Foundations of Shaft-Loom Weaving

A year long online study course designed to give weavers a solid foundation.

Woven fabric. Simple enough. Threads going up and down, interlaced with threads going back and forth. And yet, the weaving of fabric, and the fabrics that we create, connect us back through generations, almost to the dawn of humanity.

Weaving is so many different things, and the fact that the same equipment and yarn that a weaver uses to make fabric that drapes and moves can also be used to make a piece of stiff fabric that sits on a table, feels magical to me. How threads going in one direction, interlaced with threads going in another direction can interact in such amazing and different ways.

In Foundations of Shaft-Loom Weaving, we will break this magic into its components. Using videos, written and diagramed materials, Zoom meetings, and forums, we will demystify structure, color, design, and ergonomics, building on the foundation of who we are and how weaving fits into our lives.

This course is suitable for both new weavers, and experienced weavers who want to brush up on the basics, or who are looking for a weaving community.

Cloth connects us to each other. Our weavings will be gifted to our friends and families, passed down through generations. They will hold memories of us for our children, grandchildren, friends. It is so simple, and also so complex. I hope you will join me.

Registration is Open!

After you register, you will be able to access course content through your account.

Course Overview

In this course we will cover:

  • Technical aspects of weaving including warping, shuttle throwing, trouble shooting, ergonomics

  • Color theory: how it specifically relates to weaving, when to use the concepts, and when to toss them away

  • Designing for weaving: creating your own and also rifting off of others

  • Twills, lace weaves, blocks. There will also be an opportunity to delve into other structures such as overshot and summer and winter, if desired.

This course is project based. We will complete four of Dena’s projects over the year, plus one of your own design. Each project will cover different structures and techniques, but we will revisit similar concepts in each one, with each project building on the previous projects.

Experience Level

This course is designed for weavers at (almost) all levels of experience.

It is helpful to have a loom and some experience warping. It is ok to not yet feel like warping or weaving is fluid and easy.

Cost

Course: $450 plus materials. Register by January 26 and receive a $50 gift card towards course materials

Materials: $240 including US shipping (see below)

Equipment Needed

This class will integrate four and eight-shaft weaving. All projects include both options and we will be exploring the differences in what the extra shafts will do for you and why.

  • Shaft Loom with at least four shafts (table or floor loom)

  • Warping board or pegs

  • shuttle and bobbins (preferably boat shuttle, but a stick shuttle will also work)

  • bobbin winder (if using a boat shuttle)

  • threading hook, lease sticks

Vermont Weaving Online

Our course content for Foundations of Shaft-Loom Weaving is on Vermont Weaving Online.  You will need to sign in or create an account to access your course materials.

Vermont Weaving Online is our new educational platform. It is a breath away from launching and includes full course units for each of our projects/kits along with courses on structure, color, design, and warping. It is a bit hard to find right now because we are still tweaking things, but you can get a sense of it by clicking on any of the course units or project courses below. We currently have a free Explore option (which includes plenty of great content) available which you can access by clicking the button below. You will be asked to create an account or sign in to your existing account to access.

Course Structure

  • Nine online units (see below) including:

    • five topic units (warping, twills, blocks, color, design)

    • four project units (Thirty-Year Napkins, Summer Towels, Game Boards, and Picnic Napkins)

  • Nine monthly Zoom classes (to be recorded)

  • Student forums

  • Access to Dena’s office hours (3x per month, mixed group)

  • 10% discount on all yarn and supplies purchased during the year

Registration is Open!

After you register, you will be able to access course content through your account.

Course Units

Note: These units are still being developed. There is plenty of great content now, and we will continue to add to it as the year progresses.

Projects

Each project unit includes all patterns (four and eight-shafts, plus rigid-heddle), extra tutorials covering theory and practical details, wifs (files used with weaving software) and in some cases videos. You can preview these project units now, and additional content will be added as the year progresses.

  • Summer towels (Twills)

    Preview

  • Thirty Year Napkins (Huck Lace)

    Preview

  • Caribbean Picnic (Color Gradients)

    Preview

  • Weaver's Gambit (Boards and Blocks)

    Preview

Dena’s Philosophy of Teaching

Learning about weaving can be a complex journey. Basic mechanics (setting up a loom and throwing the shuttle) technical (reading and creating drafts, planning treadling sequences, structure, and by the way…what is summer and winter?), and artistic considerations are all important.

Ideas are tightly linked but don’t necessarily build in a linear way. If you want to design a project using Summer and Winter, it will help to understand blocks and color. But if you want to focus on color or blocks, you will still need to choose a weave structure that will work for your project. Weavers often cycle around concepts many times, each time developing a deeper understanding.

