unbeWEAVEable New Craft!

Hello Readers!
Last week I spoke about some crafty gifts I made for loved ones; this week I’m going to gush about a crafty gift I received!

I was wondering around my local Michael’s craft store, as any crafty lady is bound to do, and there I saw this weaving set. I had recently been admiring weaving artists online and I had some interest in trying it out myself. So I snapped picture to show my Mum for a Christmas gift idea (other than gift cards). Truth be told, I forgot all about weaving until I opened this very set Christmas morning! I have quite the yarn stash to bust through, so why not diversify my yarn crafts? With weaving you can mix-and-match yarn weights to create unique textures that aren’t achievable with crochet or knit. 

Weaving Terms:

• WARP - the thread that is strung over the loom vertically, and holds the tension while you weave.
• WEFT - the thread that is woven between thee warp threads, creating the pattern and structure in the weave.
• LOOM - the structure that is used to give the weaving tension and support while it is in process.

The basics of weaving are very easy to pick up, and there are a lot of great resources online for all sorts of techniques. Check out The Weaving Loom for all you need to know as a novice weaver. The one I have is what is commonly called a “lap loom”. It’s size limits what you can create, but it is perfect for a casual weaver. A full-size loom would be used for full fabrics, tapestries , and rugs, and it takes up a significant amount of floor space. Not the easiest for a beginner to WRAP their head around.

I have already completed my first weaving! It is small, and fairly simple, but I am so thrilled with how it turned out. I had no initial plan when I began, but this is part of the advantage of weaving! My weaving uses 2 different weights of yarn and the finer yarn is also used for the warp.

I had a lot of fun mixing colours for this crafty experiment. It was so calming to work on, especially without a pattern to stress over. Of course, as with any yarn craft, weaving in the ends isn't AS fun, but also not too difficult to figure out. All in all, I would recommend weaving to any avid crafter looking to diversify as well as any beginner crafter looking for a place to start.

So, Mum and Dad, thank you for this fun crafty gift, and I will surely pay you back with a lovely weaving under your tree next year. 

Have you tried weaving before? Tell me about your experiences in the comments below!
Until next time, I’m Kat and that’s that!