High Ho High Ho, It's Off to Weave We Go

Writers: AL, Miriah
Date Posted: 18th September 2012

Characters: Bahji, Briata
Description: Briata teaches Bahji a bit more about Weaving
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 9, day 1 of Turn 6

Briata

Bahji waited, shifting from foot to foot with excitement. Finally,
after pestering one weaver after another to let her try to loom, she
had been told that she?d get to use one. True, it was one only for
very young apprentices, but it was a start! Her fingers simply itched
to try; weaving baskets was all well and good, but she wanted to try
cloth and she knew she could get it with time. Unfortunately, most
people assumed that her lack of sight ultimately meant she could do
little as far as crafting was concerned. Bahji was determined to prove
them wrong.

"Bahji?" Briata assumed it was her. The girl was unfamiliar and
seemed impatient. The weaver smiled at the stranger and inclined her
head. "I understand you wish to try a loom?"

Her face immediately moved in the direction of this new voice and her
face lit up with a wide smile. "You must be Briata, right?" She dipped
in a slight curtsey. "Yes, definitely. I'd love to."

"All right. Come with me. I'll show you a couple of different looms."
Briata gently took Bahji's hand, then turned and led the girl down the
hall and into an empty room. There were several looms lined up waiting
for apprentices and the like to use them, but there was also an area
with chairs set in a circle. It was to this section, not one of the
larger looms where Briata finally came to a stop. In one of the chairs
sat a fairly large square of wood with wires strung through it and at
the foot of the chair sat a basket filled with fiber for weaving. "I
thought we'd start with this small hand loom and then I can show you the
larger ones." She placed the girl's hand upon the back of a chair so she
would know where to sit.

Bahji followed eagerly, nearly tripping in her haste. "Thank you so much
for agreeing to help me. " As her hand was drawn to the back of the
chair, Bahji felt the hard wood quickly to identify what it was. Nodding
to herself she sat, tucking her skirts neatly under her.

"Is the hand loom what most learn on?" She was full of questions, but
had to temper herself so as to not overwhelm Briata all at once.

"That's what I first learned on, and it wouldn't surprise me if younger
apprentices start on this. It's very simple." Briata guided the girl's
hand over the loom, dulled spikes lined each of the four sides. "These
are where you loop circle of fabric and then you weave other loops over
and under. You can only make simple things like wash cloths and pot
holders, but it's a good starting point...and something I thought you
might like to take to your quarters and continue with after I finish
showing you the various looms."

Bahji felt the metal studs carefully, her brow knitting as she explored
the loom. "Fabrics, not yarn or twine? What sort of fabrics work well
with this?" She paused, her fingers sliding over the surface as she
acquainted herself with the wood and the positioning. "If you can,
guide me for the first loops, then I may be able to do it from then."

"This is made with thin strips sewn into loops. They make cute little
holders and cloths. Other looms are very different, but as I said, you
can take this with you to work on if you like." Briata took up a loop
and then reached over to guide the girl's hands, letting her fingers
trace the path, then helping her to ease the fabric. "You go down and
stretch the loops all on one side...then you'll weave loops
perpendicular, under and over. As for the fabric, any fabric will do."

Listening carefully, Bahji's brows knit as she concentrated on what
Briata was directing her hands to do. The expression that came
next on her face showed that the instructions were clicking in her
mind and she was absorbing everything she could. "So in a way,
it's like making a flat basket."

She picked up another loop and slid it on, then another, her fingers
flicking over the loop as she got the hang of setting the first loops
of fabric. "When I make a basket, I have the foundation reeds,
like these loops and the shaping reeds get woven between them."
She paused. "How do take it off with out unraveling once you
are done?"

"With the last row, you'll loop over two, then back one. It
will be easier for me to show you once you get to that point." She
watched the girl do a few rows. "Would you like to try one of the large
looms now? You can take that with you and finish it, then come see me
when you get to the end so I can show you how to tie it off."

"I think I should master this first before I try anything bigger, if that's
okay. That way I don't get confused with one method over the other."
Bahji smiled brightly. "I think I understand, though. I'll try finishing
this and bring it to you when it's done."

She paused. "I do have a question. How many Weavers here spin
the thread? From what I understand, the key is the feel of the thread
in your fingers. Do you think, maybe, I could eventually try?"

"Of course." Briata would be happy to show her that as well. "Weavers
generally have to have a basic knowledge of various skills, but each
person chooses one area to focus on. Why don't we do the looms today
and schedule a time to meet and have me show you the spinning wheels
some other time?"

"That would be wonderful. Thank you." Bahji picked up her a piece of fabric
and surprisingly, her fingers wove it unerringly through the foundation
loops and fastened it. Her experience with weaving the baskets showed
clearly. "What will be done with these?"

"You can use them as pot holders, wash rags, that sort of thing." Briata
smiled at the deftness of her fingers. "Shall we try one of the larger
looms now?"

"Yes please!" Bahji stood smiling. "I just would like to be useful in
any way. I know I'll never get rank, but if I could help, that's all
I ask."

"How can you know that?" Briata stood and gently pulled upon the girl's
hand to encourage her to stand with her. "Have you considered
apprenticing?"

Bahji followed Briata's lead and rose, keeping her loom in her other
hand. "I was told I wouldn't be able to, because I can't see to sew
or for colors or dyes. There's too much I wouldn't be able to do that
I need to." Bahji still smiled, accepting it with grace. "It's okay though,
because even if it's not official, I can still learn. Who needs rank,
anyway?"

Briata didn't think it was quite fair. Yes, there would be some things
she couldn't do, but surely the girl could focus on the aspects of the
craft that she _could_ do - and there were a lot of those. She,
however, wasn't the one who had the say. "Well, I'll teach you if you .
like, as much as I can...around the baby, of course." Yes, even if
Bahji couldn't craft, she could learn and Briata would be glad to help her.

"Thank you! I'd like that. I want to learn more than anything." She stopped
and then laughed softly. "I sound like a little kid in surrounded by
sweets, don't I?"

"Well, perhaps we can set up a time to meet every sevenday." Briata
suggested. "For now, take that with you and work on it. When you're
done, I'll teach you how to tie it off...and then we can move on to
other things."

Bahji nodded eagerly. "That would be wonderful, yes. I'd be happy
to do that." She happily clutched her small loom to her chest,
eager to learn a new skill and even more eager to see what she
could do with it. Making baskets day after day did get a little
tedious.

Last updated on the September 23rd 2012

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High Ho High Ho, It's Off to Weave We Go