5 Things I wish I knew when starting out

1 || How to not weave too tightly/keep an even tension throughout a weave

Ok, so for this one I had read a few tips, but still I didn’t pull off even tension in the beginning. I put together a post on how to plain weave so that your weave sides don’t pull in. The basic idea is to try thinking about weaving as placing the weft threads between the warp instead of pulling the weft threads between the warp. This is easier said then done because when you weave you pull the threads through, but no matter what weaving technique you’re using you should always be looking at your warp threads and making sure they look fairly un-disturbed on the loom. If you see one or more that is pulling out of it’s line, then try loosening your weft thread until the warp can sit straight. But don’t go crazy, your weave will never be “perfect”, just fix any really obvious warp pulls as you weave. It’s a hard task for many people that develops with time, which brings me to my next item…

2 || I really wish I had more patience when I was just starting out

I had a lot of ideas in my head of how I wanted my weaves to look, but they didn’t quite turn out that way. It was hard to not get frustrated over wanting to make a weave I envisioned, but not being at the skill level needed. As we all know, skills develop with practice, so if you’re not at the skill level you want to be at try these two things:

• Make a weaving sampler. This is a great way to experiment and also get in the practice without the pressure of making a perfectly designed weave. (BTW, does anyone have a weaving sampler that they want to share? I’d love to hear what you thought about making one)
• Keep a journal of weave ideas. If you have an idea, but don’t think you could execute it yet, sketch it up for a later time when you will be at a better skill level to tackle the weave.

3 || Design worry

When I was starting out, I felt like the design was a large issue for me. I had a lot of ideas, but whenever I tried to weave them, it just didn’t look right. Or I would weave up a whole weave and after I made it, I would really hate how it looked. That’s also very frustrating. Again, my skill level was part of the issue but also I didn’t have the experience with weaving techniques to know how putting them together would turn out. With this in mind, I created my Free Beginner’s Pattern. I wanted to make a pattern that was a good way to practice weaving techniques and also have a weave you could hang on the wall once you were finished. So you can hopefully get past part of the frustration.

4 || Weaving supplies

What is a good needle to weave with? Where can I find pretty yarn? I had a lot of questions like that when starting out, so I do my best to share with you. I created my Weaving Wishlist posts as a place to share where I get supplies. I call it a wish list, because there are a lot of fun to have items along with some really helpful items too.

5 || A resource like this blog

I know, that sounds like I’m tooting my own horn, but its true. The whole reason I created this blog is because I really did wish I had a resource like this when starting out. I had to do a whole lot of research in many different places and I found many others were doing the same, so I thought why not share what I have found. I get so much joy from weaving and I know other people are interested in learning it too, so I just had to share. This blog is for you and I’m so happy to see that so many of you are finding it helpful!

So now I want to focus on you and what you would like to see more of. What do you wish you knew when you were starting out? Is there any weaving technique or anything you’re stuck on? Would you like to see more weaving videos? Would you be interested in weaving patterns you could follow, like the beginner’s pattern? Drop me an email or let me know what you would like to see more of in the comments below.

Happy Weaving!

Kate

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