I just got a 24" rigid heddle loom and I do not know how to read a pattern.
I have got the The Weaver's Idea Book: Creative Cloth on a Rigid Heddle Loom, by Jane Patrick, but I tried many tomes and I do not know how to read the pattern.
I am sorry, but I really want to learn.
Kind regards,
The Weaver's Idea Book is more of an intermediate-level rigid heddle book than one for beginners; it assumes that you are familiar with the basics of warping and weaving on (and understanding weaving instructions for) a rigid heddle loom and offers primarily weaving patterns rather than specific projects. If you are just beginning to weave on a rigid heddle, and particularly if you are teaching yourself, you might find it easier if you begin with a rigid heddle book that focuses on basic information. Weaving Made Easy: 17 Projects Using a Simple Loom by Liz Gipson (also published by Interweave) goes into lots of detail about terminology, warping and weaving on a rigid heddle loom, and its projects allow you to learn by doing. Once you have completed some of the projects from Weaving Made Easy, you will probably find The Weaver's Idea Book much more accessible.
That said, there are some idiosyncrasies in The Weaver's Idea Book that can be confusing if you don't know what they are. The main thing to know is that, in addition to instructions for weaving the patterns on a rigid heddle loom, the book also includes graphical weaving drafts so that shaft loom weavers can weave the same patterns on their looms, which work quite differently from rigid heddle looms. Instructions for rigid heddle weavers will be in text, so weavers on a rigid heddle can and should ignore anything that looks like this:
Good luck in your weaving adventures! I hope this helps.
Lynn Tedder
I would heartily recommend Betty Davenport's book "Hands on Rigid Heddle Weaving"as a starter book, also available in the Interweave store. Its for beginners and focuses only on the rigid heddle loom.There is plenty there to keep you busy as you make friends with your loom, and once you have worked through that you will be ready for the Patrick book, and will be able to use it to its fullest extent.
The Gipson book is good, I have a copy, but it starts at the very, very beginning of how to weave, and covers all the very simple frame looms as well as the rigid heddle loom, so you may find it a bit basic for your needs. This is not a criticism, its just that Liz Gipson and Betty Davenport cover different approaches to, and areas of, weaving. As you already have your rigid heddle loom its more practical to go for the book that covers learning how to use it, weaving patterns, and more importantly, how to read the pattern drafts for pick-up and other weaves.
Its quite possible that both books will be in your local library, giving you a chance to have a look at them before buying them. If they are, I would suggest read the Gipson book to get a good grounding in how weaving works, then buy the Davenport book to learn what you can get out of your loom because there is a fair bit to work through. Then the Patrick book flows on seamlessly from there and shows you just how versatile these tiny and efficient looms can be and what amazing fabrics they can produce.
I wish you many happy hours at your loom, there is almost nothing you cannot do on it, except tap dance, lol!
Hi, absolutely excellent book. I got a rigid heddle 24 inch too for christmas and the book is a god sent.
Marie
lace marie which book are you talking about it? :-)
Hi, oops sorry missed your entry.
The book is "Weaving made easy by Liz Gipson". I also have the beginners book by Betty Davenport, but her style is a bit complicated .
Thanks
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