What is fingerweaving?

Finger weaving is an ancient low-tech method to create cloth. No loom is involved. The fingers manipulate threads to engage the threads to form cloth. It can be a rather time-consuming method. May people report it is relaxing, even meditative. Fingerwoven designs are distinctive, and cannot be duplicated by loom-weaving methods.
Carol has been teaching fingerweaving for 20 years. During this time she has assembled quite a collection of instructional materials. She has given numerous workshops, compiled a variety of instructional material including YouTube videos and PDF patterns and handouts. She has also written several how to books.
Carol's students encouraged her to publish her fingerweaving class handouts as a book. The information she provided to her students is the basis of Carol's book Fingerweaving Untangled. For more details click on the link below
For those who want to see the  hand movements in action, Carol has prepared a 2 1/2 hour video. Watch the video in on-line streaming at taprootvideo.com
For a physical copy of the video, purchase it by clicking the link below
The sash gallery shows images of pieces that take inspiration from historic pieces, some are replicas, some are commission work, and then there are sashes with a more modern motif.
to order  a custom-made finger woven sash, contact me
Click here to view the fingerweaving art gallery.
Carol occasionally plays with the form, using modern colors, creating things other than sashes.
The design in a piece of cloth is a function of the way the threads move. If the threads move differently, then you will have a different pattern. The typical arrow-and-lightning pattern of the Assomption sash is created by the fingerweaving method. Threads move differently in loom weaving. Fingerwoven patterns cannot be replicated by loom weaving, but some people find this loom woven pattern to be a reasonable facsimile at a more affordable price.
here is a great article expelling how to tell the difference between finger weaving and loom weaving 
fingerweaving.vs.loomweaving.furtradequarterly.pdf
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Photo by Chris Black
This loom-woven sash was intended to approximate the look of the fingerwoven Assomption style sash, not quite the same, but good enough for some. Much more economical than the fingerwoven sashes, Carol calls these sashes faux-Assomption sashes.
Photo by Chris Black
Many sashes of the fur trade were solid colored, loom woven, and  red. Carol makes these sashes, based on sashes found in museum collections, notably a sash that belonged to Métis elder Joseph Rolette in the museum in Pembina, North Dakota, and a similar sash that belonged to James Douglas in the Royal BC Museum collection, in Victoria, British Columbia,