handcrafted | my summer obsession... weaving

My newest piece in the works!

I am a sucker for trying new needlecraft. Over the years I've tried everything from spinning to tatting, beadweaving to tape lace making. Knitting and sewing are the ones that have stuck the most, and that I've worked to hone my skills and further my knowledge. But I have a seemingly insatiable curiosity when it comes to new ways of expressing my creativity. Which is why when I started to see lots of lovely woven wall hangings popping up on Pinterest and Instagram, it was almost compulsive for me to go raid my yarn and fiber stash and give it a try for myself!

My first woven piece... in all it's newbie glory!

This isn't everyone's cup of tea, I know. They do harken back to the wall hangings of the 70s, but I really love that nostalgic look about them. I remember looking through so many craft books that I borrowed from the library as a kid that had things like this in them (since our library had an astonishing number of 1970s handcraft books. I occasionally wonder what happened to all those books over the last couple decades...). It's almost comforting in a weird way to me, reminding me of my childhood. What I really adore about this resurgence in simple weaving is that it celebrates such an old craft (since weaving is one of the earliest handcrafts), yet something even a child can easily master. (I do wish Audrey was just a bit older--she loves to watch me work on my weavings, but is obviously only interested in tangling the yarn at 14 months!).

Weaving, I have found, is intensely relaxing. Not to air my dirty laundry, but this year has been extremely stressful on various fronts, and I find my energy levels by the time Audrey goes to bed for the night are zilch. But I still have a desire to do something--preferrably creative--with those couple of hours before I drag myself off to bed. I can start a British mystery (working my way through Midsomer Murders right now) and occupy my hands for a bit in a way that is fulfilling. I can prop my little homemade loom on the living room floor, or at the dining table to get a couple rows in while Audrey eats.

I want to share some of the nuts and bolts of this in another post (maybe next week). But for now, I just wanted to share how much I'm loving this little summer crafting obsession of mine. I finished one piece--that is fraught with many amateurish mistakes--and have started on a far more colorful (fewer colors that scream 1970s!) and larger piece. Not sure where these will find a home, but they make me smile every time I see them and will lend themselves well to my eclectic home style.

Anyone else dabbling in a new-to-them craft this summer as well? Yay or nay on woven wall hangings?