Three years ago, almost to the day, I purchased my first loom. Since then, I’ve bought a few more, and more kilometres of yarn than I care to count. And I’ve learned many new skills, techniques, short-cuts and procedures along the way. I’ve taught myself how to dye my own yarn. I’ve moved from plain…
Author: rebecca@handwoven.co.nz
Constraints, Curiosity and Creativity
As a hand weaver, the medium I work with imposes certain constraints on my creative process. There are some things I just can’t do (or not easily anyway). But have you ever considered how these constraints can actually inspire new ideas and push your artistic boundaries? The relationship between constraints and inspiration is a complex…
Work-Life Balance and the Importance of Crafts
In today’s world, where our lives are filled with the constant buzz of work, it’s easy to lose sight of the things that bring us joy. The demands of a busy career can leave us feeling drained, and it’s not uncommon for people to feel like they don’t have time for hobbies or creative pursuits….
A Holiday and an Anniversary
Today is the one year anniversary since I disappeared down the weaving rabbit hole… I bought my first loom, second-hand, exactly a year ago, and since then I have added several more looms, and built up quite a sizeable yarn stash, and made just shy of 100 projects… an average of one every 3.5 days!…
Critical Experimentation and Creativity
I’ve always believed that constraints are essential to creativity, because they force us to engage in problem solving. Having no constraints can be a huge block to getting started – think about sitting down in front of a blank screen or plain white sheet of paper… it’s intimidating! When I first started weaving in December…
A Recent Commission
There is something quite special about working with someone to realise a handmade one-of-a-kind garment that they will love. And something a bit scary too! What if I muck it up and they don’t like it? What if they cancel the order? What if…? This commission came about after I made this merino scarf for…
The Joy of Handweaving
In late 2020 (and what a year that was!) I purchased a second-hand rigid heddle loom on Trade Me. It had seen better days, and had a few quirks, but it started me on a journey that is now five months old, and looks unlikely to stop any time soon. I find handweaving textiles to…