Mary with loom set up for twill weaving

Window Rock, AZ Jennie Slick and I are starting to do a monthly weaving class for people who live in the area around Window Rock.  Many of  our local students are Navajo and know the weaving basics, but are interested in learning advanced techniques the their family members aren’t familiar with or that they haven’t had a chance to try before.  Tonight, one of our students wanted to learn a diamond point twill.  With twill, the standard pull shed and stick shed are replaced by a stick shed and three pull sheds, creating a four harness loom.  It had been awhile since I’d tried doing a twill,  but it all came together.  You can see our student, Mary, who lives in Round Rock, with the loom set up above and there’s a detail of the weaving below.  The twill pattern that we wove is detailed in Caroline Spurgeon’s Weaving the Navajo Way, How to Create Rugs, Miniatures and More.

Detail of diamond point twill on a Navajo style loom

Our next local class will be on Thursday, October 7 from 6 to 9 PM.  Please contact me if you would like to join us.  The cost for the class is $15 psr session and the classes are open to anyone.

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker