When I was about six years old, my grandmother (with a patience unknown to humankind before or since) taught me how to knit. This was no easy task, especially complicated by the fact that I am left-handed which does make a difference. My ambition to start a clinic for frustrated lefty knitters may yet surface, but for now, suffice it to say, a right-handed person should not teach lefties. Consequently, I have no further energy to despair over any petty yarn issues be they tangles, knots, dropped stitches or full-blown bird’s nests. You are the boss of this yarn she would say, and I believed it.

Having learned thus at such an early age, I went on to develop somewhat of a yarn problem. The colors, textures, and sheens were so diverse that there was never much reason not to buy one of each. Sadly, knitting is a slow stitch by stitch process and I never could consume the quantities of yarn I collected. Moreover, incorporation of several different kinds of yarn into one project is all but impossible. That is when I met Karin Sheppard, a local Nantucket weaver, and we discussed this problem. She explained to me some vital differences in the two media: weaving is row by row and yes, very fast; the stitch pattern possibilities are all but infinite with the addition of as many harnesses as your loom can carry; and finally, you may mix as many different yarns in your warp as you please with nary a knot or twist in the middle of your work. I was instantly sold and went to work with her to learn this miracle art.

Since then I have moved on to my own loom and my own studio where I am home with my two sons. My work is both therapeutic and inspiring; it keeps me sane as a stay-at-home mom and enables me to experiment with my own ideas. Nantucket is a wonderful place to have a small business because of the volumes of people who pass through this way in any given year. And the scenery isn’t bad, either.

I hope those who have bought my pieces enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed making them; nothing is more gratifying than to see someone really appreciate something you have made. And for anyone who is unable to find something that he/she wishes to have made, don’t hesitate to ask because anything is possible.

Allison Herr