Mug Rugs to Remember

Knowing I would be away from my floor looms for a while, I put a narrow cottolin warp on my little Emilia rigid heddle loom to take with me. Mug rugs—perfect for travel weaving, to use bits of time here and there. I had some bulky wool yarn and a few rag rug fabric strips to take for weft. In a burst of hopeful inspiration, I grabbed a bag of Tuna/Fårö wool butterflies, leftover from my Lizard tapestry (see Quiet Friday: Lizard Tapestry) a couple years ago, and tossed it in my travel bag as we were going out the door.

Mug rugs on Glimåkra Emilia rigid heddle loom.
Glimåkra Emilia 35cm (13.5″) rigid heddle loom. Narrow cottolin warp is from a previous warp-winding error that I had chained off and saved.
Mug rugs on my Glimakra Emilia rigid heddle loom.
Blue bulky wool yarn left from a long-ago project makes a good thick weft for mug rugs. Picks of navy blue tow linen are woven between picks of thick weft on some of the mug rugs.
Weaving mug rugs on my Glimakra Emilia rigid heddle loom.
Wool butterflies for the weft are made of several strands of Tuna and Fårö yarn.

Those colorful wool butterflies turned out to be my favorite element! They not only gave me colors to play with, they also provided variety, the spice of weaving. The forgotten Lizard butterflies will now be remembered as useful and pretty textiles.

30 mug rugs on the rigid heddle loom.
The end of the warp.
Mug rugs just off the rigid heddle loom.
Rag rugs for mugs!
Rag rug fabric strips are used for a few of the mug rugs. Rag rugs for mugs!
Mug rugs ready to be hemmed.
Mug rugs are cut apart to prepare for hemming.
Making handwoven mug rugs.
Hems have been folded and pressed under. Choosing bobbin colors to sew the hems.
Wool handwoven coasters.
Wool butterflies provided many different colors.
Handwoven wool coasters woven on a rigid heddle loom.
Alternating two different colors of wool butterflies was my favorite way to play with color.
Mug rugs for gifts.
Completed mug rugs, ready to be sent out as gifts.

How do you want to be remembered? Like my tapestry-specific butterflies put away on a shelf, our carefully-crafted words will soon be forgotten. Actions speak longer than words. Our deeds of faithful love will outlive us. Our actions that reveal the kindness of our Savior will stand the test of time. And that is a good way to be remembered.

Coffee or tea, anyone? Handwoven mug rug.
Coffee or tea, anyone?

May you be remembered for your deeds of faithful love.

Happy Weaving,
Karen

15 Comments

  • Joyce Lowder says:
    August 4, 2020 at 5:03 am

    Very lovely Mug Rugs, but even more, your words of faith and encouragement! Thanks for sharing your skills and your faith! Very inspiring! God Bless! 🙂

    Reply
  • Karen says:
    August 4, 2020 at 5:16 am

    Amazing! Love the usefulness of leftover yarn!!! Even the small butterflies! Lovely!

    Reply
  • Nannette says:
    August 4, 2020 at 6:29 am

    WELCOME BACK TO THE BLOG!!! Hope you had wonderful travels.

    I love your reference to our gifts of today out living us. I repurposed crocheted lace of my long gone great grandmother. Wearing it with pride.

    In the case of textiles…. Everyday reminders of those beloved we never knew except through the work of their hands. What a blessing.

    Nannette

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      August 4, 2020 at 8:23 am

      Hi Nannette, Thank you! It’s great to be back. Textiles are a vivid example of the work of our hands outlasting us. It is wonderful to see and use the quilts and needlework treasures of family members who came before us.

      Love,
      Karen

      Reply
  • LJ Arndt says:
    August 4, 2020 at 7:29 am

    Beautiful, I don’t have butterflies but I do have thrums that I think may fit the bill. I’ll have to take them on my next trip.

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      August 4, 2020 at 8:24 am

      Hi LJ, I think this would be a fabulous use of thrums! I definitely plan to make more of these mug rugs. Maybe I’ll need to start saving all my thrums again. Thanks for the idea.

      Happy weaving,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Barbara says:
    August 4, 2020 at 11:02 am

    To everything a purpose. Your little video and bursts of colour brought a smile to my face this morning.

    Reply
  • Anastasia says:
    August 4, 2020 at 11:32 am

    These are beautiful. What a great project.

    When you fold the hem bit under… do you fold it twice (back on itself), and stich through what would then be three layers? So that a little strip of the “between the tops weaving” would still be visible on the bottom, but the cut edge would be secured?

