Weaving The Future workshop

Abstract

Weaving is one of the older technologies in humankind - there is evidence of looms from 9000 years ago. It is also the first programmed machine. Yet in these modern times, the mechanics of loom weaving seem to be a mysterious craft, left to the esoteric craftspeople of society. The goal of this workshop is to uncover part of that mystery. There will be a prerecorded video on producing a woven piece, including the dying and prepping of the yarn, setting up the loom, pattern planning, and the actual weaving of the project. After the video presentation, in addition to questions and answers, there will be an opportunity for audience members to participate in the final design of a woven piece by indicating weaving patterns via an interactive website. The finished piece will be a true artifact of the HOPE 2020 conference!

About The Presenter

Chris Lombardi is a weaver, a webineer, an aspiring chemist, and an artist. He has been breathing and responding to gravity since the 60s. The last few decades or so, Chris has made a living doing freelance programming and designing web applications. In recent years, while pursuing an education in chemistry, Chris took a fiber arts class and learned to weave on a loom. His life has been transformed ever since!

Video

During the Workshop, Chris played a pre-recorded video which you can watch on YouTube.

The full presentation, including conversation was recorded. When that video is ready for viewing, we will put the link here.

Open Source Software For Weaving Patterns

• WeaveDreamer
  A Java based pattern creator.
• Loom
  A work in progress, by Chris and a friend, using JavaScript.