Drawloom ABC
Explore the mystique of a drawloom in an intimate group of 3 students.
Focus on 1 loom for the week — optional additional days give you more time to finish.
Instructor: Becky Ashenden
Assistant: Tonya Jones
Dates offered 2020:
Mar 3–6,
Sep 1–4,
Oct 27–30
(class full; waiting list only),
Mar 31 – Apr 3,
Jun 16–19
(canceled for covid-19)
Extra weaving week: Choose to stay on the following week for more weaving time! See below for details.
Extension dates: weeks of Mar 9, Apr 6, Jun 22, Nov 2
Concurrent with Drawloom Treasures and Farmhouse Projects.
Weaving on a drawloom is not complicated and can open up a whole new world of creativity. This 4-day session will take place at our rural 1850s Farmhouse Studio. Much of the fun of drawloom weaving is in choosing and combining patterns from our large collection—a perfect evening activity. Theory lessons will be offered to suit the desire of the 3 participants. Your chosen warp will be ready for you to thread on the first day. (See below for warp choices.)
Choose A, B, or C for your primary project
- Single unit drawloom
- Opphämta
- Shaft draw damask
(Project choice is first come, first served)
A - Single unit drawloom
Anything you draw on graph paper can translate into a stunning woven picture in damask. The single unit is the simplest of drawlooms.
One draw cord controls each unit of structure in the weave, giving you the opportunity to create free-form designs.
Your warp of choice will be beamed before you get here, and your first day will be split between threading and designing your masterpiece, using our extensive library of patterns to combine as you like.
B - Opphämta on the shaft drawloom
Produce repeated float patterns across the warp on a plain weave ground, using the shaft drawloom's delightful little pull handles to raise the pattern shafts.
You'll thread the long pattern heddles on one shaft, and later separate them onto the pattern shafts. There will be guidance to help you choose a pattern threading and create beautiful patterns to go with it.
After a piece is woven, we may encourage you to collect all of the pattern heddles on one bar again, and re-divide them with a different pattern threading. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with the equipment and the possibilities.
C - Shaft draw damask
Produce some of the most pleasing designs that repeat themselves across the width of the warp, by weaving damask with pattern shafts.
You'll thread mallions on one shaft, and later separate them onto the pattern shafts. There will be guidance to help you choose a pattern threading, and to create beautiful patterns to go with it.
After a piece is woven, we may encourage you to collect all of the pattern heddles on one bar again, and re-divide them with a different pattern threading.
Pattern threading possibilities include straight, pointed, or block designs. The pattern threading can be changed midway through the weaving of your warp, giving a broad variety of weaving possibilities for one warp.
Experienced drawloom weavers may want to try out the "Combination" system, which combines single unit patterning with the shaft draw system.

single-unit tractor by Tonya

single-unit pumpkin by Tonya

single-unit beasts by Becky

single-unit rooster by Becky

opphämta, 10 pattern shafts

opphämta, 10 pattern shafts

gold opphämta

blue stars, opphämta

shaft draw damask, 11 shafts

royal border, shaft draw

stars & bricks, shaft draw

goldfish, shaft draw

damask in 2 structures

trees, shaft draw

damask in 2 structures

shaft draw + single unit
Warp choices
We beam your 5-meter warp with your choice:
A - Single unit drawloom
(80 cm Ideal)
- 40 units of 6 ends (480 heddles) - easiest
- 60 units of 6 ends (720 heddles)
- 80 units of 6 ends (960 heddles)
B - Opphämta on the shaft drawloom
(90 cm Ideal)
- 346 ends (519 heddles) - easiest
- 458 ends (687 heddles)
- 682 ends (1023 heddles)
C - Shaft draw damask
(100cm Standard)
- 67 units, 6 treadles - easiest
(67 mallions + 402 long-eye heddles) - 85 units, 6 treadles
(85 mallions + 510 long-eye heddles) - 67 units, 8 treadles
(134 mallions + 536 long-eye heddles) - 85 units, 8 treadles
(170 mallions + 680 long-eye heddles)
Yarn choices for damask (A or C)
- 22/2 cottolin, doubled - easiest
- 22/2 cottolin
- 8/2 cotton
- 16/2 cotton
- 16/2 linen
- 35/2 linen
Yarn choices for opphämta (B)
- 22/2 cottolin - easy
- 8/2 cotton - easy
- 16/2 cotton
Location: Farm Studio
Prerequisites: none
Max enrollment: 3
Course fee:
Week 1: $800 (includes all instruction and studio time, lunch Tue–Fri, dinner Thu)
Week 2: $50/consecutive day for extra weaving time, no meals or instruction
Materials fee: by weight
Room & board:
Week 1: $375 (includes lodging Mon–Thu evenings, breakfast Tue–Fri, dinner Tue–Wed)
Week 2: Students staying in the Water St lodging the first week of class will need to find other lodging for the 2nd "extra weaving" week. You may stay over Friday night at Water St for a lodging fee of $75, with checkout by 9:30 on Saturday morning. Meals may be purchased at our day student rate.
For more detail: See also costs & logistics, food & accommodations
Days offered: Four-day session, Tue–Fri
Week 1 schedule: Instruction time starts 9:00 am Tuesday morning and continues as required. On Friday, for those enrolled for Week 1 only, instruction ends at noon and remaining warp lengths will be cut off and chained for you to take home. Checkout must be completed by 3:00.
Week 2 schedule: Extra weaving days start on Saturday and will be counted consecutively. (Any partial day and/or a missed day counts as a full day). Checkout must be completed by 3 PM on Friday.