazy” in your life. 
These Twill towels were designed and woven by a team – designed by Susan Brown (Jane’s first – and longest employee) and woven by Sharon (Jane’s newest employee, who also doubles as JST’s new silk dyer). They are relatively simple and relaxing to weave when you need to give yourself a gift of “lazy” 😉

Project Specs

Level of Difficulty: Advanced Beginner
Weave structure: Twill Weave
Material: 8/2 cotton
Each kit makes: 6 Towels

Loom Requirements

Shafts: 4, Reed: 10 dent, EPI: 20, Weaving width: 22″, Finished Dimensions: 27-30″ X 19″


School of Weaving Season 2 kits are in stock!

Many new and experienced weavers have learned or refreshed their weaving knowledge by learning from the samples of Season 2. If you haven’t woven these episode projects, we thought we’d introduce you to the kits that are available and just waiting for you. There are no rules about what you choose to weave through the School of Weaving, but… Season 2’s projects will help you understand the information you will absorb in these episodes. They will also create a base of weaving knowledge which will be the “ground” you will walk on as you move through the years of exciting new possibilities. This knowledge, and the confidence gained, will also help you create original designs.

Asymmetry and Division of Space

Kit includes 8/2 cotton: 2 Bleached, 1 Light Grey, 1 Dark Grey, 1 Red and 1 Black.
P.S. included is one sheet of Dr. Beckmann’s Colour & Dirt Collector in case your red wants to run away 🙂


Colour and Weave Gamp

Kit includes the following 8/2 cotton: 3 Natural, 3 Navy and 1 Apricot.


Fibonacci with Gradation AKA Parrot

Kit includes the following 8/2 cotton, one cone each in, Apricot, Pale Orange, Fuchsia, Peacock, Hot Pink and optional 1 Navy.


Designing Plaids

Kit includes the following 8/2 Cotton: 2 Red, 1 Olive, 1 Gold, 1 Purple and optional 1 Fuchsia.

In this episode Jane uses the following 20/2 Bombyx Silk as the weft for the scarf: Ariel’s Voice, Buddha Berry, Tiger Lily, Dragon Fruit.


All About Stripes

Kit includes the following 8/2 Cotton, 2  Lemon, 1 Butter, 1 Nile and 1 Pale Limette.

In this episode, Jane used 12 gauge Bambu in Aruba and Indigo for the weft of the scarf.


Muted Colour Gamp on Natural Ground

Kit includes the following 8/2 Cotton, one cone each in Forest, Natural, Navy, Raspberry, Gold, Purple and Cayenne.
Jane used these colours of 18/2 Merino in the weft of one sample: Black, Navy and Bottle Green.


Primaries & Secondaries on Black

Kit includes the following 8/2 Cotton: one cone each in Lemon, Orange, Red, Light Purple, Royal, Emerald and Black.
Jane uses these colours of 20/2 Bombyx Silk in the weft of the scarf: Margaretta Violetta, Ariel’s Voice and Buddha Berry.

JST Shipping

We offer a $17.00 CAD flat-rate shipping on orders to Canada & USA. Spend over $250.00 CAD and you’ll receive free shipping! Receive 10% off & free shipping when you spend over $500.00 CAD (Some Exceptions Apply).


From Our Inbox

We thought we would share some of the magic that came into Our Inbox in early December 2022 from weaver David Schulz of Sydney, Australia. We were delighted to see what he had created after watching Summer and Winter in Season 6 – Episode 8. Jane wrote back to share our delight in seeing what he’d created and before we knew it photos of another piece of magic flew over the ocean! David sent photos to show us what he’d done with Taquette layered on the graphic and the use of colour in the Parrot & Fibonacci sample.  

Take time to watch Season 6, Episode 8 – Summer and Winter before watching Season 7 Episode 7 – Summer and Winter with Colour & Weave which airs August 17th! Also – mark your calendar … Season 7, Episode 8 – Turned Taquette will arrive on your screen on September 21st.