    Please pardon my newbie questions. 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      August 4, 2020 at 12:32 pm

      Hi Anastasia, Newbie questions are the best! You described the hems perfectly. Only one more detail to add— I serged the edges before folding and pressing them under, so nothing will unravel over time.

      When I do this again, I may make the hems longer. In which case, the edges will be zigzagged or serged, and the hems folded under twice, then stitched. That way the hem will show at the edges, not just underneath. I like them either way— hems hidden underneath, or hems as visual borders.

      Thanks,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Kim Mills says:
    August 4, 2020 at 12:36 pm

    Thank you for your post. I’ve now have a new way to use up all those leftovers I have been collecting. Thanks as well for your inspirational words.

    Reply

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Monksbelt Flowers on a Shoulder Bag

Remember Joanne Hall’s Swedish Art Weaves workshop that I took a few months ago? With the warp that was left, I explored some of the art weaves in more depth.

Monksbelt (Munkabälte), Dukagång, and Halvkrabba can be seen below the warp.
Monksbelt (Munkabälte), Dukagång, and Halvkrabba can be seen below the warp.

I finished off the linen warp by making a front and back panel for a small shoulder bag. A monksbelt pattern is scattered like flowers on the front. The back has various stripe patterns in weft-faced plain weave. I wove a shoulder strap on my band loom using 6/2 Tuna wool for warp and 12/6 cotton for weft.

Weaving Monksbelt with half heddle sticks.
Half-heddle sticks and batten in front of the back beam, for weaving monksbelt patterns.
Pick up for monksbelt.
Pick-up stick in front of the reed is being used to weave a monksbelt flower “petal.”
Handwoven shoulder bag in progress.
Back panel has varying stripe patterns.
Cutting off.
Cutting off.
Glimakra band loom. Narrow wool band.
Narrow wool band for the bag shoulder strap.

The bag has simple construction, mostly hand-stitched. In one of my remnant bins I found a piece of wool fabric that I wove several years ago. It’s perfect for the sides and bottom of the bag. The lining uses pieces from fabric that went into my latest rag rugs, and has pockets, of course.

Making a handwoven wool bag.
Overhand knots secure the warp ends.
Construction of a wool shoulder bag.
Ready to assemble all the parts.
Constructing a small handwoven wool bag.
Handwoven wool pieces are hand-stitched together.
Handwoven wool bag construction.
Bag construction continues with stitching the back in place.
Magnet closure on a handwoven bag.
Magnet closure is added to the lining before stitching the lining in place. Knots and fringe outline the top of the bag.

This bag with Monksbelt Flowers is for carrying sweet memories, happy moments, and heavenly dreams.

Handwoven shoulder bag.
Inside of handwoven wool bag.
Pockets in the lining.
Monksbelt Flowers handwoven shoulder bag.

Resources: Swedish Art Weaves workshop with Joanne Hall; Heirlooms of Skåne Weaving Techniques, by Gunvor Johansson; Väv Scandinavian Weaving Magazine, 2/2013.

This is the time for my annual pause for the month of July. I appreciate you joining me in this weaving journey!

I look forward to being back with you again Tuesday, August 4. In the meantime, joyfully draw living water from the source, Jesus Christ.

May you carry no more than necessary.

With love,
Karen

20 Comments

  • NancyNancy Malcolm says:
    June 30, 2020 at 4:16 am

    Beautiful! As always.

    Reply
  • Beth says:
    June 30, 2020 at 5:11 am

    It’s wonderful! Love the playful flowers.

    Reply
  • Averyclaire says:
    June 30, 2020 at 6:22 am

    This is absolutely marvelous! I am a new weaver and am truly impressed with all your projects. So much to learn so little time! Thank you for sharing your lovely work! I can only dream

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      July 1, 2020 at 9:17 am

      Hi Averyclaire, Welcome to the delightful world of weaving. No matter how much time we have, thankfully, there will always be more to learn.

      Happy weaving,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Elisabeth says:
    June 30, 2020 at 6:54 am

    What a great way to use a class project! It’s such a happy bag 🙂 I think my favorite details are the asymmetrical flowers and the exposed fringe on top. I admire your creative use of remnants.

    Enjoy your pause!
    Love, Elisabeth

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      July 1, 2020 at 9:24 am

      Hi Elisabeth, I wanted to make asymmetrical flowers because that is possible only with the pick-up method, and not possible with standard monksbelt threading. The exposed fringe on top is one of my favorite details, too. It came about because it was simpler than trying to fold the edge under.

      Thanks!
      Love,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Nannette says:
    June 30, 2020 at 7:41 am

    I can’t add to above comments..

    Enjoy your sabbatical!!

