All orders need to be placed prior to this coming Friday, March 12th. We will do our utmost to fulfill orders during the above-mentioned dates, but mass chaos may get the best of us.

Everyone here has fallen in love with the new Julia loom with 8-shaft countermarch. Cute as a button and affordable, this loom offers the comfort of a full size floor loom with a petite footprint.

Julia countermarch loom in action

Becky's new handwoven ski skirt and belt, and John's handwoven gaiter project. They were a blast to ski in for a week in Maine.

We continue to build synergy at Vävstuga with the core team consisting of Becky Ashenden (Sole Proprietor) and Susan Conover (Operations Manager). Two talented women are now “veterans” of the Vävstuga apprenticeship program: Celeste Johnson from Naples, NY (March-September 2009) and Lisa Bertoldi from Williamsburg, MA (September 2009-February 2010).

The 2010 class format has been altered to address the many requests from our alumni. We are now providing specific classes so that you may concentrate on a larger project for the duration of your visit (see Vävstuga Treasures) or explore a multitude of techniques within a week-long class (see Vävstuga Classics.) Each of these two classes does require completing the Vävstuga Basics class, which continues to enjoy a waiting list. Speaking of Basics, our Scholarship Fund is accepting applications for this excellent foundation class (and only this class) at the present time.

We’ve seen major upgrades to the studio with state of the art lighting and air-conditioning throughout the entire building (even the dorm area). Don’t be surprised to hear jackhammers in the background if you phone us. The retail store and office areas are getting a “roof” lift.

As always, if you should have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our store/phone hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 2-5pm EST.

We are certainly looking forward to the coming year with eagerness!

~Becky & Susan

Many of our classes for 2010 are at 50% enrollment at this time. We have added photos to our Vävstuga Treasures page, which should inspire anyone who desires a week of continual weaving on a major project. The Alumni Week has an expanded explanation as well as photos.

The new Vävkalender 2010 is now in stock. It’s full of new and beautiful home furnishings in the form of towels, tablecloths, pillow covers, curtains, a wool blanket, a rep rug and more. Many techniques are represented and beautiful colors abound. Let each month give you weaving inspiration. The Vävkalender 2010 is priced at $22 plus shipping.

Our newest arrival in our bookstore is Kalasfina Vävar by Ann-Kristin Hallgren. This is a wonderful compilation of the more popular designs from the 2006–2009 Vävkalander years. Feast your eyes on the plentiful towels, runners, tablecloths, upholstery fabrics, curtains, blankets and rugs. Many of the warps are capable of creating more than one type of finished product. Ranging from traditional to more contemporary, every piece is so tastefully designed you’ll be inspired by every page. Most projects require only 4 shafts, with a handful of 8 shaft patterns thrown in. The threading and treadling drafts are very clear, so even an English speaker can make very good use of this book. Our Swedish–English glossary will be of assistance in translating much of the basic instruction. Kalasfina Vävar is priced at $39 plus shipping.

Wishing you all a merry Christmas and happy New Year!

We have a new apprentice, Lisa Bertoldi, from Williamsburg, MA. Lisa will be with us through the end of January 2010. If you are an alumna of our Basics course, you too may be a candidate for this advantageous program. We are accepting applications for the time slots of January–June 2010, as well as December 2010 onward. Visit our apprentice page for further details. Do not hesitate to contact us via email if you should have further questions about the apprenticeship program.

The sale on September 19th was a great success and we thank everyone who participated. Becky was thrilled to rid her stash of yarn and equipment. Susanna Robbins’ weaving supplies and books were donated by her family to fund the new Vävstuga Scholarship Fund. All in all, the weather cooperated, we chatted with visitors, met new friends and enjoyed a day of camaraderie with like-minded souls. Visit our Vävstuga Scholarship Fund page for more information, including details on how to submit your application for the 2010 calendar year.

Last but not least, the Rep Placemats class on November 2–3, 2009 has two openings remaining. Please let us know if you’re interested.

Enjoy your autumn.

Saturday, September 19
9am – 4pm

• Equipment
• Magazines (back issues)
• Books
• Yarns
• Other stuff
• Free stuff

Detailed list below.
Come early to get the good stuff / Stay late to get super bargains
NO PRE-SALES. Prices subject to change.

