Caryl is a tartan expert. Not only has she woven more than she can count, she has designed and registered several herself. So I knew that there is no one better than Caryl to help me understand what makes a tartan, a tartan. Join us as we explore the amazing world of tartans and plaids. May it inspire you to try weaving a tartan (or two!). Happy weaving!

Tartans vs. Plaids

Show Notes

One of my favorite things about weaving is learning from and collaborating with other weavers. Which is why I host Live at the Loom each week on YouTube. During this livestream weavers from around the world gather to share their stories. Click here to learn more and to join us!

The Scottish Register of Tartans is THE resource for tartan patterns. Click here to learn more about tartans and check out all of the patterns registered so far (including Caryl’s!).

Ongoing Classes

Want to learn more about weaving but have a hard time fitting classes into your schedule? Check out my ongoing, fully online weaving classes. I cover an array of topics, from Planning a Weaving Project, to Reading a Weaving Draft, to Weaving a Color Gamp – each class is self-paced so you can take all the time you need. Best of all, once you purchase one of my classes you have unlimited access to it so you can refer back to it anytime you need. Ready to level-up your weaving game? Click here to learn more.

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This week I’m sharing tips for what to do if you run out of yarn. It can happen to any of us. You’re standing at your warping board and suddenly you’re short a color. Or you’re happily weaving your fabric and notice a lot of cardboard in your cone. You absolutely can buy more yarn. But you don’t have to. Join me as I share some simple steps you can take to turn a lack of yarn into a fabulous one-of-a-kind piece of fabric. Happy weaving!

Wait – I Ran Out of Yarn!

Show Notes

Want to learn more about weaving yarn? I’ve got you covered! My FREE Beginner’s Guide to Weaving Yarn walks you through everything you need to know about weaving yarn. Click here to check it out!

My friends at Hemptique published this exhaustive guide to yarn types and materials. Click here to learn more about all of the different fibers you can work with!

Online Weavers’ Guild

Are you looking for a community of weavers who love weaving as much as you do? Look no further my friend! The Acton Creative Online Weaver’s Guild is a place where you can spend time with other weavers, share your weaving stories, trade tips, and learn a few things along the way. We meet once a month over Zoom, host an ongoing members-only chat so that we don’t lose touch in between meetings, take part in quarterly weaving challenges, and more. We’re saving you a seat! Head to https://patreon.com/actoncreative for more information & links to join. See you soon!

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But before we dive in, let me set the scene. You’re staring at your naked loom wondering what to weave next. As you mentally flip through your list of patterns to try, you zip right past twill because you’ve done it, right?

Or have you? You see, twill is a vast category of weaving patterns that will delight and surprise you. So don’t write off twill just yet. I’ve got some fabulous variations for you try right here!

Twill Weaving Ideas (Part 2)

Show Notes –

Weaving a Rosepath Border – I found a fabulous step-by-step look at how to create your own rosepath border in a weaving project. It includes some technical notes, so buckle up. But I have full faith that you can do it! Check it out right here. 

Undulating Twill – Have you played with undulating twill, yet? It’s such a blast! Just imagine creating a twill that’s curvy. So cool! This was our official April 2024 Weave Along pattern and we have an entire project ready to go for you here.

Online Weaver’s Guild

Are you looking for a community of weavers who love weaving as much as you do? Look no further, my friend! The Acton Creative Online Weavers’ Guild is a place where you can spend time with other weavers, share your weaving stories, trade tips, and learn a few things along the way. We meet once a month over Zoom, host an ongoing members-only chat so that we don’t lose touch in between meetings, take part in quarterly weaving challenges, and more. We’re saving you a seat! Head to https://patreon.com/actoncreative for more information & links to join. See you soon!

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In today’s Part 1 video, I’m suggesting some classics – houndstooth, herringbone, and pinwheels. They are a pure delight and I know you’ll love them!

Twill Weaving Ideas (Part 1)

Show Notes –

History of Houndstooth – I found an interesting blurb about the history of houndstooth on a golfing apparel website, of all places. (Have you ever heard of a close variation called puppytooth? Me, neither!) Feel free to ignore the shopping element, but otherwise it contains some really interesting tidbits! Be sure to take a peek here. 

