This blog was graciously contributed by Academy member, Bea.

I was drawn to weaving because of its complexity—the kind of challenge that demands
both patience and curiosity.

I equally love wrapping my head around the incidentals in a crackle weave draft and
crawling under a floor loom to readjust a tension brake. Requiring creative problem-
solving, mental focus, and physical stamina, weaving can be hard work, and that’s part
of its beauty.

But since the pandemic, I’ve lived with a complex chronic illness that has dramatically
reduced my capacity. During flare-ups—which can come without warning—just sitting
upright on a loom bench becomes too much.

I know I’m not alone in this. Many weavers face similar challenges: chronic pain,
repetitive strain injury, or temporary setbacks. Others come to weaving precisely
because it offers a meaningful creative practice at home.

Recently, after a series of bad flares, I asked The Academy community for ideas on how
to stay creative. Your responses were incredible. Here are some of the most helpful
ways to keep your weaving spirit alive when your body needs rest.

Make

When you can’t manage your usual loom, try smaller-scale weaving. Inkle, potholder,
pin, or Zoom looms are light, portable, and perfect for exploring color and pattern. You
could even experiment with a beading loom to make tiny woven jewelry. (Although, as
Janet joked, watch out for spilled beads all over your bed.)

Tapestry weaving is another gentle option. A small “tapestry diary”—just a few inches
each day—can become a mindful practice, marking moments or moods in thread.
Practice hemstitching or macramé fringes with Carly Jayne’s creative finishing course or
tie together leftover thrums to make Zanshi-style yarn balls. Kumihimo cording is
wonderfully tactile and light to hold—a simple way to play with structure and rhythm.
Visible mending can satisfy our love for complexity on a micro scale. Try needle-
weaving small patches in turned twill or overshot patterns instead of a plain darning
stitch.

Embroidery and dyeing are lovely slow crafts too — create cross-stitch versions of
favorite drafts, paint a warp, or make tiny color samples. Or focus on display: mount or
frame your past weavings, stitch samples into a wall hanging, or turn them into small
practical items like mug rugs or pillow covers.

Learn

If you can’t physically weave, learning can still feed your creativity.
Pick a weave structure and study it in depth using free resources like the Internet
Archive (which includes historic gems like The Primary Structures of Fabrics by Irene
Emery), your local guild, or The Academy forums.

This can also be a time to dive into textile history. Books like Prehistoric
Textiles or Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years by Elizabeth Wayland Barber reveal
the deep roots of our craft and remind us that adaptation and resilience have always
been part of weaving.

You can also take online courses at your own pace. One Academy member took
Tien’s Color Gradients course from a hospital bed while recovering from surgery —
proof that your creative growth doesn’t necessarily have to pause when your body does.
Or if you miss designing, use pencils, markers, or paint to create grid patterns. Then learn
how to make them into beautiful, sound cloth using Janet’s profile drafting courses.

Inspire

Sometimes what you need most is to refill your creative well. If looking at a screen or
handling a heavy book is too much, listen to Haptic and Hue, where handweaver Jo
Andrews explores the cultural history of textiles. The Long Thread Media Podcast, Gist
Yarn’s Weave Podcast, and HWGA’s Textile and Tea offer conversations with makers.
And when you’re up for it, browse Pinterest or Handweaving.net for a dose of visual
inspiration. Sometimes just looking is enough to spark a new idea.

Connect

Weaving can be (joyfully!) solitary, but it doesn’t have to be isolating. If you’re able,
engage with The Academy’s forums or live peer support sessions — offer
encouragement, ask questions, or listen in from a comfortable spot (webcam totally
optional). Many guilds also now run virtual special-interest groups, so you can stay
involved even from bed.

You might also partner with another weaver: one person designs while the other
weaves, then you trade finishing work.

And don’t underestimate the power of small check-ins. Send a message to celebrate a
tiny milestone or share your challenges if you feel comfortable—you may help someone
else feel less alone. The Academy community certainly did this for me.

Adapt, Take It Slow, and Be Kind to Yourself

Living—and weaving—with illness or injury means constantly adjusting. Start with gentle
movement or exercises (with professional guidance) to strengthen your body.

Academy founding member and master weaver Laura Fry’s The Efficient Weaver is an
excellent resource on ergonomics. You might even record yourself weaving so a
physical or occupational therapist can help you refine your movements.

Heating or cooling pads can ease pain, and pacing yourself—even weaving for just ten
or twenty minutes a day—could keep you connected to your practice.

Modify your setup: a YouTuber living with chronic pain demonstrates adaptive warping
methods for rigid heddle looms, and Kelly Casanova shares advice about weaving with
self-compassion.

If you have the means, delegate the hardest parts. Buy pre-wound warp chains or see if
a guildmate can dress your loom for a fee or trade. There’s no shame in making things
easier; adaptation is a skill, not a failure.

You count

Creativity doesn’t disappear when capacity shifts—but it might have to change shape.
Whatever you can do, it still counts. You don’t have to compare yourself to others—or
compare yourself to the version of you that could do more or better.

Whether you’re weaving, learning, or just imagining your next project, you’re part of a
long tradition of makers finding ways to keep going.

As Tien wrote in her Pride post, “You’re doing your best, and there’s honor in that.”

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From the Course Catalog: