Look where we all live & Introductions

[Jane]

We’ve updated the map by countries of where we all live….we are growing!

 

I’ve been wearing my propeller hat and looking at the viewing statistics for guild members around the world. It looks like every continent is represented with one exception – come on Antarctica, you’re letting the team down.

• This topic was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Sandra.
• This topic was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Sandra.
• This topic was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by Ginette. Reason: updated map

[Kathleen McDonald]

Hi everyone – whenever I have done online classes, or joined a group we have often done introductions for other members. It makes us feel like a community even though we live miles apart. How do you feel about maybe stating your name and a general indication of where you are from, and relevant to this Guild, other fiber activities you engage in? and maybe how long you have been weaving? other weaving facts?
I’ll start – I’m Kathleen McDonald (St Udent on FB weaving sites)and I live in Victoria, BC. I am the Victoria Handweavers and Spinner Guild’s librarian. As well as being a weaver, I also attempt spinning, some felting and sewing. I have been a weaver since the late ’70s when a friend showed me his mother’s Dorothy type loom saying he thought I might like it as I liked fiber and I seemed to be mechanical in nature! Little did he know the passion would last a lifetime.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 7 months ago by Ginette.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Sandra.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by Alastair. Reason: Anchored to primary post

[Jill]

Hi, I am Jill Collins from Fort Worth, TX. I learned to weave over thirty years ago and fell in love with it. Sadly, I moved and didn’t have access to a weaving store. Mail order didn’t seem to work for me. So with retirement and the internet, I’ve decided I really want to weave again. I definitely needed a refresher course and I saw this online course advertised in a yarnworkers newsletter and decided to give it a go. I’m really looking forward to the year!

[Sandra]

I’m just testing to see how our new feature works!  Sorry not to have a new weaving project to share, but maybe you have 😉

You can also add a photo if you have a question/problem and don’t have the words to totally describe it.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by Sandra.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Sandra.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Sandra.

[Myles English]

Hi Kathleen.  To upload a profile photo you need to go to http://en.gravatar.com/.

[Ginette]

Oh that is so great Myles!  Very cool feature.  Thanks!

[Alissa Roode]

I’m Alissa, from Vancouver. I’ve been weaving for about 5-6 years, I think. After learning to spin, it seemed the next logical choice, and now it’s taken over all my spinning time! I took a weaving course at a local yarn store a few years ago and knew immediately that this was going to be trouble. Since then, I’ve tried to learn as much as I can from books and online sources, as well as one fantastic weekend course with Jane, and I’m constantly astounded at how much more there is to learn. I love pushing my limits, with more complicated drafts, finer threads, or interesting colour choices.

[Lorri]

I am Lorri from Western North Carolina. I was weaving a few years back but my farm took alot of my time back. It is not quite as busy so I took a refresher class 1 1/2 years ago. I have made linen towels, tencel scarf and currently cottolin towels. Spinning, hand- knitting and machine knitting are my current “other hobbies”.

[Christine]

I am Chris from Victoria BC. My rudimentary haiku sums it up very well.

i muck about in~oils pastels everything ~no subject defined

Long story short, I am an artist in transition. A number of years ago, I spun and wove but it was put away due to back surgery and painting. I love fibre and cloth, always have. This past year and a half has been a tough one, touched with loss and grief and the painting serine has not called. Knitting kept me sane and that has lead me back to exploring fibre again.

An old four harness floor loom landed in my lap in September, followed quickly by a reel. Who am I to argue. I also took back my big tapestry pipe loom from my DH, who was using it to hang his shirts. I have traded paint on all my clothes to bits of fibre and yarn following me around the house.

Seriously now. I want to learn how to weave with confidence and grow as a fibre artist.

[Sue]

Hi, I’m Sue from Somerset UK.  I like the idea of these introductions, I hope more add their names over time. It certainly helps those of us from a bit farther away to feel more a part of this exciting project.

I started weaving about 4 years ago after I moved to Somerset. I met some weavers at a local craft fair and the spell was cast. I’m now a member of our local guild and we’re lucky to have good resources and the space to use them. We learn from each other and some attend National Summer School. I still feel  I’m a relative beginner so I look forward to gaining confidence and different ideas from Jane’s teaching. My daughter and family live in Vancouver and I hope to visit in the summer.

 

 

 

 

 

[Ginette]

Hi all,

I’ve been weaving for about 8-9  years and truly love the whole process of making cloth.  I love the fact that each thread passes through my fingers and to be able to create fabrics still blows my mind!  I’ve been weaving mostly tea towels in the last couple years.  I seem to be happily stuck doing these 😉  At one of Jane’s workshops a few years back, she said to us students that tea towels were like our canvases and that truly has stuck with me, so I continue to enjoy weaving them and explore colour possibilities and patterns.  I do weave other items, like scarves, baby blankets and shawls but at the moment, working with cottons are my preference!  I live on the West Coast of beautiful British Columbia in the Lower Mainland.

Ginette

[Diana]

Hello

I live in Merritt, BC and have been weaving for about 3 years.  I enjoy learning about weaving, it seams every time I read a book or watch a video I pick up one more thing that helps me to understand this craft a little more.  I also enjoy learning more about the history of weaving….so much to learn.

I weave in the winter months a lot and rarely in the summer as work, gardening and beekeeping keep me busy.  So I am always happy to be snug in the house during the winter because that means I finally get to weave. Yay!

looking so forward to the next set of videos.

[Regina Noble]

Hi everyone, I’m Regina.  I live in Northern Virginia in the US.  I have been weaving for about 4 years (rigid heddle) but have only had my floor loom for about a year or so.  I took a beginning weaving class with Tom Knisely in Pennsylvania – as well as a few other classes – and have really become addicted to weaving over all other fiber activities.  I tend to jump into projects that are sometimes over my head, so my focus this year is to back up a bit and really work on perfecting the basic skills…perfect timing for the online Guild!

[Gail]

Hi, my name is Gail.  I live in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Several of my knitting friends also weave, and I took a weekend beginning weaving class in 2014 to try it out.  I got a Louet Jane table loom about a year ago.  So far I’ve only made a sampler and a scarf on it, but it’s on to dishtowels in 2017.  I’ve been an avid knitter for 40 years (ripple on Ravelry) .  I used to sew, quilt, cross-stitch, needlepoint, and embroider, but gave them all up for more knitting time.  Spinning is another  new-to-me hobby, but it’s not sticking yet.  Weaving is fascinating, and the online guild is a great way for me to learn more.

[Amanda]

My name is Amanda and my interests are… eclectic. True to my ISTJ nature, I get obsessive about something until the next shiny thing comes along. Interests rarely truly die (that category includes sewing reenactment costumes, crochet and drawing) but instead cycle as my interest is recaptured. Therefore I knit very well, spin decently, weave poorly, and am fascinated by but have not made a genuine attempt at bobbin lace. (But I own the accoutrements!)

I am also a language geek with only the time on my hands to devote to one new language at a time. I consider myself passing conversational in French, and I have dabbled briefly in Japanese, Welsh, Dutch and German. Those are my bucket list languages at this point.  Arabic and Russian are somewhere in my future too, I have no doubt. I am a student of computer science and I hope to make a career out of the joint pursuit of language and computer science in the field of natural language processing.

I cannot in all honesty stop there: I also enjoy a small fountain pen hobby, and I consider spoiling my cat to be a hobby as well. My fiancé joins me on this last one in particular — a wonderful man whose favorite socks are handspun, who insisted on wearing a faded handknit sweater to Thanksgiving, and won’t take off his fingerless mitts from December to April.

My loom and partner on this weaving journey is a 30 year old Bergå Ullman 60″ wide, 12 shaft, 14 treadle countermarche that is in a state of functional restoration. She has been sadly neglected over the past decade at least (no information of her original owner, I believe I am the fourth) and it is my intention to see her at work at long last.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by Amanda.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Sandra.

[Cindy]

I’m Cindy and I live in Michigan near Detroit.  I started weaving around 1980 I have been weaving on and off throughout the years and have acquired many looms.  Currently I own a 16 Harness AVL mechanical dobby, a pre-AVL 12 shaft mechanical dobby, an 8 harness baby wolf, a Jane table loom, a 4 harness Norwood loom, a handmade 4 harness counterbalance loom and a 4 harness Cromaine loom made in Heartland Michigan.  I am currently the Vice-President of the Michigan League of Handweavers.  Now that I am retired I have more time to weave and use these many looms.

Hey Sandra, we met on Bonesmart when we both had our knees replaced back in 2015.  Hope you are doing well.

[Martha]

Hello,

I live in Western New York, just south of Buffalo.  I retired a couple of years ago and have begun weaving in earnest!  I took my first weaving course in 1977 (!!!), the life became too busy.  In the 1990’s I began spinning.  I have always been a knitter, so everything seems to just go together for me as far as my love for fibers.  I have finally been able to join a local guild, where I have found great inspiration to get outside of the box and explore.  I’m trying some scarves with painted warps, thick fibers, thin fibers, took a class in deflected doubleweave (which I loved!), and added a 16H Ashford table loom to my collection of tools.  What can I say?  I love it, and I’m so happy to be part of this very diverse group!

Look forward to interacting more in the future

Martha

[Linda Finkelstein]

Hello Everyone!

I’m Linda from Mesa, Arizona since 1984 and from suburban Detroit originally where some family still reside. Joan, I am aware of Heritage Spinning and Weaving… Congrats on both your business and volunteer work!

My interest in weaving has been “consistently episodic” since the mid 1970s. After marriage, Cranbrook was only a couple miles from my home but there were no weaving classes as part of their offerings for the general public. Later, from about 1986 thru 2006, living in Arizona, I became more serious and consistent as a member of the local Mesa and Phoenix weaving guilds but that ended with serious consuming illnesses and debilitation of my better half. Up to that point, I had woven off only fourteen warps in a most inefficient manner and with a  struggling albeit perfectionistic style. I took a number of workshops and read a number of books on various weaving styles but not actually enough about good foundational methods. My style really needs to improve (when my daughter has watched me weave she would marvel at how I could  like doing that which I obviously had such difficulty doing). So now, I appreciate and am excited about Jane’s online guild to review the basics, to learn better methods for everything, to build fine weaving skills, and to increase productivity… happy, happy, joy, joy!

Since my husband’s passing in late May I have reemerged by rejoining the Mesa weaving guild and by taking wonderful Navajo and inkle weaving classes at the Fiber Factory.  My 8 Harness floor loom awaits my full attention having been warped and threaded with a name draft in late 2006 which went on as white linen but now looks fashionably gray, given all the dust…  Self confidence is not yet strong enough to begin weaving off this project but will increase with my exposure to Jane’s instruction.  I am so very pleased to join with each of you as we travel our fiber friendly path!

Linda

[Ewa]

Hello from northern Poland. My name is Ewa (pronounced Eva). I have been weaving for over 20 years, self-taught which means I have probably learnt many “mistakes” which I hope this course will help me to overcome. I have a Louet Spring 4 harness loom and a small Ashford  8 harness looms. I live on an almost self-sufficient small holding and weave mostly in the winter.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by Ewa.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Sandra.

[Geraldine]

Geri Hargreaves from the uk. I am a spinner, weaver, dyer and knitter. Now retired I am reviving my crafting skills after a long lapse due to family and work commitments.  Most of my weaving is with a sectional warp but will definitely be using my warping board for shorter warps from now on. I am lucky enough to have a sister living on Mayne Island near saltspring so hope to one day visit janes studio or if I’m lucky take one of her courses.

[Linda GM]

Another Linda here from north eastern PA. I started weaving in the 70s, mainly self taught, had a big break then jumped back into weaving about 7 years ago. I now have quite a few looms: small hand held, rigid heddle and multi shaft floor looms. I enjoy the whole process of weaving from designing to final product.  In the past few years I have taken some classes at the Mannings and now at Red Stone Glen. Would love to be able to take a class with Jane at her lovely location. There is always more to learn!

[Carolyn]

Hi everyone,

 

I’m Carolyn from Victoria, BC. I’m very new to weaving. I took a beginner’s course, and I’ve made 2 scarves and 2 tea towels 🙂 I have a no-name four-harness floor loom. I am sooo excited to be here!

[Sandra]

Hi back at you, Cindy!  Haven’t seen you on Instagram lately ……….

[Renee]

Hello – my name is Renee and I live in Austin, TX (though a midwestern Michigan girl at heart!).  I am an avid knitter, crocheter and doodler.  After walking away from a stressful career as a derivative trader and moving to TX (marry a Texan and they don’t tell you up front that you will be moving there!) I was introduced to weaving working as the Studio Manager at the beautiful Old Oaks Ranch – now sadly closed.  I acquired a 8 shaft floor room….got rid of our fancy dining room table..and taught myself how to use the loom.  I now take textile classes at the beautiful Southwest School of Art in San Antonio and dabble on my floor loom at home.  I am always looking for help and support and stumbled on the video subscription to JST Textiles.  Just watching the first video I had some oh……moments!  So much to learn!   Nice to meet everyone.

Renee

@thefiberlounge

 

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by Renee.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Sandra.

[Marina Novokshanoff]

Hi my name is Marina, and I’m from Richmond BC (greater Vancouver area). I have been knitting for about 49 years, and almost three years ago I tried weaving, and spinning! I had to retire since work for getting in the way of fibre and granmotherhood!!!!

I am really happy to be here, and looking forward our once a month online guild meeting!

Jane…. looking forward to the May 1st retreat!!!!!! Yeah!

 

[Jill]

Hello Everyone,

My name is Jill Ballam and I live in Sooke on southern Vancouver Island.  I started weaving in 2010 and immersed myself in every weaving magazine and book I could get my hands on.  I am pretty much self taught but managed to join a wonderful weaving guild in Duncan last year and that opened my eyes to loads of possibilities.  I attended Jane’s Natural Dyeing class last July  and will take another course on Colour and Design this year.  She is truly an amazing person and we are all extremely lucky to have access to her newly formed guild. I weave on an eight shaft Louet Spring loom and a twelve shaft Woolhouse loom.  I love all things Indigo, Shibori and Ikat and can’t wait to learn more.  So glad to be among you all!!

[Katherine]

Hi everyone,

My name is Kathy and I’ve been weaving for about 7 years and have a variety of looms in my newly constructed workshop – a little log cabin in my backyard. I also quilt and needlepoint, but weaving is my favourite activity. I love every step of the process. I live in Duncan, which is a short ferry ride from Jane’s studio and have been lucky enough to attend 3 workshops with her. Jane’s easy-going, practical style has been so instrumental in giving me a solid base to build on, and good weaving habits. I always come away with so much excitement for my next project. I am looking forward to many more episodes so I can have Jane in my workshop whenever I need her. See you all here in the months ahead!

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by Katherine.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Sandra.

[Norma OCuilinn]

Hello everyone,

My name is Jean and I live in Alpine, Tx – which is a town in Far West Texas near the Big Bend National park.  I have been weaving off and on for almost 2 years now.  I am absolutely a beginner.  I have been fortunate to attend two workshops with Jane and learned so much.  I bought an 8harness 10treadle Louet Spring loom and am just now starting my second project on it.  A blanket out of Harrisville Shetland wool.

I also knit some, try to spin and fly airplanes.  I’m a flight instructor but have taken a break from instructing lately.

Anyway, it’s very nice to “meet” you all.  I am looking forward to these online classes and I’m sure I’ll have umpteen questions as we go along!  I actually already have two, but will post those in another thread 🙂

Cheers

 

PS : hmmm, don’t know why it says Norma.  Might be from my credit card….

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by Norma OCuilinn.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Sandra.

[Elaine Lewis]

Thanks, Kathleen, for suggesting we introduce ourselves. I have enjoyed reading the short bios that people have provided – what a diverse group we are! My name is Elaine, and I learned to weave in January 2014. I learned to read a draft and was able to follow all sorts of patterns to create fabric – usually very complex 8-shaft, multicoloured, complex treadling patterns. Then last May I took Jane’s Colour and Design workshop! Who knew weaving could be creative and fun? Now I’m on a year-long plain-weave-only journey, and I’m playing with colours, with graphics, with texture, with fibre, with silliness. I discovered the Elaine method for stripes without using alternate colours (a knowledgeable weaver said, “oh, crammed and dents”). OK, so it was invented before, and I probably read about it, but it was still new to me when I discovered it and gave me a “this is way cooooool” moment at the loom.

I loved the first set of videos that Jane posted because of Jane’s creative and often random approach to making them. Want to know how to make the cross – watch video 5, want to count threads – watch video 1 (or was it 2?), and so on with information scattered throughout videos as the ideas came to Jane.  As someone who spent >20 years preparing and delivering lessons, it is liberating and refreshing to see someone teach whatever pops into her head.  I’m looking forward to more.

I’m also looking forward to reading your posts and learning from each of you as we progress through the videos. But right now there are 230 threads of alpaca with a need to be warped.

[Linda]

Hi I am another Linda. I live in Seattle and am a member of the Seattle Guild. I have been weaving for about 30 years!!  Shocking.. I also knit quite a bit. I love fiber and textiles. I usually have an indigo vat in the summer.

I weave rag and wool rugs, towels and some tapestry. I have a Glimakra floor loom and a smaller floor loom.. can’t remember the brand. Plus I have two small tapestry looms. I taught myself to do wedge weave last year. I love it!
I have taken one class from Jane at Maiwa in Vancouver.

[Valerie]

Hi everyone, I’m Val. I’m a shepherd in S.W. Saskatchewan between the Cypress Hill and the National Grasslands Park. I long for more time for my projects: spinning, knitting, weaving, tapestry weaving, quilting, gardening.