Types of twills – If you are new to the world of twills, I have a great video to walk you through some basic differences – perfect for any beginner! Check it out here. 

Online Weaver’s Guild

Are you looking for a community of weavers who love weaving as much as you do? Look no further, my friend! The Acton Creative Online Weaver’s Guild is a place where you can spend time with other weavers, share your weaving stories, trade tips, and learn a few things along the way. We meet once a month over Zoom, host an ongoing members-only chat so that we don’t lose touch in between meetings, take part in quarterly weaving challenges, and more. We’re saving you a seat! Head to https://patreon.com/actoncreative for more information & links to join. See you soon!

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When you hear the word “sleazy”, it may bring to mind a slimy used car salesman, or a hotel of questionable reputation. But the history of the word goes back to the textile industry!

And while it isn’t nearly as common these days, you can still apply “sleazy” to a fabric description. Watch today’s episode to see what that means.

The Infamous “Sleazy” Fabric

Show Notes –

Handwoven Magazine to the rescue! – It is really wonderful how many corners of the weaving world Handwoven Magazine has written about over the years. Case in point, researching sleazy fabric on the internet pointed me directly to an article Madelyn wrote that is exactly what I was looking for! (By the way, it’s Madelyn van der Hoogt. But to me, she’s on par with any other 1-name celebrity. Cher has nothing on her.) Check out this interesting blog post right here! 

Let’s talk about sett – In this episode, I mention that when running into a sleazy situation, it is helpful to change the ratios. And if tweaking your weft won’t do it, you may need to adjust the sett. Sett is the spacing between your warp yarns. Take a look at this vintage episode that talks you through the world of weaving sett. 

Online Weaver’s Guild

Are you looking for a community of weavers who love weaving as much as you do? Look no further my friend! The Acton Creative Online Weaver’s Guild is a place where you can spend time with other weavers, share your weaving stories, trade tips, and learn a few things along the way. We meet once a month over Zoom, host an ongoing members-only chat so that we don’t lose touch in between meetings, take part in quarterly weaving challenges, and more. We’re saving you a seat! Head to https://patreon.com/actoncreative for more information & links to join. See you soon!

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In the world of fiber, we tend to refer to some yarns as “textured” – these are yarns that are really boldly textured. Think something really fuzzy, loopy, or slubby. When you look at them, the first thing you think is “Look at that texture!”.

So while all yarns have texture, when you hear someone speak about a “textured yarn”, they’re referring to something specific. And those unique yarns can be challenging to weave. But no more – I’ve got you covered. Enter, today’s fuzzy, loopy, slubby video.

How to Weave with Textured Yarns

Show Notes –

The Glamorous Chenille – Ah, chenille. I have such a love/no-love relationship with it. It makes amazing blankets and scarves. But, I’ve been unlucking in using it in weaving – at least when placing it in the warp. So I think it’s helpful to understand what goes into the structure of a chenille yarn. And my friends over at Interweave published a sweet blog post that dives into that exact topic. Give it read here. 

Weaving Design Elements – Texture is one of the big three elements included in all weaving projects. That, along with color and pattern, make up the look and feel of every handwoven item. So why not dive a little deeper into the world of texture with episode 26, “Weaving Design Elements – Texture”? Check it out here. 

January Dress Your Loom Class

You’re invited to join us for the Dress Your Loom Course! The doors are now open for the January 2026 class and we’re saving you a seat! Click here to check it out and register before January 15 at 4 pm CST – https://tinyurl.com/DressYourLoom

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Now, if you haven’t had a chance to check out Cloud Dancer yet, you’re in for a surprise. You see, Cloud Dancer is, well… white. Yep. White.

And while white will never be my choice for a featured color, we have a tradition here at Acton Creative to uphold and by George, we’re going to do it. So, without further adieu, I would like to present to you the 2026 Pantone Color of the Year video!

2026 Pantone Color of the Year

Show Notes –

Pantone – Never heard of Pantone before? They’re a fascinating organization that does color forecasting. And each year, it is their tradition to list a color of the year. But it doesn’t stop there! They have an entire palette of colors carefully selected through studying the trends, the state of the world, and more. So, if you’re a color geek, this is for you! Check out their website here.

