Jane Connett

Jane Connett’s Sami bands fit well into the exploration of Scandinavian weaving techniques, but were actually woven in the context of another Weaver’s Guild interest group, the Banditos. About three months ago, Jane suggested weaving Sami bands. Jane noted that her bands on exhibit are the successful ones, after abandoning other experiments with the wrong colors, wrong wool, or the sloppy work of experimentation.  She added, “Tying the warp up to different types of small looms has been a learning experience, as it mostly does not work to do the bands this way.  I have reluctantly admitted that I have to do them back strap to get the best results.”

Of the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group, Jany wrote, “Scan Weavers keeps me going.  Everyone is creative, sharing and inspirational.  I know that I will never be in the position I would like for weaving… lots of room, light, time and equipment.  But I can dream, and on occasion can manage some small thing that gives me much joy.”

In her weaving, Jane focuses on rigid heddle, tapestry, inkle and card weaving, and has multiple looms for all those techniques.  “I used to say you could never have too many looms… but I think I may have finally reached my limit.”

Jane loves the hands-on pleasure of working with color and pattern, on and off the loom.  “I love Krokbragd.  I like designing small and larger intricate looking patterns and graphing them out and coloring them in. Then I see what changes I can make to the design, and then what happens when I change the colors, moving the darks and lights to another area.”  She hopes to get back to tapestry weaving. “Working that close to a design and having the wool in my hands brings me a supreme sense of joy.”

Jane came to her love of weaving serendipitously.

“I had a Girl Scout troop for 11 years and they wanted to do a ‘weaving badge’ in the spring of 1994.  Not knowing anything about weaving, I took my first class that summer at the old Guild building, on card weaving with Karen Searle.   After teaching this to the girls they wanted more, so I took beginning rigid heddle, and tapestry with Joanna Foslien.   Eventually, the girls in my troop learned about seven different techniques and sponsored a Weaving Weekend at a summer camp for around 400 young girls.   They demonstrated the different kinds of looms and weaving, and we provided prewarped cardboard looms for all of the attendees and their leaders.  It was a lot of work but a great success!!   I was hooked, but always short on time with a LOT of volunteering at that time in my life.”

These days Jane’s weaving time is limited by her growing family; three granddaughters, including newly-born twins.  As soon as they are old enough to manage a warp, Jane will be the perfect weaving instructor!