It all started with the search for a portable weaving loom. Something along the lines of a small embroidery hoop. Because when it comes to weaving, “portable” can mean a lot of different things, as long as you can pick it up and move it.
I really wanted a travel loom, a lap loom, a no-set-up loom. I discovered pin looms.
The resulting weaving on the one I have is a 4″x4″ square out of a loom that’s about 6″ square. For my first attempt I used some old remnants. Grey. Not very exciting. With a few mistakes. But still functional as coasters, immediately appropriated by one of my daughters, which made me exceedingly happy.
I experimented with more solid yarns, in different sizes, while reading up on pin looms and watching a lot of YouTube videos. While I like working with cotton on my rigid heddle loom for its consistent tension and the resulting even weave, I discovered that pin looms really benefit from the elasticity of wool. Yes, I can make cotton squares on the pin loom, but I don’t like to.
And “like to” is a rather important factor in how I choose my weaving projects.
Next, I discovered that variegated, striped, or ombre yarns created the most interesting patterns on the pin loom. With worsted weight yarn I had left over after a couple of larger projects, I continued to practice little squares on the pin loom (they’re addictive, don’t you know).
Once I got comfortable with the technique, I started thinking in terms of projects. Or objects.
Sure, I could just finish the edges and make coasters. That would be fun and a good travel project.
But then, the little squares started looking like parts of doll clothes.
Hand woven doll clothes? On handmade dolls? The monster project was born.
I’ll spare you the side-trip into doll making books (I have those, too), and doll-making YouTube channels, and doll making websites, and searches for the Great Doll Making Book (still haven’t found it), or the attempts to create the right body shape.
Or the need to buy more tools…
Any crafter will understand the sudden need to buy more tools.
Especially when you come back to a craft or a skill after a few years… and cataract surgery, and different glasses, and… You know. Years.
Eventually, the doll took shape and started talking to me and demanding clothes. Which was good, because in doll-making and especially in doll-clothes-making, you can invoke as many skills as you want and blend them together.
For this one, I started fitting clothes out of pin-loom squares.
Then adding details, gathers, a belt (eventually a length of lucet braided purple yarn)… Some embroidery on the skirt, a necklace… A wild mop of mohair hair… A painted face.
Is she done?
I don’t think so. She wants me to do something more with her hair. And she needs shoes. And accessories. I agree with her, but she’s letting me think about all that. Maybe then she’ll tell me her name.
