The Weaving Explorer: Ingenious Techniques, Accessible Tools & Creative Projects for Working with Yarn, Paper, Wire & More, Hardcover

Weaving is a highly accessible craft -- over, under is the basic technique -- but the stumbling block for many would-be weavers has been the high cost of a commercial loom. The Weaving Explorer removes that barrier, inviting crafters and artists to try out an amazing range of techniques and creative projects that are achievable with a simple homemade loom, or no loom at all Weavers Deborah Jarchow and Gwen W. Steege take inspiration from the world of folk weaving traditions, adding a contemporary spin by introducing an unexpected range of materials and home dec projects. From sturdy rag fabric grocery bags to freeform wire baskets, delicately woven thread bracelets to colorful woven rugs, crafters will delight in exploring the opportunities to make their own personal variations on these beautiful -- and functional -- creations.

Deborah Jarchow is a full-time weaver and artist who teaches and lectures on fiber arts, creates and sells wearable art, and exhibits her work at galleries and museums across the U.S. Her commissioned pieces are held by churches as well as in many private collections. Since 2004, she has been an artist in residence, teacher, and weaver at Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo, California.

Gwen W. Steege has been weaving for nearly 35 years and has exhibited her work in western Massachusetts, where she lives. For many years she acquired and edited a line of craft books at Storey Publishing focused on spinning, dyeing, knitting, crochet, and weaving. In addition to editing fiber crafts books, she is the author of a number of knitting books, including The Knitter's Life List (Storey, 2011).