"The call of complexity draws some weavers to more shafts, more structures, more hand-manipulated techniques. For Annie MacHale, refining the techniques and celebrating the artistry of very simple bands has been a lifelong fascination. Starting when she first picked up a shuttle and inkle loom in her teens, Annie has worked in wool, cotton, and hemp, creating practical cloth that’s just a few inches wide." And so begins the lovely article that Anne Merrow of Long Thread Media wrote about our interview. You can now hear the conversation live on the Long Thread Podcast. https://littlel ..read more

 I might be getting in the groove and figuring out how to be a successful traveling teacher. In 2024 and 2025, I have some interesting places lined up and am adding to them. You can see the whole list here: https://aspinnerweaver.blogspot.com/p/classes.html Some workshops, hosted by guilds, may or may not be open to non-guild members.  Whereas others, at shops and conferences, have open enrollment. Here are a couple of opportunities to study with me which are coming up soon.  If you have a local guild or shop that might be interested in having me come visit and teach some works ..read more

Coming in April 2024 is the Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta, New Mexico’s Premier Fiber Arts Showcase! This biennial event is an extravagant showcase of fiber in all its variations. It will be held at Expo New Mexico (the NM State Fairgrounds) in the Manuel Lujan Complex Learn more here: https://abqfiberartscouncil.org/fiber-arts-fiesta-2024/ I'll be teaching a brand new 2-hour workshop,  Color & Design for Inkle Weavers.                                           ..read more

 As a teacher and mentor, I have observed new weavers asking the same set of questions as they first start out. In this video, I demonstrate the basics of warping and answer some of those questions. Tips include some things that even experienced inkle weavers may not know like: How to use a quick-release knot to secure the beginning of your threads to the loom while warping How to change colors as needed with only one knot per color What is the proper length for heddles and how to test it What loom makers don't tell you about taking the shortest path and how to prevent the warp from slip ..read more

  This summer we bought a weaving from our friend, Emily Trujillo, at the Traditional Spanish Market in Santa Fe. She and her mom, Lisa, shared a booth this year. Both of her parents are weavers and she has joined them, becoming the 8th generation weaver in her family. They have a fantastic weaving shop in the village of Chimayo, north of Santa Fe. Recently, they have been doing a bang-up job of selling my straps. They represent quite a few weavers in the shop besides family members and I'm honored to be among them! The area has a rich weaving tradition which you can read about her ..read more

If you have been following my blog, you will undoubtedly know, that it was this book which led to my discovery of three-color pickup. It has been out of print for decades. Recently, several unopened boxes were discovered in storage, providing a new opportunity to buy a copy of this precious resource from the organization which published it, the Lithuanian Folk Art Institute of Toronto, Canada.  It is available here: https://ltfai.org/lithuanian-sashes-book/  They will be offering it at a special discount price from Nov 9 to Dec 6. This is an amazing and exciting book ..read more

Back in 2016, I wrote a tutorial on a Baltic-style weaving technique that I called 3-Color Pickup. At that time, I had no way to chart patterns for it. Now, with the use of my favorite free online tool, the Pattern Editor, I can! This inspired me to draw up patterns to share with other weavers, along with an expanded description of the technique. Just published, "Three-Color Pickup for Inkle Weavers" is a 138-page book. It's available now as a PDF and in mid-June, will also be available in a spiral-bound paper book. Find it here on TaprootVideo.com. Unknown to most modern weavers, this is ..read more

The reason I began this blog was to share something I love, inkle weaving. Staircase on Canyon Road in Santa Fe But, there are many things that I love, including love itself and the many ways we as humans share it.  I enjoy stories of love in action, how people help each other out.   http://drawaheart.com/about/ When someone captures a beautiful image and shares a photo, or draws, paints or crafts something beautiful, they are sharing what stirs their hearts. I particularly like heart art and always snap an image when I find one out in the world. Click on any ..read more

Recently, I wrote a set of instructions for using the my favorite, fantastic free online tool, the Band Weaving Pattern Editor, created by Jeff Bigot.  I hope they will help users to take advantage of many of the cool features of the program. They only cover plain weave designs, although the program also has the ability to create pickup patterns as well. When new functions are added, Jeff writes about them along with other tips here on his blog. This is where the instructions can be found. They are in PDF form, so you can download the document and keep it handy when designing.   ..read more

Although I own about a dozen inkle looms, it is the 5-6 Schacht looms that get constant use. 4 Schacht looms in action A couple of years ago, I became a Schacht dealer so that I can sell inkle looms to my students. Through that relationship, several very cool things have happened. When my book came out, I sent a copy to them for the company library and received a very nice email from Barry Schacht, founder of the company. He said "It's terrific", which pleased me greatly! I was recently asked to write a piece for their monthly newsletter. Maybe you subscribe and ..read more