    Nannette

    Reply
  • Maria Slayman says:
    June 30, 2020 at 7:44 am

    I love how it all came together from your stash! Bet that felt good! Beautiful!

    Reply
  • Joanne Hall says:
    June 30, 2020 at 7:58 am

    I love how the light colored centers in your monksbelt flowers jump out and say,”look at me”. This is a great design. And I like how you have the knots and linen ends sticking out. That is very effective.
    Joanne

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      July 1, 2020 at 9:29 am

      Hi Joanne, It was fun to try to make a monksbelt design that would show off the possibilities of this method. This was a fun “playtime” at the loom. The knots and linen ends sticking out was an afterthought, but I liked the idea to show off the light-hearted concept of the scattered flowers.

      Thanks for your encouragement,
      Karen

      Reply
  • LJ Arndt says:
    June 30, 2020 at 8:01 am

    I love the view thru the loom of seeing the weaving that you did at the workshop thru the loom and then the newest weaving still showing on top of the warp.

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      July 1, 2020 at 9:31 am

      Hi LJ, That’s my favorite view. There is something intriguing about looking through the warp to the previously-woven fabric.

      Thanks for chiming in,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Lyna says:
    June 30, 2020 at 12:44 pm

    “May you carry no more than necessary.” A great reminder to cast our cares on Him!
    Have a blessed July!

    Reply
  • Cynthia says:
    July 1, 2020 at 8:24 am

    Hey Karen. Lovely. I have gobs of scrap quilt fabric. Too bad we don’t live closer, you could be going through my scraps for linings to your things.

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      July 1, 2020 at 9:35 am

      Hi Cynthia, It’s fun to find ways to use scraps. It’s probably good that I don’t have access to your quilt fabric scraps. I have plenty of my own to use up. 🙂

      All the best,
      Karen

      Reply

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Process Review: Drawloom Weaving without Errors

I found a way to practically eliminate draw cord errors on the single-unit drawloom. After making one too many mistakes while weaving this rag rug, I resolved to find a solution. True, I will still make mistakes, but now I expect them to be few and far between. (To view the first rag rug on this warp, see Stony Creek Drawloom Rag Rug.)

My most frequent error is having a draw cord out of place, either pulled where it shouldn’t be, or not pulled where it should be. And then, I fail to see the mistake in the cloth until I have woven several rows beyond it. I determined to find a way to eliminate this kind of error. (For an example of this kind of error, see Handweaving Dilemma.)

Test 1. Double check my work. Pull all the needed draw cords for one row and then double check all the pulled cords.
Results: This bogs me down. And I still fail to catch errors.

Test 2. Double check my work little by little. Treat every twenty draw cords as a section—ten white cords and ten black cords. Pull the cords in the first section. Double check. Pull the cords in the next section. Double check. And so on all the way across…
Results: Easy to do. I quickly catch and correct errors.

Now, I am implementing this incremental method of double checking my work on the little bit of warp that remains. With a Happily-Ever-After ending, the short Lost Valley piece is completed with NO draw cord errors! (Lost Valley is the name we’ve given our Texas Hill Country home.)

Woven Rag Rug and Lost Valley process in pictures:

May you learn from experience.

Happy Weaving,
Karen

16 Comments

  • Geri says:
    June 23, 2020 at 5:53 am

    Wow, more beautiful weaving and I love your new pieces!

    Reply
  • Loyanne Cope says:
    June 23, 2020 at 8:20 am

    Your work as always is stunning. Forgive me if you have mentioned your weft material before. The materials look shiny. Could you share what you use for weft. Thank you
    Loyanne

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      June 23, 2020 at 8:32 am

      Hi Loyanne,

      The weft is 100% cotton fabric cut in 1 cm strips. It has some variance to it because of the way the strips turn in the shed, and because I alternated 2 different fabrics for each color block area.

      Thanks!
      Karen

      Reply
  • Joanna says:
    June 23, 2020 at 9:10 am

    Well worth all the suspense! The pieces are amazing.

    Reply
  • Nannette says:
    June 23, 2020 at 10:24 am

    Hurray!!

    I hate rework almost as much as I hate looking at the mistakes.

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      June 23, 2020 at 11:11 am

      Hi Nannette, I don’t think any of us enjoy doing the rework. There’s usually a solution to a recurring problem if we take the time to think it through.

      All the best,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Barbara Mitchell says:
    June 23, 2020 at 10:46 am

    Oh, Karen, after seeing only a little bit at a time, how exciting to see your rugs off the loom and finished. Beautiful work.

