Dreaming of Winter

It might be mid-September, but I’m already thinking about the winter and all the holidays it brings. Maybe it’s because the weather is finally starting to cool down slightly, so I’m dreaming of properly cold weather, but mostly it’s because I am a planner and want to have everything figured out as soon as I can, so I can spend the actual holiday season relaxing with my family. I am also absolutely using the upcoming Easy Weaving with Little Looms Holiday 2021 to help me plot, plan, and, of course, weave for the holidays.

Velvet Loveys by Margaret Stump.

Specifically, I’m working on a lovey inspired by the Velvet Loveys by Margaret Stump featured in the issue. Margaret designed and wove an adorable fox, sheep, and sloth out of soft and cuddly velvet yarn perfect for the wee babies in your life. I say mine is “inspired by” because a good friend of mine who happens to be married to an Australian is due the end of November, so naturally, I’m using Margaret’s project as a template for a koala. The beauty of these wonderful little loveys is they are so easy to weave as written or to riff on and create your own animals.

The issue is of course chock-full of other potential gifts—luxurious spa sets, ribbon candy earrings, trendy (I promise!) scrunchies, and a whimsical foxy blanket, to name a few—but also has plenty of pieces perfect for your wardrobe and for your home, including scarves, shawls, towels, and plush pillows.

Polar Bear Pillow by Deborah Bagley.

I’m also seriously considering weaving up the Glowing Emerald Scarf by Lindsay Wiseman. The scarf is gorgeous—the green viscose/merino blend absolutely pops against the black in a way that you can’t help but stare at it. Best of all, it’s all plain weave, so it’s a snap to warp and weave—important when trying to weave around the comings and goings of two small children. If I had more time, I’d want to try out Shilpa Nagakar’s incredible Veerya, which beautifully combines multiple hand-manipulation techqniques to create a showstopper of a scarf.

There’s also so much more to the issue, including an article on joining pin-loom squares (there’s more than just double overcast and whipstitch!), one on using wave sticks in weaving (and there’s a project, too!), a feature on differential shrinkage, and a guide to almost all scissors, snips, and shears that one might want to use in different fiber arts and crafts.

Whether you prefer rigid-heddle, inkle, or pin loom, we’ve got something for you in this Holiday 2021 issue of Easy Weaving with Little Looms.

Happy Weaving!

Christina