Crafty Therapy

Whenever I am stressed out - I tend to eat more "bad foods", shop a little "more than necessary" or just get cranky.
However, a friend suggested I take a rug-weaving course with her and she described using the loom as very therapeutic!  Why?  Because you pull this huge wooden "thing" towards you and it makes a big banging sound.
I apologize now that I do not know the terms properly because I haven't looked them up yet and the course I am taking is in Finnish.
Well, as long as I cannot break any of my fingers (or someone else's) - why not?

The course sign-up was back in August and it only started last week.
There were limited spots available because of course, there are only so many looms available.  It's only once a week after work from 5-8pm or so.
The course is held in Vaajakoski and can be reached by a variety of buses in Jyv�skyl�.  Like the 2M (fastest but only available during rush hour), 1,2 and 3.
Oh and it is above the library....

Here's some photos:

A loom!

From the weaver's side...

Some people's work in progress... (also known as "WIP")

Someone else's WIP

A rainbow popped out after it was done raining - so naturally we ran to the windows like little girls and said "OOOH" and "AHH" a bunch of times.

My instructor getting her weave on and helping me start my rug...

I accomplished a lot in a couple hours!!  Very addicting...just 1 more row...

I was doing a basic pattern but my friend Anna decided to follow a pattern (she already took a similar course and was merely there for the weaving time and to translate for me).

A room of looms!

In almost every Finnish home, I have seen a woven rug/carpet.  It is possible that you buy fabric (got mine at Poppeli in skeins and then I wound them in balls then onto the shuttles) or that you could cut up your old bed sheets...or other old clothing and use them instead!
Yes, it's also possible to buy them.  But this is so much fun and even though the course is in Finnish - it is well worth the time to learn!

And my friend Anna, who has experience making several of these - she has one for every part of her home pretty much.  And she can point out which parts of the rugs hold the most memory!  A favourite shirt that had worn out, a particular dress...a certain table cloth even!

The possibilities are endless!