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      June 23, 2020 at 11:15 am

      Hi Barbara, I’m with you. Even being the one at the loom, I have to wait to see the whole thing. It’s always an exciting moment to unroll it!

      Thank you,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Karen Reff says:
    June 23, 2020 at 10:53 am

    I found that I made less errors by outlining the pattern areas with a dark black, thin marker. That line made all the difference for me.
    Your rug is Gorgeous!

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      June 23, 2020 at 11:20 am

      Hi Karen, Thank you for that helpful tip. I will try it. I definitely found that my chart must be clearly in focus and have adequate contrast for the pattern areas. I reprinted my chart a couple times to make improvements. You have my wheels turning now. I may be able to add that outline on the computer in Affinity Photo where I make the chart. I will test that out!

      Many thanks!
      Karen

      Reply
  • Marie says:
    June 24, 2020 at 4:57 pm

    Hi Karen
    Love your work. I have woven and owned both a Glimarka Single and an Oxaback combination drawlooms. They both have overhead draw systems. When I designed repeat patterns for the single unit, I always wove a sample of the design first. At the same time, I would add leashes to the cords for pattern selection. If design was a complete repeat, I would just push the leashes back and start over. If the design was on a point, I would weave to the point then return reverse pulling the leashes. I don’t know if this is possible on a Myrehed draw system?
    I also use a highlighter every ten squares on my design paper to correspond to the 10 dark thread in the draw warp.

    Have lots of fun

    Marie

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      June 24, 2020 at 6:57 pm

      Hi Marie, The overhead draw system sounds very useful. I have seen pictures of them. I don’t think the Myrehed system has the capability to save leashes, at least I am unaware of it.

      That’s a great suggestion to use a highlighter to mark the design paper. Anything that makes the chart more readable is a great idea! Thanks so much.

      All the best,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Elisabeth says:
    June 29, 2020 at 2:55 pm

    What a beautiful result, as always, it is so intriguing what you are able to create on your drawloom! And what a great idea for the short warp you had left.
    Double checking your work little by little is a great idea! It is far from comparable to this, but I divide into “twenties” when casting on for knitting, placing markers as dividers. Like you said, it is so much easier to catch errors. I never thought about it for weaving, but now I know 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      July 1, 2020 at 9:06 am

      Hi Elisabeth, We use this concept of double checking many times in the weaving process–in winding the warp, threading, sleying, and even in making calculations for planning a warp. It only makes sense to use the same concept in other processes.

      Thank you,
      Karen

      Reply

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Warp Chains Are Beautiful

The reel spins ‘round, ‘round, ‘round one way, and then ‘round, ‘round, ‘round back the other way. Rhythmic, mesmerizing, and strangely soothing. Counting, as I wind two ends at a time, I find myself whispering “2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, ….” The warping reel is one of my favorite pieces of equipment. This warp has seven colors of 22/2 Cottolin for bath towels which are to accompany the hand towels I recently made. I am winding this in four bouts, and there are different color changes in each bout.

Winding a warp for cottolin bath towels.
First bout on the warping reel.
Making cottolin bath towels.
Second bout. Choke ties about every meter keep the ends from shifting as the warp bout is chained and taken to the loom.
Making a warp for handwoven bath towels. Cottolin.
Third bout. Each of the four bouts has nearly the same number of warp ends.
Glimakra warping reel - one of my favorite pieces of equipment!
Fourth bout.

I marvel at the combination of thread colors as I chain each bout off the reel. The warp chains look beautiful. They always do. Warp chains are dreams in the making, where anything is possible. Haven’t you dreamt of handwoven bath towels?

Winding a warp on the Glimakra warping reel.
Came close to running out of thread on some of the tubes. (I did have backup tubes, but not from the same dye lots.)
Beautiful warp chains!
Beautiful warp chains, ready for the loom.

When we listen closely, we can hear the inaudible. Our hearts can hear the softest whisper. “2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, …” Even the hairs on our head are numbered by the Grand Weaver who planned our existence. Our days are numbered, as well. And when our heart is listening, we can hear the quiet whisper of the Lord Jesus, “Are you weary and burdened? Come to me, and I will give you rest.”

May you listen for the softest whisper.

Gently,
Karen

9 Comments

  • Beth Mullins says:
    June 16, 2020 at 4:45 am

    Beautiful colors! I’m looking forward to seeing the warp spread across the reed. Best to you and yours!

    Reply
  • Nannette says:
    June 16, 2020 at 7:41 am

    The promise of the future beauty. The beginning of a process that completes at the plans and skills of the weaver. Time will tell.

    I always gorge on your color choices.