EQUIPMENT

150cm Swedish loom (not Glimakra)

has:
double back beam
regular warp beam & sectional warp beam
bench
counterbalance beam
8 shafts
10 treadles
upper lamms
needs tie-up parts (pulleys and horses, or countermarch, and cords etc.)
$900 as is

Older 150 cm counterbalance Glimakra loom

has:
4 shafts and 6 treadles
pulleys and horses
some cords
$900

150 cm single unit draw attachment

(Older style Glimakra system)
has
older style extension
overhead beam for pattern lashes
1 reed for pattern cords
high countermarch to accommodate draw attachment
$750

120cm Swedish loom (not Glimakra)

has:
10 shafts
10 treadles
upper lamms
counterbalance beam
damask pulleys
needs tie-up parts
$900 as is

120 cm Andersson loom

has:
10 shafts
10 treadles
countermarch with cords
upper and lower lamms
$1500

2 red Julia looms

prototypes (2 shafts), could be expanded
$400 each

4 meter warp mill

$200 as is

Warping boards

These good sized warping boards are collapsible to save space
$40 each

11 Various horizontal countermarches with lamms

120 cm, 8 shaft vertical – $100 (older)
120 cm, 8 shaft horizontal – $100 (older)
120 cm, 10 shaft horizontal – $200-$300
150 cm, 10 shaft horizontal – $200-$300
150 cm, 12 shaft horizontal – $200-$300
160 cm, 12 shaft vertical – $200

Reeds

Lots of used reeds will be for sale (American reeds)

Double warp beams

70cm – $200
150cm – $300

Upgrade kit, 100 cm Ideal from 4 shafts to 8 shafts

includes countermarch
$400

Upgrade kit, 100 cm Ideal loom to from 8 shafts to 10 shafts

augments existing 8 shaft countermarch
all new shafts, thinner
all new lamms, holes closer together
New treadle beam and treadles
$400

110 cm Opphamta attachment

with 20 pattern shafts
$300

10′x10′ canopy

with sides, great for outdoor shows
$50

MAGAZINES

(back issues)

Vavmagazinet
Handwoven
Piecework
Handweaver
Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot
Knitting magazines

BOOKS

Susie Robbins’ books have been donated by the family to the scholarship fund. In addition to weaving books there are books on gardening, knitting, sewing, other crafts, and various other interesting things.

YARNS

(Becky is purging her studio)

8/2 cotton (American)
16/2 cotton (American)
36/2 cotton (American)
cotton flake (American)
2/2 cotton, (Borgs)
Bartletts wool, sport weight and worsted
Maysville rug filler
Halcyon rug wool, 2 ply and some singles
Harrisville Highland
Fine single ply wool from an old NH mill
Other various other things.

OTHER STUFF

There is bound to be some.

FREE STUFF

Some of that too.
(More of it as the day progresses)

Becky reports on her recent trip to Sweden:

I just got back from a wonderful week at Sätergläntan taking a class in life at the fäbod (Swedish Summer Farm). We made cheeses and butter 19th-century style. Garlands, brooms links and whisks were made of birch branches. We spent a day making a section of fence and a day learning to mow hay with proper use of a scythe and hay rake. Their weather is so wet in the summer that you need to hang the hay on a big rack in the field, which we learned to do as well. Our teacher Ralf Mååg was an endless source of knowledge and stories. Ralf’s assistant, Matthis, helped us with a wood carving every afternoon, among other things. It was a wonderful language immersion for me.

summer farm in Sweden

time for fiddling with Ralf

scutching fibers in Linens class

Our recent shipment of Rya yarn in every color has us eagerly anticipating our Rya class on Monday and Tuesday of Labor Day weekend. We are still accepting registrations for this class.

We just had a fabulous three day Drawloom class as part of NEWS (New England Weavers seminar) with eight students. We are tentatively planning a week-long class in Drawloom techniques late next winter, so if you’re interested please let us know now, and we will keep you posted as the schedule is confirmed.

last weekend's Drawloom class

All of our Basics classes are full for the rest of the year. We are still accepting names for the waiting lists.

Check out this recent blog, wonderous woolerie, by one of our June Basics students.

Our first apprentice, Celeste, has honored us with her presence for 4 months so far and 2 more to go. She has been doing some fabulous weaving and we will be announcing our incoming Fall apprentice soon.

Becky is off to Sweden for a week to experience the culture of the fäbo (Mountain Summer Village) in a week-long class.

• new book: Åkleboka: Nye Mønstre i Gamle Teknikker (The Bedspread Book: New Patterns from Old Techniques)
• new book: Varp och Inslag: Bindningslära (Warp and Weft: The Study of Drafting)
• lower price: Favourite Rag Rugs has had a new pressing, now down from $34.95 to $24.95
• back in stock: Så fint med Trasmattor (Wonders with Rag Rugs)