Williams weaves a living on Ashby
By Nora Cardec Journal Correspondent

Linda Williams of Ashby has turned her weaving hobby into a business. Journal Photo/ Nora Cardec

In a small studio on West Road colorful yarn fills the room that houses three of the looms that Linda Williams uses to weave.

The studio is a hideaway from the everyday chores of life but it is also the center of Williams' business. Two years ago, Williams opened her studio, The Country Weaver at 863 West Road, where she sells rugs, a variety of clothing items and household decorations.

"It's peaceful, quiet, very relaxing and the rhythm of the weaving is very hypnotic," she said.

The thing Williams likes the most about her business is the peacefulness she finds in her work.

Williams, a retired educator, decided to give most of her free time to weaving; a skill her grandmother instilled in her years ago.

It was from her Finnish grandmother that Williams inherited the love of weaving and of Scandinavian colors and designs. She also inherited one of the looms her grandmother used to weave the rag rugs.

"I was 12-years-old when my grandmother taught me to weave rag rugs," William said. "I made lots of rag rugs. I still have some of the rugs she made and the small loom where she taught me the basics of weaving."

By the 1980s, Williams have gotten more serious with her weaving; experimenting with patterns and sizes, and taking classes to sharpen her skills.

"I had the basic knowledge," she said. "But I wanted to learn more and do more than just the rag rugs."

For many years, Williams said weaving was a hobby she did at night or during weekends.

But now, retirement has given her the freedom and flexibility to spend all day at her studio, if needs be, she said.

"I had always wanted to spend more time weaving," she said. "Now I have the time to devote to it."

Unless she is playing golf, doing errands or traveling, Williams likes to spend time in her studio working on her many projects.

Williams said she did a lot of research on her own about the art of weaving and also learned about looming. She also found out about where to find the natural fibers she likes to use for her work.

Natural materials including silk, wool, cotton and combinations with alpaca are Williams' favorite although she uses synthetic fibers for some of her scarves.

Weaving is a very long process that requires many hours of work. It takes her a day to set up the loom and start weaving and another day or two to create four to eight yards of fabric.

She said she is constantly configuring new patterns and color combinations for her scarves, jackets and vests. On occasions she had done shawls, throws, blankets and decorative pillows, but her main interest is developing a line of jackets for women and vests for men.

"I like most of my creations to fit many different sizes," she said adding she also prefers simple designs that can better show of the fabrics.

Among the jackets Williams has created already are the bog jacket with an ancient design, a kimono jacket and simple-style ponchos, cape-like jackets and traditional vests.

Williams said she sells her creations at craft fairs, shows and on commission. She also sells through Squirrel-Eze, an artists shop in Townsend, and her Web site at www.countryweaver.com. Williams will participate in a show in Rockingham Park, Salem, New Hampshire on Dec. 2 and 3.

Prices range from $35 to $175 and higher depending on the item and the material.

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Nora Cardec is a correspondent for The

Community Journal and can be reached at:

ncardec@yahoo.com or (978) 827-3386.

Ext. 10.