What is the deal with sampling?!

[@distaff2935]

I'm a knitter. Have been enjoying your videos as background while finishing a sweater. Yes, I always knit a few swatches. Only time I won't is for something small like a sock or glove, in which case a "bad start" will tell me more than a square sample of flat knitting.

[@lynnwittet1301]

I can’t think of a better video to convince me to try sampling. Kelly your videos are oh so inspiring and calm and slow and genuine. Although I am not leaving currently, something brought me back to you just for the therapeutic properties. Wishing you all the best, Lynn

[@KellyCasanova]

Thank you Lynn! ❤️

[@ezb6798]

Great video, Kelly. I love how you show how you learned from “mistakes.” They aren’t even really mistakes, but just part of the learning process. I think we can all benefit from thinking of mistakes as ways to learn rather than as horrible things that get us in trouble.

[@KellyCasanova]

Absolutely!

[@tsoonklah]

First am a knitter, then tapestry (Chilkat weaving), beadwork, basket weaving, dyer- SO GLAD I SAMPLED COTTON, I hardly work with cellulose, much more familiar with protein fibers. LoL so I sampled three different wefts and if I had weaved with this yarn that looked great on the loom, I would have wasted a lot of yarn if I hadn’t sampled- it ended up being much too heavy, it had pulled out of the fabric really bad, it’s great as washcloths/scrubbies & am doing it again for washcloths because the weft is soft, the puckers that stick out give a great texture for cleaning, but had to do some adjustments so it’d look better.

[@millar6070]

Hi Kelly, Andrew here, I know I'm back again. Sample's are the only way, to see how a project will move on the loom, how the project will weave,how the project will react to the finishing process. Between my graph books, aswel as my computer program, I've been lucky enough over the years. Putting together a name warp, was the most challenging project I've been able to do,on a 4sharft table loom 22in wide,(this was for my neice on her 21 birthday) She wanted me to weave a set of tea towels 🤞🤞. You can see any distortion in the thread's/colour versatility, every word you said was a pleasure to hear, as a teacher one must be consistent and reliable in display and lectures, brilliant video indeed 👌. I've still have many things to learn. Like Damas on a 4 shaft floor loom, 22 in wide, at least I can take it everywhere with me. I really like working with cotton and silk threads, linen and fine wool. Thankyou for reading and listening to me.🤓

[@KellyCasanova]

That sounds like a very challenging, but worthwhile project!

[@millar6070]

@@KellyCasanova My niece loved her gift, Thank-you for your kind words Kelly.

[@elizabethsielaff3414]

Oh boy, did I need this video. Thank you for the attitude adjustment!

[@KellyCasanova]

☺️

[@sueannesullivan3827]

As usual, a very helpful and thorough video. Thank you!

[@KellyCasanova]

Thank you!

[@kathleengerwien845]

You sold me on sampling. Because I find warping my rigid heddle loom very time consuming, I have not sampled yet. Also, I have followed existing patterns only in weaving thus far. Your examples explained why we. need to sample. I will be sampling!

[@KellyCasanova]

👏👏👏

[@jeanchaneyaz]

I really like the idea of playing at the end if you have extra warp. I'm so stingy with warping and sometimes run out of space. With this idea, I will now allow extra, and if I don't use it on the project, it will be play time!

[@janemorrow6672]

Great video Kelly. Yes I’m an avid sampler. In fact I love playing so much I’m almost happiest sampling and not actually making anything.

[@KellyCasanova]

Wow, that is cool that you enjoy sampling that much!

[@lindasuppan6027]

Great video - as usual. You make a great argument for sampling. I love getting the final object and struggle with 'wasting' time and materials. I still consider myself a new weaver, and am mostly following patterns. Could you talk a little bit about transitioning from samples loom to floor loom? It wasn't said but I am assuming the samples for the blanket were on the Samplet RH, or were they very narrow warps on the floor loom? Are samples only on the intended final loom? Because materials could be different?

[@KellyCasanova]

Yes, you should sample on the intended loom as there are a lot of variables between different types of looms. The first blanket I showed (the plaid) was woven on my rigid heddle loom. The large blanket at the end was woven on my floor loom. All samples were woven on the intended looms.

[@cynn3367]

This was a great video. I love to hear your thoughts about the whys and wherefores. I laughed out loud at the beginning because I've said almost the same thing! I'm really new to weaving and have wondered about sampling. I've stuck my toe in the weaving pond with a small knitters loom (30). Would it make sense to look for a smaller loom for sampling? Or consider a bigger loom and use the knitters for sampling? Any advice would be helpful for sure! Thank you!

[@KellyCasanova]

I don't know that it's really necessary to have an additional loom just for sampling, unless you constantly find yourself wanting to have 2 projects going at once. It generally doesn't take very long to warp and weave a sample, so you could get away with just having one loom. Having said that, most weavers end up with more than one loom eventually... 😆

[@cynn3367]

@@KellyCasanova Thanks, Kelly!

[@gothski4773]

As a newbie weaver I always allow extra warp to sample my projects. My current project is a small tartan table runner, I figured I could make some accessories with the good looking bits of sample!

[@KellyCasanova]

Yes, that's a lovely idea! 😀

[@feralredhead1169]

Thank you for an easy to understand explanation of sampling! What color would you recommend for a dedicated sampling warp ? I was thinking of splitting it in thirds, light , dark and variegated, would that be something that would work? Thanks again, I bought your years subscription to your classes, they are all so informative and well worth the investment!

[@KellyCasanova]

I usually do a solid warp, it is easier to see the pattern and leaves me free to play around with different wefts. If it's in thirds, it would be pretty "busy" looking, but if you like the idea, do it! There are no rights or wrongs, the point of the sample is to experiment 😊

[@feralredhead1169]

@@KellyCasanova Thank you!

[@deonvanrensburg5282]

Hi Kelly I am interested in starting weaving what would be an easy loom to start with. Thank you Retha

[@KellyCasanova]

A rigid heddle loom is the perfect beginners loom 😊

[@carolynadams2264]

I have a samplett also but have not used it. I think it would be perfect for samples but I have a question. I don't have a stand for the samplett so how do I stabilize the loom when warping?

[@KellyCasanova]

I don't have a stand for mine either. I use the cut out edge at the back of the loom to prop it against a table. You can see my doing this in the videos where I'm using the Sampleit (for example, the video I just released today).

[@carolynadams2264]

@@KellyCasanova I can't find the video you're referring to. I checked all the videos from your email but don't see it.