Hi Jane and the JST Team,

I recently watched the episode on Summer and Winter and got all excited to put everything I have learned together into an original design. I designed a profile draft, placing the stripe and its secondary pattern using our good friend Fibonacci. Then I tweaked the threading to strategically place the threads so that motifs would be complete and the turmeric accents would line up with one motif of the secondary pattern. I also used a narrow stripe of light grey on the selvedges as a subtle kind of frame. I’m super duper happy with the way they came out and can’t wait to give them away for Christmas.

Take care of your lovely selves and all the best for the year ahead.

Regards,

David Schulz
Sydney, Australia


Hi Jane!

Oh, thanks so much! You’re so encouraging and inspiring in all of your videos and I always get so many ideas from watching each episode. I just wish there were more hours in the day to explore everything. I just watched the promo for next year and it looks AMAZING. I love turned taquette and I’m glad to see that episode coming up and I can’t wait to try all of the weave structures overlaid with colour and weave. Those supersized graphics look fantastic.

I wove some turned taquette towels a couple of months back using the parrot graphic (I’ve attached a photo). TT makes for such thick and thirsty towels. Such a fun structure.

These were woven on my David 90. I bought my David back in 2012 and haven’t regretted it for a second.

Thanks for an inspiring year. 

Regards,

David


We offer FREE shipping on all Louet looms within Continental North America. We also offer the option to pay a $1000.00 CAD deposit on your loom with the balance due when the loom ships out to you. This gives you the flexibility to make smaller payments toward your balance, at your convenience.



Here to help

Have a weaving question? Find us on the Jane Stafford School of Weaving Forum and on

Weave with Jane Stafford at Ravelry.

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May 2, 2023 newsletter

Soft & Snugly

Spring is finally arriving on our coast and every living thing around us is taking a deep breath and looking forward to being surrounded by new life, in so many forms. It’s a joyful time of year and there is nothing more heartwarming than the arrival of a brand new baby, no matter what season they are born in 😉 These 2 blankies have proven over and over again how much they are treasured by the family that receives one as a gift. You’ll see it for years as the “comfort blanket” of choice for the baby you wove it for as they grow. Is now the time to think about having a blankie woven and waiting to wrap around a new bundle of joy in your world?

Monte Cristo Baby Blanket

Project Specs
Level of Difficulty: Beginner
Weave structure: Plain Weave
Material: Monte Cristo cotton
Each kit makes: 1 blanket

Loom requirements
Shafts: 4
Weaving Width: 35″
Reed: 8 dent

Each kit includes
Weaving instructions (including draft)
1, 1lb cone of Monte Cristo cotton

Already have our JST Monte Cristo Baby Blankie pattern? Just buy the cone of yarn right here!


Canvas Weave Baby Blanket

Project Specs
Level of Difficulty: Beginner
Weave structure: 4 shaft canvas weave
Material: Monte Cristo cotton & 8/4 cotton
Each kit makes: 1 blanket

Loom requirements
Shafts: 4
Weaving Width: 35″
Reed: 12 dent

We can make this kit in any colour you like! Simply, put the Canvas Weave Baby Blanket kit into your cart, on the checkout screen in the “notes” section let us know what colours of 8/4 cotton you would like us to make the kit in.


New lower shipping rates
now you can order more yarn!

With our new shipping rates for orders under $250 CAD, we offer a $17.00 CAD flat rate on orders to Canada & USA. (some exceptions apply such as oversized items). Now adding to your order doesn’t mean higher shipping rates, you still will pay only $17.00 CAN for shipping.

Remember, spend over $250.00 CAD and you’ll receive free shipping! Receive 10% off & free shipping when you spend over $500.00 CAD (Some Exceptions Apply. Please see our shipping policy page for full details).

