By Pam Loch | From BayLines Express, June, 2023
I learned to weave when I was living in Rochester, New York. I participated in weaving classes there for many years and then at The Worcester Center for Crafts once I moved to Massachusetts. I have sold some of my weaving pieces but mostly have woven for my own enjoyment. I have been a member of the Weavers Guild of Boston for over 20 years.
It is difficult to explain weaving if one has never seen a loom. The loom is set up with 4 harnesses that hold metal heddles that have a hole in the middle of each metal piece. They are placed vertically in the middle of the loom. In front of the threaded heddles is a horizontal metal piece that extends the length of your weaving project. This is called the reed. Woven products are made from multiple yarns of different colors and sometimes different thicknesses, which gives them texture. The reed has slots that you thread each yarn through to keep the yarns in the correct order. When you start weaving, you raise or lower the harness to pull up the right yarns, so that when you pass the shuttle across the loom it is placed in the correct spot for a given project. There are infinite ways to raise and lower the harnesses to create multiple weaving patterns. I use both muted colors and brighter colors but I make sure I have contrasting colors so I can see better when weaving. Black is a very difficult color to see well unless I pair it with white for example. When threading the loom, I use an enlarged pattern and color code the different harnesses, making it easier to set up the project on the loom.
Now I spend a lot of my time teaching weaving at The Michael Lisnow Respite Center in Hopkinton. It has a day program for adults and a daycare program for young children and babies. I have been teaching weaving to beginners for over 20 years. My students have developmental and/or physical disabilities. Some students have spina bifida, cerebral palsy, and/or visual impairments. We work on a four-harness table loom twice a week throughout the year. They weave placemats, table runners, dish towels, and scarves. The majority of the projects are woven in plain weave or basket weave. I plan the projects and prepare the yarn for the loom. To dress the loom, I place threads in the correct order and then thread them individually through heddles and a metal reed. The last step is to tie the threads onto the front beam. Many students give their completed projects to family and friends as gifts or use them in their own homes. We use some of their projects at The Respite Center.
Many of my students live in group homes in the MetroWest area. There are four group homes in Hopkinton alone. I live next door to one. I have developed long-term friendships with a number of The Respite clients, many of whom have jobs in the community.
The Michael Lisnow Respite Center just celebrated its 25th Anniversary. It has a very special place in my heart. I love being a part of the clients’ lives and sharing my love for weaving with them.