When you look at a custom fabric, you see beauty. It doesn’t matter if it is “your” colours or not, it is the product of someone’s time, effort, and artistic talent. But have you ever wondered “How do they do that?”?
Every weaver and designer has their own methods, and clients come to you with different ideas and expectations. Some people have photos, or know the type of colour pattern (stripes, gradient, rainbow, etc) they want and the colours they love.
Some clients already know very much what they want, and it only takes a few tries for the weaver to design something that they love. Other clients take a bit more time, but when you finally get to what they want, it is very rewarding.
Then the real work starts! The yarn amounts are calculated, and ordered if needed, then the warp is measured. There are several methods of measuring the warp, and getting it onto the warp beam on the loom. No matter what method the weaver uses, they need to make sure that they have the right number of threads, in the correct order, to match the design that the client approved.
This is how I do it. Every entry on these sheets of paper tells me how many threads of which colour, in which order to measure out. Keep in mind that every entry also means a piece of yarn cut, and a knot made. This takes time. Anywhere from 4 to 10 hours, depending on the complexity of the design, and how many times I am interrupted.
Now some people might think “There is no chance on earth that I would do that”, but I like it. I like the feel of the yarns gliding through my fingers. I can catch any knots or slubs that might come up, and make sure that they do not make it into the warp. I find the rhythm of measuring, and the dance of my hands soothing. This is the point where you can really start to see that a bunch of time, yarn, and the ideas of two or more people, will become a piece of handmade art.
Rock Lake Weaving 