FIBER LIBRARY

Website Instruction

Rigid Heddle Weaving Instruction - CLICK HERE

BASIC WEAVING CLASSES

Intermediate Weaving Review plus Warping - half day session - $45.

Review previous weaving experience while warping one of our studio looms. After the lesson, that warp can be removed and reapplied to your loom at home for review. Perfect memory jogging if you once wove, but it has been a while.

Weaving on Countermarche Looms - full day immersion with handson experience - $90.

Full day of instruction to become acquainted wtih countermarche looms (several types on display), warping and tieup, advantages, points to consicer when purchasing CM looms. Time to experience weaving on the loom.

Drafting "Bindungslehre" - beg., intermediate or advanced - 2-3 hours - $30.

A very basic approach to understanding and creating weave drafts. Using a system of building blocks that can be recombined, both following recipes AND creating original designs will become easier.

Beginning level - beginning weavers, RH weavers wishing to move to floor or table loom

Intermediate level - Advanced Beginners and Intermediate weavers - includes introduction to profile drafting

Advanced level - Intermediate to advanced weavers. Covers the three ground weaves and derivations into more comlex fabrics. Includes the ISO nomenclature. Helpful to multi-shaft dobby loom owners.

Pattern and Loom Technology - How to Choose the Right Loom for YOU - 2-3 hours - $30.

Each loom has a "sweet spot" for certain types of fabric. Look and test drive several types of loom, see samples woven on them, learn about the features that make that loom suitable for its purpose. If in the market for a new loom, this is for you - weaving equipment if big and expensive - this short class aids in making a good decision - Rising shed, counterbalance, countermarche, rigid heddle and vertical looms available.

Materials and Sett for Weavers - 2-3 hours - $30.

Which yarns are suitable for which fabrics? How do I determine sett for a new yarn type? Using a large collection of samples, cones, skeins and basic knowledge of fabric science, it is possiblwe to develop a good idea of how to use a particular yarn as well as how to look for a suitable material to create a desired effect. Enhance your weaving skills with experience in choosing appropriate materials

Custom Instruction - is available in the following areas

Drawloom Weaving - pattern shaft or single unit

Basic instructrion in double harness weaving, types of equipment capable of producing double harness work, elements of setting up a successful draw device, efficient warping and set up methods for a drawloom, designing for the drawloom.

Not intended as a week to weave heirlooms, but to learn the basic system of creating unusual fabrics with this time honored loom. Working successfully on a drawloom is not difficult IF the basic understanding of how the shed and adjustment of the loom work.

$90 per full day. From personal experience, if this is first experience, 2-3 days of instruction should be sufficient. If weaver has some drawloom experience a single day would provide significant advancement.

SPECIFIC STRUCTURES AND TECHNIQUES

Individual instruction may be scheduled to explore many popular weaving structures and techniques such as rep weave, crackle, warp faced tapestries and rugs, waffle weave and more. Student must supply a loom that is portable enough to bring to lessons. Woolgatherers does not have "loaners".

New! Double Harness Weaving

Private Studio instruction using my book "When a Single Harness Simply Isn't Enough".

Single Unit drawloom, 50 Pattern Shaft Drawloom or counterbalance loom with damask pulleys and sword.

Full day - $90 - call(920-907-0510) or write for an appointment. I specialize in instruction where you need it - for double harness, one day minimum - longer sessions as desired.

2-hour lesson $30.

Half day lesson $45.

Full day instruction $90.

Send email or phone for more information.

Tel: 920-920-9503

Contact Address:

info@woolgatherers.com

WORKSHOPS AND LECTURES

Pricing

Workshop - full day $200, half day $100 travel allowance to be negotiated

Program/Lecture - $150 plus travel allowance

Following is a is of Courses/Lectures given successfully and repeatable for any group interested in the subject material. Individual instruction also available.

DOUBLE HARNESS (INCLUDING DRAWLOOM) WEAVING

With the publication of my new book "When A Single Harness Simply Isn't Enough", if your group of guild is interested in learning more about the techniques and fabrics involved, I can prepare a presentation that offers interested weavers a closer look at the possibilities.

I also have a presentation - History of the Drawloom - that deals with historic looms and woven fabrics from long ago.

Contact me for a customized presentation.

WEAVING WITH LINEN

One to three day workshop - demonstration of flax processing/spinning can be added. Presentation of various weights and types of linen yarn, properties of linen, care and washing, special consideration when weaving, suitable designs and projects.

Pre-handout prepares students, looms warped in workshop - NO ROUND ROBIN. The warping process is a major part of the learning experience here.

Various weft yarns will be explored prior to settling in on creating a project.

Purpose here is to create familiarity with linen as a weaving material - NOT to create heirloom linens on the first try. Goal is to complete a small sample of linen suitable for wet finishing. At this point, the student has gained enough knowledge to judge how best to complete the warp remaining on the loom.

.

PROCESSING AND SPINNING FLAX

There is much interest in processing bast fibers for spinners and weavers. We provide the tools, materials and background for traditioal processing of flax straw - breaking, scutching, hackling into stricks and spinning an even linen thread on a spinning wheel.

This can be accompanied by the lecture on properties of flax and hemp.

Flax processing alone can be done in half a day. Combined with lecture, full day. With spinning, the workshop takes 1.5 or two days.

WEAVING ON COUNTERMARCHE LOOMS

Countermarche looms are not covered well in many weaving texts, yet offer a wonderful weaving experience. By stretching the warp in two directions - up AND down - at the same time, the shed floor is held under tension, making it easier to pass the shuttle without skips and eliminate the need for a shuttle race. The warp is never subjected to uneven stretching as every shed stretches every thread the same way. Treadling is easier than one can imagine. The weaver is merely tipping a balance, not lifting heavy shaft frames. For anyone with sensitive or painful ankle, knee or hip issues countermarche looms offer a way to accomplish projects wtihout stressing the body. Fabric density is more variable on a countermarche loom - from fine and gauzy, to heavy and dense, far denser than rising shed looms allow. This is particularly advantageous when weaving with linen which likes to be sett closely. And TENSION can be much firmer on a countermarche loom than on a rising shed jack loom - without any issues of floating shafts. The reputation for being difficult to tie up is not entirely deserved - since Texsolv cord is available, the tieup issues have been addressed.

If you have ever wondered what the difference is between jack/table looms and a traditional countermarche, here is your chance to test drive our Öxabäck LILLA floor model. Learn how the loom is dressed and how it behaves in operation. The LILLA is a vertical countermarche loom. Between the shop/studio and my home studio, I can demonstrate vertical countermarche, horizontal countermarche with two sets of lams at two levels, two sets of lams at one level, and two sets of lams - one attached to the shafts.