Last year’s color – Let me just say that prior years’ colors have been more interesting than this year’s. Case in point, the 2025 Color of the Year! Step right into my time machine and travel back to when the color of the year actually had some personality (okay, was that too snarky?). Click here to explore the previous Pantone Color of the Year.

3 Ways to Make Dressing a Loom Easier (and more fun!)

If you are someone who loves to weave, but dreads dressing your loom, I’ve got you covered! Join me for a FREE live event where I’ll share with you some simple and effective ways to better enjoy the process of setting up your loom. Register for the session that works best with your schedule because there are no replays. Click here to save your seat.

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Thus, to give you some assistance and a place to start, I’ve pulled together a series of fantastic color-related videos that will help build your confidence around color. You can do it!

Color Compilation for Beginning Weavers

Show Notes –

Invention of the color wheel – Okay friends, I did not know that Sir Isaac Newton is credited with the invention of the color wheel! Did you know this? You probably did – you’re very smart! I went down the rabbit hole searching for details about the color wheel and found a very interesting history and timeline for our iconic color tool. Check it out here. 

Multiple colors in the warp – I absolutely LOVE playing with color and one of the quickest ways to learn about it is by including more than one color in your warp. If you’d like to give it a try, I have a great episode to get your started. Take a look at “Multiple Colors in the Warp” right here. 

Online Weaver’s Guild

Are you looking for a community of weavers who love weaving as much as you do? Look no further, my friend! The Acton Creative Online Weaver’s Guild is a place where you can spend time with other weavers, share your weaving stories, trade tips, and learn a few things along the way.

We meet once a month over Zoom, host an ongoing members-only chat so that we don’t lose touch in between meetings, take part in quarterly weaving challenges, and more. We’re saving you a seat! Head to https://patreon.com/actoncreative for more information & links to join. See you soon!

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To start, let me say that I am a weaver that uses A LOT of unmercerized cotton in an 8/4 format. I love it. Thus, it’s going to take some serious magic for me to consider any other yarn. Click on episode 222 to see how the experiment goes.

Mercerized vs Unmercerized Cotton

Show Notes –

How do they mercerize cotton? – I found a really interesting blog post about the history of mercerization and how they treat the cotton fibers. Check it out here to expand your yarn knowledge (it’s great for trivia night!). 

Canvas Weave – In this video, I mention the pattern I’m working with as canvas weave. If you’re unfamiliar with this one, I have a recent episode that sums it up quite nicely! Take a look right here. 

Online Weaver’s Guild

Are you looking for a community of weavers who love weaving as much as you do? Look no further, my friend! The Acton Creative Online Weaver’s Guild is a place where you can spend time with other weavers, share your weaving stories, trade tips, and learn a few things along the way.

We meet once a month over Zoom, host an ongoing members-only chat so that we don’t lose touch in between meetings, take part in quarterly weaving challenges, and more. We’re saving you a seat! Head to https://patreon.com/actoncreative for more information & links to join. See you soon!

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You see, a canvas weave is what’s used as the background to a cross-stitch or embroidery project.  It’s the grid-like fabric with small holes at each intersecting block where your needle can go. And you don’t have to buy it – you can weave it! So, why don’t we chat about just how easy it is to create your own cute canvas weave.

Cute Canvas Weave –

Show Notes –

Canvas Weave & Lace – Gist has a great article about canvas weave and how it fits in with our idea of lace weave structures. I think you’ll find it very interesting! Take a look right here.  

Floating Selvedges – In order to properly create canvas weave, you’ll need a pair of floating selvedges to help you along. If you aren’t familiar with this set of immobile warp yarns, I’ve got the perfect introductory video for you! 

FREE Weaving Resources –

Would you look at that? There is an entire collection of FREE weaving resources at your fingertips on the Acton Creative website! Everything from Parts of a Loom, to 6 Weaving Patterns, to the Beginner’s Guide to Weaving Yarn – there’s a little something for everyone. Simply click here to pick which one (or all!) will be helpful for you! https://actoncreative.net/free-resources/

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