As time goes by my spinners flock gets larger and more diverse (lots of fibre is good), but  it really cuts into weaving time. Don’t get me wrong, I love the sheep and can’t envision life without them or their wonderful wool! It’s their coming into my life that put me on the wild and wooly adventures of spinning and weaving! I sell their wool at woolywoolofthewest on Etsy. So with over 500 plus pounds after each shearing, its a full year of work getting it put into the shop and getting ready for the next spring shearing.

Enjoyed Jane’s first lesson and can’t wait until tomorrow when lesson 2 arrives. This is going to be a great refresher course and hopefully I’ll form some new habits and learn to enjoy warping my looms. Every month waiting for the next lesson will be  like a kid’s Christmas! First project will be the cotton boucle tea towels. A big departure from weaving with wool!

[shelley]

Hi, my name is Shelley and I am from Comox, BC on Vancouver Island.   I have been a 3d artist for many years but have done fiber stuff (embroidery, fine crochet etc etc) since a young girl (back when doilies were actually a thing people used!). But clay can only go so far so I have made a jump shift back to the soft stuff.  I love it and feel like I have come home.

I have taken a beginner weaving class, joined the Woodgatherers Guild and acquired a sweet 24″ Leclerc floor loom.  HUGE learning curve (which I love).   Also have taken up knitting again which is another soft joy.

Met some nice ladies and just having a blast. I already have learned so much from lesson one.  Looking forward to number two with great anticipation.

[Liz]

Hi all.  I’m Liz and I live on a small island about a days paddle north of Jane’s island. I’m mostly a spinner but the spinning piles up so I have to find something to do with it.  My knitting is so slow so weaving is a good option.  I wove years ago but I am still a beginner so these videos are very helpful.

It’s amazing to see where everyone is from.  There are so many Americans and even a few from England!  I’m looking forward to learning more and meeting everyone even if it is only online.

Liz

[Jacqueline]

Good Morning from  U.K. 🇬🇧.   Loving Episode One.  I have been weaving for a couple of years and have a Louet Jane 40 and now a Louet David 70 both 8 shafts.  So many little tips which make the whole process so much more successful.  Thank you.

[Gabriele]

Another hello from Europe. My name is Gaby. I am from Germany and I am a newbie in weaving. Two years ago I wove my first two scarves on a rigid heddle loom, which I borrowed from a friend. I liked the result but not my aching shoulder  and decided that I will try a real loom or a workshop. But Germany with all its weaving traditions seams to be a weaving diaspora there be only a handful possibilities to learn and never ever a shop near to see a real loom. I searched through the internet, looked small videos on “you tube” and found ” Jane” and her parts of the video which come with the louet looms.  A wish grow! But it is an amount full of money which is needed to buy a loom without knowing wethter there will be again an aching shoulder. Last year in spring I persuaded my husband to make a little journey to Louet in the Netherlands. .only two hours with the car from where I live and met Jan Louet and his enthusiasm for looms. He explained and showed his looms and I also had the possiblity to see the amazing factory where the looms and wheels are made. I fell in love with the spring and decided to save a little more money ((-: But lucky me another spinning friend renovated her house and she lent me her 4 shaft counternarsh loom. So I had six great months to play and a wishlist for father chrismas. How perfect that the online guild started in January and I have the chance to learn. I enjoy the first episode and all the comments here and I am counting the hours to the nextepisodes..

please forgive my not so correct english.. I give my very best ((-:

Who wants to see more from my textiles hobbies can have a little look at my blog

http://salsabilseigensinn.blogspot.de/

[Nina Kennedy]

Hi

My name is Nina and I live in Indianapolis, Indiana. I have been weaving “on and off” for about 30 years and with each year I feel there is still so much more to learn. I am fortunate in that there are actually a couple of weaving/fiber shops in this area and that I belong to an active weaving guild, Weaving Indiana. I have also been able to attend Convergence a couple of times and the Midwest Weavers Conference  a few times (which is being held here in Indianapolis this year – Yay!). I would love to attend one of Jane’s workshops some day but in the meantime I am so glad she is providing these online courses. I loved the first lesson and am online this morning waiting for the 2nd lesson to post!

I have a Louet Hollandia loom and a David loom and have been dabbling into tapestry so just bought a little Mirrix tapestry loom. (What can I say – I am a loom enthusiast).

It is nice to be able to meet everyone on this online forum!

[Jurate]

Hey Hello Friends; My name is Jurate and I live on a remote lake in the boreal forest of Northwestern Ontario, Canada. I retired early from a happy career as an exploration geologist and live the snowbird lifestyle. Winters are spent in the Hill Country of Texas. I have been knitting for a long time and only in retirement have started to pursue spinning, weaving and fibre prep seriously.

Between my two studios I own three large floor looms: Harrisville Rug Loom ( v. countermarche with shaft switching) ; Leclerc Nilus II ( jack)  and Leclerc Colonial ( set up for counterbalance). I enjoy learning the differences between the three types of looms. I also have inkle and belt looms, rigid heddle looms and a pile of frame looms suitable for bead weaving.

I run a guild in Texas where I teach knitting and spinning every two weeks. It is a labour of love and it helps me to learn as well. I am going to introduce weaving soon, but since we do not have a dedicated room, I cannot really get into anything requiring storage.

I am looking forward to making friends and learning along the way. Cheers

[Karen]

Hi everyone, I’m Karen from Washington State. I belong to the Desert Fiber Guild and have be weaving for about 4 years. I have really enjoyed your lessons so much and look forward to the next months. Thank you so much for forming this online guild.

[Jessica]

Hello!

I am Jessica/Jekka, currently living in Charlottesville, VA.  I have an 8 shaft Mighty Wolf that I acquired maybe 12 years ago, and took a week-long workshop at Webs when I acquired it (I lived in the Boston area then).  So far I’ve only been using 4 shafts.  I’ve been weaving longer on rigid heddle looms and learned to spin about 25 years ago, when I lived in Berkeley.  I also knit. crochet, sew, and know how to make Idrija bobbin lace.  I am in the process of reacquainting myself with my loom, as I lived in China for 4 1/2 years, where I built myself an inkle loom from PVC and did some backstrap weaving to deal with missing my loom (I had spindles and an electric spinner, so spinning was easier).  I am looking forward to trying Jane’s techniques; I love where she puts the raddle.

[Jani]

Hi Everybody

My name is Jani (I think the system is going to pick up my legal name from my credit card, Neola) my Ravelry name is Janientrelac and I blog at Knitting behind your back.

I live in Calgary Alberta and belong to the http://www.heritageweaversandspinners.org/   Knitter and crocheter for 40 some years, spinner for 10 and I swore that that was enough crafts.  That didn’t last, now the proud owner of a Leclerc and a Flip Rigid Heddle.

Jane is a wonderful teacher in person but it is great to have the videos that I can watch over and over.

Jani

[Martha]

Hi! I’m Marti (Tamarz on Ravelry). I live right outside Washington, DC (no jokes please! It’s not our fault and we are truly suffering around here. You folks in Canada are so lucky!).

I started weaving in 1991 and had a Mighty Wolf and later acquired a 24 shaft Louet Magic Dobby. Was totally enthralled with it. But then  I  stopped weaving for about 10 years when we adopted our youngest daughter.

Started up again about 4 years ago and felt like a total beginner. I found my taste in weaving had changed over that time and when I tried to weave on the Magic Dobby, all the planning and using PC Fiberworks to figure out complex designs seemed like a chore instead of the fun it used to be. So I’ve gone in the opposite direction — bought a 4 harness Saori loom and have sold my Magic Dobby in order to buy a used 8 shaft countermarche loom (Oxaback Lilla). My daughter and I are off to pick it up next weekend!

If I love the Lilla (which I expect to), I’ll be selling my Mighty Wolf. It will be painful because I wove so many things on it — it’s full of memories. But I’m excited about my new adventures in weaving — learning all about countermarche looms.  The back to front warping lessons in these videos couldn’t have been better for that! Really enjoyed first 2 lessons and am waiting with anticipation for the 3rd. And wow Jane Stanford seems like a terrific person to learn from. If I weren’t on the other side of the continent I’d sign up for a class. I am saving in hopes of taking the basics class at Vavstuga summer after next but we have to align it with kids’ vacations and my youngest starting college (OMG!)

[Nancy]

Hi I’m Nancy, I live in New Hampshire.  I learned to weave 20 years ago, wove for a couple of years and then dropped it.  The family was very young and I didn’t have the time to focus on it, and instead spun and knit.  I sold off all my weaving equipment a couple of years ago and regretted it.  Last summer I purchased a used 4 shaft 40″ macomber and love it.  I have so much handspun yarn one of my goals in weaving is to weave up my large stash.  I am still a beginner and signed up for Jane’s class as a refresher.

[Gail]

Hi,

My name is Gail and I have been weaving for about 16 years. For the last couple of years I have been ‘coaching’ an open studio at the Art Studio operated by New Castle County in Delaware.  The county studio has a number of Leclec and Macomber looms, a Union rug loom, a number of table looms and I sometimes bring some rigid heddle looms from home if a weaver is interested in trying it. The program used to run as a regular class but we weren’t getting any students signing up, so we changed to the open studio and now students only pay for the sessions they attend.  Some days we have 2 weavers and somes days there are 12 weavers working! Some of the weavers who have been participating for a couple of years are very accomplished and some are brand new to weaving.  I help to get the new weavers started on a project and coach them through all the steps, help solve problems and lend an extra hand when that’s what is needed. I also try to keep all the looms in good working order. It can get pretty chaotic when the studio is full and many people are at different stages of their projects. We have a great group of regulars who pitch in with advice, ideas and help (Thanks, Bob!)  I’m particularly happy about the diverse, welcoming, supportive, friendly community that’s developed in the studio.

[Deborah]

Hi everyone!  My name is Debbie.  I live both in Vancouver and Washington DC and pinch myself everyday to think that I live in two such great cities.  I started weaving in the 1970’s and learn through a correspondence course that was mailed to me every three month over a four year period.  Then life happened and I’ve been moving my wheel and loom around with me for the past 35+ years, sadly storing them in a closet – unused.  My husband recently surprised me with a beautiful Delta 16H loom which is waiting for renovations on our studio to be finished, in order to have room for set up.  In the meantime, I am back at spinning and am really loving what I am producing.  I can’t wait to see what it will be when I get the loom working.  Jane’s online guild is perfect for me and the timing couldn’t have been better. I am learning so much and am anxious to put it into practice. I also do stained glass mosaics, cross stitch, sew, cook/bake and will wait until my retirement, later this year, to (re)start painting, fly tying, basket weaving, and travel.

[Alison]

Hello from Australia. My name is Alison and I actually live 2 hours south of Sydney in the lovely seaside village of Kiama. I am the current secretary of the Berry Spinners and Weavers Guild (an affiliate of the New South Wales Handweavers & Spinners Guild).

I first discovered a rather large floor loom in the ‘textile arts’ department at the Melbourne College of Textiles, where I was studying fashion design at the time in the mid 1980’s. Of course, I had a play but really couldn’t fit a loom into my life (and home) until now. I’ve been weaving seriously for five years and own a Glimåkra 8 shaft floor loom, an Ashford 8 shaft table loom and a Louet 8 shaft Jane that I use for samples and Guild meetings/workshops. I have done a couple of classes with Liz Calnan and Kay Faulkner here in Australia. I have always crafted with textiles from when my Nanna taught me around the age of eight.

I am most interested in geometric designs, bold colours and household furnishings. I also have a website dedicated to the weaving designs and techniques of the Republic of Macedonia. You’ll find more about me at <www.macedonian-weaving.com>

[Leslie]

Hi my name is Leslie and I live in Port Colborne, Ontario which is located at the the southern end of the Welland Canal between Lakes Ontario and Erie.  Twenty minutes from Niagara Falls and the US border.  I’m fairly new to weaving on floor looms, but have tinkered all my life with weaving on cardboard looms, and knitting/weaving boards.

Got so much out of the first two episodes that I can’t stop making warps.  Wish I was one of those people who only needed 4 hours sleep so that I could play with my toys 20 hours a day.

[Kathleen McDonald]

Hi Leslie – because I used to live in Niagara on the Lake, I know exactly where Pt. Colborne is!  My father was a marine engineer and we used to to be everywhere along the Welland Canal from Lock 1 in Pt Weller to Lock 8 !  So nice to hear about the old neighbourhood again 🙂

Kathleen

[Jeanne]

Hi everyone! I recognize a bunch of you from Ravelry!  I’m Jeanne, an almost 62 year old, early retired lady from a south Denver suburb. I have a gorgeous, older Schacht jack loom, about 1982, that I found on consigment for $1,000. I cleaned her up (didn’t take much) and taught myself how to weave with videos.

 

I’ve found Jane’s form of teaching, informative, and sometimes silly, the way I love to learn.

See all y’all back here in April, ‘eh? 👍

[Sandra]

My name is Sandy and I am a relatively new weaver.  Having started on a rigid heddle loom last year,  this year I jumped in with both feet and bought a saori loom.  Wove with just the 2 shafts for a couple of months on pre-wound warps and just love the freedom of going with the flow.  I’ve now installed another 2 shafts so am now swimming over my head in threads!

I’m very lucky to live in Victoria BC, just a short ferry ride away from both Jane and my saori teacher Terri on Saltspring Island. Since I live in a condo, my living room is my studio – good thing I live on my own – as it now looks like a weaving studio as I seem to be collecting yarn.

Looking forward to all the tips and techniques!  Happy weaving 🙂

 

 

 

[Alastair]

Hi to everyone. My name is Alastair and I’ve just started working with Jane. I’m a computer-y person and I’ll attempt to answer any technical questions you may have about the website, the Guild and the lovely videos – be gentle with me! I live on Salt Spring Island, BC where I witness at firsthand the feverish energy of Jane.

[Karen]

Hello, everyone!  I’m Karen from Florence, South Carolina.  When I was a little girl, my great aunt Hazel had a barn loom in her front room in West Virginia.  I remember standing by her elbow, watching her weave, and yearning to do it, too.  She made my parents two rag rugs as a wedding present in 1942 and I am still using them

When I retired from teaching, I vowed to learn to weave and a trip to Maryland Sheep and Wool resulted in a rigid heddle loom that I worked on for a year before buying a Schacht 4×4   36″ floor loom after taking a two day class at The Woolery.  I read Chandler’s book three times (with highlighter and sticky notes) before the loom arrived and taught myself to weave!  After two years with four shafts, I bought the conversion kit to eight shafts last year.

I was lucky enough to win a class at John C Campbell Folk Art School and spent a week with Melissa Weaver Dunning, weaving my family tartan  (McLaughlin).  I didn’t know a soul who wove, so I diligently read and watched every video I could find to learn what I could. A year ago, through Ravelry, I located three other weavers in South Carolina and we started the Carolina Weavers and Spinners Guild.  I’ve learned much from these wonderful ladies (we now have around 25 members) and recognize many of you from Ravelry.

[Maureen Janda]

Hi, I’m Maureen – mljan on Ravelry – and I’ve really enjoyed reading all the introductions. What a variety of backgrounds and a wealth of weaving experience in the guild. I’m a beginner, teaching myself with help from Deborah Chandler’s book and Youtube videos until this guild started. I have a 12″ and a 28″ Ashford Knitters loom, but I’ve put the 28″ RH loom up for sale on Ravelry to get some cash for a floor loom, hopefully soon. I grew up in Illinois, earned a degree in Speech and English, with an emphasis in 17th century English lit, expecting to be a teacher, but I ended up in California as a beginning assembly language programmer working in aerospace when man walked on the moon. I’m retired and live with my husband in sunny Huntington Beach, California. I knit some, dye some, and spin daily.

[Ashlee Bixby]

Hi everyone! I am so excited to find this group! My name is Ashlee and I’m a beginner. I live in Houston Texas. I’m looking forward to learning alongside and from you all and can’t wait to build confidence in dressing my loom by myself.  Can’t wait to get to know you all 🙂

[Ed Chapman]

Hello!

I’m in Washington, DC and new to weaving. I’m also a 53 year old guy…. so the minority status is pretty evident . Having been inspired by a piece of cardboard and some yarn back in 4th grade, and worked my way through the basics thanks to Youtube videos and a Kromski rigid heddle loom, I moved up to an Ashford 8 table loom last summer.   I’ve woven everything from overshot runners to wool bedspreads in between warps of tea towels. I am saving up for a Louet Spring or David, but still can’t decide which one.

My issue is space, so I kinda seethe when I read about studios….The luxury! In any case, I’m inspired by Jane’s public videos and joined this online group to take advantage of her expertise via the more structured series of videos… and look forward to watching them all, notebook in hand.

 

 

[Sue Barker]

Hi all, I’m Sue (breadwoman on Ravelry), pretty much a beginning weaver, being primarily a spinner.  I started with a rigid heddle loom last year and graduated to an 8-shaft Mighty Wolf a couple of months ago. I’m still on my first post-sampling project and look forward to learning along with the rest of you!

[Ettabb]

Hello everyone! I’m Joanne and have just joined the Online Guild. I live in Kitchener, Ontario, about an hour from Toronto. I learned to weave about 20 years ago, bought a nice floor loom and wove for a few years but stopped, mainly because projects kept turning out ugly or stiff. Last year I decided I wanted to weave again, bought a used rigid heddle loom to see if I’d like it, and was hooked. I now mostly weave on my 8 shaft Ashford table loom, which is perfect for my tiny weaving space.

