They definitely weren’t on mine
And not because I don’t like potholders.
I do.
I like them a lot.
Some of my favorite fabrics are potholders.
Potholders make kitchen time less hazardous.
They protect me from flames, scorching heat, sticky boiling baking pan overflow and blistering steam.
I respect the work that potholders do.
I even have some that don’t “do” anything.
They just hang around.
Maybe the reason potholders haven’t shown up on my to-do list is because of some terrible childhood craft experiences involving metal “toothed” frames and jersey loops.
Maybe it’s because when I started weaving, I never saw any directions for “How To Weave A Potholder On Your 4-Harness Loom”.
Maybe it’s because I only think about using handwoven fabric for potholders when I can’t think of anything else to do with it.
Maybe it’s because I have project prejudice.
A handwoven potholder is an afterthought
Or an “after weaving”, if you will.
As in, immediately after – when I’ve finished weaving what I wanted to weave, but still have several inches of perfectly good warp left on the loom.
Sometimes long after – when a piece of handwoven fabric no longer suits its original purpose.
The problem isn’t that I don’t like potholders.
The problem is – I’ve never considered potholders worthy of my weaving time.
Actually plan to weave potholders?
That thought never entered my mind.
Not until this came off the loom:
This is the result of a desperate need to weave and a willful, impulsive, impatient desire for immediate gratification.
So, yeah, it was a mistake.
But it was a mistake that led to some valuable, mind-altering information.
And it happened because I decided to warp my loom without making a plan.
I know better – but I went ahead and did it anyway.
Because sometimes a weaver just wants to have fun.
(And also – because I was being willful, impulsive and impatient).
What happened was:
- I ran out of twill tape (warp) after measuring only 24 ends (69.5 inches long).
- Those 24 ends in the 2.5 dpi rigid heddle allowed for slightly more than an 8-inch weaving width.
- The fabric strips I chose for weft “told” me what I wanted to know after about 9 inches of weaving.
- A bunch of different yarns I tried to use for hem sections “told” me they weren’t quite right after about an inch and a half.
And what came off the loom was colorful thick cloth – squares of colored fabric I liked a lot – surrounded by a few inches of fabric that wasn’t what I wanted at all.
What can you do with squares of handwoven fabric?
If they’re too big for coasters or mug rugs.
And too small for table mats.
They might be just right for potholders.
Not particularly mind-blowing information?
Maybe not.
Probably not. Not if you’re the kind of weaver who regularly, willingly, and happily weaves samples.
But I’m not that kind of weaver. I don’t “do” samples. Not if I can avoid it.
The whole idea of weaving samples makes me cringe.
Squares of fabric = weaving samples
And I regularly “pass” when I see projects that include the phrase “you need to make a sample”.
However – I’m quite willing and more than happy to spend time weaving fabric that works the same way as a sample.
And by “works” I mean – in addition to the experimentation, practice, and information gathering – the end result of my weaving time is a fabric I can use.
Fabric I can use is why I weave.
I want the cloth that comes off my loom to be present and accounted for.
Tucked away in a drawer waiting its turn to be out and about is fine.
Tucked away in a notebook as reference material – not so much.
When I weave I want to make something that has a place in my daily life – where it can be seen, touched and enjoyed.
So why ADD potholders to Your Weaving to-do list?
Because weaving a few 8″, 9″ or 10″ squares of fabric is a great way to “try out” spacing, color and texture.
Washing, drying and “finishing” those squares is a great way to figure out shrinkage and how best to care for a fabric.
And if the squares of fabric you decide to weave are either cotton or wool (or both) – you’ll end up with fabric you can use as potholders.
If your handwoven squares are thin and drape-y, you can add a middle layer and backing.
If your handwoven squares are thick and bulky, you might be able to use them ‘as is’.
And if none of your handwoven squares are exactly “square” you can even them up before binding the edges.
Everything you question, notice, practice and think about when designing, weaving and finishing your potholders is why making samples is worth your weaving time.
The recommendation to “weave a sample” is not supposed to act like a stop sign.
It’s supposed to help you be successful. To let you know that there are tricky bits up ahead.
Things worth trying out.
Things that you won’t know until you see (and weave them) for yourself.
Things that if you practice ahead of time – will make you feel more confident, comfortable, and competent when you weave a similar fabric on a larger scale.
If resistance is strong, knowing why something is worth your time and effort might not be enough to convince you to give it a try.
If you resist weaving samples, maybe it’s because you want the results of your effort to “be” something.
Something more than an attachment to a page in a notebook.
Something to have and to hold – or give away as a gift.
Bookmarks, mug rugs, greeting card inserts, towels, table mats, scarves – and now potholders – are all on my weaving to-do list.
Calling the things I weave “samples” still makes me cringe. But when I change the way I think about them – turning them into practice pieces, prototypes, and fabrics I can use – I’m much more willing to do the work. And I’ll be sharing some of my favorite “practice projects” in future posts.
Lately I’ve been thinking about things to weave on a rigid heddle loom. And wondering about using a series of narrow wool strips – pieced together – for a blanket.
But I don’t know (yet) which of the yarns in my stash I want to use.
I’m not sure how any of them will hold up in the wash or whether any of the colors I like will go together.
I’m curious to see if maybe some of the colors I absolutely hate might work.
I don’t know how close or how far apart to position the threads in order to end up with a weight and thickness I like.
And I’m not sure if it would be better to hand piece the strips before fulling the fabric or after.
I don’t even know if I have enough yarn or if I’ll need to buy (or spin) more.
But I know what I can do to find out.
I gotta go weave more fabric for potholders.
Pine Ledge Fiber Studio 