Weaving on a floor loom is genuinely complex — and we mean that in the most exciting way possible.

Think about what's actually involved: a weaver starts with an idea captured on a weaving draft that can look like hieroglyphics to the uninitiated. From there, colors get chosen, and then hundreds — sometimes thousands — of long, often delicate threads have to find their way onto the loom, through tiny holes and dents, in a very specific order, without a single knot or tangle in sight.

It's a lot.

And learning it the traditional way can feel a bit like being dropped into the middle of a chemistry experiment without knowing what the equation is or how the elements will react. You follow along, stay optimistic, and hope nothing blows up.

The tricky part? So much of the early work only makes sense once you're further down the road. It isn't until the warp is actually on the loom that a new weaver thinks, "Oh — so THAT'S why we did that."

The Traditional Approach

Most weaving classes are taught as multi-week courses or long weekend intensives. There's nothing wrong with this — it's a time-tested method that works well for many people. But it's a lot of information to absorb all at once, and the experience can vary widely depending on loom type, loom design, and how a student's brain naturally approaches problem-solving. (Yes, there's genuine psychology in weaving.)

Courses are often taught with a prescriptive, start-to-finish narrative — frequently to students who don't yet own a loom and are simply exploring whether weaving is something they love.

A Different Idea

After one of my six-week teaching sessions at my local guild, a student named Lisa came to me with a thought. Lisa is a project planner, and her mind works in sequences that don't always match the traditional teaching arc.

"What if you started teaching weaving in the middle of the process? And taught in shorter sections instead of long classes?"

She followed up with a multi-page spreadsheet breaking down the full complexity of floor loom weaving into smaller, more approachable pieces — and she started right in the middle, with a class called Walk In + Weave.

That kind of class isn't new. It's offered in many places. But Lisa's idea of segmented teaching sparked something: we could build out a whole series of short, affordable lessons, each one introducing students to a specific facet of what it takes to get all those threads onto a loom in the right order.

Weaving on a floor loom is like learning how machinery works. If you were a kid who liked to take things apart and put them back together, this is right up your alley. It's a process that that gets easier — but is never simple. That's exactly why it keeps you coming back.

And so Lisa's segmented teaching approach was born.

How It Works

Our classes can be taken individually, in any order, and are available for one student or many. Right now, our offerings include:

1. Walk In + Weave — Sit down at a ready loom and start weaving
2. Reading a Draft + Calculating Warp + Understanding a Drawdown - This is where it all begins (Coming Soon!)
3. Walk In + Wind — Learn to wind your warp on a warping board or reel and braid it for transport to the loom
4. Beam Me On - Learn how to move your braid from Walk In + Wind to the loom and how to "dress" the loom. Then wind the warp onto the warp beam!
5. Walk in + Thread in Order - Learn tips and tricks for threading the heddles according to the draft instructions. 
6. Tying or Lashing On - Everyone has a fav orite was to tie the warp onto the front rod. We teach a few methods you you can choose what works for you!

You can take these classes individually in no particular order. If you already weave they can be a refresher. Or, we offer them in convenient bundles. 

        Drafting + Winding Bundle

        Beaming + Threading Bundle

        Tying on + Oop's and Aha's Bundle

We offer other classes as refreshers or to broaden your weaving skills and for those who need confidence or want to learn tips and tricks.

• Walk In + Tie One On — Learn how to tie a new warp onto an already-threaded loom
• Oop's + Aha's! - problem solving at the loom.
• Drafting to Weave, creating your own designs This will be a deep dive into creating your own designs, using color as design and asking questions about all things drafting.

A Note on This Experiment

We'll be honest with you — we're figuring this out as we go. There are timing questions, loom availability considerations, and the ever-present gap between how things work in our heads and how they unfold in real life. If something isn't working, we'll pivot. That's part of the process.

But we believe in this idea, and we'd love for you to be part of it.

So stay tuned, ask questions, sign up for a class — and let's see what we can build together. 🧵