Hillcreek Studio

One of the delights of being a craftsperson or artisan is working with fine tools. In fact, despite my current fiber addiction, what initially drew me to weaving was the looms, rather that the yarns. The small weaving community is supported by an even smaller community of woodworkers, who keep us equipped to make our creations.

Some years ago I discovered a remarkable technique developed by handweaver Carol Leigh Brack-Kaiser, called Continuous Strand weaving. She practiced this technique on a unique loom that her son Carl Spriggs helped her to invent, the adjustable triangle loom. This technique allows the weaver to create her warp with her weft thread, thus eliminating the time-consuming process of “dressing” the loom (threading all those hundreds or thousands of threads through all those metal posts, or heddles).

In fact, it was my lovely cherry wood triangle loom that I used to create my daughter-in-law Sharon’s bridal shawl, as well as the shawls for her wedding party (this was also the shawl that niece-in-law Andrea used in her shipboard wedding in early June). And it was the Leigh/Spriggs follow-up invention, the rectangle loom, that I used to weave the many-colored wrap that I made to help comfort my mother-in-law Mary Moore in her precious but painful final weeks.

So it is that, as we are driving through Columbia, Missouri, it occurrs to me that these fine looms were invented and manufactured in Columbia. Wouldn’t it be fun to go to the source?!

On impulse, we leave the interstate and venture deep into the heart of Little Bonne Femme Creek Valley, a little bit south of civilization and nestled deep in the woods. Hillcreek Studio is aptly named, situated on the hill by the creek. It’s really an unpretentious little house that is filled to the brim with all things fiber: in the workshop, in the makeshift store, in the kitchen and in the living room of this humble abode. It‘s fun to meet Carol Leigh, and to tell her of the role that her creation has played in our family life.

And of course, I have to pick up a wee bit of yarn, to use on the latest of my continuous strand looms: the travel-size square and triangle looms. And so from there, I will continue to weave my way across country – this time, quite literally.