Why should I Wild Weave?
Keen for a new hobby? Let artist and author Alice Fox tell you why weaving with wild materials is so important (and fun) in her new book, Wild Weave.
By Alice Fox.
Why Weave?
Weave is embedded in our culture and our lives. We wear woven cloth every day and use functional woven objects in our homes without a second thought. Terminology from textile and weave processes are embedded within our language, with regional nuances that reflect the textile heritage of our landscapes and society. We weave stories and threads of thought. Some weave webs of lies and deceit. We admire the beautifully woven webs, cocoons and nests of the wildlife living alongside us. Weave is all around, whether we notice it or not.
To weave is to form a fabric by interlacing long threads passing in one direction with others at a right angle to them. One set of threads is called the warp and the other, the weft. From this most simple starting point, weave can go in many different directions: from a balanced plain weave cloth, to an intricate pattern created by a complicated weave structure; from weft-faced tapestry weave (where the warp is completely hidden by the weft threads beaten hard to create a tight, solid surface), to many different types of rug, carpet or hanging. In basketry, too, similar principles are at play, but with a more rigid set of materials. Whether weaving cloth or baskets, some sort of tension is usually required, either keeping the warp threads taut on a loom or frame, or using the body somehow to create the tension, as in the use of a back strap or by using the hands to tension a weaving element in many basketry techniques.
We no longer need, individually, to weave cloth to keep ourselves warm and protected or for gathering the provisions we need to stay alive. We might still choose to weave functional cloth, enjoying the process of creating and developing skills. We might weave to tell stories, share a narrative, keep traditions alive, or to create something beautiful to live with or to gift. Some of us find ways of making a living doing so. Finding connection with material and working with our hands is something we are, perhaps, more aware of than ever in our increasingly digital age.
