Weaving Resources

In a comment on my last post, Angie said "I'm a newish weaver...there don't seem to be too many resources around for weaving. Or perhaps I just haven't discovered them yet."

Actually, you're partially right, there aren't many resources for weavers, there are literally hundreds!

On a local, non-Internet level, check out your local weaving guild. You can get lists of local guilds on the HGA website (that's the Handweavers Guild of America) or you can do a Google search for "weaving guild [your town/state]". Local guilds are a wonderful resource. Besides being populated by fellow weavers, who represent a wealth of knowledge themselves, many guilds have libraries from which you can borrow books and periodicals about weaving topics.

There are a number of great weaving periodicals - Handwoven, published by Interweave Press is just one. Get your hands on a copy at Barnes & Nobel or Borders, or order it from Interweave, and you'll find articles about a wide array of weaving projects as well as ads for suppliers and information about classes and study opportunities.

Many towns still have local knitting and/or weaving shops, which sell supplies and books related to fibers. And there are tons of mail-order weaving suppliers.

Regional weaving conferences are also a terrific resource, with seminars, workshops, lectures, and usually a commercial vendor section, where you can purchase weaving supplies and books, and almost anything else fiberish your little heart might desire. Here in Northern California, the Conference of Northern California Handweavers (CNCH) is an annual event. Other regions, such as the Association of Southern California Handweavers and the Association of Northwest Weavers Guilds have biannual conferences. Google, and your local weaving guild, can help you find one in your part of the USA or Canada.

For books on weaving that you may want to purchase, try Amazon - they've got a huge list. Visit your local library - the InterLibrary Loan system means your library can get you weaving books from any other participating library.

On the Internet, there are at least two very active weaving discussion groups and probably more I don't know about. Go to Yahoo! Groups and search there. There's a large, general-interest weaving discussion group, and the more specialized WeaveTech group; for a newish weaver, start with the former.

Complex Weavers is a very active group that meets right after Convergence (the conference sponsored by the HGA), and in a nearby location - in 2008, Convergence will be in Tampa, and CW meets in St. Petersburg right afterward. CW has many study groups, each of which focuses on a particular topic within the weaving world. CW also has a wonderful library from which members may borrow books and periodicals, many of them out-of-print and rare books.

This ought to be enough to get you started, Angie! Best of luck!