Reuse, Reduce, Recycle

In this day and age those words are a catchphrase, and meant to encourage us all and make us think about ways we can live more lightly on the planet.

But they are not new ideas, and people who lived and wove before us have known many ways to re-use and recycle cloth: hand-me-down clothing, clothing re-sewn and made over for extended use, quilts made of scraps from leftover fabrics or from old clothing, rag rugs, and the most humble: rags used to clean, caulk and polish.

We were not always such a disposable society. We were not always so eager to bundle our old and out-of-date, broken or used up things and donate them or discard them. We had rag-bags and scrap piles, and things saved "in case they would be useful".

True, we had fewer things. In general. Which makes each thing more valuable: too much of anything, food, clothing, houses, cars....has made us jaded. Also less capable: people in cultures all over the world still use up more of their (and our!) scraps in sakiori weaving, rippsmatta weaving, and yes, humble rag carpets, rather than throwing so much away.



Tom Knisely has written a comprehensive and approachable book all about this simple weaving technique. The book starts with history, moves into tools needed, then warping and weaving techniques, and finishes with projects. It is beautifully presented, the many photographs illustrate each step clearly, from setting up the warp:



through weaving tips:



and finishing techniques:



The weaving information would be useful beyond rag rugs: some of Tom's tips and methods are simply good weaving technique. And the projects!



Over half the book is step by step information on weaving with new and used textiles, making rugs and table runners with every conceivable type of fabric as weft. The projects are all illustrated with the before and after photos of the weft fabrics: a great tip for any weaver wondering just how this fabric will look when woven!

In this day and age of instant information on the internet, why would anyone want a book like this on their shelf? Because Tom has put all the information here, in one place, no searching, no internet connection needed, available 24/7 even when the power goes out! And this is weaving information you can trust, from someone who has done it, and shows you how. He is not just talking about it: he demonstrates it all.

If you are interested in having this copy, please leave a comment on this post, a number generator will choose a winner, and I will drop this in the mail to you! Blogger does not give me your email information to contact you or respond to you, so please do so your comments, camouflaged by leaving spaces where none should be, and spelling out dot, so bots don't find you. Good luck!