Customer Reviews

Handwoven Scarves

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The only reason this book gets two stars instead of one is because it was promoted honestly as a source of inspiration and did not promise detailed instructions. The publisher should have known better, however, than to purposely omit weaving details. Such a format is of little use to those of us who have no desire to spend time experimenting. Further, there are inaccuracies; I resorted to telephoning one of the contributors when I was unable to reconcile the draft with the scarf -- because the draft as presented in the book was incomplete! I wasted an afternoon because of this error.

I have patiently been waiting for this book to be published (it was late) and when I finally received it was greatly disappointed. While the photographs are indeed lovely and the scarves are inspirational, there were few that included the drafts for the designs. Fiber statistics would have also been helpful including yardage and possible resources. I returned this book.

I'm a new weaver & really looked forward to getting this book. The scarves are beautiful & the book inspirational, but did I mention I'm a new weaver? It's hard to turn that inspiration into a textile treat without some direction or instruction. The editor states they published the information each scarf designer was comfortable in sharing; a few were very generous, but most shared only the very basic information. All in all, this book was a disappointment and not what I've come to expect from Interweave Press.

Handwoven Scarves is, indeed, a book of ideas and inspiration. But, it is not a compilation of the "best scarves ever published in Handwoven." It is not a "how to weave a scarf" book. It is more in the genre of "Ideas in Weaving" by Ann Sutton and Diane Sheehan (Interweave Press, 1989, out of print.) The weavers represented here use materials, dye techniques and weaving patterns to extraordinary advantage. The book will, I hope, inspire readers to expand their weaving skills and explore the use of silk and rayon, overtwisted yarns, forgotten weave structures and the glories of plain weave.

As for me, I've just purchased a supply of rayon ribbon, the silks have been sitting on a shelf since 1995 and the loom is empty. I forsee a shawl, perhaps in boulevard weave?

As many have written already, this is definitely a book for inspiration and not a formula or pattern "how to" book. Since I had the chance to look through it before buying, I knew what I was getting into and have really enjoyed it. Some of the weaves are wonderful puzzles to try to figure out and mimic, some are just beautiful and astonishing (like those woven with sewing thread!). As a professional weaver, I have to respect the designers for retaining their designs, but a few more details to get me on the road would have been great!

Handwoven Scarves


1999

Interweave Press



Scarves in many shapes and sizes, imaginative colour schemes, unusual fibre combinations, and striking weave structures. Scarves small and large, subtle and bold, fuzzy and smooth. From looms across the country and across the world comes this collection of fifty exquisite handwoven creations.



Selected by the craft editors at Interweave Press, each scarf is portrayed in full-page, full-colour photography and is accompanied by design notes and a brief biography of the weaver. Whether you're a beginning weaver or a seasoned artisan, you'll find a volume of inspiration in Handwoven Scarves with projects with titles like: "Northern Lights Silk Scarf", "Dyed Block Twill Scarf", "Black Supplementary Warp Scarf", "Navy Supplementary Warp Scarf", "Thick, Thinner, Thinnest", "Two-Layered Scarf with Shifted Layers", "Natural and Terra Cotta", "Drawloom Damask Scarf", "Damask Ribbons", "Big Scarf", "Pleated Scarf", "Smooth Scarf", "Rippling Water", "Silk Cashmere Scarf", "Wool Gauze Scarf/Shawl", "Overshot Scarf", "Hummingbird Scarf", "Blue and Yellow Stripes with Beads", "See-through Blue", "Red Pleats", "Squares", "Indigo Ikat Scarf", "White Huck Lace Scarf", "Painted Warp Scarf" (three versions), "Painted Cotton Warp Scarf", "Gray Chenille", "Blue Chenille", "Hot Pink Chenille", "Golden Damask Scarves", "Block Twill Scarf", "Cram and Space Scarf", "Ripplemarks", "Twill Scarf", "Two-Layered Scarf", "Black, White and Red Scarf", "Silk Scarf", "Sunset Blocks", "Stripes", "Gray Stripes", "Boulevard Weave Scarf", "Pleated Colors", "Pastel Stripes", "Twill Stars", "Indigo Fancy Point Twill Scarf" "Angora and Silk Scarf", "Southern Lights", "Huck Lace Ogee Scarf", "Large Plaid", "Checkerboard Scarves" and "Wrap Around".



out of print