Weaving at last

After many months of anticipation, I spent the last week of June at Harrisville Designs, at a "Learn to Weave" workshop. This particular workshop is for those who have very little experience in setting up and weaving on a floor loom. I stayed, with four other wonderful women, in the charming "Chelsea Mills Boardinghouse." Charming is the most applicable description for Harrisville - to include the boardinghouse, the town, the business, everything.

I set off for New Hampshire on Sunday afternoon, and knew I was close when I saw this moose at the rest area in Vermont:














Then it was off to Harrisville, which is 10 miles east of Keene, NH. I was the only one at the boardinghouse on Sunday night, so made lots of progress on Icarus.

We warped the looms first thing on Monday, well it took most of the day, then started weaving. Tom Jipson, the instructor, is a great teacher, and let everyone work at their own pace. Over the course of the next day and a half we learned all kinds of weaving patterns, then worked to develop a rhythm. This is what we had at the end of the first warp.















The second warp was set up as a twill, and was equally as long. The third was for Bronson lace, and then a type of pattern called "Summer and Winter". I had a great week, loved the weaving, and this followed me home:

















Some assembly required.