I access video on the net for learning software programs all the time. YouTube, Teacher Tube and Lynda.com are my favourite places.

But, sadly, there seems nothing about our weaving programs to my knowledge. Weaving draft software is a terrific tool but I found it took a bit of learning to get around the interface. Using Fiberworks I printed off the manual, read through and underlined all the ‘important’ bits then promptly forgot most of it. SEEING is another way of getting it into my head.

With this ideal, I’ve recorded a short screen video on how to use the straight draw tool to develop a simple threading and how to create an ‘instant’ tie up and treadling with coloured threads. The video is a bit wonky and I’m looking at refining all sorts of things but I think you may find it useful especially if you are new to using software for making weaving drafts. I’ve uploaded to Youtube because they compress and create a universal flash file with, I hope, better odds that more can view it without problems.

In Fiberworks there are five drawing tools which can be used for the treading or treadling (or lift/peg plan).

1. Straight draw – shown in the video.
2. Point draw
3. Line draw
4. Freehand draw
5. Draw on the network

There are advantanges and, I think, disadvantages to using computer software but in handweaving based on floor loom traditions software is increasingly used to develop complex patterning and experimentation in a more efficient way. This doesn’t mean that software is superior to hand drafting in any way, it just allows a different style of experimentation.

I have read that the Australian writer Tim Winton doesn’t use a word processor to write his books. This surprised me but allowed me to think about how differently writing is approached without a computer to cut and paste and move text continuously while writing. However as many of you may have noticed the power of the computer remains impotent if humans fail to use them properly as a tool rather than a solution. Many glossy magazines (or this blog!) have gramatical and spelling errors despite the spell check. And large companies continue to send inappropriate letters on an issue merely because your name is in the database and not updated by the humans. Attention to this type of detail occurred more before computers than now.

So having gone around the world with this, I guess I want to say that weaving software is a wonderful tool that needs to be learnt but it is only a tool. We are lucky that this tool can help make a very tangible and beautiful textile – somthing that can be held, used and loved.

All of the Curiousweaver Journals published 1994-1996 are now freely available on the Tutorials and Articles page.
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