Yesterday I did my first weaving using a loom. It was a type of weaving called Saori, free-style weaving for anyone. A friend of mine organized the class with a weaver who teaches in her home in Chaska, MN.

Weaving Studio

What fun!  Weaving Magic…

The idea of Saori weaving was inspired by a happy “accident.” The founder of Saori, Misao Jo, was doing traditional weaving of an Obi, when she discovered a warp thread missing. Instead of viewing it as a mistake, she thought it added to the beauty of the piece.

She began leaving out more warp threads and trying other experiments and discovered a joy and beauty in self-expression. As she began teaching SAORI weaving she became convinced that everyone has the power of creativity.

SAORI weaving is also called free-style weaving, because there are no rules. Yesterday, Chiaki O’Brien (our weaving teacher) said that her only rule was, “You cannot break the loom.”

“SA” of SAORI has the same meaning as the first syllable of the word “SAI” which is found in Zen vocabulary.  It means everything has its own individual dignity.  And the “ORI” means weaving.

All flowers are beautiful, even though each individual flower is different in form and color.  Because of this difference, “all are good”.  Because everything has the same life, life cannot be measured by a yardstick.  It is this individuality that makes everything meaningful and the uniqueness of each thread that creates the tapestry of life. — Misao Jo, Founder of SAORI

The Saori website shared four slogans about Saori:

Consider the differences between a machine and a human being.

Be bold and adventurous

Let’s look out through eyes that shine.

Inspire on another, and everyone in the group.

I believe these are great slogans for any human endeavor!  One of the things that made our weaving so magical yesterday, was that I deliberately left any expectations of outcome at the door of Chiaki’s house. I took her seriously when she suggested that you NOT plan ahead but instead listen to your heart.

When I first entered the weaving room I headed immediately to a loom that had been set up with warp threads in shades of blue and purple. This is me, I thought. Then as I heard Chiaki explain the process, I decided that it might be more fun to be surprised and work with colors that I wouldn’t otherwise choose. I traded looms with someone who wanted to work with the blue and purple and ended up with a loom with warp threads in shades of orange and pink. This was a challenge for me as I am seldom drawn to oranges and pinks.

I started by choosing an off-white thread with an uneven texture and ended up loving how it looked against the bright colored warp threads. Then I was drawn to a bright coral, one of the shades of orange that I have always loved.

I chose only one color at a time and at first was content just weaving large blocks of color. As I got the rhythm of moving the shuttle and the loom, my color choices became brighter and more adventurous, the colors more inter-woven. I started working in some pieces of un-spun wool in between rows. And for awhile I used two different shuttles, each with a bright color of yarn for my weaving.   It was just plain fun and I loved the piece I created.

My challenge now is applying these same principles to my photography. I’m headed out for a few days of photography this week. Stay tuned for some Photo Magic (with play at it’s heart).

When was the last time you played and created without any particular outcome in mind? Isn’t it about time to add some play to your life?

May you walk in beauty.

My finished piece – not the colors I typically choose but I love it!

Close-up of weaving

Chiaki tying off my weaving after I finished weaving