The Woven Bag: 30+ Projects from Small Looms

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by Noreen Crone-Findlay

Cincinnati, Ohio: Krause Publications, 2010, Soft cover, 128 pages

Small looms have never been bigger. It’s ironic that as technology leaps ahead at a dizzying pace, low-tech fiber tools (hand spindles, cord knitters, flower looms, hand held looms) are in demand. We see no conflict in carrying a bag for our iPad that also has a side pocket for our vintage potholder loom.  And bags. We need bags to transport everything from our phones to our weaving projects to our market produce. Marrying the two subjects, the author gives us a selection of small, medium and large bag projects, woven on a variety of small looms.

A section of the book is devoted to the types of looms featured: pinboard, backstrap, frame and peg, potholder, and wrapped and interlaced (Weave-It, butterfly loom, Lily Speed-O-Weave). Detailed instructions are given, with clear photographs, of weaving techniques on a potholder loom, a frame/peg loom and a cardboard pinboard loom. (I was particularly impressed with the ingenious technique for weaving a triangle on a square frame loom.) There are short sections on seaming, lining, handles and making a bag base.

Most of the bags are woven with traditional and novelty commercial yarns. One striking example is made of recycled videotape. It would be easy to substitute recycled plastic yarn (plarn) and rag or tee shirt yarn (tarn) in many of the projects. Some of the wool bags are woven, then felted. In any case, the reader will no doubt have plenty of materials at hand to get started.

The author uses spool-knitted cord on almost every bag, either to cover seams, embellish, or as a handle. (There are cord knitting instructions in the how-to’s.) She has created several whimsical animal theme bags for the younger set. It’s fun to see how these sculpted shapes can be molded from flat-loomed pieces.

Clear, illustrated instructions are given for this one basic seaming technique, which may not be the best option in every situation. I wish the book had explored several different seam options (and edging options) since this is an area where most small loom weavers have questions.

Written for the beginning weaver, The Woven Bag's projects are a way to see what can be done with the simplest of looms, without intimidation or anxiety.