Migrated Group Comments

Comments

Tue, 06/09/2009 - 00:47

Sagadis (not verified)

I'm living in the Irish Republic, but I can agree with the goals of the group!  I finally got my Baby Wolf floor loom over here after 10 years of trying, three years ago and I'm just now really learning how to use it well.

I have found a couple of good sources of wool yarn, like Kerry Wool Mill and a couple of them in the UK but it took awhile.  I'll try and post the main wholesale company I've been using in London for several years as soon as I find the catalog.  The lady at the London Handweaver's Studio said I might as well order direct rather than from her, since I was in Ireland and needed larger amounts.


 

 

 

Tue, 06/09/2009 - 07:40

hazelb (not verified)

Hi

I live in Wales with way too many looms and dogs. Oh not forgetting the stash of yarn that has been growing for about 15 years LOL

Tue, 06/09/2009 - 14:04

Cally (not verified)

I like your "group statement" - my particular weakness is Tencel envy... 

My looms and I live in Scotland, with my husband and - at the moment - a vacancy for a cat (or two).  I've been weaving for 5 years although it seems like much longer... From 2005-2007 I did the Bradford handweaving HNC which was the most stressful, intense and rewarding thing I have ever undertaken.  The thing I miss about it is the regular contact with fellow-weavers, as my local guild is dominated by spinning, but I keep a blog and have "met" a lot of weavers that way.  I do spin, although rather haphazardly, and sometimes use my handspun in weaving, which gives me a monstrous amount of pleasure - far out of proportion to the success of the yarn or the cloth!

Cally

Tue, 06/09/2009 - 21:53

weaverjane (not verified)

Hello,  I'm Jane, a weaver - living in Sheffield UK.  I am currently in the middle of the HNC at Bradford - taking a break from the long process of warping up my Double Weave project.  I have been weaving about 3 years,  Great to have a group like this - my local guild also is dominated by spinning (and knitting).  I follow your blog, Cally - great use of colour.   I've just started a blog -  Designed2Weave  wordpress blog - in case anyone wants a look.  3 posts and growing !

Jane

Wed, 06/10/2009 - 16:01

Geodyne (not verified)

Hi all, I'm Geo, a weaver in Cambridgeshire. I shoe-horn weaving in around full-time work and the rest of my life. I've been weaving for about 4 years, and also weave with handspun a lot. I have an 8-shaft countermarche Glimakra, although I keep lusting after a mechanical dobby.

I'm very interested in the number of people who are doing/have done the HNC at Bradford, as I'd very much like to try doing that at some stage. I'd like very much to hear more about it!

Pleased to see my fellow blogger Cally here!

Wed, 06/10/2009 - 19:21

marywareodc (not verified)

Hi I'm Mary and I'm a self-taught spinner who started weaving about 6 months ago.  I'm using a 4 shaft table loom which I built out of bits & pieces.  I love spinning and wanted something to do with the yarn I produce, but now I'm getting hooked on weaving for its own sake.  I'm fascinated by the interplay of colour, texture and pattern.  My projects can't keep up with my ideas and I'm still making a lot of mistakes, but learning loads.  I'm an enclosed Carmelite nun, so have relied on the internet to learn these new crafts, and think of Ravelry as my guild.  But I also listen to Weavezine and am excited about this launch of weavolution.

Sat, 06/13/2009 - 15:46

StrandedYarnsUK (not verified)

Hi - I am Shani and a relatively new weaver from Bristol.  I use an Ashford Knitters Loom to convert my handspun, and sock yarn into useful objects. 

A bit confused about terminology, but getting there. 

I also belong to various Guilds of Spinners Dyers and Weavers, and hence the addiction was born. 

best wishes to you all.

 

Shani

Thu, 06/11/2009 - 15:21

marywareodc (not verified)

Hi Geo

Which part of Cambs are you in?  I'm in Ware, Herts so we may be weaving neighbours.  An 8-shaft Glimakra sounds pretty special, though it's always the next one up that tugs isn't it!

