supply sources | part 2

in the last post, i focused on the yarns i’ve been using. this time, let’s get in to the looms. my boyfriend likes to refer to weaving as “looming,” so clearly, they’re important.

i mentioned that my first loom was a lap loom from maryanne moodie’s etsy shop. still totally love it. still use it all the time. i will say, it’s probably best to use in the comfort of your own home as the first time i attempted to travel with it, i broke off two of the teeth. whoopsies.

the next loom i purchased was “the bullfrog” from lost pond looms on etsy. this loom is a large table top loom with a width of 24 inches and adjustable length ranging from 24 to 38 (!!!) inches. i’m working on my first large weaving now and i believe it will come in around 24 inches wide and about 30 inches long. there’s so much room to play! it’s also ideal to show off some roving and chunkier knits in your weaves.  plus craig, the woodworker behind lost pond looms, is great. he ships quickly and is very communicative.

the bullfrog from lost pond looms

my newest addition is another loom from lost pond looms, “the peeper.” it’s incredibly similar to my other lap loom but i also ordered a rotating heddle for this bad boy. i’ve been able to increase my speed with this tool and start to build a bit of a stock list. i originally discovered rotating heddles while checking out meghan shimek’s site. she does absolutely stunning, large-scale pieces that focus on texture and she uses pounds upon pounds of beautiful roving. she featured a large loom with a rotating heddle in her shop which was unfortunately sold out at the time i was in the market for one. luckily, meghan had listed lost pond looms as a resource on her site and i’m so glad she did.

if you don’t want to make a big investment in a loom and want to take a shot at no-commitment shot at weaving – make your own frame! pinterest is ripe with tutorials but here are a few favorites:

hello hydrangea | DIY weaving loom from picture frame

honestly wtf | DIY woven wall hanging

happy looming!

supply sources | part one

when i first decided to try my hand at weaving, i was smitten (and still am!) with everything maryanne moodie. she’s selling lap looms? awesome. i’ll buy one. getting started, i was afraid that the first few weavings i’d make were monstrosities so i held onto the beautiful yarn included in my kit for a bit. i didn’t want to incorporate them into something no one in their right mind would hang in their hallway. my first few weaves were all created using inexpensive, easily accessible yarn from michaels. my first attempts were far from perfect but they definitely weren’t the freakish pieces of fiber art i was afraid of creating. even while learning and using inexpensive supplies, you can achieve beautiful results. a few weavings, in i decided to step up my game and pick up some higher quality products. here are a few of my favorites:

hands down my favorite yarn to work with comes from minnehaha fiber works. their yarns are primarily focused on wool (BEAUTIFUL wool) and they use only natural and environmentally-friendly dying techniques. i mean, both heidi and pamela, the co-owners of minnehaha fiber works, have dye gardens. that’s pretty rad. female owned? check. local? check. amazing quality? check. i feel awesome supporting them? check. i can’t recommend their products enough.

pamela’s garden fresh indigo | minnehaha fiber works

i’m also in love with the yarn i’ve purchased from quince & co. they source as much fiber as they can from within the US and value sustainability and stand against fast fashion garments and the companies that produce them. plus, all of their yarns are adorably named after birds. i’m particularly fond of the puffin, a chunky/bulky weight 100% american wool yarn.

quince & co. yarn

knit picks is great, too. their range of colors is pretty astounding. so. much. variety. one of my favorite products they offer are the roving sampler packs. roving is a great way to add instant texture to your weaving.

i’ve also sourced some vintage yarns from ebay. i’ve found tons of great, naturally colored yarn cones that are my go-tos for fringe. also, some of the sellers are adorable. etsy is also a fantastic resource. one seller i received particularly fantastic service from was saori santa cruz. i bought a great black warp yarn and on top of shipping super fast, she included a sweet note and fresh cut bay leaves. it’s all in the little details.

check out my “supply sources | part two” for great spots to source looms!

getting started

hello, friends! i thought i’d get this blog started by letting you know how i began weaving.

for most of my adult life, i’ve had a fairly typical, administrative-assistant-y day job. outside of those forty or so hours a week, i strive to keep my creative side alive at home. i’m happy to say that most of the work in our home is self-produced. i’ve sold a few things on etsy, always have a work in progress for a friend and i love what i’ve created, both for myself and for family and friends. i tend to use bold strokes and love to play with color. clean lines and interesting forms fascinate me.

a few months ago, i stumbled upon (who else?!) maryanne moodie on instagram. her weavings are truly inspiring. beautiful plays on color and shape and she’s been an inspriation for countless weavers. i followed her trail to etsy and picked up a beginners weaving kit consisting of a gorgeous handmade and dyed indigo lap loom, a yarn pack, warp thread, needle and scissors all accompanied by a hand written card. i was hooked. each weave i created was a little bit better than the last, a little more “me.” not too long ago, instagram posts started popping up with the #weaveweird hashtag. it’s been a wonderful thing to watch grow and incredibly inspriational. the online (and real world!) weaving community is booming. all ages and experience levels post their weird and wonderful weavings. this is also illustrated by @theweavingkind. housed primarily on instagram, it’s a group that provides suggestions for monthly weave-along challenges and showcases fantastic work from its submitting members. quickly, it’s become a lovely online community that fosters connections that we may not find or have easy access to in the real world.

there are so many more weavers who inspire me daily. i hope to highlight some of them in upcoming posts. on my website, please check out the “sources” page to find everything one might need to start getting their weave on. and the internet, specifically pinterest, is an AWESOME place to find tutorials. you’ll be off and weaving in no time.

xo
mwa