Anne’s Book Club Podcast: Deb Essen, Swatch Critters & Profile Drafting for Handweavers

Anne’s Book Club is a new series of interviews with the authors of new fiber arts books that I think Long Thread Podcast listeners will love. This episode features new weaving books by Deb Essen, a frequent contributor to Handwoven and Little Looms.

Deb Essen may weave plenty of blocks and squares, but you definitely can’t put her in a box. Not many weavers would release a book about turning pin-loom squares into adorable stuffed animals just a few months before a book about a drafting method for multishaft weaving, but Deb’s curiosity about all things weaving has led her down delightful rabbit holes. (For her book Swatch Critters from the Pin Loom, she wove the whole rabbit!)

In our conversation about weaving, writing, and inspiration, Deb talked about why she’s excited about both new projects, out this fall from Schiffer Craft. “They’re for people who just like to weave,” she says, “and they’re curious about all different kinds of weaving things.” Listen in for a chat and excerpt from the books.

From Deb’s introduction to Swatch Critters from the Pin Loom:

Pin looms appeared on the weaving scene in the 1930s as small wooden frames with nails around the perimeter that hold yarn to allow the weaving of small squares. The best-known brand was the “Weaveit” pin loom. Now I have to admit, previous experience with pin looms made out of wood did not make me a fan of pin loom weaving. The wooden looms can be hard to hold comfortably, the weaving needle would catch on the frame edges, and the nails are not always perfectly spaced.

But Schacht Spindle Company’s Zoom Loom resolved all the issues I had with pin looms. The frame is flat plastic that is easy to hold, the pins are placed precisely and securely anchored, the inside edges of the frame are beveled so the weaving needle does not catch a sharp edge when exiting, and as a bonus, the loom frame has directional notations for winding yarn onto the pin loom. I am in love with these little looms!

From Deb’s introduction to Profile Drafting for Handweavers:

Welcome to profile drafting—a powerful weaving tool that lets us create one fabric design and translate it into many weave structures! Whether you are a beginning weaver or have been weaving for years, my intent is to open this wonderfully versatile design toolbox for you and explain how to use the tools inside.

I consider profile drafts as weaving “shorthand,” where I can quickly see the overall fabric design and then plug in the treading, treadling, and tie-up for the block weave structure I want to use.

I’ve taught prolife drafting for many years, and there are three big questions everyone has that I will answer in this book:
Question 1: Why use a profile draft?
Question 2: How do profile drafts work?
Question 3: How do the squares on a profile draft translate into the threading, the treadling, and especially the tie-ups for different weave structures?

This book is a sampler platter of block weave structures using profile drafts. I could literally write an entire book on each weave structure, but my intention is to answer those big questions above for each weave structure and whet your appetite for using profile drafting when designing fabrics. In the "Resources" section at the end of the book, I have listed other books that are dedicated to deeper dives into the different weave structures.

All the projects can be woven on 4 or 8 shafts. If you have more shafts available on your loom, you can weave more blocks of pattern in your fabric.

Deb Essen is a well-known weaving expert and a frequent contributor to Handwoven and other magazines. The owner of DJE Handwovens, Deb teaches at conferences and guilds, nationally and internationally. She lives in Victor, Montana.

Deb Essen’s Books

Profile Drafting for Handweavers (available November 29, 2025)

Swatch Critters from the Pin Loom: Step-by-Step Instructions for Making 30 Cuddly Animals from Woven Squares (available August 28, 2025)

Easy Weaving with Supplemental Warps: Overshot, Velvet, Shibori, and More (available now)

This episode is brought to you by:

Schiffer Craft brings you the most important currents of inspiration and knowledge, helping you tap the resources of craft history and heritage to find new directions in learning and making. We publish to help energize and enlarge the craft world! Learn more at SchifferCraft.com.