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Weaving Studio

Where the magic happens

The weaving studio is part of my home - a large lightfilled room adjacent to gardens with native flowers and birds, and views to alpacas grazing.  The room usually has several works in progress - fibre washing and dyeing, colourful fluffy batts from the drum carder ready to spin into unique yarn, skeins of rainbow dyed yarn, baskets of  co-ordinated yarns awaiting the final inspiration, and of course, measuring and threading yarns onto the loom for each piece of weaving.

Weaving offers so much scope for showing off beautiful yarns. It's very satisfying to begin with the fleece from one of my alpacas; to spin the yarn (and possibly dye it); then design and weave something unique - all without leaving the property. While I sometimes favour a particular colour or weave structure for a while, I enjoy variety, so each item is a "one off".  It's important to me to maintain and enhance the tactile qualities of the yarns I use, so that my woven items are a pleasure to touch as well as looking good.

The primary tools of a weaver's trade are beautiful yarns and of course the looms themselves. 

 

Let me introduce you to my looms

Rigid Heddle (Ashford Knitters loom)

This little loom was the start of my love affair with weaving.

Handy to take outdoors when the weather is kind, or to a friend's house for a weave and chat afternoon. 

Antique Scandinavian

This lovely old counterbalance 4 shaft loom (precise ancestry uncertain) is perfect for weaving throw rugs. 

I handspun the yarn in the natural colours grown by my alpaca herd for this rug in progress. 

Ashford Katie 8 shaft table loom

The Katie is my "go to" loom for scarves in precious handspun yarn, when I want to minimise waste. The length of yarn from  where I need to stop weaving (at the front of the loom) to where it is tied on at the back is just about right for making a fringe.

It is very portable - and can be folded into a carry bag even mid project - so is great for taking to workshops, Spinners and Weavers Guild meetings, demonstrations, etc. 

Ashford 8 shaft table loom

This one has been my workhorse for a number of years. 

I invested in a stand, with direct tie up for 4 treadles, that effectively gave me a floor loom for any 4 shaft weave, and made it easier to play with some interesting double weave structures. 

Hand dyed alpaca and silk scarf in progress.

Ashford 8 shaft Jack loom

My latest toy!

This floor loom makes it a real pleasure to weave more complex patterns in fine alpaca and silk yarns, like this braided  twill in red and black.