Lorna Brooks.
I love weaving, and the colours, textures and designs of woven fabric. I learned from library books as a child, using children’s looms and making bands with handmade backstrap and inkle looms. A couple of years ago, as my children are now young adults, I decided I needed to stop regretting that my old table loom was collecting dust in the attic and treat myself to a small floor loom to use in the living room. Since March 2020 I have been doing my part-time job from home, so have more time for crafting.
The three 'Swedish lace' scarves were easier to weave than I expected, but needed a lot of maths and planning to start with.
The red/pink 'summer and winter’ pattern cushion cover were for a present for my Mum, 86 now, who is isolating almost entirely, rarely seeing anyone else, down near Stoke in the home I grew up in. I only saw her in person twice in 2020. We talk often though and I help her order shopping online. She is used to being on her own and is managing very well despite various ailments.
The waffle weave blankets and rainbow shawl I made in the first lockdown. My eldest likes the shawl, and I’m keeping the blankets to give as gifts one day. They would make nice soft cot or lap blankets.
With the orangey/pinkish fabric I made myself a quetchquemitl ( a Mexican style garment a little like a poncho made from two rectangles)
Worsted Wool and Swedish Lace
Lorna Brooks
I like to work slowly, create my own designs, and experiment with different weave structure and yarns, so in a way I am playing and learning, and the finished product is the result as much as is is a goal.
I love natural fibres, and I do like to recycle and sometimes have found yarn in charity shops. But sometimes the kind of cloth weaving I like to do requires particular qualities of yarn. The warp for the blankets and scarves was some lovely soft worsted wool that I bought in the early 1990s from a Mr Graupner, who had a warehouse in Bradford’s German quarter. It dyes well, and the weft of the pale green /blue blanket used some of it I dyed years ago when I was doing a part-time Handloom weaving course at Bradford College. I bought the cotton for the other warps online, and also the alpaca I am experimenting with as a weft at the moment. It has been lovely to get a couple of packages of yarn in the post during lockdown! Some of the cotton is organically grown, which I’m pleased about. The blue scarf has a cotton weft, and the others have different types of silk that I had had for years, left over from old projects. Doing more weaving is allowing me to use up some of my stash at last. The rainbow shawl uses West Yorkshire Spinners 4 ply knitting yarn. The pink, white and green blanket also uses some knitting yarn I was given. I like the combination of cotton with wool, linen or silk and if I buy new yarn I consider the ethical and environmental impact of producing them. If I am making things like bags, that don’t need to be as soft, I’ll try some recycled yarn.
I love the focus on a task that comes with weaving and the way you can lose track of time. I’m not great at maths and sometimes get frustrated doing the necessary calculations to begin with, but somehow find all the rhythmic movement, the counting and repeats and variations of patterns very satisfying! It feels peaceful and calming. Working next to the window is lovely, particularly if it is bright. I’m also next to the kitchen and the back door, so the rest of the family pop in and out and I’m not too isolated. I keep taking breaks or changing position so as not to get stiff or achey. If the warping or weaving is straightforward I can enjoy music, or an audiobook from the library on the laptop. I can watch TV while twisting fringes. Some of my enjoyment comes simply from the feel against my fingers of the yarns and the wooden shuttle.
