Here's a nice one-stop spot for all those great book recommendations. I don't know about you, but sometimes I forget where they were posted. 

Comments

Wed, 07/22/2009 - 17:44

bolivian warmi

One of my favorites for making a loom, setting up, heddle making etc is ''Backstrap Weaving'' by Barbara Taber and Marilyn Anderson. It covers rigid heddles too and even how to make one. There are plain weave projects and instructions for four-selvedge pieces. Also covered are supplementary weft patterns of Guatemala.

Currently used for under $10.00 on Amazon.

Wed, 07/22/2009 - 18:00

jeannine (not verified)

I am so happy to be the owner of a  dutch version of this book.I nearly cann't believe it is just this book that you are recommanding.

yes,it has very clear drawings and I made my loom following their instructions.

Wed, 07/22/2009 - 23:48

Caroline (not verified)

"Guatemalan Textiles" by Marilyn Anderson

"Techniques of Guatemalan Weaving" by Bjerregard

"Art of the Loom" by Anne Hecht

"The Weaving Spinning and Dyeing Book" by Rachel Brown

The Art of Bolivian Highland Weaving: Unique, Traditional Techniques for the Modern Weaver" by Marjorie Cason and Adele Cahlender (on order)

The Rachel Brown book and the Hecht book are in print and can be purchased new from good booksellers and weaving stores. The other 3 are hard to find, and pricey to buy pre-loved, even at Amazon.

Rachel Brown's book is the only one that has projects as such, and the Bjerregaard delves into how weaving differs from area to area. The Hecht book covers so-called "primitive" weaving from around the world, but having seen what she covers, its not the backstrap loom thats primitive!

Arizona archives have articles and monographs on South American backstrap weaving, particularly M M Atwater and Harriet Tidball; see the links thread for the URL.

www.weavolution.com/node/3988

Tue, 08/11/2009 - 00:14

thelmaweaves

A listing of books helpful in backstrap weaving:

Peru-Textiles Unlimited Part II, (this is a Shuttle Craft Monograph) by Mary Atwater

Latin American Brocades-Supplementary Weft Techniques, by Suzanne Braizerman and Karen Searle

Weaving in the Peruvian Highlands, by Nilda Callananpa  Alvarez

Bolivian Tubular Edging and Andean Crossed-Warp Techniques (decorative edging and joining technique for finished backstrap weaving), by Adele Cahlander

Backstrap Weaving, by Karen Anderson

Backstrap Weaving in Mesoamerica, by Suzanne Braizerman and Karen Searle

Weaving on a Backstrap Loom by Barbara Taber and Barbara Anderson

The Art of Bolivian Highland Weaving by: by Marjorie Cason and Adele Cahlander

Doublewoven Treasures from Old Peru, by Adele Cahlander

Finishes in the Ethnic Tradition (this book focuses on finishing your backstrap weaving, weft protectors, etc. ), by Suzanne Braizerman and Karen Searle

Video:

Tubular Woven Finishes-Backstrap Loom Techniques, by Jacquetta Nisbet. This video is available from the Yarn Barn in Kansas.  It is a really good video.

Tue, 08/11/2009 - 01:20

Caroline (not verified)

Woven Treasures etc by Adele Cahlander is available new for $28.00 from the Interweave web site. Its cheaper than buying it second hand.

http://www.interweavestore.com/store/p/2620-Double-Woven-Treasures-From-Old-Peru.aspx

There is also a new book out by  Debbie Chandler on Guatemalan Woven Wealth:

http://www.interweavestore.com/store/p/3669-Guatemalan-Woven-Wealth.aspx

This helps an NGO that supports weavers.

Tue, 08/11/2009 - 02:37

claudia (not verified)

We have a new advertiser, Woven Treasures by Sara Lamb and the url is:  http://saralamb.blogspot.com/  to order a copy in advance of the release.  I think, based on the url, it's the same book but the author is Sara Lamb.

It looks like a great book, I can't wait to see it.

Claudia

 

Tue, 08/11/2009 - 03:46

Caroline (not verified)

I have my copy of the Sara Lamb book on order at Amazon, it looks absolutely fabulous! The Guatemalan one is a different one that seems to have crept up on us without any fanfare from Interweave! I lust after sooooo many books; if I ran a book store I would never sell anything because I'd add it to my personal library, hehe!

