Weaving In the Ends: April 2026

After a long break, April ended up being the month I found my way back to weaving.

I finally broke in my Ashford 8-shaft table loom — which had been patiently waiting for me in the sunroom all winter — with a deflected double weave scarf (the Promenade Scarf kit from Jane Stafford Textiles).

Deflected double weave is a technique I’ve been curious about for a while. I’ve always loved those soft, curving textures you can create with it… and a big part of why I wanted an 8-shaft loom in the first place.

Once I got everything warped, it took a bit of sampling (and some confusion) to really understand the draft and how the inner and outer selvages behave. But once it clicked… it clicked. It ended up feeling surprisingly intuitive. The structure itself is kind of wild — you’re essentially weaving two layers of cloth that interlock over and under each other. It feels like magic when you see it working.

I thought April would also be the month I got back into beadwork. I did dip my toe in — I made a necklace I’m really proud of and played around with some freeform peyote but I hit a bit of a wall with the mess. Beads everywhere, constant cleanup… it just started to feel like A LOT. I’m not abandoning it, I just need to figure out a better system so it feels less chaotic.

Crochet is still in the mix. I had a little setback with my filet crochet peacock when I realized my stitch count was off and had to rip back — but I’m back on track now. Progress has slowed a bit, though.

My Moody Granny Square blanket is still going strong. I’ve made 18 squares so far, just working on it here and there. I really love this approach of choosing colors on a whim while staying within a general palette. It keeps things interesting without feeling completely unhinged.

Although… I partially blame the crochet slowdown on a bit of a plot twist.

My mother-in-law gifted me a drum carder (!!!).

Nothing like a new tool to completely derail everything else you were working on. 🤪

Apparently she has a whole collection of drum carders and thought I might enjoy trying one out — and honestly, she was right. I’ve always been curious about drum carding (making art batts looks so fun), but avoided going down that road because spinning never quite stuck for me in the past.

But now that this thing has come into my life, I’m very tempted. I decided that I’d give spinning another solid go. Last summer, I got into drop spindling, and now I just want to see if something will stick this time - especially before dropping coin on drum carding supplies.

So this past week, I dusted off my wheel, got out my Electric Eel Wheel Nano, and ALL my spindles and played. And just like that … I’m completely hooked — especially on my Turkish spindle. I’ve been sitting and spinning for hours at a time, which is not something I’ve felt in a long while with any craft. I’m not sure how or why this happens. I can only point to that I must be in a particular season of my life. 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

So now I’m also starting to connect some dots. If I’m weaving again… and spinning is pulling me in like this… I’d love to try weaving with my own handspun.

That feels like a direction worth following.

I’ve also been getting a few questions over on YouTube and Instagram about whether I still knit.

Short answer: yes, of course.

I’ve actually been knitting a pair of socks on the side — I just haven’t talked about them much because… they’re socks. Meanwhile, I’ve got all these other, more involved projects taking up space in my brain.

If I’m being honest, knitting has taken a bit of a back seat lately. I think after over a decade of being a hardcore knitter, it’s only natural to get curious about other things. Interests shift. We evolve. And I’m actually really okay with that — more than okay, I’m excited by it.

Being “multi-craftual” can definitely feel overwhelming at times (I could probably do a whole episode on that alone), but it also keeps things fresh. I love learning. I love following new threads of curiosity.

That said… I do miss having that one craft I can’t wait to wake up and work on.

And for the first time in a long time, I’ve felt a hint of that again — with spinning.

What does that mean? Is spinning my next thing?

I can’t say. 

For now, I’m just going to follow what feels good and see where it leads. Knitting will always be there when I’m ready to come back to it.