Today we're excited to feature a weaver and the owner of one of the very first Little Weavers. This compact looms is a fully-integrated, computer-crontrolle table loom that features 8, 16, or 24 harness capacity. The Little Weaver has a 16" weaving width and folds right up without losing your warp for easy pick-up-and-go portability. Linda owns a Little Weaver with a 24 shaft loom and has woven many beautiful pieces on her Little Weaver as she travels around the world!
How long have you been weaving, and how did you get started?
I have been weaving for 8 years. Out of the blue one day an old high school friend sent me a tea towel she had woven and I was astounded by the intricacy of the structure and the interplay of the colors. Of course I had no idea how she had managed to do it, and that was the start of my exploration into this wonderfully creative world of weaving.
How long have you had a Little Weaver? What's your favorite aspect of the Little Weaver vs. a larger loom?
I have had my Little Weaver for about 2 ½ years. I originally bought it because we spend time in the summer on our boat and travel in our truck camper in the winter, and I wanted the ability to continue my multishaft weaving while away from the studio. Little Weaver is a 24 shaft loom which matches my Technical Dobby Loom. This facilitates the use of Little Weaver as an ideal sampling loom for planning larger projects on my big loom. I enjoy creating tied weave motifs, and using Little Weaver to test drive the designs is extremely helpful. Because she is so much fun to weave on, the samples generally end up the length of scarves!
Do you own any other AVL Looms? How do they compare as far as capabilities to the Little Weaver?
I weave rather fine yarns. Generally my warps are 20/2 pattern and 30/2 tie down yarns. The Little Weaver can handle these finer yarns without a problem. I can easily explore proportion, design and fiber selection options on the narrower Little Weaver warp, and then proceed to set up my 48” loom correctly. The only limitation with Little Weaver is width, but I can use the fabric produced on Little Weaver to create panels for clothing, as well as scarves. I have found that tying on a new warp is very easy with Little Weaver which helps make changing my mind a lot easier!
We know you like to take your Little Weaver with you on the road, any tips or tricks for traveling with the loom?
We traveled to Baja Mexico with Little weaver last winter. The trip is 2000 miles each way. While in transit, Little Weaver sits in the back seat of our truck. I have a cloth bag cover, and then we strap a large plastic box over the loom. When we got to Mexico, we set up a large sturdy water proof tent for my studio. The Little Weaver was strapped to a table, for security reasons. We used a heavy duty surge protector, which I turned off each night. The tent kept direct sunlight, sand, dust, critters, and moisture away from the loom, and was a wonderful place to weave as well. When traveling on the boat, we find a nook for the loom, and strap her down for the time we spend underway, again covered with her cloth bag. On my previous boat, I spent time weaving in the cockpit, as well as in the cabin. We now have a new (to us) large sailboat that my loom will be traveling on for the first time this summer!
What's been your favorite project you've made with your Little Weaver?
My favorite project so far has to be the array of scarves that I wove on the beach in Baja last winter. As each scarf was finished I hung it up in the tent, and by the end of the trip, 9 scarves decorated my work area, a great feeling of accomplishment.
How long have you been weaving, and how did you get started?
I have been weaving for 8 years. Out of the blue one day an old high school friend sent me a tea towel she had woven and I was astounded by the intricacy of the structure and the interplay of the colors. Of course I had no idea how she had managed to do it, and that was the start of my exploration into this wonderfully creative world of weaving.
How long have you had a Little Weaver? What's your favorite aspect of the Little Weaver vs. a larger loom?
I have had my Little Weaver for about 2 ½ years. I originally bought it because we spend time in the summer on our boat and travel in our truck camper in the winter, and I wanted the ability to continue my multishaft weaving while away from the studio. Little Weaver is a 24 shaft loom which matches my Technical Dobby Loom. This facilitates the use of Little Weaver as an ideal sampling loom for planning larger projects on my big loom. I enjoy creating tied weave motifs, and using Little Weaver to test drive the designs is extremely helpful. Because she is so much fun to weave on, the samples generally end up the length of scarves!
Do you own any other AVL Looms? How do they compare as far as capabilities to the Little Weaver?
I weave rather fine yarns. Generally my warps are 20/2 pattern and 30/2 tie down yarns. The Little Weaver can handle these finer yarns without a problem. I can easily explore proportion, design and fiber selection options on the narrower Little Weaver warp, and then proceed to set up my 48” loom correctly. The only limitation with Little Weaver is width, but I can use the fabric produced on Little Weaver to create panels for clothing, as well as scarves. I have found that tying on a new warp is very easy with Little Weaver which helps make changing my mind a lot easier!
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| Linda's campsite with her weaving studio tent |
We traveled to Baja Mexico with Little weaver last winter. The trip is 2000 miles each way. While in transit, Little Weaver sits in the back seat of our truck. I have a cloth bag cover, and then we strap a large plastic box over the loom. When we got to Mexico, we set up a large sturdy water proof tent for my studio. The Little Weaver was strapped to a table, for security reasons. We used a heavy duty surge protector, which I turned off each night. The tent kept direct sunlight, sand, dust, critters, and moisture away from the loom, and was a wonderful place to weave as well. When traveling on the boat, we find a nook for the loom, and strap her down for the time we spend underway, again covered with her cloth bag. On my previous boat, I spent time weaving in the cockpit, as well as in the cabin. We now have a new (to us) large sailboat that my loom will be traveling on for the first time this summer!
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| Linda in her weaving studio tent |
What's been your favorite project you've made with your Little Weaver?
My favorite project so far has to be the array of scarves that I wove on the beach in Baja last winter. As each scarf was finished I hung it up in the tent, and by the end of the trip, 9 scarves decorated my work area, a great feeling of accomplishment.
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| Linda's woven scarves and her Little Weaver |
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