The Handweaver's Pattern Directory

I seldom buy books new, full priced. I'm far too cheap for that (and besides, I'd rather spend my money on yarn or fiber!). But I am SO very glad I splurged on this one and pre-ordered it so I'd get it as soon as it came out. It is an incredible resource for weavers. Each of the patterns is accompanied by a sharp photo of the sample, with "close up" views of many. The directions are clear and in keeping with standard Interweave publications (as in Handwoven). There are short but valuable chapters on general weaving, supplies, yarns, etc., although the emphasis -- and the value -- is on the patterns. I've been a weaver for about 20 years and I own a fairly substantial library of weaving books and have owned, at one time or another, nearly every issue of Handwoven and Weaver's Journal magazines. Yet there were still many patterns in this book I do not think I've ever seen. The patterns are categorized by types, from simple tabby and twills to complex distorted weft , bronson and even hand manipulated weaves. All are threaded for a four-shaft loom. See "customer images" under the photo above for a scan of a sample page. The physical layout and design of the book is excellent as well. With the heavy duty spiral binding, it lays flat for easy reference and there is even a pull out "flap" in the back with the "legend" for the patterns, so you don't have to flip back and forth to figure out the drafts (although they're very intuitive and standard). This book should serve me well for my next 20 years of weaving, which means it will cost me slightly more than a buck a year! That's an investment well worth making.

Great resource. Love having it around, even just for browsing.

This spiralbound book of weaving patterns is a must for anyone who loves to weave. Even beginners will find simple patterns with tie-ups, color shots of actual fabric along with the reverse side.

Highly recommend for a newer weaver, and probably any weaver. I wasn’t expecting so much helpful information in addition to the patterns! This book is well organized with very helpful illustrations and clearly worded explanations. The explanations help you to understand the information shared in weaving groups and videos, but in deeper a more foundational way. Certainly the best of the few weaving books I have purchased! Highly recommend!

I'm excited to give this to my wife.

I recently became interested in weaving and devoured about a dozen weaving books, including the Chandler's "Learning to weave". This book is my in the top two, on the way of becoming #1. The Chandler book was excellent when I was a total novice, explaining the basic techniques. Now this is the book I am referencing most. This book is written for a four-harness loom. It is well organized, contains not only patterns, but tips and ideas. The explanations are very clear, accompanied by very clear illustrations. The images and illustrations are done in color and the text is written in a font that that is easy to read. The images of the patterns show the entire projects along with several close-ups and the stitch patterns. I am attaching an image of a random page from the book for demonstration. Note that book has a spiral binding, so it lays flat and is easy to use as a reference. This book has become my favorite go to reference. I highly recommend it. Ali Julia Review

Am loving this book. Full of useful information for loom weaving. The patterns are well illustrated and the ring binding makes this book so easy to use. Saw this being used on a weaver’s video, so started shopping, finally found it on Amazon at a great price. If you loom weave grab this one! Review update: love the book, however my old eyes have problems with the type and font color. The main font color is gray on an off white background. Really hard to read. The book itself is great. B

I'm just getting started as a weaver, and having just completed a class and learned a bit about twills, I wanted to find a directory of patterns to help me move forward. Wow! This book is basically cover-to-cover inspiration. The challenge is to choose just ONE project to start with - the illustrations are so gorgeous that one wants to dive in and tackle them all. The book is set up so that it will be useful to a beginner like me - and still provide tips and inspiration for an advanced weaver. The illustrations are excellent; I suspect that they are scans rather than photographs, as they are consistently sharp and crisp, with no distortions or issues with light and shadow. Both the front and back of a weave or shown - and often, instructions are also provided to create the "reverse" of a weave (e.g., 3/1 twill vs. 1/3 twill). The instructions are clear provided that you actually READ the introduction. If you are a beginner and just try to figure out the drafts, you'll get lost. It's also important to note that this author threads heddles from right to left ("Z") rather than left to right ("S"), so you'll need to adapt if (like me) you learned the opposite direction. I didn't want to take on the expense of getting an 8-shaft (or higher) loom at this point in my "hobby" - so it was wonderful to discover just how much could be done on a four-shaft loom. I'm delighted to have found this early on, instead of wasting time and money on less useful guides. I suspect this book will be on my shelf for many, many years.

I satisfied with it very much ! It is wonerful. Thank you.

Excellent book, easy to read, and loads of patterns. Price is expensive, but I have no regrets.

Well written.

Das Buch ist zwar in Englisch, hilft allerdings durchaus weiter. Meine Frau zumindest ist begeistert.

Such a delight to refer to this book. Its very simple and straightforward with its content. A must have for beginner weavers as every design is spoonfed! Peg plans and threading plans are very clearly explained.