Month: January 2015

Tools Day: Texsolv Secrets

Karen

I am upgrading my “baby loom” from four shafts to six shafts. My woodworker husband fashioned the new pieces for this 100 cm / 39″ Glimakra Ideal countermarch loom. Since I need to add new Texsolv cords to the two new pairs of shafts and accompanying horizontal jacks, I decided to replace the thirty-year-old cords that are on the original pieces at the same time.

Tips for preparing Texsolv cord.
Measuring, marking, and cutting Texsolv cord for new six-shaft shaft holders. Tools, from top to bottom: Cord threader, rotary cutter, black Sharpie, Thread Zapp II.

Tools:

  • Spool of Texsolv cord
  • Rotary cutter with sharp blade, and cutting mat; or, sharp scissors
  • Permanent marker
  • Cordless thread zapper (I got my Thread Zap II at Hobby Lobby)
  • Cord threader (Steve made mine; GlimakraUSA carries a similar one)
Adding new Texsolv cord to updated countermarch loom. Texsolv tips.
Upgrade to six shafts from four meant adding two pairs of shaft bars, two upper lamms, and two lower lamms, plus expanding the jacks at the top of the loom. New Texsolv cord was measured, marked, and cut the same for all six shafts. The cords seen on the lower shaft bars connect to the center hole in the upper (shorter) lamms when the loom is tied up.
Top of Glimakra Ideal horizontal countermarch.
Viewed from above, the horizontal countermarch now has 8-shaft capability. Steve guessed I might eventually want a total of eight shafts, and decided to get the hard part out of the way now. The six jacks in use are connected via a long center Texsolv cord to the lower lamms below when the loom is tied up. The outer ends of the jacks in view have cords that connect to the top shaft bars. Countermarch is a nifty mechanism. Simple, really.

Texsolv Tips:

  • Measure length of Texsolv cord. “Measure twice; cut once.”
  • Cut with very sharp blade on the “line” between holes. A sharp blade reduces the cord’s tendency to fray apart when cut.
  • Use thread zapper tool to melt the cut ends. Roll melted end between fingers to form a firm tip at the cut end.
  • Especially for countermarch looms: This one tip greatly simplifies countermarch loom tie-ups because it eliminates guessing about getting everything even. Use permanent marker to make consistent marks on like cords, to enable even tie-ups; e.g., with the marker, put a mark on the second hole from the top, and on four holes (alternate with unmarked holes) near the bottom end of shaft-to-lamm cord, so that when you attach shafts to lamms, all the cords can be precisely aligned. (All my cords are measured and marked. I keep one of each marked cord in a labeled Baggie as a sample to make it easy to replace or add any cord.)
  • Use threader, if needed, to thread cord through holes in the loom parts.

Quiet Friday: Cutest Loom Ever is a look back to the first renovation this little old loom experienced.

May you find new ways to do old things.

Getting ready,
Karen

Colorful Cozy Blanket and a Video

Karen

Blanket is finished! I am calling it a success. Double width, decent results in the fold, perfectly coiled fringe (twisted on the loom), and stellar colors. I wish I could do it again. Did I tell you I put on enough warp for two blankets? Wish come true!

Double width blanket, just off the loom!
First time to see the blanket opened up! All eleven colors showing off.

Weaving Details
Warp: 6/2 Tuna Wool, eleven colors
Weft: 6/2 Tuna Wool, doubled
Reed: 30/10 metric [8/in]
EPC: 6 on each layer = 12 ends altogether [EPI: 16 on each layer = 32 altogether] Total number of warp ends: 922
Warp width on the loom (1/2 of full width): 77 centimeters / 30 1/4 inches
Weave length on the loom: 220 centimeters / 86 1/2 inches + fringe

After Wet Finishing, Air Drying, and Brushing
Finished full width: 138.5 centimeters / 54 1/2 inches
Finished length: 186 centimeters / 73 1/4 inches, plus fringe, 10 centimeters / 4 inches on each end

Richly colored handwoven double width wool blanket. Karen Isenhower
Just in time for a cold winter evening. This richly colored wool blanket is cozy and warm.

Are you interested in seeing how I twisted the fringe on the loom? This Twisting Fringe on the Loom tutorial video shows you how I did it. See the finished blanket at the end of the video, too.

May you get to do more of what you love to do.

Back to the loom,
Karen

What You Can See Through the Fringe

Karen

We are so close to seeing the full width of this blanket! When I finish twisting the fringe across the bottom layer, the scissors are coming out to cut off the warp. Woo Hoo! I will still have the fringe header to secure and error floats to repair; and then, wet finishing and brushing. But the reward of a finished blanket will be worth it.

Upper layer of twisted fringe on double-width wool blanket.
Colors of the lower layer of the double-width blanket are visible through the upper layer of twisted fringe.

Looking through the fringes on the top layer gives us our first good glimpse of the colors underneath. This makes me excited to see the full expression across the double-width warp for the first time, when I unfold the blanket. I don’t think we will be disappointed, but how can we know for sure until we have seen it?

We hope for the best as we make personal resolutions toward positive changes. Asking God for help makes a difference. We see what he has already done, and we look through that and get a preview of what is ahead, knowing his faithfulness. He is able to do super abundantly more than we can ask, or even think to ask. God can do more in us than we can imagine. Imagine that!

May you face the near future with eager anticipation.

Hopeful,
Karen

Tapestry Diary: Day One

Karen

A tapestry diary seems like a fun challenge. Weaving a small amount each day gives a visual journal of woven ideas over time. I have seen some examples of tapestry diaries that I admire. I like the concept, but I feel tentative about starting one myself.

Freja Tapestry Frame by Glimakra
Simple tapestry frame, 26 1/2 x 21 inches / 67 x 53cm, is just the right size for a tentative tapestry diary. This one is the Freja Tapestry Frame by Glimakra. You can see the warp wrapping around the teeth for a sett of about 10.5 epi.

Will I have enough ideas to fill that space, or enough little bits of time to weave, or the consistency to keep at it? These are my doubts. On the other hand, the frequent practice will help me improve in tapestry techniques; and, watching the tapestry grow should be fascinating. And deep down I know I can’t really use up all my ideas. The more you express ideas, the more ideas you gain, as proven by other tapestry weavers, like Janette Meetze.

Beginning a tapestry diary.
Weaving tapestry from the back, as I learned from Joanne Hall.
Weaving small tapestry from the back.
After a row of twining, five picks give a solid line across for the beginning of the tapestry. Using three to four strands of thin wool (Färo and Mora) allows for ease of blending colors.
Day one of Tapestry Diary 2015
Day One.

This is a picture of generosity, as well. When you give, it is like planting seeds. Sow seeds generously and you will see a bountiful harvest. A generous person always has enough to give. Their “giving cup” is continually replenished. I can at least start the tapestry diary. Being intentional makes it happen. Planting ideas, planting seeds, watching for things to grow.

~What will you be intentional about this year?

May you never run out of ideas.

(Make sure you don’t miss the new video at the top of Warped for Good’s About page. Let me know what you think!)

Starting the Year with You,
Karen