Skip to main content

Review: Rigid Heddle Weaving with Angela Tong on Craftsy

Not too long ago, Angela Tong asked me if I was interested in taking her Rigid Heddle Weaving Craftsy Class and gifted me enrollment to the class for free. Truthfully, it had been a while since I'd even logged into Craftsy - in that time, the Craftsy website has been redesigned, and they've also created an app for smartphone and tablet users!

rigidheddleweaving_titlecard_cid63

Test driving the app was almost as exciting to me as taking this class (almost!!). I was able to set my iPad up next to my loom to watch the class lessons as I worked on my project, which was super handy. Also, iOS users can download lessons for offline viewing, which would be great for traveling. It was just as easy to make notes on videos as it is on the desktop version, and I notice they added a "30 second repeat" option (or maybe that's always been there and I'm just now noticing?!).

Although it's been a while since I've watched any of my (many) Craftsy classes, I am a huge fan of them; every single class I've taken has been informative and well-produced, and Angela's Rigid Heddle Weaving class was no exception. It featured 8 video lessons which were packed with a ton of great into; I learned so much as I watched each video and worked on my class project, the Scrappy Stashbuster Yarn Scarf. Absolutely everything needed to complete your first project from start to finish was covered here: keeping track of where I am in my project, making neater edges, weaving in ends as I go....and even though I was overly ambitious with my own scarf project, I had some pretty awesome results:

IMG_7202

(I'll be sharing more scarf photos on Weaving Wednesday, for now I want to focus on this review!).

Once students get their first project under their belts, they can try a slightly more advanced project to create two matching tea towels. These lessons cover a lot of interesting material, from winding a warp to creating a decorative hemstitch as an alternative to fringe on your project. I'm not sure that I'm ready to give this project a try just yet (and I am still really obsessed with making stash-busting scarves!), but I'm sure that day will come soon. I still got a lot of great takeaways from watching the videos, so they are worth checking out, even if you don't plan on making that project just yet.

Of the downloadable resources, my absolute favorite is the Calculating Amounts of Yarn worksheet; I have actually printed out multiple copies to use on future projects. Also included are worksheets for winding a warp, along with patterns for both of the class projects. At the end, there is a bonus lesson where Angela shares some different fringes for finishing a woven piece, which I'll definitely be experimenting with on future projects!

I would 100% recommend this class to anyone new to rigid heddle weaving; while the books I have are excellent references, you really can't beat seeing something before your very eyes. And if you can't get to an actual class or workshop, this really is the next best thing. I love that I can continually refer back to the videos when I need a refresher on direct warping my loom or finishing a project.

Click here to sign up for Angela Tong's Rigid Heddle Weaving Craftsy Class!

You may like to know: This class was provided to me for free for the purposes of a review; all opinions are my own. This post uses affiliate links. 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my  taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends,  so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with  this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks).  The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels?  I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n