Meet the Weaver + Designer

Ellen Thomas is a textile artist currently based in north Alabama. She is a weaver, knitting pattern designer and technical editor with a background in engineering and education. Her first knitting pattern was published in 2013 and she often produces video tutorials demonstrating the techniques used in her designs.

In 2020, with encouragement from her local fiber arts community in Tucson, Arizona, Ellen taught herself to weave—first on a rigid heddle loom, then on a small floor loom. Her weaving experience was invaluable when she later inherited her grandfather’s rug loom.

After an extended stay in Finland in 2025, Ellen’s artistic vision became clear as her career transitioned from knitting to primarily weaving. She now uses upcycled fabric to weave traditional rag rugs and contemporary, minimalist, nature-inspired art.

Fun facts... Ellen is a mostly monogamous knitter. She doesn't stash yarn (GASP!), but does stash rags for weaving. Also, she loved her dog, but identifies as a cat person.

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KYLMÄ KOIRA - Handwoven by The Chilly Dog

Handwoven Shop

One of my earliest memories is of the magnificent floor loom that lived in my paternal grandparents' basement. The strings, the treadles, the beater.... Everything about it was fascinating. Over the years, the loom inspired my passion for textiles and in 2020, I learned to weave–first on a rigid heddle loom, then on a small floor loom. However, I didn't know much about the floor loom of my dreams. I envisioned my grandmother weaving fine fabric on the massive loom because in my mind weaving was probably woman's work in her generation. I was completely wrong! Decades later I learned the loom was actually used by my gruff, diesel mechanic grandfather who taught himself how to weave sturdy rugs in his 50's after a trip to visit relatives in Finland.

The loom of my memories was likely Grandpa's first loom which he purchased, used and later sold. In true Finnish-American style, he eventually built two rug looms of his own. One of those looms has been lost, but the other moved to my aunt's basement after her parent's passing and lived there, unused for about 30 years until she learned I was a weaver. Then, Grandpa's rug loom was kindly passed on to me.

Like Grandpa, I scour thrift stores for weaving materials to give cast off textiles a new life. However, in addition to traditional, utilitarian weaving, I also explore more contemporary, artistic techniques. I admire the clean minimalism and craftsmanship of Finnish design. My work is often inspired by the colors, textures and geometry of nature. I combine tapestry techniques with cotton rug warp and thin, upcycled poppana (bias cut fabric strips) to weave an artform I call “scrap-estry”.

With each handwoven creation, I’m honored to continue the thread of Finnish American rag rug weaving where Grandpa left off.

Publications

Exhibitions

  • 2026 Embracing Art, Carnegie Visual Arts Center, Decatur Alabama - Steep Creek Trail
  • 2025 Embracing Art, Carnegie Visual Arts Center, Decatur, Alabama - Go With the Flow

Lectures

  • 2025 Dixie Stitchers, Athens, Alabama - A Rag Rug Weaving Heritage
  • 2025 Huntsville Fiber Guild, Huntsville, Alabama - A Rag Rug Weaving Heritage
  • 2024 River City Knitters Guild, Decatur, Alabama - The Historical Role of Craft Guilds

The Chilly Dog - Skillful Knitting Unleased

Pattern Shop | Ravelry | @thechillydog on YouTube

In 2011, I was working at a high stress, low pay job and I needed some sort of change in my life. The Chilly Dog was created as my personal balance between "do what you love" and "don't quit your day job". My hope was to share my general crafting knowledge, in blog form, and inspire others to create something wonderful with their own two hands. In 2013, with the encouragement of my blog readers, I also began designing and self-publishing knit and crochet patterns, selling them first on Ravelry, then in my online shop. (And, yes, I left the aforementioned job.) After creating and hosting my first knit along for the blog in 2017, I realized just how rewarding it is to design a pattern and then produce all of the learning materials a knitter would need to successfully complete a project. I narrowed my focus from general crafting to knitting.

Most of my patterns focus on essential skills and stitches. To help you learn or refresh your memory, I produce a series of companion video tutorials demonstrating the techniques. This system gives you on demand support as you knit one of my patterns.