Mary

Thu, 06/11/2009 - 17:27

Cally (not verified)

Bradford blogs

Hi Jane, I'm pleased to meet you!  And thanks for the link -- I have just added your blog to my list of subscriptions on Bloglines... a surefire way to spend too much time on the internet.  I have been following Nigel's Bradford weaving blog with great interest. 

How exciting to have a doubleweave project.  I think that was my favourite module - I certainly got more adventurous with my display in that one, and was working with colours that I still liked after three months of total immersion, which has to be good!

Don't worry Geodyne, I'm sure you'll hear more than enough about Bradford, certainly from me...

Cally

Fri, 06/12/2009 - 21:10

dorothystewart (not verified)

 Hi there ! I am Dorothy, living near Lockerbie in south west Scotland. Been weaving since I retired about five years ago. My loom is a harrisville 36" floor loom with 4 shafts. I also have an inkle loom.

Have done a lot of cotton tea towels and also woollen scarves and wraps. 

I subscribe to handwoven and Weavers craft and am also a member of the on-line weavers guild.

Looking forward to being part of this site and this group

Dorothy

Sun, 06/14/2009 - 14:20

DJCNOR (not verified)

Hi,all,

I'm Donna Carty, an American living in Norwich, who imported a 25 inch 8-harness Harrisville when I came to the UK 4 years ago. I also have a 28 inch Kromski Harp loom which I use mostly for portable demonstration and for lending out when I'm teaching someone.

I had a 4-harness LeClerc table loom a long time ago and learned a bit by myself, but gave up that and the inkle and another very weird loom when I moved to NYC. Then I went back to school at the Fashion Institute of Technology in surface design/textile design and took weaving as my specialty. That's where I really learned weaving. We had 12-harness Macomber's and did projects on double cloth and upholstery fabrics and fabrics changed afterwards by washing or treating.

I'm the author of one article in Handwoven about  a method of dropping a bead into each waffle of waffle weave.

How I wish I'd come to Norwich in time to learn to weave a Norwich shawl!

Sun, 06/14/2009 - 21:55

weaversouth (not verified)

Hi, I'm Nancy Lea, and live in the US, but visit the UK about once a year and it would be nice to connect with some UK weavers while I'm there.  Nice if anybody gets this way to connect here, too!

Nancy C

Mon, 06/15/2009 - 09:25

Woolforbrains (not verified)

Hello,

I'm a new weaver living near Sheffield. I'm hoping to start taking the scissors to my fabric this week and begin making some small bags but I'm stupidly nervous about it. At the moment I have a rigid heddle and inkle loom and I'm reliant on the yarn doing all of the work but as I have major multi-shaft envy I hope eventually to get a table loom.

I've told my son that the day he moves out there's a floor loom going where his bed is but as he is only nine that day is some way off.

Tue, 06/16/2009 - 17:43

Cally (not verified)

It's not at all stupid to be nervous about cutting into your precious handwoven cloth!  But have courage and I am sure your bags will turn out beautifully.  I'm not a sewing expert so I'm afraid I can't really give you marvellous tips, but a fellow blogger put me on to using the zig-zag with three little stitches instead of one big stitch when using a sewing machine.  It keeps the edge much straighter.  Which makes me think: I must go and check the list of groups and see if there is a "sewing for handweavers" one yet - I can't keep up with the pace of this site.

Cally

Tue, 06/16/2009 - 18:29

Cally (not verified)

There's a group now - I just set it up!  It is called Fearless Scissors.

Cally

Thu, 06/18/2009 - 13:04

yarninmypocket (not verified)

Hello, Sagadis, if you are who I think you are, we've met in real life!  Though, if you were to recognise me, you would know me as Alys de Witeby, of Flintheath.  ;)

Sat, 06/20/2009 - 20:47

humblebumble (not verified)

hi, i'm andrew.

i recognise a few of the names here, hello.

i've been weaving for a couple of years now, and was originally into scarves and fabrics, but am becoming more interested in rugs, carpets and blankets.

i'm moving into a tiny house in galashiels in a month to study Textile Design for 4 years at the college there. all my looms are in storage so i'm kinda obliged to do stuff i can do on a vertical frame loom, cos of space and so on.

i am kinda lookin forward to not having this immense cumbersome object dominating an entire room of my house though, i feel much happier if i don't have stuff weighing me down like that.