I have been avidly weaving since 1986. In my thirty-eight years, the world of weaving has gone through significant changes. We now have access to an abundance of yarns, it is easy to find patterns that give us every piece of information we need, Marguerite Davison’s A Handweavers Pattern Book (the bible of handweaving drafts) is out of print and hard to find, while online resources, which may or may not match your learning style are plentiful.

The breadth of knowledge from weaver to weaver, from beginners through those with years of experience, has significant variation. This is one of the reasons why I love discussions that include weavers at all levels. Beginning weavers learn from experienced weavers, but experienced weavers also learn from beginners, who are asking the questions that we stopped asking years ago.

Keep scrolling down for questions, answers, and more information about materials.

Want to learn more?

Dena will be holding several Zoom sessions where she will explain the course in more detail, answer questions about the course, and if there is time, answer any and all weaving related questions.

Free and open to the public, registration is required.

Informational Zoom Sessions (all times are EST, please adjust for your location)

  • Sunday January 19, 7-8PM

  • Tuesday, January 21, 6-7PM

  • Friday January 24, 10-11am

  • Tuesday January 28, 1-2pm

Materials

$240, US shipping included

The material package includes all of the yarn to make the four projects, a few extras to round out your stash, and a collection of color aids. It’s a well balanced weaving starter pack.

You do not need to purchase the materials to take the class, but you will want to have a good selection of colors of 8/2 cotton in your stash plus the equivalent of the color aids below. You do need to have most of these colors to complete the four projects.

Any materials purchased from the shop during the year are eligible for a 10% discount.

Color Aids

  • Color Grid ($10 value)

  • Color Wheel ($12 value)

  • Grey Scale and Value Finder ($4 value)

  • Brassard cotton color card ($5 value)

(20) tubes of Brassard 8/2 cotton ($240 value)

Includes more than enough yarn to weave all of the projects, plus a few to fill in the gaps (black, white, brown, red).

Questions and answers

General

Can rigid heddle weavers join?

This course is specifically geared towards shaft looms. I will be offering a different Foundations course for rigid-heddle weavers. Stay tuned.

Do I need to purchase the full material kit to join

You do not need to purchase the full material kit to join, however we will be using these supplies in the class. If you choose to purchase supplies as needed throughout the year, you will receive a 10% discount when ordering, shipping not included. Most of these yarns are needed to complete the course projects, and we will also be using these yarns for color exercises.

I have my own unique way of learning. Will this work for me?

Everyone is different, so it’s hard to say for sure, but information is presented in several different forms and I will do what I can to learn about how you learn and help you out along the way. If you have a specific issue, please email me at dena@vermontweavingsupplies.com or sign up for one of our Learn More Zoom meetings.

What if I can’t get the projects finished?

Whether you weave the projects at the same time as everyone else, weave them at some other time, or don’t weave them at all, you will still get a lot out of the class. I do find it helpful, when working to understand things in weaving, to go through the process of putting them on the loom (I often gain a deeper understanding through the process of threading, tying up, and treadling), but this is not a requirement and you will still learn a whole lot by following the students who are weaving the projects.

Can I sample the class before deciding?

While it is not possible to sample the class, you are invited to come to a Zoom meeting, ask any and all of your questions, and meet Dena.

Experience Level

I am a brand new weaver. Can I join?

It is helpful to have a loom and some experience warping. It is ok to not yet feel like warping or weaving is fluid and easy.

I am an experienced weaver. Will I find this useful?

This course is designed to give you a solid foundation for understanding weaving structure and design as well as making sure that your weaving technique is working well. Weaving education is often sporadic and can leave holes in your understanding. It can be helpful to cycle around topics a few times to really understand them. Feel free to email me with specific questions (dena@vermontweavingsupplies.com) or come to one of the Learn More Zoom meetings.

Zoom Classes and Office Hours

What is the class schedule?

There will be a total of nine classes: Monthly for the first six months, and then switching to every other month (Feb, Mar, Apr, May June, July, Sept, Nov, Jan). Flexibility of timing will depend on how many people register.

Ready to register? Please fill out the form below with your time availability.

Tell me More about Zoom office hours?

Dena’s Zoom meetings happen 3-4 times a month. They are attended by weavers with different levels of experience, working on different kinds of looms. Dena begins the meeting by gathering questions from the group which helps to steer the conversation. We will go deeper into topics than participants expect.

They really are wonderful, often a bit magical.

When do Zoom Office Hours Happen?

Office hours are on a rotating schedule and happen just about every ten days. After you register, you will receive a full meeting schedule.

  • Every fourth Sunday, 7-8pm ET

  • Every fourth Tuesday 6-7 pm ET

  • Every fourth Thursday, 3-4pm ET

Do I have to turn on my camera? Will I need to speak?

No and no.

What if I miss a class?

Classes (not office hours) will be recorded and you can watch on your own time. If you have questions or want to discuss any of the material, you can do that during office hours.

Registration is Open!

After you register, you will be able to access course content through your account.