Another great Beginner's Freestyle weaving workshop

Yesterday's group was a really creative and colourful bunch. I loved seeing all the "stuff" that people brought to use in their weaving - fluffy yarns,  ribbons, beaded and bejeweled trim, strips cut from old silk scarves and ties. Most people chose really vibrant colours. There was also one all white weaving that was loaded with exciting texture and character.
One of the students brought in an Ashford rigid heddle loom that she got for her birthday. Although I had never used this type of loom, we got it figured out (pretty much) and she was able to make a good start on her first weaving. The Ashford loom is bulkier than the Beka looms that I bring for students to use. It has an interesting direct warping system, with the loom at one end of a long table, and a peg at the other end - no need for a warp cross. The warp gets measured right onto the loom. I really liked how easy it was to advance the warp and to keep the warp tension even.

Another student brought in a very old rigid heddle loom, Unfortunately she didn't have the right heddle, so she wasn't able to use it. I think her loom might be a Kircher. This was the type of loom that my own weaving teacher (Suzanne Gaston-Voute) started importing from Germany before she worked with the folks in Minnesota to design the Beka loom.

Here's a peek at some of the gorgeous weaving from the workshop::