 

-andrew

Tue, 06/23/2009 - 08:27

nekidesu (not verified)

hi.

would you take pity on a lonely weaver who lives in Spain and let her join the group, please ? :)

neki desu

Sat, 06/27/2009 - 22:31

Sagadis (not verified)

Yep, that's me, the one and only (that I know of anyway) lol

Sat, 07/11/2009 - 09:56

marywareodc (not verified)

Hi Dorothy

I'm one of the new members on the online guild so nice to find you here too.  I'll keep an eye out for you there - just finding my way around!

Mary

Mon, 07/13/2009 - 08:31

dizzyspinner (not verified)

 Hi everyone - some very familiar names in here. I have just had to part with my 8 shaft loom due to chronic back probs which made it impossible to work with that loom.  However, a 24" Rigid Heddle is helping with the 'withdrawal' symptoms lol

Also a member of the Online Guild.  

Mon, 07/13/2009 - 13:25

StrandedYarnsUK (not verified)

Hi - nice to meet you...

 

best wishes

Shani

Tue, 08/04/2009 - 21:32

Thumper70 (not verified)

thanks for bringing this up - I've been rather "fearful" about cutting my cloth too.

Tue, 08/25/2009 - 20:23

DJCNOR (not verified)

Please go ahead and join our group. After all, within the EU, we can buy looms and yarn without the problems of customs fees. Please tell us about any good yarn sources you know in Spain or elsewhere on the continent.

Donna

Thu, 08/27/2009 - 13:50

Geodyne (not verified)

Mary: apologies, I've only just seen your reply!

I'm just to the north of Cambridge itself, so while we're not quite neighbours, we're only 40 or so miles apart!

It is always the next one up that tugs, but I'm contenting myself with making the Glimakra extra special at the moment.

Thu, 09/03/2009 - 20:51

silkweaver2 (not verified)

hello I have just joined this group.  I am Julie and I live in Somerset.  I did  the first year of the Bradford HNC last year but couldn't continue because of a hand injury.  Like Cally I miss working with fellow weavers and it is lovely to have found this group. I belong to the Online Guild and also Wiltshire Guild where again members are mostly spinners

 I took two classes with Bonnie Inoyue back in June (Advance and Opposites Attract).  They were held at the Devon Weavers Workshop. The courses were really intense but so good.  A few of us shared a house during the courses so we were able to talk weaving and ideas way into the night. 

By the way has anyone been to the new Handweavers yet?  I am itching to go and see how Wendy is doing.

 

Julie

Thu, 09/17/2009 - 15:28

Erica J

Hello to both of you. I am also near Cambs, in Hockwold, Thetford. I'm always interested in meeting other weavers in the area! I hope we can all keep each other abreast of interesting weaving opportunities in this area!

Regards,

Jahanara

Fri, 09/25/2009 - 17:25

DJCNOR (not verified)

And I'm in Norwich. You guys are close enough that I wonder if you would be interested in a project I'm working on. What I want to do is to establish a "textile incubator", a common workshop with a variety of equipment available for the members to use as members or renting by the hour. I want to include a loom that would be kept warped and ready for people who enjoy the weaving part and would like to make things for themselves but would rather avoid the warping part, the opportunity for students to learn weaving through one-on-one instruction at their convenience, a tourist-centered program that offered residential weekends with a combination of museum visits, lectures, and hands-on textile projects, and even a retail section where only UK yarns and fibers are offered, including handspuns, I hope. My ultimate objective is to revive the local textile industry. I'm hoping that the workshop will be a catalyst for the establishment of a number of new textile businesses that would coordinate colors and thus be able to market together. My problem, of course, is getting the initial funding and space to set it up. I have discovered a similar project set up by an artist called Smockshop that has indeed resulted in several participants setting up their own businesses, so I can show that my idea is likely to succeed. Anyone interested?

Donna