JST Shipping Policies


From Our Inbox

Shirley, from Campbell River – just over the water and up the coast of Vancouver Island from Salt Spring Island – sent us a photo of her exploration with what she learned in Season 6 Episode 8 – Summer and Winter. She has taken that episode and created her own design for her placemats – it’s stunning, Shirley! 
Here is a sample of my interpretation of the Summer and Winter study. I used 2/8 cotton for the warp and pattern weft and 2/16 cotton for the tabby weft. I used Jane’s threading but set it at 16 epi. (Next time I would try 18 epi.) After sampling all the alternative treadlings, I settled on dukagang for a few mats.

As always, I found this to be fun and challenging. Thank you Jane!

Shirley Greening

We offer FREE shipping on all Louet looms within Continental North America. We also offer the option to pay a $1000.00 CAD deposit on your loom with the balance due when the loom ships out to you. This gives you the flexibility to make smaller payments toward your balance, at your convenience.

Here to help Have a weaving question? Find us on the Jane Stafford School of Weaving Forum and on Weave with Jane Stafford at Ravelry.
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March 28, 2023 newsletter

Weave your own Easter Basket!

Open Weave Garlic Basket

Garlic isn’t the only thing that is happy in our wee baskets! They are fun to fill with Easter eggs showing off all their beautiful colours while safely nestled in the wee baskets.

These baskets are fun to weave and you still have time to make them for Easter morning. This Open Weave Garlic Basket is woven with regular twining using rattan reed. This kit includes material for 3 baskets –  3 sets of spokes and 3 sets of weavers in natural and dyed colours for you to mix and match. This is one of Jane’s favourite baskets because of the various shapes you can weave them…..and they don’t all have to hold garlic or Easter eggs….you’ll come up with all kinds of uses for them! Check below for links that will take you to videos demonstrating how to make these delightful baskets.

Kit Includes:
12 spokes – 34” long, #3 round reed, #2 round reed for weavers


Discontinuing Bambu 7 Line at JST

We have to make room on our shelves as we fill them with new colour choices in our other yarns. So … we have decided to discontinue Bambu 7 from our stock. Don’t worry – we will still carry Bambu 12 and maintain a supply of the Bambu 7 needed for the School of Weaving Season 5 Episode 3 Huck kits.


Important Announcements!

There are some exciting improvements happening at JST that we want to let you know about.

We have some very exciting news for our American customers! www.janestaffordtextiles.com is now able to accept payment in USD. This means that you will be able to see the exact amount you will be charged in USD and will not incur any exchange rate fees or be subject to the FX rate of the day from your bank/credit card company! Your cart will default to USD if you are in the USA but this can also be changed manually by clicking the USD currency button 🙂

Canadian customers this does not change anything for you 🙂

Please note that this change does not effect the School of Weaving and subscription fees are still charged in USD for everyone no matter where you live.

We are also in the process of switching over to new parcel carriers for all our outgoing parcels. We will be using Canpar for parcels going to Canada and UPS for parcels going to the USA. DHL will be used for any parcels outside of the other carrier’s delivery areas. As such, we will no longer be able to ship to PO Boxes so please make sure to enter your physical address on the checkout screen. This means cheaper shipping rates for you! We have already reduced the shipping rates a bit but will be switching to a lower flat rate fee to pass on even more savings to you and make ordering from us more economical. Please stay tuned for more updates about this soon 🙂


Weave A Garlic Basket Video

There are two ways that you can watch and learn:

-as a subscriber (and for free) on Joan’s Vimeo site (she has some very informative videos)

-or…if you are a member of the School of Weaving – by watching Season 2 – Episode 9 on the School of Weaving. You can download the PDF there.


We offer FREE shipping on all Louet looms within Continental North America. We also offer the option to pay a $1000.00 CAD deposit on your loom with the balance due when the loom ships out to you. This gives you the flexibility to make smaller payments toward your balance, at your convenience.

Here to help

Have a weaving question? Find us on the Jane Stafford School of Weaving Forum and on Weave with Jane Stafford at Ravelry.