10 September – 22 October 2024
There’s so much to get excited about with double weave, but it can also seem daunting.
If you have ever asked…
- How do I get started?
- Is it difficult to warp the loom for double weave?
- What colours and fibres should I use?
- What can I do with 8 shafts?
- How do blocks work and what can I do with them?
…then you are not alone!
When I first tried my hand at double weave I had to do some serious work to understand what was happening at the loom.
Since that time I have woven many different kinds of double weave and developed my own approach to thinking about it.
As the basis for my teaching and writing, this approach has helped many other people to cut through the confusion and become confident double weavers. It’s my most requested workshop topic, and since I first offered this class online in 2021 it has gone from strength to strength.
What does this class cover?
I’ll support you in getting started with double weave by helping you to design and weave your own 8-shaft sampler using double weave blocks. Our six-week schedule is intended to be flexible, so that you can weave at your own pace, but broadly it will cover:
Finally, in 2023 I added a bonus lesson on extending the principles to 12 shafts or more. This is a topic which often comes up in discussion, but now we have a host of resources on going beyond 8 shafts, from thinking through your threading to planning a tie-up or creating a liftplan.
At the beginning of week six we also have a special session with an invited artist who uses double weave in their work. The talk is recorded for those who cannot attend live, and is always very inspiring!
Who is this class for?
This class is for you if you have an eight-shaft loom and a desire to understand double weave. You don’t need any prior experience of double weave to participate fully in this class.
The main pre-requisite is that you should be confident in dressing your loom. This class will include some tips and processes specifically related to warping for double weave, but it is assumed that you know how to wind, beam, thread and sley a warp by following a draft.
If you are not sure whether you are ready for double weave, then you might want to read the FAQ page for more guidance.
There is no requirement to have any particular kind of eight-shaft loom. However, I strongly recommend using a table loom if you have access to one. While the course includes in-depth instruction on tie-ups for jack and countermarche looms, the flexibility of a table loom will enable you to get the most out of the design options we’ll explore.
How will it work?
The course will begin on Tuesday 10 September 2024. From that date you will have access to the core learning materials as well as our friendly and inclusive discussion forum at Weaving Space Online. The group will be limited in size, so that we can get to know each other and foster a real class community. My aim is not to enrol as many people as possible, but to offer a genuine workshop experience.
In order to make sure you can access all the teaching wherever you are, the core learning materials are all pre-recorded and will be available to you forever. These include slide presentations, video demonstrations, written transcripts and interactive worksheets. You can use them all at your own pace.
You’ll also be invited to join the class community at the Weaving Space Online community hub, where you can get support from me and share your progress with fellow students. This is a privately hosted space on Circle, so there is nothing to distract us from the weaving!
And last, but by no means least, there will be live sessions every week during the six weeks of the course and at the end of the final week. Each week I will introduce the next topic, share examples and answer your questions.
There are two different class times every Tuesday, so you can pick the time that suits your schedule or time zone best – or switch around, if your commitments vary from week to week. The second session will be recorded so that you can catch up later if necessary.
On Sundays there will be additional ‘drop-in’ sessions, which are not recorded. These are informal sessions for asking questions, sharing weaving tips and making the most of our international community of weavers.
* Times are all given in BST (British Summer Time). To check what the times will be in your time zone I recommended this converter.
With all of these resources at your fingertips, you’ll soon be able to draft your double weave designs with confidence and bring your creative vision to life at the loom.
This course will just be the beginning of your double weave journey. I can’t wait to see where it takes you!
Key facts
Have a question?
Check out the FAQs here, and if you can’t find the answer then just email me!