From Lemons Come Weave-Alongs: How We Began
Weave-Alongs First Generation
Weave-Along Next Generation
What is Patreon?
When Will The Next Weave-Along Happen?
How Is the School Progressing?
How Do I Keep Up-To-Date With What’s Happening?
From Lemons Come Weave-Alongs: How We Began
In the summer of 2016, I had one of those moments when you either can decide all is lost or lean in and have some fun with misfortune. For the first time, I shipped my sample projects for a teaching gig instead of hand-carrying them. Everything arrived safely and I had a grand time teaching new weavers to weave. The host and I carefully packed everything up and shipped it back.
When the box arrived, all seemed well enough, although the box seemed a little light. As I unpacked it, I noticed a few things missing, and then I saw the bottom of the box. It had been crushed and re-taped—about half the projects were missing! Apparently, there had been a train derailment (I’m told no one was hurt), and during the ensuing chaos, a bunch of my projects decided to make their escape.
I imagined them jumping from the train to pursue their dreams—the Bouquet Shawl hitched a ride in the nearest limo; the Simply Striped Rug flew off to find adventure; and the Doubleweave Throw is having a nice picnic somewhere with the Color-and-Weave Towels.
After a deep sigh and a few adult beverages, I made a list of the projects that I needed to reweave and then I invited folks to join me.
Weave-Alongs First Generation
In September of 2016, I started these weave-alongs on a total whim. They were very informal; we gathered in a private Facebook group and on the Yarnworker Ravelry page. I would throw out some dates, suggest a pattern that I wanted to reweave, and we would weave it together. Participants needed to purchase the pattern/video/book, gather their materials, and sometimes there was a kit or other yarn support.
This inadvertently created an interactive pattern experience. Say you are weaving along at home and get to a stuck place. You hop into one of the groups and do one of a number of things—ask questions, share progress, vent frustration, celebrate successes, and get general support from your fellow weavers and me. Along the way, I also offered blog posts and videos to help supplement the project material. Soon, my project box was full again!
Weave-Along Next Generation
Hosting these weave-alongs has been a transformative experience. For me personally, I found teaching online in this way deeply satisfying. There are lots of folks who don’t have access to a weaving teacher and I love helping folks past those stuck places from experiences I’ve gathered from teaching hundreds of weavers to weave.
Not having a real plan when I started, I also found myself and the weave-alongers really spread out. I began searching for one place that we could all hang out and have a more linear experience. In doing so, I found a number of sites that were devoted to self-hosted online learning experiences. These platforms offered a great way to create a more linear experience and centralize our conversations. (Don’t worry, none of the groups are going anywhere, but they will evolve.)
Then I had a lightbulb moment. Wouldn’t an online school devoted to foundational rigid-heddle weaving be cool? This way, rigid-heddle weavers could take a series of classes that would give them the skills to tackle any project their hearts desired with confidence. In this new platform, we could do all this and more!
What is Patreon?
In order to keep the weave-alongs going and build a school, I need some time off the road and seed money to make it happen, so I launched a Patreon campaign. (For a peek into the life of a weaving teacher, check out this rather long blog post.)
Patreon is a way that content creators, bloggers, podcasters, independent publishers, and video makers such as myself, garner financial support from folks who benefit from the stuff they put out in the world. Rather than put a price tag on absolutely everything I do or put everything behind some sort of secret screen or loading up my content with affiliate links, I’ve asked readers for a small monthly contribution to fund this work. There are rewards for different levels of contribution. Patreon funders get a peek of behind-the-scenes updates and special offers as a big THANK YOU for their support.
Patreon can be a content delivery system, but I envision it as a bridge between all our different groups to one single platform where we can hang out. So yes, for now there are more passwords and places, but soon I hope this will consolidate and things will be a little less spread out.
When Will The Next Weave-Along Happen?
Check out the Yarnworker School page for a list of the previous weave-alongs and what’s coming up next.
There is charge to participate in the weave-alongs while they are active—patrons make this possible. The patterns are either in one of my published books or offered on a pay-what-you wish basis.
How Is the School Progressing?
My goal with the school is to create a series of foundational online classes for rigid-heddle weavers. (Don’t know what a rigid-heddle loom is? Check out the free class, Why This Loom.) The classes cover the basics and beyond. To date I’ve created six classes that take you from I know nothing about rigid-heddle weaving to building a base of know-how. The next class, Weaving 401:Structures is due out in 2022.
This is just me and my camera and a little bit of help—no fancy film studio. If you like my YouTube videos, then you will have an idea what to expect from the instruction. There is a steep learning curve for me and we are building this thing together. I thank you in advance for your patience and good humor. It won’t be perfect, but it will be fun!
How Do I Keep Up-To-Date With What’s Happening?
Becoming a Patreon is the best way to keep current on the happenings. I’ll keep posting updates on the Yarnworker Facebook page and Ravelry Group. You may also want to hop on the Yarnworker mailing list. I send out a robust monthly newsletter with Yarnworker happenings and weaving news of interest. I’ll periodically update this page as things are happening.
I am so grateful for everyone who has joined me on this journey. Whether you have been with me since the very beginning or are just joining in, you are most welcome. I thank you for your support, your patience, your enthusiasm, and most of all, your willingness to learn together.
Let’s weave!
Liz
P.S. As this project gets passed around, you may not be familiar with me or my work. You can read more about me here.
