Globe Pequot / Stackpole Books
Pages: 128
•
Trim: 8¼ x 10⅜
978-0-8117-3833-0 • Paperback • June 2019 • $25.95 • (£19.99)
978-0-8117-6846-7 • eBook • June 2019 • $24.99 • (£18.99)
Harumi Kageyama started her career in craft book publishing and became known for her "easy to make and easy to use" projects using natural and found materials like twigs, driftwood, wire and fabric. She has contributed to handicraft segments on TV and radio and also teaches classes that focus on upcycling materials. She is the author of several books on weaving and crafting published in Japan. Her website is www.kageyamaharumi.com.
If you've been tempted by the weaving craze but are deterred by the cost of basic supplies to get you going, this book can help you decide whether warp and weft is for you, with minimal expense. Since it all starts with a loom, that's where Kageyama starts too, with step-by-step instructions for making flat, table or three-dimensional cardboard looms for each of the 25 projects herein. Other tools include duct tape, knitting needles and purchased or make-your-own shuttles to wrap weft yarn on before weaving. With tips on how to choose yarn that both suits the functionality of the object and achieves the one-of-a-kind look desired, this book is a comprehensive primer for the novice weaver. Pick from scarves and shawls, seat cushions and pillow shams, floor mats and more. And the next time Amazon delivers, be sure to save the box.
— Carolyn Noyes; Yarn Market News, October 2019
It can be easy to dismiss weaving on a cardboard loom as children's weaving or too simple to be "real weaving." In reality, weaving on a cardboard loom is much like weaving on other simple looms: the complexity of the projects one can create is limited only by the weaver's imagination. In her new book, Harumi Kageyama uses her looms to weave useful, attractive projects in clever ways, and many of her projects are indistinguishable from items woven on a rigid-heddle or multishaft loom.
The book starts with a photographic overview of the weaving projects, right away showcasing the versatility of the cardboard loom. The 25 featured projects include round seat cushions, pillowcases, a full-size rug, and toque-like hats. Along with all the basic how-tos of weaving, Kageyama includes instructions for building three types of cardboard looms: a table loom for weaving extra-long cloth; a flat loom made out of a single, small piece of cardboard; and a box loom that allows the weaver to weave seamless tubes. She gives instructions for weaving on each of these loom types and covers variations on how to use the flat loom to weave circles and seamless pouches.
What struck me about Kageyama's book wasn't only the versatility of the projects but how much freedom the weaver has in choosing yarns. For one of her projects, Kageyama uses linen yarn to weave a set of coasters because, unlike on floor or rigid-heddle looms, tension isn't as much of a concern on cardboard looms. Similarly, warp materials that are tricky to use on a traditional loom can be used with ease on a cardboard loom, including wide ribbons, bulky art yarns, and leather cords. With cardboard looms, there are no worries about abrasion or figuring out sett--the loom can be designed around the characteristics of the yarns.
While cardboard looms might not be for everyone, Harumi Kageyama proves that these little looms shouldn't be discounted because of their simplicity; instead, it's this simplicity that opens up a whole new world of weaving.
— Christina Garton; Handwoven Magazine, May/June 2020