    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      June 16, 2020 at 8:07 am

      Hi Nannette, There’s always an element of time that holds the promise. I’m glad you enjoy the color choices. Choosing colors one of the most exciting parts about weaving for me.

      All the best,
      Karen

      Reply
  • LJ Arndt says:
    June 16, 2020 at 7:41 am

    Beautiful colors, looking forward to seeing the towel sets when they are complete and put together as the sets.

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      June 16, 2020 at 8:11 am

      Hi LJ, Making towel sets for our bathroom is something I’ve thought about doing for a long time. It’s nice to see it coming to pass. Thanks for your encouragement.

      Happy weaving,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Ruth says:
    June 22, 2020 at 7:38 am

    Karen,
    Thank you for your thoughts about listening to the whispers in our lives. Your words are always a breath of fresh air and I appreciate your reminders to look closely into my life and know that God is working his miracles in the smallest things. Looking forward to seeing your bath towels – wrapping up in a handwoven bath towel is such a luxury!
    Blessings to you and yours.

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      June 22, 2020 at 1:11 pm

      Hi Ruth, I like your words that God is working his miracles in the smallest things. So true!

      I suppose that handwoven bath towels are a luxury. It’s nice to be surrounded by handwoven articles, simple luxuries.

      Blessings to you,
      Karen

      Reply

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Tried and True: Organized Reeds

My weaving history includes very fine threads all the way to heavy-duty rug warps. As a result, I have acquired a wide selection of reeds over time. All five of my looms have beaters that will accommodate any length or height of reed. When I plan a project, one of the first things I consider is whether I have the size reed that is needed. To keep my reeds organized, I need two things. One, a simple method to manage the reeds I have, tracking the reeds as they go in and out of use. Two, a place to store all the reeds, arranged in order by dents per cm and dents per inch.

Reed Organization

  • Reed Inventory

I keep a list in my Notes app on my phone with the sizes and lengths of reeds that I have. If a reed is in use, I note which loom. If a reed will be needed for a planned project, I also note that. As soon as I remove a reed from the beater at the end of a project, I put the reed away and update my Reed Inventory list.

Simple system for tracking reeds in and out of use.
Sample Reed Inventory note. When I am planning, I look at the note on my phone to see what reeds I have that are available. “Next” reserves the reed for the loom that needs it next.
  • Reed Holder

Steve created a storage solution for my reeds. The holder goes along the back wall of my drawloom studio for about six feet. Here are the details, using nominal board sizes. The reeds sit on a 1” x 6” board at the base, which is supported against the wall by a 1” x 4” board. The base, with a 1” x 2” lip, sits about 12” off the ground. The reed dividers are 3/8” x 5 3/4” dowels that are sunk into a 1” x 3” board that is attached to the wall, which sets the dowels about 27” above the base.

DIY Reed Holder behind my drawloom.
Reed holder is fastened to the wall behind the drawloom. (Notice that the drawloom rag rug warp has come over the back beam…)
Organized reeds!
The dowels are placed at a height that will hold even my shortest reeds.
Reed holder stores weaving loom reeds. DIY
Reeds are in order by dent size. Metric reeds are separate from those with dents per inch.

If you would like a PDF copy of Steve’s diagram that shows all the dimensions, click HERE to send me an email request.

May you have a place for everything, and everything in it’s place.

Yours,
Karen

8 Comments

  • Geri Rickard says:
    June 9, 2020 at 5:51 am

    That handy husband of yours! What a nice solution, and I like the pegboard with hanging lams, etc. very nice,

    Reply
  • Marianne says:
    June 9, 2020 at 6:57 am

    Thanks for sharing! Weaving requires so much paraphernalia so i am always curious how other weavers organize their studios. Thank you you for inviting us into yours!

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      June 9, 2020 at 8:00 am

      Hi Marianne, Yes, paraphernalia is a good description of all the tools and supplies needed for weaving. Learning ways to organize things seems to be a requirement for weaving.

      Happy weaving,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Betsy says:
    June 9, 2020 at 7:44 am

    Ha! In the first picture of the storage rack, I thought it was attached to the wall at an angle, with the shortest reeds on the right. Nice optical illusion. And very nice storage solution.

    Reply
  • Elisabeth says:
    June 10, 2020 at 1:22 pm

    Very neat idea! I agree, it’s so helpful to have a good system for storing tools and accessories. Thank you for sharing!
    Elisabeth

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      June 10, 2020 at 1:26 pm

      Hi Elisabeth, It’s much more relaxing to have everything in its place. And it saves money because I’m not buying duplicates of things I already have, but couldn’t find.

      Thanks!
      Karen

      Reply

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