The Reno Fiber Guild meeting last night was a learning opportunity, taught by one of our own members. Lorene had learned bow loom weaving at a conference and offered to teach the technique to the rest of us.
Several ladies who had attended our recent weaving outreach joined us for this program. Bow loom weaving appears in many cultures. The instructions we followed were from the Akha people in northwest Thailand, but it was also used by Indians in the American northeast to weave wampun belts.
We had to make our own looms. We started with a long dowel, then cut five lengths of yarn which we knotted at both ends.
We secured a paperclip at each end with duct tape, opened up a second paperclip to secure one end of the yarns, did the same on the other end but drew the yarns up until our dowel had bowed - we had a bow loom.
A bow, like that on the bridge of a violin but cut from foam is what spreads the warp threads, as Mary demonstrates.
It's a really simple device.
This is what one of our instructors had woven.
And this is what one of us wove last night. It was a surprisingly fun and satisfying way to weave decorative bands. I don't have wampum belt needs but I see a headband or two in my future.
9/2/2016 Marilyn Romatka has a new video out about Bow Weaving. Go to
her website to see all the details.
