Vävstuga Basics

This week covers the broadest range of weaving skills we have to offer, many of which may be unfamiliar even to experienced weavers. Winding a warp on a warping mill, beaming using a trapeze, the use of a temple to create beautiful selvages, shuttle skills, and taking advantage of the great ergonomics of our Glimakra looms and other equipment. Quality Swedish cotton, linen, cottolin and wool yarns are used and finishing methods will be presented. Blankets will be finished and fulled. The cold mangle may be used on the other items. This is the only class that offers an organized presentation of the technical skills required for both drafting and record-keeping.

Each student will complete (at least) four projects in five days:

A pair of cotton napkins in plain weave
A cottolin and linen towel (designed by the group)
A wool throw in twill
A block weave on 8 shafts

Five-day session

Monday and Tuesday of the five-day session will be spent dressing looms. We will wind warps on a mill with a multi-strand cross and pre-sley the reed to wind onto the back beam. After focusing on comfort while threading the heddles and sleying the reed, students will learn the efficiency and accuracy of the Vävstuga tie-up system for the countermarch loom. The three weaving days that follow offer a variety of experiences including the basic skills of winding a pirn, handling a shuttle and using the hanging beater. Students will gain confidence using a temple and learn to check and control their work.

Next offered: (2008) Feb 25-29, March 24-28, April 14-18, August 18-22, Sept 15-19

Weaver's Choice (new for 2008!)

This class allows you to develop and weave a major project with instruction along the way. Refine your techniques to achieve maximum grace, efficiency and ease with all aspects of winding a warp, beaming, threading, and weaving. Students shall choose one project for the week from our broad assortment of prepared plans, or use our extensive library to serve as inspiration for designing a project here. After a student has completed the piece, there may be an opportunity to move to other looms depending on interest and availability. Extra time at the end of the week could also be used to plan a new project, and wind a warp to take home. This class is suited to weavers with a wide range of experience and goals. Due to its flexible nature, it could be repeated many times. A student could also opt to join the Vävstuga Club, and then stay a second week to continue weaving.

Potential projects (each of these categories holds innumerable possibilities):

complete set of napkins
complete set of placements, and a runner to match
set of towels with variations in the tie-up
tablecloth
large blanket
curtains
upholstery fabric, ticking
yard goods
rug
wall hanging
coverlet (join the Club, and come weave for a second week)

Potential skills to aquire:

beaming a warp with a trapeze
select a shuttle with confidence
perfect your selvedges using a temple
fine tune your body mechanics
winding a warp with many threads without a paddle
winding a warp double length and half the width to save time

Five-day session

Next offered: (2008) January 21-25, June 2-6, October 20-24

Materials charge: $25-100 (depending on project)

The Swedish Rag Rug (new for 2008!)

No home in Sweden would be complete without rag rugs. Come to this two-day session to make your very own Swedish style rag rug from start to finish. Each student will spend Monday designing a rug and dressing a loom with our Swedish cotton rug warp, which is an important feature of these high-quality and long-lasting rugs. Tuesday will be for weaving and finishing.

Two-day session

Next offered: (2008) May 5-6, September 22-23

Materials charge: $24

Swedish Rug Techniques

Sweden is known for its many types of beautiful rugs. Students will learn the details that make the Swedish rag rugs so special by weaving their own small rug. A classic Swedish rep rug will also be made. Additional wool samples woven in the techniques of rölakan, rya, flossa and a double-face block weave round out the week. All looms will be dressed and ready to go at the start of this class, allowing five days for designing, weaving and finishing.

Five-day session

Next offered: Scheduled as needed, please inquire.

Materials charge: $50

Prerequisite: substantial weaving experience

Two-day session

Next offered: Scheduled as needed, please inquire.

Materials charge: $35

Prerequisite: Vävstuga Basics

Swedish Heirlooms

Here is the opportunity to study traditional Swedish weaves such as block damask in satin weave, rep weave, monksbelt, overshot, halvdräll, smålandsväv, jämtlandsdräll (crackle), lace weaves, M's and O's, traditional rosepath, bound rosepath, multi-shaft twill, lace weaves and more. So many possibilities are provided by the richness of this culture that this class could be taken more than once. Each student can expect to complete two or three larger pieces or several smaller ones.

Five-day session

Next offered: (2008) May 12-16

Materials charge: $30

Prerequisite: Vävstuga Basics

Two-day session

Next offered: (2008) May 19-20

Materials charge: $20

Prerequisite: Vävstuga Basics

Traditional Swedish Rosepath

These stunning weft-faced techniques are simple to do and only require four shafts. Sturdy linen warps will already be beamed when students arrive, so each student will only need to thread and tie up his or her loom before weaving can begin. We will explore designing skills for both ordinary rosepath as well as for bound rosepath. Students may choose to weave one or the other, or a smaller piece of each. Our large assortment of colored wool yarns will be an inspiration to all. The finished item could be used as a wall hanging, small runner, bag, or anything else the imagination could come up with.

Two-day session

Next offered: (2008) July 28-29

Materials charge: $10-$30 (depending on the size of the piece)

Prerequisite: some weaving experience recommended; please inquire

Traditional Swedish Linens

Experience the joy of working with this beautiful fiber. Students will work on a wide range of projects--some will be simple and rustic while others will be fine and sophisticated. Special care and attention will be taken in dressing the looms to ensure a rewarding weaving experience. Daily sessions provide students with in-depth analysis of the projects. The preparation and spinning of flax will be demonstrated.

Five-day session

Next offered: (2008) August 4-8

Materials charge: $30

Prerequisite: Vävstuga Basics or Weaver's Choice

Drawlooms and Their Kin

Learn how to weave pictures in damask. Find out what a drawloom can do and how it feels to weave on one. You will learn the differences between the shaft-draw system and two single-draw systems, and explore some related techniques such as sword damask, opphamta and smålandsväv. Time will be spent designing and learning theory as well. Monday and Tuesday will be spent preparing the looms, leaving three days for weaving.

Five-day session

Next offered: (2008) November 3-7

Materials charge: $20

Prerequisite: substantial weaving experience

Two-day session

Next offered: (2008) November 10-11

Materials charge: $10

Prerequisite: substantial weaving experience