I have been dying to do a workshop at Fern’s School of Craft since they opened in 2017, and I was finally able to snag a spot in their rug weaving workshop. It was everything I was hoping it would be, and it made my heart so full. I want to apologize ahead of time for all of the weaving terminology and attempts at explanation in this post, but I’m just really ecstatic about this whole form of crafting.

• 857g / 1 490m of Briggs & Little Heritage – an aran weight (4) yarn (colours from the top down: Mulberry, Dark Grey, Mauve, Fundy Fog)
• 4.07m of 4/12 linen warp
• 4-shaft loom
• 6-dent reed
• Bobbins
• Shuttles

Workshop by Fern at Fern’s School of Craft

Before the start of the workshop, Fern had everything all set up for us, with the linen warp already in place on a four-shaft loom. Our warps were threaded in a 1234 pattern and an alternating 1 and 2 treadle tie-up. If you’re as new to weaving terminology as I was, this whole paragraph probably means nothing. It turns out that both the warp and weft refer to fibres, but the warp runs lengthwise and is held in tension on the loom, while the weft is worked horizontally through the strands of the warp. Each strand of the warp is run through a keyhole shape, or ‘heddle’, that are grouped into four different sets, or ‘shafts’. A 1234 pattern means that the 1st, 5th, 9th (etc.) warp strands are in shaft one; the 2nd, 6th, 10th (etc.) warp strands are in shaft two; the 3rd, 7th, 11th (etc.) warp strands are in shaft three; and the 4th, 8th, 12th (etc.) warp strands are in shaft four. Each shaft can be raised and lowered by stepping on the bottom levers, or ‘treadles’. For our project, treadle one (the leftmost pedal) raised the first and third shaft, and treadle two (the rightmost pedal) raised the second and fourth shaft.

After a quick introduction to the anatomy of the loom and the process of weaving, we were off to the races! I wasn’t expecting it to be so hands-on from the very beginning, but it does take a while to finish a whole rug, so it made sense to maximize our time together. By pushing on a treadle, it raises two shafts and creates a space known as a ‘shed’. The shuttle, which is carrying the weft, can then be slid through the shed to complete one pass through, or a ‘pick’. Because of our threading and tie-up pattern, one pick means that the weft has been worked in an over-under pattern through all of the warp. In plain weave, we alternated between each treadle, which means that if the weft was over one strand of the warp on one pick, it would be placed under that same strand on the next warp, and vice versa. As a result, it took two picks to create a continuous line, as one pick would create a dotted appearance. By manipulating the colours of each pick, we could create patterns on our rug!

As shown in the video, after each pick, I have to ‘beat’ in the newest weft. The beater, which slides back and forth, contains the reed which separates and spaces the warp evenly, and also serves to compress the weft. The tension that you use to beat in the weft can make a big difference on the appearance of the finished product, so it does take some time to get used to it. Luckily for our rugs, the goal was basically to get the weft as tight as possible, so we didn’t really have to worry about tension at all as long as we were consistent. If you were too loose, then warp would start to show, and apparently these revealed white spots are referred to as ‘teeth’. Teeth are bad in weaving. I know, I’m sorry, there are so many terms and concepts to figure out.

Fern explained that one of the hallmarks of an experienced weaver is to have really even selvedges. A selvedge is the outside edge of the weaving that is formed as the weft wraps back and forth around the outmost warp. The secret to this is having a consistent angle on the weft before you beat it in. Having an angle is necessary because the weft needs to have enough meterage to cover the extra distance from going over and under the warp. If you were to pull the weft flat across the width of the warp, then it would be too short when it was beaten in, and the selvedges would pull in. By placing the weft on a diagonal, it provides the extra meterage needed for the over and under. However, if the angle is too large, or there is too much slack in the weft, then it will lead to loops from the excess weft. As you can tell, this is a delicate balance that just takes experience to get a better sense for, and I’m still working on it. I cheated a little bit by tugging on the weft at the selvedge, but you’re really not supposed to do that as you get better at weaving.

Anyways, it’s not exactly a quick process to weave anything. Our finished rugs were roughly 25” x 40”, and I would say that it took me around 12 hours to do all the weaving? I was the slowest in our workshop group, but it’s not a race, and I found the rhythm of weaving and beating to be very soothing. I could definitely see how people get really into weaving as a hobby. Everyone’s rugs turned out so beautifully, and I was so excited to see everyone’s big reveal.

I would also just highly recommend Fern as an instructor to any interested weavers! She was so encouraging and informative, and made the entire weekend a delight. Also, her studio space is on the top floor of the building, and there are some rooftop balconies that you can step out and catch a breath of fresh air if you need the break. I am really hoping to take another workshop class from her in the future, possibly the Bauhaus blanket, so keep your fingers crossed for me. Are there any crafts or workshops that are on your personal dream lists?

Until next time, happy crafting!