As a weaver and teacher focusing on digital Jacquard weaving, I have observed the need for an intuitive design application that would allow students to move from their .jpg files to weave-ready files seamlessly…

I created histós with the intention that it could also automate much of the design process, especially for weavers, students, or artists with little need for more complex or in-depth utilization of existing photo-manipulation tools. This means that histós is a simple, standalone tool, where only the most necessary functions are present to help the user go from their images (.jpg) to familiar weave structures (single weft as well as multi-weft) almost instantly.

And above all, this application should be free.

Accessibility has always been a concern for my students, and upon leaving institutional association, the loss of access to tools like software and digital looms is daunting. As there have been enormous efforts in the last decade to make digital weaving more accessible through community oriented studio initiatives, I wanted to contribute to that effort by providing an application that is free of charge, open-source, and fundamentally belongs to everyone.

Processing 4…

Rather than rely on licensing this app through gate-kept app development, I am making histós available as a Java Script that can run in Processing 4, a “free, open-source software and programming language designed to help artists, designers, and beginners learn to code by creating visually oriented applications, animations, and interactive data visualizations. “Once you download Processing 4 on your operating system (macOS, Windows, or Linux) you can open histós as a .pde file and run it as you like. Individuals with knowledge of Processing 4 could alter histós with different weave structures or even other, unique design capabilities, if they wanted. histós was designed with the help of the AI platforms ChatGPT and Claude. None of the code, structures, or design tools are proprietary. Users could input the entire Java script tabs in Processing 4 to these AI platforms and continue working on their own unique build of histós.

Odysseus and Penelope

In Greek, the word histós refers both to the upright mast of a ship, as well as the warp-weighted, upright loom used for weaving. The two lovers navigate separate domains with their respective tools: Odysseus traverses space through the mast of the ship, and Penelope traverses time through the weaving and un-weaving of a shroud. Though physically separated, both are linked by the word histós.

We are in beta-testing. Download histós now.*

*Please also download and Processing 4 for free before attempting to open histós.

After downloading the histós folder, find the file called Main.pde …opening this file will load the Java script in Processing 4. In the Processing 4 window where you see the code, click on the “Play” sign (like you’d click play to start a song) and histós will load!