I still consider myself a beginner since I make new mistakes and learn new things with every project. I’m trying to focus more on understanding the technical aspects of weaving and yarn, and have learned a lot about why some of my projects didn’t work in my former weaving life. I’m really looking forward to this year’s guild focus on design though, since I’m somewhat cautious and need a push to try some different things.

[Nancy]

Hi Everyone!

My name is Nancy and I’m a beginner weaver. I started with the Ashford rigid heddle loom about two years ago to be sure I would even like weaving. A year later and I’ve graduated to an Ashford table loom (it was fun to dig out the pieces in the box and put it altogether; it helped to understand what all the pieces are for when it’s put together) – I guess I like weaving, hee hee.

I’ve been weaving on 4 shafts so far, and would like to get in there and experience the other four shafts and take it to 8. Funny thing though is that warping hasn’t been much of an issue up until recently. Still tweaking how I wind my warp. Must just be practice, practice, practice. I actually stand when I’m weaving. I have a nice cushy floor mat to stand on. I do see a chair in the future.

If anyone has any creative suggestions (Joanne, Ed, Alison – to name a few on this forum with an Ashford) in winding a warp on this table loom, pass it on. I know Ashford had a different way of winding on the warp for the rigid heddle loom. I’m tempted to try this method again on the table loom. I was surprised to see others using an Ashford – all three of you on the first page of this forum – nice to e-meet you.

I live in Cochrane, Alberta – a town I wanted to live in for years. It’s about 20 minutes west of Calgary. I have two energetic grand boys, ages 5 and 6 – what was my daughter thinking. 🙂

Happy to be here and finally take in all of Jane’s weaving wisdom. Hopefully one day we can all gather together for a face-to-face, week long guild weaving jam!

[Ettabb]

It’s good to meet you Nancy!

I love my Ashford table loom–it’s perfect for my needs. I have been warping the way the nice Ashford lady on Youtube recommends, with the raddle at the back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVjOF4cfc-Y. If you do this, I do find it’s helpful to wind a cross on both ends of your warp as she suggests. Generally this has worked well for me (any problems have been because of my mistakes, not the method!).

Now I’m interested in trying with the raddle on the castle, as Jane shows. I have a brand new Louet Erica table loom that has a built-in raddle there, and had no clue what to do with it until I saw Jane’s warping video. I’ve just started with last season’s episodes and found the ones on warping very helpful.

[Alison]

Hi Nancy,

And welcome! I must say that when I discovered how to warp the loom Jane’s way (with the raddle on the top of the castle), I never looked back. What could be easier and with such accuracy. Since the ‘Introductory’ post I have purchased a Louet Spring and just love it. The Ashford has gone to a good home. The only other way I warp is when doing a mohair blanky or cloth and, even then, I use Jane’s method (which is the Scandinavian method).

Trust you’ll enjoy this site.

Happy weaving,

Alison🌺

[Ginette]

**Bump**  🙂

[Ed Chapman]

Hello everyone, Ed here. I am a new weaver (3-4 years) and recently bought a floor loom from Jane and love it! Started out on a rigid heddle and a table loom. I live in Washington DC. I taught myself to weave watching Youtube videos- and joined Jane’s site because she’s, well, Jane Stafford! I didn’t realize until I reached my 50’s that I was a lifelong repressed weaver.

I read Handwoven magazine and subscribe to Heddlecraft. I recently subscribed to a British magazine about weaving but the title of it escapes me.  I also buy weaving books when I find them in used bookstores. I am really interested in design and theory stuff, and enjoy noodling around with Fiberworks.

Currently working on my first double weave twill wool blanket.

[Elaine]

Hello to all.

I am Elaine, from Prince Edward Island, but living in Nova Scotia.   A new weaver,  I have always lived for fibre and fabric, I’ve spent lots of time with sewing machines and fabric, now my aim is to produce some thing, anything that I can cut up into bits and pieces for some sewing projects that interest me.  Hopefully my fabric will be sewable – right now I am stuck in dish towel mode, and unimaginably stuck.   So excited by this second season, already inspired to change-it-up a bit, and have just wound my first non-cotton warp on an old NilusII.  I am trying to school myself to be patient for upcoming episodes…  can’t wait till tomorrow….

[Janet]

Hello to all.

My name is Jan and I have woven for 20 years.  I live in Cranbrook, B. C. from April till October where I have two jack floor looms (and an Inkle loom).

Many years ago I took a twill workshop by Jane and still use the huge binder of information from time to time, it is actually kind of falling apart now.

I weave at least 5 days each week when in Canada. I live in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico November till April.  I do not have a loom in Mexico, however during these months I plan my projects.  Now that I have joined this Guild I’m very much enjoying watching the videos and compiling a binder an am looking forward to future videos.

[amanda.underwood3]

Hi,

I’m Amanda, from the US but living in the UK. I started on an RH about 2.5 years ago and knew that day I wanted to weave. Now I have a Kromski RH 32”, a Louet Kombo, an inkle, and my daughter has her own Harrisville EasyWeave. I had been taking classes from the local guild and joined a weaving group in the US but the guild here is a bit of a hike so I’m really happy to have heard about this one. I’m still very much a beginner weaver as life and illness have interfered but feel like I might be back on track. 😁

[sharikalb]

Hi, my name is Shari (rhymes with Sari). I live in southern Oregon. I have been weaving on a RH loom for about 2 years and just got a baby wolf 4now 4 later loom. I did a couple samplers and realize now after watching some beginning sessions here that I have been doing everything “wrong.” I am so thankful to have found this online guild! I have been spinning my own yarns since about 1985 and I dye fiber for my Etsy and Fibercrafty shops as well as contributing to the Spinning Box by Camaj fiber arts. I have bins and bins of yarn and the next obvious step was to weave with them since I can’t knit that much anymore.  Two local yarn stores carry my hand dyed yarns, which I dye in a palindrome way. This guild feels very supportive and I am looking forward to learning.

[Alison]

Hi Shari, and welcome. It’s nice to have you on board. And I’ll be checking out your Etsy page. The palindrome dyeing sounds interesting.

Ali from Australia. 🐨

[sharikalb]

Thanks Ali for the warm welcome. I only have dyed fiber on Etsy, but you can see my yarns at shariarts.fibercrafty.com

[tammy.swagel]

Hi, my name is Tammy and I live in beautiful rural Southwestern Wisconsin.  I started weaving on a RH loom a year ago.  I found a Harrisville 4S/4T loom a couple of months ago and love it…now to advance beyond twill…

[Deborah Cannatella]

Hi everyone… I’m Debbie and I live in northern Kentucky outside of Cincinnati.  But I’m originally from south Louisiana.  I’m a professional watercolorist but started weaving (seriously) about a year ago after playing at it for five years.  I have two floor looms… a 36″ Harrisville 4/4 treadles and a Baby Wolf 8/10 treadles. I’ve done a scarf or two and a couple of shawls… all with a few mistakes.  But this guild has helped me to learn shortcuts and the right way to do things, rather than the self-taught method I was going for.  This year  I have been weaving towels, so I’m excited about the color and weave workshop I’m doing on line.

[Vivian Hsu]

Hi everyone, I’m Vivian from Nova Scotia. I’m fairly new to weaving, and I love this online guild. Books are wonderful, but I love it that when I watch a guild episode, it feels like Jane is talking directly to me, and it’s so valuable to see her handle her fabrics and weaving samples, to see how they drape and behave. I’m weaving on a table loom, and have fantasies of someday getting a nice substantial floor loom. I’m also on Ravelry as hsuv and Instagram as whatvivdoes.

[Sandra]

Great idea, Kathleen. I see you have written a mini bio under your profile where Guild members can find out a bit about you. I’ve done that as well and the following is what I’ve written about myself.

I’ve been weaving for over 20 years but only started to feel confident and creative as a weaver after Jane Stafford came into my life! I have an 8 shaft Louet David loom as well as a Woolhouse 12 shaft table loom. I love dyeing, knitting and reading about textiles around the world. My Ravelry name is Fibrelady and I’m Warpnweft as moderator for the JST Ravelry Group. I live in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by Sandra.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Sandra.

[Rita]

Hi, My name is Rita McLaughlin and I am from Massachusetts. I am a beginner weaver. I am hoping to learn techniques to warp and dress my loom.

I am a handspinner and dabble in crochet, needle knitting (lots less) and loom knitting. I can remember visiting Old Sturbridge Village as a grade student, and watching the women weave. I have always wanted to learn.

in the early 1990’s, I took a handspinning class at Slater Mill in Pawtucket, and I have never looked back.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Sandra.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by Alastair.

[Kathleen McDonald]

Hi Rita – what process did you use to upload your photo to your profile picture? Thanks.

[Rita]

sorry, Kathleen, I haven’t been keeping up with comments.  I think I just went to My Account/Dashboard/Profile here – what ever it is called. and there was a way to browse my PC for a photo. I have several avatars set up already, so I picked on.

[Joan]

I’m Joan and I hail from southeast Michigan, USA. I learned to weave and spin in 1999. Opened a brick and mortar store in 2000 (Heritage Spinning and Weaving) and haven’t looked back. I’ve been to Jane’s three times for classes and once to become one of the first Louet Certified Dealers. I teach weaving in my shop and in our region at festivals and conferences. I enjoy all parts of weaving, just wish I had more time. My special weaving interests are historical and Norwegian weaving — one of these days I will make the overshot coverlet of my dreams. I also am a bit passionate about inkle weaving. In my “Spare Time,” I am a volunteer “Textile Specialist” at The Henry Ford Museum in the Textile Conservation lab. I have been going there one day a week for over four years and love the work and the honor of helping preserve our history.

[Gabriele]

Great!

 

[Jane]

Isn’t it amazing Gabrielle…..I couldn’t believe it when I saw the map.  So cool that weavers all over the world are united through this little endeavour.

[Sandra]

Yay! I wish we had a “love” button to click…

[Jane]

I wish we did too.  We have to grow a lot more before we can afford that kind of programming.   But maybe someday 🙂

[Alison]

Yaaaay! Great to see littl’ ol’ Australia and New Zealand on the map!

 

Sending my love button from Oz,

💚

Alison

[Kathy]

Awesome!! Sending my love button too from Michigan, USA!! Congratulations Jane!! ❤️

[Martha]

Happy to be participating from Western New York!

[Leslie]

Maria, where in western NY? I’m just across the river in Niagara, Ontario.

[Martha]

Hi Leslie – I’m in WNY, living south of Hamburg on Lake Erie!

[Sue]

Hi guys

I live in Trail BC Canada

[Diana]

I am from Merritt, BC. Is there anyone from Scotland? I am coming your way on the 5th of May and would love to know about anything weaving and wool (oh and beekeeping) that I should not miss while I am there

[Dianne Tyree]

Southern, New Hampshire, walking distance to Massachusetts.

[Karen]

So nice to meet y’all from South Carolina!

• This reply was modified 6 years, 4 months ago by Karen.

[Marguerite Mousseau]

This is sooo cool!  I live in Vancouver, BC and it’s wonderful to see that there are people from all over the world in this space that Jane has created! Marguerite

 

[Maria Horvath]

Shuttling in from Northeast Ohio.  Absolutely love the Online Guild – joined today!  Thank you Jane.. purchased a vintage Kombo over the weekend to join my very old & dear Fanny.

[JAN]

Wonderful! Several of us in the Foothill Fibers Guild in the Gold Rush country of Northern California, US, have joined and are loving your videos, Jane. Looking forward to being in your C&D class in August!

[Jane]

Hi Jan,
The map just lumps all the Canadians and Americans in one big lump in the middle of the country. Maybe someday we’ll have a more sophisticated map that shows where we all live in our countries. Pretty hard to get a map of the world into one little rectangle 🙂
I am so glad you are enjoying the videos.
Cheers,
Jane

[Valerie]

I’m on a sheep ranch in south west Saskatchewan, Canada. Love the visual of the map! In my minds eye, I see warp and weft connecting the dots. You’ve spun a global web Jane!

[Elizabeth Crawley]

I am in greater downtown Bush, Louisiana….LOL  I actually live in SE Louisiana, in the country.  Bush is a VERY small town that happens to be our postal code.

[Grace]

I am a short ferry ride away from Jane in Duncan, BC where the sun is shining and it’s too nice to finish warping my loom. It’s nice to see where everyone is from.

[Robin Nixon]

I am in Okotoks, southern Alberta.

[Donna]

Viewing from Las Vegas, New Mexico, the original Las Vegas!

 

[nc345]

I’m in San Francisco!

 

[Kathryn]

Hi, I’m from Flushing Michigan

[kathleen ready]

I live in Victoria B.C. ,a short ferry ride  ⛴ to Jane’s home. I have been to a few workshops, love meeting other weavers and love coming home to practice what I learned.

[Terry Lynn Carefoot]

Hi everyone I live in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan Canada

Terry Lynn Carefoot

[JoAnn MacCready]

I live the southwestern corner of New Brunswick, on an old farm in a community called Mayfield.

[Carolyn Jones]

I live in Northern California near Mount Shasta. Really loved the first two sections. Looking forward to more!

[Robin]

Kingman, AZ

[Shirley]

Collombatti,

New SouthWales

Australia

[Wendy Knudson]

Prince George, BC

[Jean]

Central Texas.  Smack dab between Austin and Waco.

[Teresa]

Greetings from Sequim, Washington!

[Diane]

Eugene, Oregon

[Mary Macmillan]

Aloha! from Mililani, pretty close to the middle of Oahu Island in Hawaii. Been weaving 20yr but learning a LOT!

[Fran]

Hi,  I’m from Calgary, as well.   Are you ordering yarn, and could combine for shipping?

cheers.    Fran

[Elizabeth]

I’m from Calgary, Alberta, and I’m loving the videos. Thanks!

[MAry Lawver]

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

[Elizabeth]

Greetings from Chicago. I am so enjoying the videos and have just discovered the forum.

[Sue Barker]

Greetings from near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!

[Lynn Hicks]

Olympia, Washington

 

[Lynn Hicks]

Wondering how to upload photos to our profile page?

 

[Alastair]

Hi Lynn,

you can upload a profile photo via http://en.gravatar.com/.

Click on the “Sign In” button and you’ll be able to create an account.

Make sure to use the same email address that you use on the Online Guild forums.

Once you’ve uploaded a photo onto Gravatar then it will magically appear on the Online Guild forums! 🙂

[Jane]

I don’t know how to do this either, but I’ll get Alastair our wonder tech guy to make a post on it when he is in on Tuesday 🙂

[Barbara]

Tucson, Arizona

[Bonnie Bliss]

Hi!  Weaving happily in Santa Fe, New Mexico

 

[Chrysalis]

Just across the pond in Port Angeles, Washington.

[Pat]

Walterville, Oregon

[Arlene]

I live in Marwayne, AB, Canada. I am loving the online guild, so much to learn.

[Linda Healey]

I live in Kennebunk, Maine–

[Anne Littlebird]

I am from Louisville KY. I have been weaving for 30 years but I have picked up so many valuable tips from the Guild. Love it!

[Caroline]

I live in Esquimalt.  It is beside Victoria.  I live very near to Jane but this is the best.  I can listen and watch when I have time and energy.  Jane was at ANWG in Victoria this year.  She suggested we comment and support each other .  So true.  All the best of the summer to everyone.

[Karen]

Macomb, Michigan

[Carol]

Manchester, Vermont

[Ed Chapman]

Greetings from Capitol Hill, Washington, DC.

[Claudia Cocco]

Cave Creek, AZ!!!

[Carla Cay]

Terlingua, TX

[Ellen Black]

Hi,  I am right north of Chicago.  So happy I found this guild.  I am a RH weaver, and enjoy triloom weaving. I have a new to me tabletop. Have only warped it once, and ready to give it another go. Ellen

[Pamela Mickelwait]

I live in Anacortes, WA, a pleasant sail from Salt Spring. I’m loving the guild!

[Brian Hennes]

Portland, Oregon

[Carol]

I’m lucky enough to live very close to Jane, just up the coast on the “big” island (Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, that is). My looms and I live in lovely Qualicum Beach!

Carol D.

[Corinna Hettinger]

West coast of Florida.

[Khabira Wise]

Charlottesville, VA

[Janet]

Hello from Eagle Bay, BC!

[Janet]

Hello from Eagle Bay, BC!

[laurarose]

I am so excited.  I signed up about 2 minutes ago. I haven’t even watched an episode yet, but I love the titles. I live in Eugene, Oregon.  We have a great guild here, but my schedule changed and I can’t go to the meetings.  Anyhow, I like how these start at the very beginning. It’s a very good place to start.  I have been weaving about 4 years and am on my 3rd loom (an 8 shaft Schacht baby wolf). I learn so much from every project.  Mostly about what not to do. Off to watch!

[clair]

I’m in Swanton, Vermont — 8 miles from our Northern Border — strong Canadian connections from attending the University of Western Ontario!

[kunne.dam]

I’m from The Netherlands. I signed up last week. So glad I did!

[Ellen Black]

I am just north of Chicago, Illinois.

[Barbara]

I’m in London, Ontario 🙂

[Catherine]

Hello from a late-comer from Amsterdam, the Netherlands

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Catherine.

[Deborah Cannatella]

Hello from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area!

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by Deborah Cannatella.

[Dori]

I’m near Bellingham, WA. Can’t wait for the 2018 lessons!

[reslynn]

Newbie from Houston, TX! Howdy

[Fran]

Linda,  you’re a great weaver!

