“Just” a beginner…..
“I am just a beginner….”
You don’t have to scroll far, in any weaving group, to see this phrase, or something like it.
Newbie, new, learning, first timer, etc.
Weavers – and yes, even a first timer is a WEAVER – seem to default to minimising their skills and knowledge.
But I LOVE “beginners”. They bring a fresh view of every facet of weaving. They are enthusiastic, and want to know all of the things. They look at the projects of others with awe, even if it is something that another weaver is sharing with notes about all of the flaws that they see in it.
Many newer weavers are a little afraid to share the things they weave. They worry that they aren’t perfect, the selvedges may be “waving to the crowd”, or there are skips, or they didn’t see that threading error until they took the piece off the loom.
They are sometimes nervous about sharing what they know, because maybe they are wrong, or they haven’t researched the topic thoroughly, or maybe they think that there are other, more experienced weavers who would better answer the question at hand.
New weavers always have something interesting to share though. Maybe because everything is new to them, they often interpret “old” techniques in new ways, and are open to trying new things. Don’t have room to lay out a warp and weight it? Try a trapeze. Don’t have enough cans/jugs to weight your warp? Try some shoes in a backpack. New weavers are full of new ideas!
Despite the long history of weaving, and the cool fact that modern weavers are doing the same thing as weavers were doing hundreds of years ago, there are some refinements of technique, and new points of view on long standing methods. Because of this, among other things, the newest weaver probably knows something that an experienced weaver doesn’t. Read that again.
The newest weaver probably knows something that an experienced weaver doesn’t.
My newbie friends, I am going to tell you the best kept secret of the weaving world……
WEAVERS LOVE WEAVING.
Yup, shocking, I know, but we LOVE weaving. We love to talk about weaving, vent about our mistakes, talking about yarn, yarn sales, the not-so-attractive yarns that we want to use up, and looking at what other weavers are weaving. Even when it isn’t perfect, maybe even MORE so when it isn’t perfect.
Every weaver out there has made all kinds of mistakes, some they admit to, and some they don’t. But seeing a new-ish weaver proudly declare “I made this” makes our weaverly hearts sing, because we know that once you make something, you want to make something else, or something with fewer mistakes, or something with another yarn, or draft, or loom, or another… This makes all the weavers who are along for the ride want to do something similar, exploring and taking someone else’s project, and tweaking it to make it their own in some way.
This is the time that we share the wonder of making, and seeing someone fill their hearts with pride, joy, and a sense of accomplishment.
So all the new and new-ish weavers out there, PLEASE share your work. Tell us the mistakes you made, we will commiserate with you, and maybe have a bigger mistake to share, and help take the sting out of your error. We will also celebrate with you. Weavers are proud of other weavers, it is just how we are.
