The colorful pieces stretched across cardboard looms in Dianne Wade’s Weaving class are as varied as the Camp Discover campers who created them.
Jaina F. is finishing up the final rows on her work, which features brown and tan yarn woven to show off five techniques: basic, basket, block, Egyptian, and Soumak. Raven J. has opted for a brighter color scheme that includes blues and lavender with a pop of red and orange.
Modern technology is applied to an ancient art as new weaving techniques are introduced through videos projected on the screen. Dianne starts and stops the video as needed to help students get the hang of each technique. A handful had experience before joining this class; some had made potholders using a loom and one had even completed a basket at another summer camp. Most, however, are trying something new and experiencing the joys and frustrations that can come with unfamiliar experiences.
The instructor pops from student to student, offering an encouraging word here (“That’s great, Cassidy! Really nice work!”) and averting a disaster there (“You don’t want it too short here or it will come undone.”). The goal, Dianne said, is for each student to learn a few basic techniques, complete a fold-over or drawstring bag, and perhaps discover a creative outlet and new hobby.