[LindaIhle]

Hello! I’m a new member from Kill Devil Hills, NC aka the Outer Banks. I’ve been weaving for several years and look forward to learning more!

[LindaIhle]

Hello! My name is Linda and I’m a new member from Kill Devil Hills, NC aka the Outer Banks. I’ve been weaving for several years and look forward to learning more!

[mageez]

Hi Linda.

I just joined. good to see a familiar face.  I’ve known Jane for years. she’s a great teacher.

Maggie

 

[mageez]

Hi Jane and everyone else.

I’m living in Sn City, Arizona. 80 degrees here and feeling sorry for the weather in the rest of the country.

Maggie

[Kaye]

I’ve been here for a while but haven’t really accessed things.  I’m in the middle of California on the coast – San Jose, CA right in the heart of Silicon Valley and I cheerfully explain at every opportunity how weaving led to computers.

[ynotkayak59]

Recent member from Brodhead Wisconsin!

[JoAnn MacCready]

Hello everyone!  My name is JoAnn. I live in the southwestern corner of New Brunswick on a farm with my hubbie, dogs, cat, assorted animals and a large flock of chickens.  I have two grown sons and  six beautiful grandchildren.  have been a knitter all my life (58).  I have been a spinner for 25 years, and a weaver for nearly that long.  I recently downsized my studio to one four shaft floor loom.  I have MS and it was getting harder to maintain and warp the larger looms.  It was sad, but also liberating not to feel the need to do more and more.  I love many structures and like learning new ways to produce beautiful fabric.  I thoroughly enjoyed last year’s guild and look forward to 2018 and beyond.

[Jan Schumacher]

Hello All,

As an emerging weaver, I joined the guild last week.  Have been weaving for a year on my lovingly used LeClerc Fanny in Sleepy Little Summerland, BC.

Jan

[Jan]

Down under in New Zealand. Loving the group 👏

Jan

[janetc98]

Janet- from Brantford, Ontario, Canada. And I love this On-line Guild. Thank you Jane!!

[Sue]

I was having a trawl through the members to see how many European weavers were on the list. I joined from the UK in January 2017. You seem to have lost my comment and those of several others!! I can’t get beyond page 6!  Those joining between Jan and April 2017 were there last year I’m sure.

[Sandra]

Hi Sue!  I found both of our introductions under a different thread called “Introductions”, which is about to disappear off my iPad onto page 2 of topics.  We haven’t disappeared 😀  I’ll ask Jane’s techie guru on Monday whether or not the two threads can be merged.  Thanks for noticing that!

[Sue]

Ah  yes, I remember ‘introductions’.  It would be great if Alastair could work some of his magic.  Thanks for spending time on my query.

[Barb]

Beautiful Sandpoint, Idaho

[loosingit5457]

Hi everyone! I am a new member to this site, a new weaver and live on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I love the online videos and am learning with each one.

[mageez]

WOW JANE!  sorry I don’t know any one in Antarctica to nudge into joining.

[Ghislaine]

Bonjour, Hi everyone,

I am from Prevost, Quebec, Canada and I am thrilled from all the information that you are providing Jane.

Ghislaine

[Stephanie]

<p style=”text-align: right;”>I joined  January 2017 and have enjoyed receiving these classes every month since.</p>
I’m living in the Sierras in Northern California.

[eafarwell]

Live in Chatham, NJ.  Thank you for sharing your knowledge in such a delightful and fresh way.  It really helps to remember the wealth of information available here. Sooo glad I joined!

[drmairi007]

Hi I’m from a tiny little village called Dunmore on the banks of the River Forth near Stirling in Scotland, UK xxx

 

[Betty.allen]

Hi, I’m from Norman, Oklahoma. Pretty much dead center US. I do love this online guild.  Thank you Jane and everyone involved.  Betty

[maria.nichol]

Hi!

I live in Essex in the UK.  I love the online guild!

Maria

 

[Gerri Barosso]

Hi, I’m Gerri, an ex-pat Chicagoan living in Minnesota. I’ve pretty new to weaving on a multi-shaft loom  after a lot of years on a rigid heddle.  My Spring was delivered on Feb 13. I’ve been stalking this loom for 4 years and am thrilled to have it. I’ve only watched Season 1 Lesson 1 but picked up some good tips already.

Looking forward to being a part of this with all of you!

[kathiehum]

Kathie from Connecticut. This on line guild is wonderful. I’ve learned so much.

[Pat Longworth]

Pat from Woodstock Ontario.  Joined in November.  Did some weaving 30 years ago.  Basically starting again.  Very thankful for Jane’s teaching.

[Suzanne]

Can’t remember if I replied to this thread so sorry if I am repeating…

I’m Suzanne from the east coast of Massachusetts, 25 miles south of Boston.  Loving this Guild as I am a fairly new weaver and have a ton to learn.  Thanks Jane for making this so accessible. 💞

[Susan]

Happily weaving and enjoying this journey in downtown London, Ontario.

[Ellen Black]

Hi,  I am north of Chicago Illinois.  Ellen

[Jacqueline]

Hi, I live in a the lovely seaside town of Dawlish in the county of Devon which is located in the South West of England, United Kingdom 🇬🇧

[tammy.swagel]

New member in Elroy in the beautiful driftless area of southwest Wisconsin

[shulabernard]

I live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and am so enjoying the guild.

[deegrider]

Good morning all,  I live in Montrose, Colorado.

[stephwysocki]

Hello new friends!

I live in a western suburb of Chicago.  As a new weaver, I’m happy to join this wonderful online guild.

Jane’s videos have been keeping me company during my daily train commute to work.  Every day I’m so eager to get home and apply what I learn.

[Karen]

Hi

I’m from the windward side of Oahu in Hawaii. I’m so glad Mary told me about this wonderful opportunity to learn how to weave better. Even though I only joined not quite a month ago, I have watched all the episodes in the first Season at least once already. This is awesome.

[gretankeny]

I am in Nampa Idaho USA.  A friend suggested I join the on-line class. It is so helpful. Really enjoying the fact I can go back and rewatch the sessions. I will watch for different techniques that Jane uses.  The next time I watch I may change my focus.

[ljc93054]

New London Ct

[suzrwin]

Orting, WA, in the shadow of Mt. Rainier–home to the world’s first lahar warning system.

[zamotana13]

Hi, I live in Warsaw, Poland.

[jdmunga]

I am a new weaver in Clarkesville Ga. Learning so much ! Thank you Jane

[Martha]

I’m in Silver Spring, Maryland, just barely north of Washington, D.C.

[mary.dean]

I’m in rural Hackettstown NJ, just joined yesterday, so happy to be here!

[Karen]

I live in Kansas City, Missouri, USA

[sarahwarr]

I live in Cary, North Carolina.

[tculverhouse]

Hi I’m Tina and live in Kislingbury Northamptonshire UK

[carmen.budan]

Hi,

I live near Stuttgart, Germany. And I m so glad I joined.`You are wonderful, Jane! Your lessons are so clear,  so easy understandable and so inspiring

[grindle.barbara]

Enjoying your Online Guild so much from Troy, Idaho!!

[mcgaheyla]

I live and weave in Simpsonville, South Carolina

 

[James]

Dela-Where!

But will relocate to Colorado within a year or so. Looking forward to the move away from East Coast and into the SW again!

 

[sofsthun]

Greetings from Kennewick, Washington.

[Jacquie]

Living and weaving in the great Southwest! Tucson, Arizona🌵🌵🌵

[Karen]

Hi, from West Richland, WA.

[kobylkat]

Northeast Ohio.

[heidi]

Seattle, WA

[Jodi]

Walled Lake, Michigan (near Detroit)

[Fleurdelys]

elys from vancouver…this online guild is the next best thing to jane’s retreat…thank you, jane -:)

[otellie]

Hello All.  I have  just joined this AWESOME guild a few days ago. I AM in Love. This is one of the better things I have  done for myself.

thank you very much for doing this for all of us who saw a good thing in this guild. On line is super.  Great way to learn.

I am from Nova Scotia, just outside of Dartmouth. Thank you so much Jane!!! Bless you.

 

 

[lrusczek]

Hi I’m Linda and live in Middletown, CT.  I’ve been rigid heddling for a couple of years but recently decided as a retirement present to myself to buy a put-it-together yourself kit for a Harrisville 36″ 8 shaft floor loom.  I managed to assemble it ( from I swear 500+ pieces) after which I was happy to find that it indeed works and has survived my first two simple projects.  So I’m new to floor loom weaving and hoping to “learn it right” from the start before bad habits from lack of knowledge set in.

[alancaster.lancaster]

Hey, Jane.

I am Annie, living in the great state of Texas near Houston. As of yesterday, I became the proud owner of my first multi shaft loom, the Louet Erica. After  two plus years of Rigid Heddle weaving, I am in need of lots of help. Thank you for creating this workshop and sharing your knowledge.

[Penny]

Hello I’m Penny and I live in Cornwall in the UK. Newish to weaving and eager to learn! This guild is right up my street!

[carol1855wlr]

Greetings from Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Lancaster County, PA  I started weaving on a rigid heddle loom several years ago and just recently bought a LeClerc Dorothy Table loom, 4 shaft.  This Guild has been a god send!  Many thanks to Jane for making it possible!  I’ve watched the first three sessions and learned so much and just in time to break bad habits before they become ingrained.

[KateMuniz]

Hi, I am Kate from Colorado Springs, CO. I have been weaving for 4-5 years, and feel like I am still fumbling sometimes.  Just watching Episode 1.1 has helped me with some techniques I have been doing wrong. Looking forward to catching up!

[sjgriebling]

Hi, I am Sue and from Cincinnati, OH. I just have one loom – a Norwood that was given to me. I started weaving about 40 years ago, then had a pause until 6 years ago. I am enjoying taking it up again. I love the videos and even though I have taken a few classes, I am learning new ways to do things. I just joined (October, 2018) and decided to just start at the first class and work my way forward. Like most of you I also knit and spin.

[Pat Morrell]

Hello to all.  I’m Pat and live in the North West of England.  I love crafts and enjoy different kinds but came across weaving only a couple of years ago and fell in love.  I’m still working but devote as much free time to my beloved crafts.  I have an 8 Shaft Ashford table loom which will in a month’s time be replaced by a 4 harness Saori loom as I need a floor loom that is very light and portable.  I have learnt so much since joining this Guild even though I have pored over weaving videos from Interweave, Craftsy, Youtube and books/magazines.  Just the first episode on how to wind a warp was an “ah ha” moment. I have a sample of Jennifer Moore’s double weave on the loom at this time but I’m itching to warp up Jane’s way and get to work on a colour plain weave just to “do things the right way”.  I’m very excited to have found this Guild and thank you Jane for your wonderful videos and clear yet fun instruction and teaching style.  Loving the whole experience and will be telling my local Spinners Weavers and Dyers Guild about this site (that’s if they don’t already know about it!!).

• This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by Pat Morrell.

[cshortcake]

Hi all, my name is Carol and I live in Woodbury ,Mn.  I am so glad that I found this online guild.  I have been weaving for about six years and I have learned so much from the videos.  Thank you so much Jane for making this available to all of us!!

[greytsilkdesign]

Hello! My name is Diane and I have been lurking for a few weeks  I took my first weaving class before I left college 40+ years ago but did not return to it until about 8 years ago  I own two Jack looms and a counterbalance loom  I enjoy spinning wool and often dye it during the summer months.

This guild has helped my fine tune some of my skills and has sparked my creativity! BTW, I spend half the year in the Finger Lakes region of NY, the other half in Florida, about an hour north of Tampa.

Many thanks for this guild, Jane–you are the best!

 

[dboblock]

Hi. My name is Diane Oblock. I live in northern Utah. I’ve had a Louet Delta for several years and I do love it for being kind to my long legs. I’m returning to weaving in earnest after retiring. I’ve just jumped into the online guild, working my way through the first year episodes, loving the review and relishing the new tips. It is wonderful to find a weaving community online and hoping to discover some new weaving friends living nearby. 💕

[joanldanp]

Hi:  I live in Telkwa, Northwest British Columbia.  I am presently an Ashford Rigid Heddle Knitter’s loom weaver and I’m on the look out for a four or eight shaft floor loom.

[Diana]

Hi Joan

I can see your post.  Welcome. I’m in Merritt

[joanldanp]

Hi: I don’t know if the message I just sent got through – so here it is again. I live in rural Telkwa, in the Northwest of British Columbia. I presently use an Ashford Rigid Heddle Knitter’s Loom and I’m on the lookout for a 4 or 8 shaft floor loom.

[heidi]

Greetings from Seattle WA, I’m Heidi and recently bought a floor loom after weaving with rigid heddles for 1.5 years. Love this online school. I’ve learned so much! Thank you Jane!

[Notalynn]

Hello fellow guildies! I’m from the U.S. and am new to cloth weaving. Today I decided this was the best place to start learning how to use my new table loom. (Sadly, the loom was supposed to arrive today but didn’t. I need more patience.)

I’m currently in free fall down the fiber art rabbit hole. At the beginning of the year I thought spinning looked interesting. So I bought a spindle, and then another, and then another. I liked the spinning but the spindles were hard on my hands so an electric spinner took up residence. Of course, all that yarn needed dyed so suddenly I became a dyer. Then yarn started piling up and my hands hurt too much to crochet so I started considering weaving. At first I thought tapestry looked interesting. However, just a couple inches into my first tapestry sample I saw a video of an oriental rug being woven. My heart flooded with joy and I knew I had to learn that. It’s been a really hard battle to find adequate information on pile rug weaving but I persevered, scoured tons of books, watched dozens and dozens of foreign videos studying every little thing they did, and am finally at a point where I feel confident my first good rugs are just around the corner (which means months in rug weaving time). I’ve worked out all the kinks and techniques except for those the loom is introducing. (FYI thin warping bars and pile rugs do not make good loom fellows.) Anyway, while I adore rug weaving, I have a loom situation to work out and frankly, it can get a little repetitive. Thus, I decided some cloth weaving would be a great way to break up the funk.

My current plan (subject to change as whimsy strikes) is to start by learning to weave towels. Then maybe a shawl from my handspun wool yarn. Then I’d like to learn double weave for a small throw-size blanket. I absolutely want to make one of Jane’s mohair blankets. I’m addicted to fuzz and have no willpower to refuse it. There might even be multiple mohair blankets. Finally, when I feel ready, my end goal is double-weave pickup silk tapestries. The first time I saw this being done, it was just like I felt when I saw the rugs being made (joy, adoration, and some panic at the thought of learning it). However, I simply have to do it. I have dreams of a new living room with light gray walls, white trim, and a minimalist decor with brightly colored, soft, handspun, handwoven wool pile rugs on a new bamboo floor and smooth, shiny, silk tapestries on the walls… A girl has to dream right? 🙂

First towels though, so tonight I began watching Jane’s first episode. Is it just me or has anyone else noticed Jane’s kind of like the Bob Ross of weaving? She’s so calming to listen to and has the funniest idioms. Her saying, “just a little wee fart of a chain,” from episode 1.2 had me in giggles. I’m so happy and excited to be here. Sorry my “hello” was so long. 🙂

[kobylkat]

Hi, I am Kathy from Ohio and sometimes western NC.  I started weaving 11 months ago with a rigid heddle loom and now have, ummmm, 5 floor looms and 2 RH.  Two houses, you see…. (one small vacation cabin.). It is sometimes a struggle as I have a reverse shoulder replacement with limited ROM, wrist arthritis and now knee problems!  But we soldier on, and I will as long as I can.

Love this guild.  Between travelling back and forth I miss most local meetings.

[Notalynn]

Hi Kathy!

7 looms in less than a year! Wow, these things are addicting. 🙂 I’m only halfway through the first project on my table loom and have already warned my husband that I’m on the hunt for a floor loom. I think the table loom will work well for the double-weave tapestries I’d like to do one day, but I’m going to want something else for all other cloth weaving endeavors. Problem is I have lower back and hip problems as well as neurological issues in one leg, so I expect finding a floor loom that is super easy to treadle and comfortable to sit at may be a challenge. Currently, I do all my weaving standing up. Would you recommend any of your floor looms? I imagine knee pain would also require easy treadling.

 

 

 

[mageez]

Notalynn check out a counter marche loom. I used glimakra looms for years. treadling is effortless. looms are quiet. my recommendation.

[Notalynn]

Hmm… I have been eyeballing the Louet Spring. I really like a lot of the Spring’s features, and it’s definitely at the top of my list right now. I was also considering the David, but I’ve read the Spring is easier to treadle. At first my back hurt just thinking about all those tie ups for counter-march looms but then I saw Jane’s video of the Spring and it didn’t look too bad. Not fun, but not horrible. Texsolv for the win! Can anyone with a Spring tell me about how long it takes on average to change up the treadles?

Kind of funny but my husband and I recently agreed to fully remodel our home. I’ve now informed him this plan will no longer work for me as I don’t have enough space in my craft studio for another loom. So now we need a new house. 😀 Dang this hobby is expensive. LOL

 

[Alison]

Hello Notalynn,

I used to have the Glimakra Standard four shaft and wove on that for about four years and did make some beautiful pieces. I was sad to see it go to a new owner. I did consider keeping it just to weave rugs on (with that lovely overhead beater). However, I sold it and bought the Louet Spring for the same reason as you; I was getting too sore getting under and tying up all those treadles. The Spring is easier by far, but still taxing even with the Texsolv. The Spring is a wonderful loom to use and the raddle makes it a dream to beam. I certainly don’t regret my purchase and my weaving has improved immensely. It’s great for us ‘shorties’. If your tall then have a look at the Louet Delta.  Not having to get out of the seat to wind on all the time is another plus with the Spring (and other looms also do that). I’m sure you’ll find the right one for you. Just make sure to try as many as you can.

