Knitters, crocheters and spinners this is the next step. If you are a knitter/crocheter you have a wonderful stash of fibers. If you are a spinner, you have handspun yarn that will work up nicely into woven fabric. Weaving is a wonderful way to use up odds and ends or skeins of all types of fibers.
"Pattern Weaving" by Rabbit Goody is all about the basics for a handloom. This book covers looms that stand on the floor and use foot treadles, also called a floorloom. If you have thought about or have a floorloom and want to know how to begin, this book is filled with large, clear, step by step photographs for you to follow.
Rabbit will show you your way around the loom and introduce you to the correct terminology. You will learn the basic skills of the warping process. Knowing what project you want to weave will help in deciding how to calculate the fiber yardage (loom waste, take-up and shrinkage) and set up the loom. She will have you sitting at the loom and weaving with confidence.
You can set up your loom to weave any of the four projects in the book. The first project is a two-color checkered scarf using worsted wool. You can set up the loom and create both a plain weave and also a twill scarf. There is also very detailed instructions for a placemat and runner in cottton and a herringbone checked blanket like the one on the book cover. The last project is a table set in tied spot weave. These projects will be beautiful in your home or would make a nice wedding gift.
If you have been thinking about learning to weave on a floorloom, you need to pick up this book and see what it is all about. You may find a loom tucked in a friends attic or barn.
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