Card Weaving

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by Candace Crockett
Interweave Press, 1991, 144 pages

Card weaving is a method of making narrow, warp-faced, bands using yarn threaded through holes punched in cards.  Because the equipment is inexpensive and readily available, it's a great way for beginners to start weaving without investing in a lot of equipment.

This book has one of the best explanations of how to do card weaving that I've seen.

Ms. Crockett has you weaving within an hour or so after reading the directions. My only reservation concerns her instructions for winding the warp for the first project. I would recommend that beginners start with a short warp to minimize tangling. (With practice, tangling should not present a problem.)

Overall, she gives clear explanations of both the mechanics of card-weaving and pattern design.

The book, however, is more than a just a how-to manual. It has sections on the history of this ancient art, and explores the contemporary use of this medium by fiber artists. It is filled with gorgeous color photogaphs of both historical and modern textiles.

The overall flavor of the book design and photos is contemporary. I suppose that in 30 years it might seem dated, in the same way that textile books from the 1970s often seem dated to us now. However, many of those books still attract the eye, and I predict that even after  decades this one will do the same.