Regards,

Alison 🌻

[Ettabb]

I also have lower back and hip (and knee) problems, and love my Louet David. It is easy to warp and treadle and the tieup is quick and easy.

I think with your hip issues it would be best to try before you buy if possible since it needs to work for your body…

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by Ettabb.

[hpreece]

Greetings from atlanta, ga…Hope T. here and I have been weaving for 3 years mostly by reading books. I took a couple of craftsy classes and now realize those might have not been such a good idea…Jane’s finishing video alone made me realize this. I don’t live close to a guild so that was all I had until I found Jane’s online guild. I am so thankful she showed me better practices on warping, beaming, threading, sleying and weaving. It has made my weaving so much better…and happier…and more creative…thank you so much Jane for providing this platform! I have a 9 month old and can’t travel to workshops or guild meetings and you allow me a place to hone my skills. Also, I love my schacht standard, but one of your louet looms with texsolv heddles would make, for a quieter house…

 

[Ed Chapman]

Hello! Four year weaver here and proud owner of a Jane-sourced Louet Spring loom. It’s my first floor loom and it has been great to work on. I would love it if Louet’s engineers could make a base attachment that raised the entire loom off the floor a couple of feet or so to aide in threading…. Maybe a hydraulic jack system? Kidding…. but not really. I am 6 for tall and getting under it to tie up is kind like a circus act for this 55 year old. I remember reading somewhere that a Louet owner has her husband put the whole thing on a table for her. Wow!

[Notalynn]

LOL “Taxing” and a “circus” are not reassuring words folks!  I wanted y’all to tell me it takes like 5-10 minutes. Bada bing, bada boom, done. And maybe that the floor magically cradles your body in a soft cloud while working…That would be nice too.  🙂

This is definitely going to require a try before I buy…or a large enough lottery win that $5000 is chump change. The latter seems as likely as floor clouds so I’ll start looking around for a local Spring to try. Worse case, I wait until the 2020 Convergence which is fairly close to me and then hope one is there. Am I correct in my understanding that Louet usually displays looms at these events?

Alison, the Glimakra loom is very beautiful and I imagine  a dream for rug weaving. I certainly can understand why you’d be sad to see it go. Aging bodies suck. Future people will probably just swap out android bodies and weave on anything they want. We need a time machine!

Ed, I like your hydraulic jack idea. I have an engineering dream of 2 twin beds on a remote operated track that will allow me to push a button and slide my half of the bed across the room when my husband starts snoring. I’m okay with jacking him up to the ceiling though. 😀

[Michelle Simon]

Hi All…I’m enjoying your weaving comments….I, too, have ended up with two houses and too many looms (2 Glimakras, Wolf Pup, Schact, 2 table looms and inkle loom(s), tablet weaving, etc etc. (And I’m not even going to mention spinning wheels and yarn/fiber stashes). Good thing I’ve retired–and that I didn’t know how much I’d love weaving/spinning/quilting–or I never would have finished medical school and put up with all that nonsense for so long! I share all the concerns about tying up the Countermarch looms–but hope the ease of treadling will compensate for aging body issues! And the gliding foot accessories cushion some of the impact from beating to protect shoulders. I kind of like the idea of pulleys from the ceiling to suspend the big looms or, at least raise them, for ease of changing tie-ups–will have to work on that idea(LOL)! Getting up from the bench to advance the warp keeps me limber….and ensures regular breaks to move around…although the retrievers also contribute to keeping me moving!

[brgila]

Shalom, My name is Gyla and I live in Israel.  I have been weaving on a Spring for 8 years.  I have also had many other looms in my weaving life and none wove as easily and smoothly as my Spring.  There are many features to admire on the Spring.  I too find it difficult to sit on the floor ( I am 65 and have arthritis) so I have invested in 4 additional treadles (8 shafts, 14 treadles).  I am hoping this will extend my weaving on the Spring a bit longer.  We all have our favorite tie ups and I am hoping to be able to permanently tie up several treadles and have a few free to tie up as needed.  This could be a solution for the Spring.  The second suggestion I have is:  When I need to tie up 8 treadles, my friend and I put the entire loom on 2 milk crates.  The loom is not heavy and this enables me to sit on a stool when I tie up the treadles.  My third suggestion is to think about buying an Octago Louet.  It is more expensive, and I would miss the treadling, but I am only getting older and I need to be realistic as to my needs.  I need to weave.  If I have to give up the enjoyment of treadling, at least I will be able to sit at the loom and continue to produce beautiful material.  Good luck to you all.

[msellenk]

Hi there! I’m Ellen, in Kansas City MO. I’ve played around with weaving for about 10 years, off and on. Learning a TON of great technique here. I have  2 looms right now: a Leclerc Dorothy with treadle/stand and a Leclerc Nilus, 45″ wide. Both are 4 harness and vintage. I’ve had other looms in the past including a 16h Weavebird, 4h Schacht table loom, and an 8h Mountain Loom (table) loom. I’ve been involved in pretty much *all* aspects of fiber arts for more than half a century (yikes, I am old, lol. 62 to be exact). Fiber farming, spinning, dyeing, knitting, knitwear design, felting, sewing quilting and (former) yarn shop owner. Okay, not sprang or bobbin lace 🙂

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by msellenk.

[margreth]

Hello, I‘m Margreth from Austria, I have joined this guild now – November 2018. I have been weaving for about ten years now. I started with a rigid heddle loom and in the meantime I have two big looms, one Öxabäck (8 shafts, 8 treadles) and a Louët Delta (12 shafts, 14 treadles). I love all the episodes, have learned a lot and am looking forward to try out as much as possible on my looms.

[joanldanp]

Hi:  My name is Joan and I live in rural Telkwa, which is in Northwest British Columbia.  I have been weaving on a rigid heddle loom for a couple of years and just recently purchased a (new-to-me) Leclerc 4 shaft Fanny loom.  I feel like I am a total beginner and so am really looking forward to learning from Jane’s online episodes.  There used to be a Guild in this Valley (Bulkley Valley) but it folded a few years ago and the closest (wonderful one) is 4 1/2 hours away – not a good drive in the winter.  So I’ll be learning on my own and really hoping online learning will work for me.  Oh yes, I’m 66 yrs. old and up until using the rigid heddle loom I hadn’t done a single craft in my life, no sewing, no knitting…..so this is all new and exciting to me!

 

[John Young]

Hi. I’m John from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. I first started weaving about 2 years ago when I retired (or re-retired). My wife would drag me around to all the knitting shops feeding her stash. A couple of them also carried weaving supplies and that interested me. Actually, I had been since I was a kid. There was always this question about “How does cloth go together?”. Well, I’m 67 now. My first loom was an Ashford 32” rigid heddle followed by an Ashford Inkle loom. I still have these, but they now have a big brother.

About a year and a half ago, I found an elderly but solid counterbalance loom. This is a model known as a Millville loom. That is a small town in New Brunswick, Canada where they were built, starting in the 1920s. They were built mainly of birds-eye maple and had an overhead beater. And… it has a built in lamp in the top of the castle. My nearest guess is, going by the serial number, around 1940 for mine. Apart from refurbishing the main cords, the only change I made was a recent upgrade to Texsolv heddles from the original flat type. It is really solid to weave on, just weighs a ton.

I love working with just about any fibre but for now, tencel is giving me a bit of a hard time.

And that stash my wife has… I think mine might be bigger. It’s an addiction.

 

 

[kfagan727]

I live near Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia i.e. Hunter  Valley

[shuttlekittens]

Just signed up for this guild and very excited!  🙂  I’m Nancy from Sunny Central Florida – and for some reason, looms seem to follow me home like little stray kittens.  “I don’t know Dear, how that loom popped up in the studio…I must have left the back door open again.”   My husband and I have an agreement – he doesn’t ask about my looms, I don’t ask about his classic cars.  Lol!

I’m not getting any younger, and hope in the not too distant future to try a countermarche loom.  I’m only 5′, and have found to get to the proper height for my elbows to clear the breast beam while weaving, it can be somewhat challenging to be comfortable with the treadles.  I have a Gilmore jack loom that I love, and I tie the treadles up fairly high so I don’t have to press them so far down.  I would like to try a countermarche, tough, as I have a knee/hip that aggravate me.  Any suggestions?

[Ginette]

Welcome Nancy!

Have you tried a higher bench? It must be so uncomfortable to be hitting the breast beam with your elbows! Love your profile name ‘shuttlekittens’, must be a story behind that 😉

[Giny]

Hi I am Giny Wittenberg from the Netherlands. I learned myself how to weave about 8 years ago and still love doing it. But I thought a bit more tips and tricks from a pro would be good. So here I am. I am a Louet seller in the Netherlands and in my studio there are a Jane, a David and an Octado. I used to work on a big 1.60 wide Glimakra loom, Loved it but it became to heavy to work with for me. So I will stay with my Louet looms now.

Married, 4 kids one still at home but almost off to Norway for a half year study, I live on a dairy farm with cows, 3 dogs and a cat.

 

[saddleblankets]

Hi friends, I’m Linda from a small town, Three Rivers, in California high up in the Sierra where  I live on a cattle ranch. I’ve been weaving for 40 years, specializing in saddle blankets which I sell all over the US and the UK. I spin all my natural wool, dye it with natural plants and weave on a big Cranbrook countermarch loom. For 26 years I’ve been weaving with wool warp at 6 epi. Imagine my challenges of moving on to 18 epi and more using cotton, silk, bamboo and other fine fibers.. Wowzers, has Jane changed my life. I’ve learned more in two years in this guild that all the other 38 years. It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks but I’m thrilled daily that I found Jane and I LOVE every minute of weaving with her. I own five looms,: my Cranbrook,  a Macomber, a Nilus Leclerc, a Baby Wolf and a large 12 shaft J-Made. I still weave my blankets but am now sewing garments made of silk and other fine fibers. This Guild is the best thing that has happened to me in my weaving life and I love hearing about all of you and learning from you as well.

[amccarthy4]

Hello!  I just joined a week ago and have spent every living hour watching videos!  Loving it!  I live in Tulsa Oklahoma.  I am a new weaver.  Took one class at a city art studio and loved it.  Went on vacation to Santa Fe in my toy hauler and brought a loom home as a souvenir!  My toyhauler usually hauls bikes or kayaks so it was fun to load my new/old 36 inch Harrisville model T in it.  Bought the whole stash of the elder woman who was retiring from weaving completely.   So I have only woven a scarf so far on my loom.  Found my direct tie up was tied up wrong and am learning so much.

I want to make Huck placemats but have 8/4 cotton not 8/2 and I can not find info on making drafts fit right with the stash I want to use.  I have started with season one and haven’t seen anything on drafts yet.  Am I missing it?

[Ginette]

Welcome amccarthy4!

You’ll find the list of PDF’s in a few places, one is when there’s one given out for the episodes, Season 1 Episode 1 doesn’t have any handouts but you can also find them listed on the Indexes where you can download here at the top of the page. Just below Season 1 & Season 2 Index links, there’s a third link that will take you to all the PDFs that have bee handed out so far.

The first pdf that was handed out is on Season 1 Episode 2 (you’ll see a little page icon top left corner under the eye icon)

Love how your toyhauler brought home the Harrisville Model T!

 

[bauman]

Hello I am Jutta and live in Tasmania an Island south of mainland Australia.

I weave for 30 years still so much to learn. Jane gave me already a new outlook. I am so happy to joined the guild and have this opportunity. Thank you Jane

[mczmail]

Hi I’m Cheryl from Ontario Canada. I’ve just joined and I’m so excited to learn more about weaving. I have 3 floor looms, several spinning wheels and lots of wool and fibre, all things that I love. I have a little experience with weaving  and I’m a OHS spinning certificate grad. (2009.) I’ve been watching Janes video’s non-stop the last few days and I’m so excited and learning so much already. Looking forward to a great year.

[ursula]

Hi, my name is Ursula and I live in Germany. I am weaving for only two years and still have a lot to learn. I weave on an old Leclerc Artisat which has back hindge threadles and I’m allways fighting for a good shed. I’m looking forward to get some tipps.

[shelley]

I am responding to ursula from Germany.  She says she weaves on an old Leclerc Artisat and is having trouble getting a good shed.  I have exactly the same problem with the same loom …. I bought it second hand and after cleaning it up and refurbishing started weaving only to find that it is really hard to make a shed.  it is almost like i have to ‘double-clutch”.  Any help, comments?

[ailazoom]

Hello from Minnesota. I have completed the lst season and am into the 2nd season. Enjoying the lessons. Plan to come to Vancouver and visit your shop in June of 2019. Should be a great experience!

• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Sandra.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by Alastair. Reason: Anchored to primary post

[latelierfibrelaine]

Hi. My name is Chloé. I live in France and I produce wool and mohair by raising sheep and Angora goats. I spin dye knit crochet… And one day Somebody gives me a floor loom and I jump in this art! I love to weave so much since one year. I have learned so much here  Thank you

[Lee]

Hello,

My name is Lee and live in Ontario, Canada. I have just purchased a 1983 Leclerc 4 shaft loom. I am excited to learn how to weave on it! Finding Jane’s online guild has been amazing! I am trying to figure out how to upload my profile picture.

Lee

 

[jollyjeanne]

My name is Jeanne and live a quiet valley in the quiet rural corner of eastern Connecticut.  I am really impressed and enjoying this guild.  Looking forward to absorbing  and learning so much at a reasonable pace.    I appreciate all the effort put into this.  What a wonderful resource for all fiber enthusiasts!

I have been weaving for many years and guilds are not close by.  I have small looms, table looms to a large LeClerc Colonial, counter balance looms and now  an 8 shaft jack loom.  Weaving is so diversified that thus far I have merely skimmed the surface and probably need a few lifetimes to accomplish all I wish to do.  Presently, I cannot think of a better way to encourage my passion than through JST.

[Sheila]

Hi everyone! My name is Sheila and I live in Courtenay B.C., just a stone’s throw up Vancouver Island from Jane! I have been weaving for only 9 months. I was gifted a 4 shaft Woolhouse table loom (with stand and treadles)  from my work team when I retired.  BEST GIFT EVER! And then I gifted myself this on-line guild! ANOTHER BEST GIFT EVER!!

[Lauren]

Hi Shiela, that’s my old neck of the woods and where my loom came from too! So nice to “meet” you here.

[WoolTherapy]

Hey everyone! I decided 2019 was the year to be technical and LEARN. Dig deep into my weaving and understand it… not just do it. So, here I am.

 

 

An aside note, has anyone gone so far as to print EVERYTHING. Like all the notes, and make a folder? Hello staples or office max?

[Dee Dee]

Hi WoolTherapy,

I downloaded all the PDFs onto my iPad and have them in an app called GoodNotes. I created a guild notebook, and added all the PDFs into it. The super cool thing is that I’m able to make annotations straight onto the PDF handouts (i ❤️ my Apple Pencil!), as well as add my own pages of notes/sketches.  The app I’m using also has great search function so I don’t have to page through to find what I’m looking for. It even recognizes my hand writing if I write legibly! And my notes are all in one place as well as up in the Cloud so that I can access them on my computer, my iPad, or on my phone—super bonus! I sound like an ad, but I’m not. 😊 I’ve been working on organization and trying to go paperless for the past few months, and this is just a great tool that has been working for me.

[Janet]

Hello WoolTherapy,

I have printed everything and have placed all in binders.  Also, have taken my own notes and typed, printed and inserted them with tabs.  I know, I’m over organized.  However, I don’t weave in winter while here in Mazatlan for 6 months.  I make all copies here as it’s very inexpensive to do. I also plan projects and add them to the list of 50 or more that I’d like to make one day.

Jane mentioned an app. iweaveit , so I purchased it and have had tons of fun designing stuff.  It is so cool.  Of coarse I have all of Jane’s inspiration from her videos to feed on.

 

[jfranzak]

Hello!

I am Judi from the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  My holiday/birthday present this year was a Baby Wolf 4 shaft loom to launch me into the world of floor looms. I have woven on a rigid heddle for a year or so. I am a newbie to weaving but having been playing with color and shape for awhile through other media.  I am loving what I am learning here!

[Ed Chapman]

I just saw Jane’s Map and there is no pin on Washington DC! I have been a member going on two years now and LOVE the structure, format and logic Jane so skillfully shares. I started out weaving on a rigid heddle loom 4 years ago and moved on to a table loom then bought a Louet Spring from Jane. Having a wonderful time exploring color, weave structures and design. Its a great hobby!

[Anne in Alger]

It is interesting to read so many posts from all around the world.  I am fortunate enough to live near Saltspring island and have had the privilege of taking workshops from Jane in the past, she is a wonderful teacher and now I am thrilled to be participating in the online guild.  I have a Swedish countermarch 8 shaft loom and a couple of Schacht babywolf’s, one of which has a second back beam which I would like to try with supplemental warps someday. It will be fun to share our success’s  as well as learning pieces 😉 .  Discussions on using stash for some of these projects would be of interest to me, exploring and pushing boundaries  can be very interesting and practical for those of us that seem to insulate our homes with cones of yarn.

