"Why do I weave cloth?" by Peg Cherre

Why do I weave? Let me count the reasons.

• I weave because when I took a series of six beginning weaving classes, I fell in love with the process.
• I weave because after those classes I bought an old, handmade counterbalance loom that, although it needed lots of TLC to be functional again, came with this little poem taped to the top roller bar.

My simple pleasures

my gentle joys

weave a lovely pattern

of contentment in my life.

• I weave because I’m a person who’s easily bored, and with weaving there’s never-ending variety of fibers, of patterns, of looms, of techniques.
• I weave because my hands won’t allow me to do hours of knitting or crochet without pain.
• I weave because I like (almost) every step of the process, from planning to measuring the warp, beaming that warp, threading heddles & reed, hemming on the loom, weaving, and finishing. (I do dislike tying to the front apron, and wish I had a little elf who’d do that for me while I slept, or weeded the garden, or made dinner, or did almost anything else.)
• I weave because my part-time paycheck job doesn’t cover all my expenses, and living in this rural area I needed to add something of my own making.
• I weave because I get terrific feedback from people at shows, whether or not they buy something from me.
• I weave because I love the fact that there’s a very clear beginning, middle, and end to each piece, unlike much of my professional work in the not-for-profit world or my practical work of cooking, cleaning, and laundry.
• I weave because I’ve met some really wonderful, encouraging, motivating, and helpful people, both in real life and online.
• I weave because I love fabric.
• I weave because I’ve gone through sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, macramé, and other fiber-related endeavors all my life. Weaving is my current joy.
• I weave because now I own two floor looms & a rigid heddle loom – much more of an investment of time & space than a bunch of knitting needles.
• I weave because I have an excuse for continuing to buy dozens of cones of yarn.
• I weave because I like the physical nature of the tasks. It keeps my arms and legs moving, as well as my brain.
• Bottom line – I weave because it makes me happy.

Peg Cherre