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HEALTH AND JOY IN HAND-WEAVING.

_This article gains additional interest from the fact that it has been
written by one who works her own loom and teaches others the ancient
and healthy art of hand-weaving._--[EDS.]

Hand-weaving is an art, a handicraft, one aspect of which we are apt
to forget--namely, that it is a splendid health-giver. Indeed, all who
have felt the rhythm of the loom, as they throw the shuttle to and
fro, and in blending colours and seeing the material grow thread by
thread, can witness to the power of the work to banish both the large
and small worries that eat away our health of mind and body. The
hand-weaver learns to look upon his (or her) loom as a very good
friend.

The possibilities in weaving are immense, and the great difficulty
that always confronts the weaver is the impossibility of letting
gussets into the day: the end of the week comes all too soon.

One very satisfactory thing about weaving is the fact that from the
very first we can use the things woven, even those we learn on.

First, there is plain weaving, with which we can make dress materials
and many things for household use. Then come fancy and striped
materials, which require more knowledge and ingenuity.

There are endless varieties in bands of different patterns thrown in
with the shuttle, or shuttles, sometimes as many as a dozen of which
may be in use at a time. These can be used for the purpose of
ornamentation. In weaving these no end of play of colour can be made,
by using many colours in rotation, either as the groundwork of plain
material, under the patterns, or as the pattern itself.

Metal threads can also be used of various kinds, either as an entire
texture, or to enrich the fancy bands.

Lastly, there is inlay weaving, by which we can put in by hand, with
little separate bobbins, as we go along, any cross-stitch design,
lettering, monograms, figures and designs of every description.

Anyone with a knowledge of carpentry can make his own loom, the
construction being of a very simple nature. In fact, the Orientals
erect a few sticks, dig a hole in the ground to sit in, tie their warp
up to a tree, and then produce the most charming work, both in texture
and colour.

The warp can also be made as these people