A note book with the printed PDFs filled in with notes from the videos has been started.  I also keep a project notebook which contains notes, photos, and a sample of the yarn used.  After 15 years of weaving I have filled several of them and find them valuable for planning the next project.  —Anne

[Denise Voss]

Hi, I’m Denise from Murrieta, Calif. (near San Diego) I’m a new weaver. I have a Leclerc Nilus 4 shaft loom that I bought used about a year ago. It is probably about 40 years old. I’ve just been dabbling on it, trying to learn from books and videos but when a friend turned me on to Jane and the online guild, my interest soared!! Wow! I am learning so much! I have been a garment sewer for 50 years and teach sewing and pattern fitting as my part-time retirement “gig”. My hope is to eventually be able to weave well enough to weave cloth that I can make garments from. This is all so exciting! In fact, I’m so excited that recently put down a deposit on an 8 shaft Louet Spring loom from Jane!

[CoraT]

I’m a new member and relatively new weaver. I spin so my hope is to be able to use my handspun to weave with. I have a new to me 8 shaft Hollandia and live just outside Victoria BC.

[Nancy Sandstrom]

Hello all – I am from Bayfield, Wisconsin – in the far northern part of Wisconsin on Lake Superior (Bayfield is the home of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore). I have been weaving for about 8 years. When I started weaving we still owned our business (an 8-room Inn that we ran for 20+ years), so a dabbled with my first loom —  an old 2 harness rug loom. Suddenly I found the looms reproducing as I got an 8 harness Harrisville……and then an 8 harness Baby Wolf….how does this happen?

We sold our business 3 years ago, now are retired (yeah, right!). I now still have the Baby Wolf for my “inside” loom and a LeClerc Fanny for my “porch loom” that sleeps during the winter months. Over the years I’ve taken numerous workshops and simply soak in the knowledge and different approaches to weaving.

I love continuing to learn, find new structures to play with. I am becoming ever more confident about my ability to try new things and have really enjoyed beginning to attach designing my own projects.  But I have miles to go before I sleep! Thank you all for sharing and letting me come on this journey with you all.

[dlgorham]

hi – my name is Debbie Gorham.  I live in Wilsonville, Oregon which is close to Portland.  I’m so glad I joined the JST online guild.  I love weaving and learning about how to weave.

[kristin_crane]

Hi Everyone! I’m new to the Guild this year and wanted to introduce myself. I live in Providence, Rhode Island and have been weaving for a little over 20 years. I actually graduated college with a degree in textile design, with a concentration in woven design from Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science. After college I worked at a mill designing fabric for jacquard looms for residential home furnishings. Sadly, the textile industry has changed dramatically since I graduated, and I no longer work in the industry, but….not designing fabric every day has made weaving at home much more appealing. I have a 16 harness Macomber loom and joined the guild because it’s actually been a challenge to turn off my industry brain. I wanted a framework to focus on new projects and new skills. I feel like this guild is really helping me learn to handweave again. I’m learning so much! Honestly, I have never wound such a neat warp that went on like butter, by myself! I’m having a blast learning new skills and having useful creative time outside of my day job. So excited to get to know you all and see what you make! Kristin

[msjabj2]

Hi everyone, I live in Tasmania Australia and I have been weaving for just over a year. Last year we were going on a European holiday and I had a fall so we couldn’t go. I have an Ashford 8 shaft table loom which I have worked to death, I love it but it didn’t have a shuttlerace,so when we were in Sydney I had a look at the Louet. Now, I am old and decrepit so because I fell in love with the Octado I had to get the computer Dobby, there is no way I could crawl under a loom to tie up and I didn’t know how. The only trouble is I am also technologically challenged, so happy days. Jane is a godsend and has helped me a lot. I was going to ask for a gap year as I couldn’t work the program that works the loom but super weaver to the rescue. Thank you Jane.

[sunshein21]

Hi, I’ve been weaving for about 10 years. Now have an 8-shaft Baby Wolf and 8-shaft Glimakra as well as an inkle loom.

I learned to weave in Seattle, WA, where I also was a member of the Seattle Weavers Guild. After moving to Bahrain and not finding any active weavers, I started having “guild withdrawal symptoms”. A chance search netted me Sarah Resnick’s podcast “Weave” led me to the episode with Jane….

[pattiwarmenhoven]

Hello,

Like several others on this forum, I am newly retired and new to weaving.  This instruction is awesome!

I am in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

[Donna]

Hi there, I am a weaving newbie from the frozen north, but fortunate enough to spend my winter in Sunny Arizona.

Bought a rigid heddle last August and made the leap to a Baby Wolf about a month ago.

I am so incredibly happy that I found this guild before I had a chance to learn any more bad habits than I already had.

This has been quite the learning curve for me. Loving everything.  <3

 

 

[zephyrcreekfarm]

Hello!

My name is Ellen and I own a small farm in the Michigan Thumb (just north of Detroit).  We raise Romeldale CVM sheep and angora rabbits.  I knit, spin, and am excited to learn to weave.  I have a Union Rug loom, gifted to me by the original owners granddaughter, and a Gallinger floor loom.  I have already watched much of season one, and am excited to get started on my next project.

[lsegolf]

I’m Linda, from Colorado Springs.  I have been weaving sporadically for about 6 years; self/video taught.  Over the years I have developed some bad habits and with practice and Jane’s teaching that is beginning to change.  I recently retired and this online guild was a gift from my husband.  I have a Schacht Standard 8 shaft, a 4 shaft Baby Wolf, and an Ashford rigid heddle loom, three spinning wheels, several sewing machines and enough fabric/yarn/fiber to cover most of the state.

[Gale]

Hello, I’m Gale from Petrolia, Ontario. I learned to spin in New Zealand while backpacking there & in Australia for a year. Once home & taking further lessons I saw students at looms & the rest is history. I have a 45″ 4 harness Le Clerc, 8 harness Baby Wolf & recently added an Ashford 16 harness table loom for the time coming soon when I can no longer crawl under the loom.

I heard Jane speak at a seminar many years ago & have been a fan ever since. On my bucket list was a trip to Salt Spring Island for a week long class. Jane, I’m sorry I couldn’t take classes in person, but these on line classes are just the ticket. Look forward to seeing you in October at the OHS Conference.

Cheers, Gale

[Anonymous]

Hi Gale,
I just read your post. I too am from Ontario, Toronto. I have already reached that time when I can no longer get under the loom but I solved the problem a different way which might interest you. I purchased the Leclerc Compact which is virtually the same as a Baby Wolf. If you fold up the loom so that the back beam is out of the way, you can sit at a low stool and tie up from there. My arthritic hands would not be happy with a 16 shaft table loom. Happy weaving for many years to come.

[mops-44]

Hi! I’m Jody from Marquette,  MI on the shore of Lake Superior. I love ALL things fiber and whereas self-taught knitting,  spinning and dyeing went relatively smooth,  weaving did not!  I’m so,  so grateful for the online guild here.  I’m moving forward with confidence and enjoyment! Thank you!

[Kathleen Garvey]

Hi, my name is Kath,I live in County Durham, North East of England. I am 68 years old. I love must things crafty. Quilting Crocheting knitting and Weaving and Spinning. I only took up weaving last year with a Rigid Heddle Loom. Which I loved, but wanted to be able to create more patterns. I would have liked a floor loom but that is not in my future right now, so I purchased a 32” 8 shaft Ashford Table loom. Which I love. I badly need to get the stand to go with it as using it on a table is not so comfortable because the height is not correct. Plus the stand allows you to have 4 treadles which would be great for 4 shaft patterns.

I am looking forward to start watching Janes videos. I have seen a few on YouTube which were very good so I no I won’t be disappointed.

Happy Weaving

Kath

 

[lwilson]

Hi, I’m Linda from southern Maryland in the US.  I spent my last three college credits on a weaving class in 1984 and have been weaving off and on since then, along with knitting, spinning, and dyeing.  My main loom is a 40″ 10 shaft Macomber plus I have several others ranging from a 24″ Baby Mac, a 16″ Louet Jane table loom to rigid heddles, inkle, and bandweaving looms.  I’m enjoying this online course very much and have picked up several new-to-me techniques and tricks, especially using rubber bands while taking the warp off a board and winding multiple ends at a time.  I’m usually not very organized but have started a binder notebook for the PDFs with my notes on them to keep them all in one place instead of in the dozen or so steno notepads I have scattered all over the house.

Now on to sleying the color-and-weave sample!

[Ila McCallum]

Hello!  I am Ila McCallum and live in Woodburn, Oregon in the beautiful Willamette Valley. I have been weaving for 8 years or so and  love it.  So glad to have had a friend recommend this online guild to me.  Loving it!  I have watched Season 1 videos and learned so-o-o-o much.  On to Season 2–my order of the yarn kits will soon be here! Can’t wait!

[Christina]

Hi,

I am Christina and live on a small farm just outside of Chicago, in Illinois, USA.  I just started weaving- maybe 2 months ago. I had signed up for the online guild a while back, but found myself feeling oddly intimidated by setting up the loom and such. I took a short class with a local instructor on a two harness loom, and that is all it took….no more fear! Figured out how to assemble my, new to me, 45” counterbalance loom and now I am a weaving fool. I find it mind blowing, since I have been a knitter for years, that it is all in the setup, and once heddled and sleyed, bam, there appears the pattern before my eyes. I still can’t believe I don’t have to “do” something to make that happen 😂.

I will probably be here a lot asking oodles of questions 😊 I love the guild episodes- they are so easy to follow, methodical and crystal clear.

Thank you!

[Debbie Hadfield]

Greetings to all,

 

Debbie here –  I live in southwestern PA in a borough called Thornburg. While in a knitting guild, I participated in a make and take at a weaving cabin in Harmony PA. I had the opportunity to create a rug that day and that is the day the weaving bug bit me. One of the members in the knitting guild had a loom that she was getting ready to sell. I had told of my weaving adventure and the lady inquired whether I would be interested in purchasing her loom, a mighty wolf loom. That was three years ago, it’s the best purchase that I have ever made. She also provided books and thread to use with the loom. Recently, a fiber group that I am a current member of organized a group to participate in a county fair fleece to shawl event. Our team took third place and the first team to weave the required 80″, we had a second team from our fiber group that took 4th place and their shawl was also 80″.

As I look forward to expanding my knowledge of weaving I found Jane Stafford online guild and decided to give it a try. I have learn new tips and reinforced what I currently know in regards to warping a loom.

 

 

[Kath Gerrard]

Hi – I’m in Luton, England (about 30 miles North of London). I have a 32inch 4-shaft Ashford table loom with the stand and treadles. I have been weaving for almost  year and am excited to join the Online Guild- Jane’s tutorials are so helpful and are giving me lots of confidence to develop my skills and try new techniques. I am currently weaving an overshot scarf reading the draft from Handwoven magazine- I never thought I would be able to get the hang of that! Thank you, Jane!

[Annette Paez]

Hello, I’m Annette from El Paso, Tx. I started weaving a couple of years back but would take a class then life would get in the way.  I wouldn’t weave for quite a while, so by the time I would weave, I had lots of questions and no one to ask. (No weavers in this part of Texas.) So these videos have made my weaving life sooooo much easier. Lots of moments where I think, that’s where I went wrong! I’m so glad to be part of this guild!

• This reply was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by Annette Paez.

[Cheryl Wilner]

Hi Everyone,  I live in eastern North Carolina, US.  I joined the Guild after purchasing a “new to me” 1979 Leclerc Colonial.  Have had a ‘bug” to learn to weave for several years.  I guess I have had a fairly normal progression/obsession with fiber arts.  Learning to knit, crochet, do needle work and quilt fairy young from my grand mother.  I started spinning about 10 years ago and then is seemed the logical next step.  So happy to have found the wealth of great information and learning here.

[Elisabeth Schelp]

Hello, fellow Online Guilded Ones!  I am Elisabeth and I live in the Philadelphia area.  I am learning to weave because I wanted to have something of my own to do and explore that would enable me to be productive and to grow while parenting four teenagers.  I mentioned to my sister that I was interested in weaving.  She happened to have two old looms someone had given her just lying dormant in her barn for a decade.  She told me that I could have them in exchange for a visit.  So one fun, snowy weekend last November, I drove to NH to visit her and get my looms.  One is a four shaft Harrisville, the other is a four shaft Leclerc Nilus, neither of which were in great shape.  I refurbished the Harrisville (they specially made the parts I needed) and have been joyfully learning to weave.  I knew I had won the ultimate approval when my son’s friend walked in the house and asked, “What’s that?!”  My son responded, “That’s a loom because my Mom is extra!”  I am so grateful to have found this guild and you as my helpful companions along the way!

[Karen Powis]

Hello, I live near Wynndel in South Eastern British Columbia, Canada.  I enjoy knitting, spinning, dying, felting and all things fiber.  A friend gave me an old table loom and that got me started on my love of weaving which I’ve been learning for a few years.  It’s a 24″ table loom and I learned to use it standing up because I was having hip problems which made it uncomfortable to sit.  After starting the course, I realize I would like a floor loom and am looking for a good used one.  I love weaving and look forward to learning so much more.

[Debby]

My name is Debby and I live in Nova Scotia, Canada and have been studying about Weaving for quite a few years and I took one intermediate course a few years ago, but only recently got my 60” LeClerc couterbalance Loom up and ready. I have a Harrisville Shetland throw that I am working on but want to get started on my online samples. I love all that I am learning. So much more than a local guild would ever teach me! Jane, you are a great teacher!

[BARBARA MORSE]

Barb, from New Hampshire, USA.  I checked into the online guild to review how to make double weave blanket, but I’ve been watching from the beginning and learning so many “little” things that will help my weaving.  I’ve woven, on and off, for 10 years, but Jane covers so much, in such an understandable way, that I’m planning on watching all the episodes.  I love learning the “why” I should try a method and the “what if” sampling can provide.  Each episode answers so many questions I never knew I had!

Oh, and I will make the double weave blanket on my 8 shaft Harrisville 32″ loom.  And it will be easier and better because of all I learn here.

[VICKI JUENG]

Hello all, I found Jane’s site through a ravelry post in another weaving group.  I’m so glad I did!  I have just joined and am sure I will learn a lot.

I retired just over a year ago and as a longtime knitter and crafter decided I would learn to weave once I retired.  I started on rigid heddle looms (and yes I have three sizes of them still set up for even weave with colors).  I lucked into a 8 shaft 10 treadle 24 inch dorset style loom this summer.  I did a lot of cleaning and refinishing and it works pretty good.  I’ve been weaving on it for about two months, first mug rug samples for testing, and now scarves for the holidays in my favorite pattern pinwheels.  I’m sure that I will just warp for towels next before I tie it up with something different, lol.  I love pinwheels so much I was weaving it with pickup sticks on my rigid heddle :-).

I’m very interested in learning double weaving, but I think I’ll try to work my way through the lessons so far.  I took a one day introduction class through my guild, and have watched the craftsy/bluprint classes and that is the extent of my learning so far.

I live just south of Toledo Ohio.  I belong to the Toledo area weaving guild.  I’d love to hear about any weaving workshops within 200 miles or so!

I spend the rest of my time reading, sewing, knitting, tatting, and jewelry making.  There’s just not enough time!

Vicki  (I’m vickikj on ravelry).

 

 

 

[isa-kreativ]

Hi all,

I live in Europe – Germany in a small town. I Love to knit, spin, dye and weave on my 8-Schaft Louet David loom.

I learned weaving by myself and from Jane’s and Ashford youtube videos.

And now I am very happy about this Great Online Guild. Thank you Jane!!!

Unfortunately my english is not the best, it goes slowly but I learned very much and now I am going at my loom and weaving Parrot towels:)

Greatings

Margot

[Lindsay Robb]

Hi!  I joined the JST guild in early summer this year after realizing that I was getting a little bored with handspinning and I hate knitting.  I got through the first two seasons before I started by first project.  I’m rural and in a ‘fibre black hole’, so no one weaves or spins within at least an hour of me.  Online was my only option but since I’ve been a spinner for over a decade, I knew that guild knowledge was far superior to YouTube videos and I was worried about this.  A weaving friend overseas recommended your guild and I’ve forwarded that recommendation so many times since!

I warped my first project on a makeshift warping board and had some tension issues but it worked OK.

For my second project, I wanted to use the secondhand tension box and counter I found over summer but due to my budget, I wasn’t willing to pay for sectional pieces – so I made them!  This royal blue warp using all 8-shafts on my used loom was done with the hope of getting 3 wraps in tencel.  If I don’t feel like killing myself by the end of the third one, I may try to tie on with a different colour!  I made a mistake recently and really liked the result so I think I’ll play with the pattern on the second/third wraps.  I have a question about tencel too but I’ll post that separately.

None of this would have been possible without your online guild!  Thank you and I’ll be continuing to subscribe 🙂

[Anonymous]

Hi, I’m Sylvia and I live in Toronto Ontario. I have reduced my loom collection to an 8 shaft Leclerc compact simply because at 88, I can no longer climb under a loom to tie up. This can now be done with the loom closed up which allows me to sit in a low chair at the back of the loom to accomplish the task. What I really want to ask is how do I upload a picture in the text of a reply. I can’ just drag and drop. Can anyone help me?

[Ginette]

Hi Sylvia,

Welcome to the online guild! To load a picture on a comment, you click on the photo icon above where you are commenting. Here’s a screenshot of it:

[Lynn Findlay]

Hi, I’m Lynn from Woodland WA. I loved weaving with an Easy Weaver as a child and wish I had continued with weaving! A few years ago, I bought a rigid heddle loom but found that most of the patterns I liked were for 4 or 8 shaft looms. So I sold the rigid heddle and bought a used Baby Wolf a few months ago from someone who highly recommended Jane’s online guild. I’ve binge watched through season 2 and have just started the first sample. I can already see the difference in my tension and edges. What a treasure of information!

