Abbie Groves Creative

Finding Joy in Your Craft: Why Clicks Don't Define Meaning When I first started weaving seriously, I had this vision of what it would become. I imagined a beautiful Instagram feed. A growing following. People that are excited about my work. I thought that external validation would be the thing that made the craft feel real and valuable. That lasted about six months before I realized I was exhausted. Not exhausted from the weaving itself—the weaving felt good, felt necessary. I was exhausted from performing the weaving. From thinking about how it would look in a photo. From counting interactions and watching metrics like they were the heartbeat of my practice. From feeling small when a post didn't perform well, even though the thing I'd made was beautiful and true. Grand Prix towel in plaited cobalt twill Clicks Don't Mean Quality Here's something I wish I'd known earlier: clicks and followers and likes don't measure the quality of your work. They don't ...

Moab, UT I had the pleasure and privilege of touring Cunnington Farm in the Spanish Valley in Moab, Utah. I am a new weaver but an avid spinner, knitter, and a general fiber-obsessed individual. This experience helped me to gain more appreciation for everything that is involved in growing quality fleece. About two to three times per year, my husband and I like to visit Moab, UT. My husband, because of the mountain biking, and me, because it is beautiful and I get away from work. I usually knit, crochet, or paint. Of course, I also make a visit to the local yarn store, Desert Thread. At the yarn store, I felt drawn to the fleece they carried. Typically, I notice their selection of yarn. This time, it was the fleece. I have been spinning more lately and becoming more interested the different types of fiber. Also, I have been learning more about what different types of fiber are best for. For example, Navajo Churro fleece is best for rug making while Romeldale or Tunis is better for maki...

The Project  I recently completed a wrap on my new-to me floor loom. It's 16" wide and 62" long with stripes in the warp and a single color in the weft. The design was heavily inspired by a free pattern offered by Gist Yarn.   The entire weaving process was very enjoyable, including warping the loom. While designing the wrap, one of the biggest decisions I made was the yarn I used for the project. The right yarn not only enhances the texture and durability of your woven creations but also makes the weaving process a sheer joy. In this blog post, we'll look at the specific yarn chosen for weaving this item, why it was chosen, and the pros and cons of this yarn. The Yarn The yarn I chose for weaving the wrap is 3/2 cotton by Valley Yarns. I purchased this from my  LYS , but you can also buy it at  WEBS.  The colors I chose were cream, black, and frost gray. The frost gray is especially beautiful and can change colors depending on the light. This line of yarn is dy...

Materials Used in Creating When you are a crafter, creative, maker, it doesn't take long to realize that the materials used can make or break the end-product. The process of creating can also be a joy or a burden depending on the materials chosen. They need to be fit for purpose. While this post is mainly about weaving yarns, please note that there can be overlap in yarns recommended for weaving and recommended for other fiber arts - it just depends on your personal aesthetic and your design preferences. The yarns listed below are not in any order, are provided for a wide variety of folks in mind and is not an exhaustive list. I may provide different yarn recommendation posts for more specific utilization in the future, so stay tuned. Let's jump into it! Weaving Yarn Harrisville Designs Harrisville Designs has been a trusted name in the weaving community for decades. Their yarns are known for their exceptional quality and vibrant color palette. Weavers appreciate the versatili...