Tue, 11/03/2009 - 04:34

Loominaria (not verified)

I posted these under Franco's woven clothing post and thought I should add them to this books thread also:

These are the weaving-clothing books I have:

Handwoven Clothing Felted to Wear -- Anita Luvera Mayer

Clothing from the Hands that Weave -- Anita Luvera Mayer

Fashions from the Loom -- Betty J. Beard

Weaving You Can Wear -- Jean Wilson

Cut My Cote -- Dorothy K. Burnham

SAORI, Shitate no hon -- in Japanese, so I'm not sure of the author. Diagrams are clear, measurements are in centimetres and may require adjustment for your body, warns Saori Worcester.

In most parts of the U.S., the vast majority of these garments would be considered women's clothing, some unisex, as presented, but many of the garments have little shaping and could be 'dude duds' with a little tweaking. The Saori book is brilliant. Many of the styles in this book would benefit from light, draping fabric, even more so than the other books above, but I reckon backstrap fabric weights can vary as much as the yarns and threads you choose to use. I also have some books like Medieval Tailor's Assistant or something like that, that aren't specifically geared toward handweaving.

Am I missing any great weaver's clothing books?

Thu, 11/12/2009 - 19:07

DianneStucki (not verified)

Ooh--Kurt, I also have the Medieval Tailor's Assistant, but it hadn't even occurred to me yet to look at it with an eye toward weaving!

I'm currently weaving an inkle band that is going to be used for trim on a tunic for a Society for Creative Anachronism friend.

I love ponchos, and I really would like to make a woven one eventually. The one I use now I made from a big square of polar fleece, and I wear it till it's just plain not warm enough, but a wool poncho would be luuuuvely.

Thu, 11/12/2009 - 19:56

francorios (not verified)

I used to have a mail order book business, before the internet, and I sold nature and natural science books because its one of my favorite topics.

I was thrilled to be able to buy and sell books because I could buy mine wholesale! Sell 10 and it pays for my copy!

I often think I should have been a librarian.

I have a an amazon partners page on my rabbitgeek website for rabbit related books, I really need to beef up the fiber books sections as well.

http://www.rabbitgeek.com/onlinestore.html

Have a good day!

Sun, 12/20/2009 - 16:23

mischiefmanaged (not verified)

Has anyone read Weaving & Dyeing in Highland Ecuador? Does it have a lot of how-to informaiton in it? I love to read about crafts even if it is ahead of where I am now ;) Cindy

Sun, 12/20/2009 - 17:11

bolivian warmi

I have this book Cindy and it was a very exciting purchase for me.

I bought it at the Textile Museum in DC and then met the author Ann Rowe there who signed it for me. That chance meeting with her had her recommending me as an aid to an anthropologist and we went to coastal Ecuador together to study and document the saddle bag making process.

It is not your typical how-to book with step-by-step instructions but more a scholarly work and I will quote from the back cover:

This comprehensive study, edited by Ann pollard Rowe, is unrivaled in its detail and includes not only descriptions of the indigenous weaving and dyeing technology, but also an interpretation of its historical significance, as well as hundreds of photographs, drawings, and maps that inform the understanding of the process.

It also adds:

The weaving techniques are explained in detail, so the reader can replicate them if desired.

This last part is true but one really needs to already be quite familiar with these supplementary and complementary warp type techniques in order to get one's head around the descriptions-I stress descriptions rather than instructions.

However, it is a wonderful piece of work and well worth having as long as you are not  expecting a straight out ''how-to''.

Laverne

Edit: All Ann Rowe's books are worth having IMHO.

 

Sun, 12/20/2009 - 20:44

mischiefmanaged (not verified)

Thanks, that sounds like a great book to keep in mind for a future purchase. I have Techniques of Guatemalan Weaving which has good how-to info in it. I read Weaving in the Peruvian Highlands from the library, and it is a great book with excellent pictures of the textiles but is a book about weaving rather than a how-to book.

I also have The Weaving Primer by Nina Holland; it has sections on frame (rigid or string heddle), inkle, and backstrap looms. The backstrap section in it is quite small and only covers backstrap weaving with a rigid heddle and not in a lot of detail. I got the book more for the pickup patterns I could use in  rigid heddle weaving. Although maybe some of the inkle patterns could be useful since they are warp-faced.

I am very glad for our forum here because there is so much good information and support here! I will have to see how many books in this thread my library can get . . . :)