[Lynn Weller]

Hi everyone!   I am Lynn from South River, Ontario. About 45 minutes north of Muskoka in the Almaguin Highlands.

I joined the online guild in November.  Even though I have been weaving off and on (mostly off) for about 20 years I was not really confident in my knowledge of weaving.  This online guild has answered so many of my questions and given me the confidence I have lacked.  Cant wait for the 2020 season!

[marion.drakos]

Hello
Im in the suburbs of Vancouver – ive been weaving about two years having taught myself from Chandlers “learn to weave” book and had been wanting to join this guild for a while, knowing it could only make my weaving better and better.
Ive only started working through season 1 and can see where I can improve what I have been doing already !

Marion

[Debbie Markwood]

Hi, I am in Chester, VA, USA. I just joined the guild and am going through the videos for the first year. I have completed three lessons and have already learned so much valuable information. I wish I had known about the online guild 3 years ago when I started weaving!
Thank you, Jane!

[jmadoyle]

Reporting in from south Florida, USA, Palm Beach County.  16 months weaving and can’t stop.  I have a Kromski RH and my newest addition Louet’s 8 shaft Jane.  Love them both.

[Cheryl Boyagian]

Hi all,

Happy to have finally joined.  I have been stalking the information for quite a while now.  I am in the suburbs of Detroit.  I’ve been weaving off and on since 2012, life just seems to get in the way sometimes.  I am finally taking some me time!

looking forward to learning the how’s of this all works.

Happy weaving to all.

Cheryl

[Hilary Robertson]

Hi all, been a member for a while but only catching up.  I am from Osoyoos, BC.  Woven sporadically for years.  Have had big and small looms, currently a baby wolf (8) and a wool house table (24)…which I have never used more than 16…once.

lots of bad habits to unlearn!   Take care. Hilary

[Rosanna Lovecchio]

Hello All,

I’m from Wantage, NJ, USA.  I joined last year but just got the time to start my lessons.  I am a self taught weaver and have been weaving for about 4 years.  I started on a rigid heddle and moved to the floor loom.  I have a 50″ 8 shaft Harrisville Loom, a 22″ 4 shaft Dorset Loom and a 24″ 4 shaft Norwood Loom.  I love the lessons and realize I have some bad habits to break.  My goal is to weave a beautiful cloth so I can make a blouse.

This was my last weaving project.  Tea towels for my Mother-in-Law.

Regards,

Rosanna

• This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by Rosanna Lovecchio.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by Rosanna Lovecchio.

[Lesley Lougher]

Hi I have just joined after buying an 8 shaft Ashford table loom at the beginning of lockdown. I first started weaving as part of my occupational therapy course over 50 years ago when weaving was used as therapy. Started again a year ago  with a rigid heddle but decided I needed more of a challenge. I’m very glad to find this course though!

I live in Sheringham, North Norfolk in England and am 3 minutes walk from the sea.

Take care everyone, Lesley

[Sandra]

Welcome aboard, Lesley!  It’s a fun ride 😁

[Hetty van Gemert]

Hi, i am from The Netherlands. A half year ago i was gifted a Leclerc loom. It took me some time to get it all working. After that i became a member here. But i was too busy, lots of diversions. And than came Corona! Suddenly there was time for me to put my teeth into weaving. My livingroom table turned into a workspace 🙂 sketchbook, pencils, Yarns and internet. What more can i want! I am enjoying myself very much and learning a lot. I look at episodes 3 or more times, so much information… This forum is a bit new to me. I know how to post a picture but mine are too big it says. Anyway, thats work in progress too ( have to ask my kids ;))

love looking at all the pictures here

Greetings, Hetty

[Sandra]

Welcome aboard, Hetty!  We’d love to see your photos – so please got to the FAQ thread, just above this one on the Forum page.  Scrolling down will tell you the size of photos that our program accepts, as well as a lot of other useful information about navigating the Forum.

[Sue Anne Sullivan]

Hi- I am so happy to be joining this guild! I am a new weaver: I began weaving on frame looms last summer, started on a borrowed Woolhouse 4-shaft table loom in December and about six weeks ago I was lucky enough to receive one of the last 8/10 Baby Wolfs before Schacht had to close for awhile due to COVID19. I am thrilled to be getting to know my new Baby. I am starting my weaving journey at age 64 after many, many years of exploring other visual and fiber art forms and it feels like a perfect fit for where I am right now in my life. I was lucky to have a great start with a couple of lessons from a local weaving teacher here in Western Washington, and am also lucky to be learning now from Jane. There is so much weaving joy ahead. I discover something new every time I sit at the loom! I would love to connect with other weavers virtually and hopefully someday in person with weavers in this area, particularly on the “Eastside” (ie across Lake Washington from Seattle.)

Sue Anne

 

 

[Sandra]

Hi Sue Anne and welcome on board!  You might be able to find out about in-person weaving guilds near you by checking out the ANWG organization of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds.  It’s an umbrella organization of the Guilds in the northwest of North America on both sides of the border.  You can do a search of the Guilds in Washington State to see if there is one near you that you can attend when we finally get to a post-COVID world.

[Sue Anne Sullivan]

Thanks for the welcome, Sandra! I have checked around previously for guilds and we have many good ones in the area but unfortunately they are all too far away to make much sense for me on a regular basis. The closest would be Seattle, however their meetings are during the day on Thursdays, and I work full time. Maybe someday I will help start a Seattle area Eastside guild (Woodinville, Redmond, Kirkland, Bellevue.)

[Katherine Heath]

Hi,

My name is Ekat and I live in Washington State, US. I took one class and then my husband bought me a Leclerc Nilus which is about as old as I am. It is wonderful and I love it. I signed up for the guild and I am so glad I did. I learned more in the first lesson than the whole class I took locally. Thanks to the stimulus check I was able to get the kits for season two and they just arrived. I will post as soon as I get the first one warped.

happy dance

[Myriam Klaus]

Hi,

My name is Myriam and I live in the Netherlands. I am totally new to weaving. I came across a old 4 shaft table loom  60 cm wide ,witch I bought without knowing anything about weaving, so here I am. I am a spinner , so I would love to use my homemade yarn in weaving projects. The biggest problem I have is the difference in measurement because I use the metric. The language is also a challenge, so forgive me for my mistakes.

 

[Sandra]

Welcome Myriam, please don’t apologize for your English!  My Dutch is nonexistent 😉  Weaving language is sometimes confusing for all of us – enjoy your journey into weaving and I look forward to seeing a photo of fabric woven using your hand spun sometime in the future.

[Rhondda Shaw]

Hello. My name is Rhondda and I live in Port Stephens on the east coast of NSW, Australia, about 3 hours drive north of Sydney.

I have just finished watching the Season 1 episodes of Jane’s online guild.  I thoroughly enjoyed learning from them and will now go back over each episode as I work my first warp on my little table loom (Ashford 8-shaft).  I really enjoyed the session on Division of Space and Fobinacci. I am the type of person who has to know “why” we do things a certain way, not just “this is how you do it”.

I love Jane’s sense of humour and her easy going teaching style. She has a knack of imparting information in a very easy to understand manner.  I am very grateful that she is willing to share her wealth of knowledge so freely and I look forward to working through the other three seasons in due course.

Thank you Jane and staff for your wonderful presentations.

 

[Carrie McVige]

So happy to have just bought and setup a new to me Toika Liisa countermarch 16 shaft.  I’ve dabbled with weaving over the years, while the children were growing up, and am now very excited to find this online resource to really study and learn.    I knit, spin, smock, crochet, embroider, and owned angora rabbits and fiber sheep for many years.  I first fell in love with fibers as a child playing with my grandma’s sewing scraps.     So, I’ve warped my loom with 8 harnesses to try a twill pattern and just learn the loom.    If one treadle is attached to one lower lam, I’m able to get a decent shed and achieve the pattern, but when I try to tie up the treadles to pattern, ie, 1234, 2345, 3456,  etc, it’s like the weight of the treadles is heavier than the harnesses and they all rise after the first few treadles.   I do not have the treadle gate attached as the previous owner had told me many don’t like them on,.    I’m too new to this forum and weaving to find the countermarch owners for help, advice and direction, greatly appreciated!

[Sandra]

Hi Carrie and congratulations on your new loom!  I think the best place to ask that question is on Ravelry in the Warped Weavers Group.  I just searched there for the Toika Liisa and found 6 pages of discussion that includes your loom.  We’re a small group at JST and only can help with looms we know and have amongst us.  Good luck with the search for information and we look forward to seeing the results!

[Bethanne O’Neil]

Hi Everyone! My name is Bethanne O’Neil and I live in Edmonton, Alberta.

I have been weaving for less than a year, with a rigid heddle loom, and have made a number of scarves and recently ventured into tea towels. And I’m loving it!!

I’m currently finishing up a thesis for an M.T.S. degree (Master of Theological Studies) and once that is done, I will be receiving a Leclerc Nilius 45 inch loom…from a friend who hasn’t been using it…and is willing to sell it for $100! I’ll be online checking warping a larger loom, and may be asking some questions here if I can…

Take good care everyone and stay safe and healthy!!

Bethanne

[Carla Carvalho]

Hi my name is Carla. I live in Chilliwack, BC.  I am a total newbie and I truly enjoy all the videos of this guild.  I have quite a collection of looms but I only have woven 1 sample so far.  I am looking for this summer to get better at it.  I bought a few months ago a countermarche Varpapuu loom, 12 shafts.  Does anyone have some info or know where I can get some info on how to set it up so I can use it? Thank you all and happy weaving.

[Sandra]

Welcome, Carla!  I don’t know anything about Varpapuu looms. However, in a quick search, I found this link to an old PDF on tieing up a Varpapuu.  I’m sure you have already found it but just in case you haven’t, I thought I would send it alone.  Hopefully, someone else will have experience with this particular loom.

[Patricia]

Hi my name is Patricia I live in northern Germany and I am weaving for 30 years with some longer Interruptions. A few weeks ago I found a place to build up my good old Hollandia  loom again And I am so happy to find this place here to refresh my knowledges and to leran something new. Sorry that my english writing is not not so good .

[Agneta]

Hi, I’m a new weaver living in Roslagen, an archipelago area north of Swedens capital city Stockholm. When I was young I helped my mother and grandmother when they dressed the big barn loom for rugs.

Two years ago I bought an inkle loom, then a RH loom and then it wasn’t long until I  had an Ashford 8-shaft floor loom. I also have my mothers old 8-shaft table loom.

Last fall I took an university curs in weaving design.

But this guild is the best thing I have stumbled upon in the weaving world🥰

Every time I go here and watch an episode I learn something new🤗

Thank You and greetings from Agneta in Sweden.

 

 

 

[ANNE DIXON]

Hello All,

I am Anne from beautiful Elora, Ontario Canada.  I’m pretty new to the weaving world. I jumped into it a couple of years ago.  Jane’s online classes are exactly what I’ve been looking for.

I’ve been working with fibre most of my life – knitting & spinning – and now am really enjoying the weaving journey.

 

 

[Megan Juras]

Hello,

My name is Meg.

I live in Montana (USA).  We do have an active “local” guild, but between travel distance, weather, and toddlers, I often miss out on guild happenings.

I’m so pleased to have found JST.  Congratulations on what you have accomplished!  The quality of your videos, and the value of their content is outstanding.  You’ve already helped to improve my weaving technique and fix errors in a current project!  Thank you.

[Melissa Corfield]

Hi!

I am Melissa and live in Victoria, BC.

I am as newbie as they come!! I started weaving earlier this year on a frame loom and really enjoyed it. When I discussed with my very artsy mom, she bought me a Jane Loom for my birthday (she’s been after me for years to take up something creative after 20 years with a busy career in tech and 2 teens).  I immediately felt way over my head with the Jane and even the online videos were a bit much because I didn’t have even the basic feel for it.

I have found a local teacher who helped me get my first project onto the loom and feel so much better about it. I’m off and running and look forward to learning this!!

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by Melissa Corfield.

[Sandra]

Welcome to our wonderful world of weaving, Melissa!  You live in a city that has many very talented weavers that you might get to meet when our world returns to normal.  I understand your frustration as you started down this path and I’m happy you have found a weaver who can get you started as well as joining us in the JST Online Guild.  I look forward to seeing your progress 🙂

[Tu-Khanh Tran]

Hi,

my name is Tu-Khanh and I live in Germany. I have participated in a weaving course on a rigid heddle loom years ago and always wanted to upgrade to more shafts and a wider fabric. Now that I have moved houses I finally have the room for one. I bought myself a second hand Ashford table loom with 8 shafts as a starting point (budgetwise) but since I never used something else than a rigid heddle, I am here to learn the basics.

I cannot wait to start my first project (which ideally would be a thin, light silk shawl but I guess it’s going to be tea towels. :D)

Looking forward to this long awaited journey! 🙂

[Patty Tomaso]

Hi! I am Patty and I live in Dallas, Texas. I am a new weaver…..my aunt has “retired” her loom to me. I have admired her handwoven pieces over the years and am excited to begin my journey. So far I have truly enjoyed the guild lessons….Jane is so positive and encouraging and inspiring! I can’t wait to finish the tea towels on my loom and try the Montecriso baby blankets next!

Thanks for the inspiration…..and anyone else from Dallas out there?

[Sandra]

Welcome aboard and enjoy the ride, Patty!

[Lynn Shiner]

Hi Patty,

I am not in Dallas, but Corpus Christi.  I have family in the Dallas area, though, and am (patiently) waiting to be able to travel again! My SIL and I were going to attend the DFW Fiber Fest last April, and maybe that will happen in 2021.  Looking to network with other weavers, as there aren’t many down here in S. Tx.

Lynn

• This reply was modified 2 years, 12 months ago by Lynn Shiner. Reason: added tag

[Lynn Shiner]

Hi,

I replied to another introduction, but in case that doesn’t show up for everyone on this thread, I’ll repeat here ;-).  My name is Lynn, and I live in South Texas.  Have been weaving for a little over a year- started with the popular frame loom for wall hangings, graduated to a rigid heddle loom and a Mirrix tapestry loom. I am a tapestry student of Rebecca Mezoff’s online school atm (hoping to be an “in person” student when retreats and such can resume! I just took the next step and ordered a floor loom (a Louet Spring) which will hopefully arrive in December.  Until then I weave tapestry,  cloth on my (really versatile ) 24″ Ashford RH, and am trying to learn all I can about floor loom weaving so I can hit the ground running when mine arrives!  This guild looks amazing and I am excited to be a member- nice to meet you all!

[Sandra]

Welcome, Lynn! 👋

[Emily Mulleda]

Hi, I am a long-term knitter (mostly socks and sweaters) and a spinner.  I was introduced to weaving at the Vancouver Weaver’s and Spinner’s Guild in the 90’s.  I bought a second-hand Nilus Leclerc 45 jack loom in 2004 and had planned on getting right to it.  That was until life had other plans, many moves later, a child, renovations and another huge move to Seattle now has the loom out of the garage and warped.  Thank you to Elaine, the lady on Facebook Marketplace who I bought a weaving book from.  She recommended me to this online guild!  I am so new to weaving that my eyes still glaze over at the terminology.  I was born and raised in the Philippines.  I have lived in British Columbia most of my life (Guelph, Ont; Prince Rupert/Port Edward, Queen Charlotte/Haida Gwaii, Ladysmith, Vancouver and Burnaby, BC).  I love to travel when not in quarantine.  And the other interest I have is in all things mushrooms, mostly foraging and poking around in the woods in season.  I’m on Ravelry: Chanterellelady.    This online guild has helped me to tackle warping and weaving a scarf in plain weave as the first project from unknown cones of yarns from the Seattle Re-Creative.  Since the loom came out of hiding my father says my grandmother had an enormous loom in the Philippines.  She used to spin the fibers of the abaca (banana) fiber and then would weave cloth from this to make a traditional ‘tapis’.   I look forward to learning all about the wonders of weaving.

[Bradley Rohr]

Hello all, I am Brad from Long Beach, CA.  I’m a long time knit and crochet person who tries to dabble in whatever fiber form I can.  I am new to multi-shaft weaving but have done inkle weaving, ridged heddle weaving, and card weaving.  I have also been teaching myself bobbin lace for the past few years.  Other fiber arts I participate in are nalbinding, spinning (wheel and drop spindle), and tatting.  Glad to be on here and SO glad for the treasure trove of information and collective experience!

[Julie-Ann Miskell]

Hello, my name is Julie-Ann, and I live in Dunedin, New Zealand. I’ve been weaving for about 3 years. I first learnt online with the floor loom Craftsy course, but now I want to become a better weaver, so I came here. I’m also a spinner, knitter, sewer, cross stitcher and dyer. I can’t wait to get started with the course work.

[Susan Peters]

Hi all – My name is Sue, I’m from London, Ontario, Canada. I’m a brand new weaver. Jane’s on-line guild was recommended to me from the local London guild. This is great, especially in this time of COVID. I’m loving the videos so far. Thanks Jane for these!! I’ve done knitting and cross-stitch before, but have been intrigued with weaving, so thought I’d give it a try.

[Karen Ayres]

Hi I am in the UK about 30 miles south of London, I have just got my first table loom, a little Louet Erica. I tried following other videos but found my loom too different to the Ashfords to follow them well, then the shop I bought mine from suggested this guild and it is great.  It’s funny my loom is so tiny but the way Jane explains things it really helps me.

I also have ridged heddle looms, I knit and sew too.

[Lauraline Paradis-Robert]

Hello! I’m near Montreal (Qc) Canada! I can’t believe I waited that long to sign up, I started watching 2-3 episodes and learned so much already!

I currently weave on an 8 shaft Ashford table loom, but in the process of replacing it by a floor loom. Being in Quebec, Leclerc looms can easily be found used, waiting on the right one to pop up for sale! I also have a rigid heddle loom that I love for small/quick projects. I’m using it mainly to weave with my handspun.

Weaving is the latest fibre art I’m getting into – I love spinning, knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch, tapestry weaving……

In my daily life, I’m a mother of 3, 2 boys of 8 and 13 years old and a 15 years old girl. Also work full time as a mechanical engineer. Life is full, but I love it that way! 😊

[Sandra]

Welcome to the magical world of weaving, Lauraline and a 👋 from someone who spent her formative years in Granby 😉

[Dorothy Hopkins]

Hello everyone. I live in Scotland. New member and so glad I joined. Did a bit of weaving on a table loom a few years back and not much since. I have a Louet spring loom and found Jane from the video she did on You Tube about warping it. I am so glad I did just what I need. Lots of information and inspiration.

[Sandra]

I’m happy you found us, Dorothy!

[Ed Chapman]

Welcome! I bought a Spring Loom 3-4 years ago from Jane and it has not been without an active warp on it since. I love weaving for 30 min here and there when I have the time. I think it’s a great loom.

[hilary.brooks]

Hi everyone. I’m Hilary and I live just north of Perth in Western Australia. I learnt to weave in Dallas in the mid 80s when we lived there for a while. After many moves and several looms I’m now in a beautiful place back home and have a Baby Wolf and a Spring loom. The Spring is new (March 2020) but is being given a workout this year thanks to COVID (silver lining). I only found Jane on YouTube a couple of years ago so have crammed a lot of episodes in during lockdown. I never come away without new knowledge and inspiration! Thanks Jane and the team!

[hilary.brooks]

Hi everyone. I’m Hilary and I live just north of Perth in Western Australia. I learnt to weave in Dallas in the mid 80s when we lived there for a while. After many moves and several looms I’m now in a beautiful place back home and have a Baby Wolf and a Spring loom. The Spring is new (March 2020) but is being given a workout this year thanks to COVID (silver lining). I only found Jane on YouTube a couple of years ago so have crammed a lot of episodes in during lockdown. I never come away without new knowledge and inspiration! Thanks Jane and the team!

[Jane Phillips]

Hello All –  I just joined the online guild!   I am from SW PA.     Is the pattern for the scarf in Season 1 available somewhere?   Thanks

[Patricia Rollman]

Hi from southern New Hampshire in the USA. (just 30 minutes from Harrisville, 2 hours from Webs, and 90 minutes from Halcyon, lucky me). I took a weaving course in the 1980s, but it didn’t click. I understood how to warp and design, but the way I was taught to warp was SO MUCH WORK. Constant tension problems, broken threads, lots of disappointment. I’m really looking forward to trying Jane’s way, once I finish weaving the towels that are on my loom now. It looks so much easier and a lot less work. So many tips that make perfect sense, I should have thought of them. I have an 8 harness Baby Wolf in my kitchen and a 50″ Harrisville in boxes (it got packed up when I moved 7 years ago from the big house to a condo).

[Pauline Sleigh]

Hi all, I’m Pauline and live near Buninyong in central regional Victoria (Australia). I learnt to spin in primary school and have spun on and off ever since (more off than on!). I bought an Ashford 4  shaft table loom about 10 years ago and “taught” myself how to weave with the help of Anne Field’s weaving on a four shaft table loom.

Now that I have retired I wanted to learn more about both spinning and weaving so I joined the Ballarat Handweavers and Spinners group. I was lucky enough to have a four shaft floor loom gifted to me from one of the other members. It’s homemade and needs a bit of TLC but so far so good. The group have taught me so much in the past year but I was still eager to learn more. With Covid restrictions the Victorian guild was no longer holding weaving workshops so I searched online.

I never thought of doing an online course but am thrilled that I have started. It’s only been a couple of weeks but I’m already up to Lesson 5.2. I need to print out more PDF’s but I’m out of paper!  I love that I can go back to review aspects of previous lessons. Jane’s presentation is great, informative and amusing.

[Johana]

Hi, my name is Hana. I’m from the Czech Republic, so excuse my English, I help myself with a google translator and it sometimes breeds nonsense.

I have been weaving on a loom for 10 years by trial and error. We don’t have here a new book to explain weaving, the last one is from 1940. I learned something in the Facebook group and I bought a few English books and now it’s time to fill in the missing knowledge, so maybe I’ll have stupid questions. My favorite techniques besides weaving are sprang and spinning. I enjoy combining knowledge of different techniques, I often use my yarn for weaving.

[Sandra]

Welcome, Hana.  You live in a beautiful and culturally rich country!  Just remember, as you are learning to improve your weaving skills using English as a tool, there are no “stupid” questions.  Ask away, and if one of us can’t answer your question, maybe someone will be able to send you in the right direction to find your answer.

[Rebecca Marculescu]

Hi everyone!

I’m Rebecca from San Francisco. I’m a brand new multi-shaft weaver after using a rigid heddle loom for several years.  I have a used 8 shaft Mighty Wolf that I’m in love with. I joined today and watched the first lesson on winding a good warp. I’m so excited to have this resource and know I’m going to learn so much!

If there are any others here from SF, it would be nice to know other weavers in my area.

[Sue Cottle]

Hi folks. I’m Sue. I live in Auckland, New Zealand, in the rainshadow of the beautiful Waitakere Ranges. I share the house with my husband of 27 years, 3 elderly dogs and 1 young pup, and an aquarium of tropical fish. My youngest child finally moved out on my birthday, 27 January this year – Happy Birthday to ME!

My weaving journey started back in the mid-90’s with a home-made Tablet loom and cards, and progressed to a home-made Rigid Heddle loom (you’ll see there’s a theme starting here) in the late 90’s. Then life happened (work and child). Last year I bought a 32″ RHL from Ashford, followed by a second-hand Ashford Traditional and a Sleeping Beauty Spinning wheels.

Then this year I bought a New Zealand-made 1974 LeClerc Fanny-style 4 shaft floor loom, that had been sitting in a barn for the last six years. Restoration is a work in progress, especially the (missing) brake system, which is almost complete. I’m having great fun making the missing pieces. I’ve called her Tirairaka, which is the Tuhoe Maori name for a Fantail (native bird), as “Fanny” is not a word you’d use in public, lol.

I hope to be weaving on Tirairaka soon. Plans include teatowels (sort of obligatory, aren’t they?), and a rug using the coloured Arapawa (feral Merino sheep) fleece I was given, in colours from grey to brown to black.

Over the years I’ve been a mixed media artist, and I currently do woodturning and woodworking (we have the technology … well, the tools … we can rebuild it!) It’s interesting how previous crafts intertwine with new ones, something Felicia Lo Wong of Sweet Georgia calls “Multicraftular”.

Before, in the barn:

After, in my Weaving Studio:

 

[Gisela Towner]

Hello, my name is Gisela.  I’m from Northern Ohio, near Lake Erie.  I’m an artist by trade, mostly paint lighthouses and the Great Lakes and I love color more than anything. (ok maybe my husband and dogs top the list of things I love!)  I’ve always loved fiber, since my mom put knitting needles in my hands as a child.  Oddly, I’ve never been a very good knitter…

I think I had a little loom as a kid, but came back to it when my grandson came home from art class with a cardboard loom.  He was very frustrated with it and of course, I had to fix it. So I built him a little loom, sort of a rigid heddle thing, drilling holes in popsicle sticks for the heddles and  cobbling the whole hot mess together, but it was still better than a piece of cardboard with slits in two ends!

Now, being a wee bit obsessive, I started researching weaving and built myself a little frame loom, then started haunting EBay and barn sales for used looms.  I wound up with a Harrisville 36 inch 4 shaft and then an old Harold 8 shaft monster at 48 inches, which I’m still a little afraid of.  Just too big! Also wound up with a sweet Jane loom on craigslist. The lady had never taken it out of the box and I got it so cheap, I almost felt guilty.  Almost…  🙂  I’ve taken a few online weaving classes, nothing really great until now. Well, not quite true, I’ve taken some of Rebecca Mezoff’s courses, but tapestry is such a different type of weaving and Rebecca is a brilliant teacher in her genre, like Jane.

I am so loving the online guild and Jane’s teaching style is so encouraging and uplifting.  I have some things to weave off to make space, but I’ve ordered all the yarn for season 2 and can’t wait to dive in! Had to order from 3 different places, but managed to hunt down every last color. (did I mention…obsessive?)  Lol!

Luckily, my husband’s a woodworker in his spare time and he has a great wood ‘stash’ and has followed me down the rabbit hole, now making boat shuttles and little hand held tapestry looms and a bobbin winder from and old sewing machine motor and all sorts of neat things. I was showing him the videos of Jane and Charlotte at the warping mills and he said those words that are magic to my ears…”I could built that for you”

Anyway — didn’t mean to yap endlessly, but thrilled to be here!

[Leslie Soopalu]

Hello, I’m Leslie and live in Killaloe, Eastern Ontario, Canada. If you’ve ever driven from Ottawa to Algonquin Park you’ve passed by and missed me because you blinked.  Summer 2020 I inherited a 1978 Leclerc Fanny loom from a beloved friend of my husbands in St. Catharines Ontario.. She passed many years ago and her husband just went into LTC and his kids were cleaning out his basement and happy to pass the loom along to us. It needed a fair bit of TLC, which I gave it and by December 2020 I was raring to go. Lots of youtube videos later and few challenging warps and my dear sweet husband Karl purchased me the Jane Stafford Guild and lessons for xmas. Wow, it has rocked my world. Having been a glass blower in my distant past and more recently a knitter and spinner I’m loving how weaving lets me play with colour and pattern in a way I find more satisfying then with the knitting and spinning. I have so much to learn and am eagerly working my way through the sample projects.

I’m  just getting to understand this guild forum and how it functions and look forward to getting feedback on things from everybody. There is a whole lotta knowledge and experience here that I am thrilled to tap into.

[Rhoda Kennell]

Hello, My name is Rhoda and I live in central IL, about 3 hours south of Chicago (yes, there is way more to IL than Chicago!!).  We are farmers and literally are surrounded by corn fields (or soybean fields on alternating years).   I love anything related to fiber and have been knitting and crocheting for years. About 4 or 5 years ago I took up spinning and then about a year ago, right before covid happened, I purchased a used rigid heddle loom and it was my lifesafer during lockdown, since I’m a social person and hate staying home all the time. Learning weaving online made the hours literally fly by, especially once my part-time work at home job was ended in the middle of last year as well and I had a lot more spare time on my hands. I would have driven my poor husband crazy had I not had something like this to focus on. It was a great way to learn the basics of weaving!

So when I approached him in December of 2020 about the purchase of a lovely used Schacht Mighty Wolf (4-shaft), he actually agreed to it. He encourages my creativity and decided it was a good thing to spend on. He keeps joking about a pay raise for me since I keep the books for our farm and his side business (I don’t get paid), so I always reassure him I’m getting paid (in yarn and classes and looms, etc.).

I signed up for this Online Guild in January and it’s been a lifesaver for me in several ways–I’m learning the basics of floor loom weaving before developing bad habits, hopefully.  Also, I watch the videos while on the treadmill. It gives me something to look forward to when I need to get daily exercise and can’t go outdoors! So it’s been a real blessing to have these lessons. I’ve worked my way through Season 1, weaving a couple of my own projects, including a scarf I designed using some of my handspun yarn and some commercial yarn.  I now have some kitchen towels on the loom, but my next project is 2 double weave Shetland blankets for a wedding gift. My loom is only 36″ wide, so I’ve jumped ahead and watched some of the double weave lessons. I’m eager to give that a try!!

I am so thankful for these online classes. Even if we didn’t have lockdown (which is starting to be lifted a bit), there aren’t any yarn stores closer than 2 or 3 hours away that carry weaving classes or supplies, so I am SO grateful for the Internet!  Jane, your teaching style is so fun; it makes me want to learn everything I can and I feel like I’m sitting at your feet just soaking it up! I appreciate that you’re making so many lessons for a 4-shaft loom as well. I hope to get a lot of “miles” out of my 4-shaft loom before buying an 8-shaft.    Thanks again for making these lessons available!!

[Karin van den Berg]

Hi everyone!

I am a brand new member of the Guild. Let me tell you a little bit about me.

My name is Karin, I am from the Netherlands and am 40 years old, living with my guy and 2 cats in a lovely house with a small backyard.

I have been a creative all my life, from very young I would go from one craft to another and try out everything the local craft store had to offer. I came to yarn crafts quite late. I did do a fair share of friendship bracelet knotting when I was in my teens and also had a little loom for beaded bracelets around that time. I started crocheting in my early 30s and knitting about a year after that. My yarn stash grew quickly! I became very active on Ravelry and love keeping track of all my projects there (you can find me by KarinvdB if you’re curious).

I didn’t know anything about weaving (beyond that beading loom I had) when I came across a couple of antique looms in a thrift store. I still regret not taking a photo of the bigger loom, but I went home with the small one. I didn’t know it at the time but it was a rigid heddle loom, the Weviti Junior as it turned out thanks to a helpful Raveler. It took me a while to dare to get going but once I did, I was hooked. Even though this loom had it’s issues, like having to loosen and tighten 4 wing nuts every time I had to advance the warp, I wove 7 scarfs on it before I upgraded to an Ashford Knitters Loom.

I also had a 4 shaft table loom I bought second hand, and while the process fascinated me it never really felt right for me somehow.

Then in 2018 the shop where I bought my Ashford offered a tour of the Louet factory. I thought that would be fun to see how looms get made. I had no intention to try looms to buy or anything like that. But after the factory floor tour we went up to the showroom and the first thing I saw was the Jane loom. And I fell head over heels. I sat at it for quite a while, trying out the pattern that was set up for demo. I did try a couple of the floor looms and looked around a bit more, but I kept going back to the Jane. I don’t think I ever felt such a pull before. I was so sorely tempted to just buy it on the spot, but since I hadn’t had any plans to buy a loom and it was quite an investment I decided to wait. The tour came with a discount coupon that was valid for a month afterwards, so I figured if in a few weeks I decided I still wanted it, I would go for it. And I couldn’t stop thinking about it for that entire time. So of course I did buy it. And in the meantime decided that I would get a stand after all, which I wasn’t going to at first, but then I saw a photo from a weaver who had her Jane set up in her backyard and that seemed like heaven to me!

 

So here she is, the backyard wasn’t yet finished but I was thrilled to be weaving there!

Being such a multi crafter I have waves of obsession with one thing after another. It’s been a while since I had a weaving wave. I’ve been fully into illustration for about a year, and I’m currently on an illustration course. But what I found was that I needed something that would allow my mind to relax more, to allow ideas to form in the back of my mind as I’m doing other things. That’s when weaving came back into view. I’ve had to do some rearranging, but my Jane is set up again, and I’ve also just warped my Inkle loom with a new band. Real weaving for weaving sake, just that repetitive zen inducing activity.

Whenever I get back into weaving I absorb a lot of weaving content. Stuff like videos from Felicia from SweetGeorgia. Of course I kept crossing Jane Stafford’s name as well. I learned only after I bought the Jane that it was named after her! In my search today to find some more information about this link I found the SweetGeorgia podcast episode with Jane. I had already listened to this before (and I checked the guild back then but given my hopping from one thing to another I held back on signing up at the time) but I listened again today, and I felt a real connection with Jane, the way she talks about plain weave and color. I’ve discovered through my illustration course that color is the driving force behind what I really love in any craft or art I do and admire. I love finding beautiful color combinations of yarn. So when I saw the courses on plain weave and color I decided to sign up and join this wonderful guild.

If you’ve made it all the way though my story, thank you! I know I can ramble a bit.

[Ellen Duncan]

Hello all!

I’m Ellen from Wales. I started knitting about 8 years ago when I needed something to give me a break from university and academia, and since then it’s been a long plunge into all things textiles. I now spin, weave, knit and dye, and occasionally dabble in bits of crochet, tapestry weaving and sewing. If I could spend all my life making I would be a happy woman!

I got a rigid heddle loom 3 years ago and very much enjoyed learning on it, but decided it was time for an upgrade. I wanted to try out more complex patterns, and I don’t find the RHL particularly ergonomic for me. Budget and space constraints being what they are (I share a flat with a thankfully understanding friend!) I got a 4-shaft Erica. She’s lovely, and I’m having a great time trying things out and learning on her, but I’m already covering wider floor looms. One day! Hopefully in the next couple of years in fact, as I’m not sure how long my wrists and hands will stand up to operating the shafts.

I’ve been loving the guild so far, and have learned so much already – I’m in early S2 at the moment. I’m following along with some of the samples, but I also have a list of about 20 different projects circling my brain. What an absolute rabbit hole I’m diving down…

[Jocelyn Peeling]

Hi
I am Jocelyn and I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I bought a Erica loom and assembled it last year. I have been wanting to learn to weave since I was introduced to paper weaving in kindergarten a long long time ago. I knit, crochet, have done cross stitch and needlepoint. I am about to begin the tea towels and am feeling overwhelmed, but I am grateful and excited also. lovely to meet you all online!

[Author]

Posts