Handweaver and 'cellist, married to Prince Charming, mother of three superheros and three superhero-in-loves, and Lola to nine little princes and princesses. Life is a handwoven treasure, filled with hidden melodies.
The Glimåkra Standard makes this project a weaver’s dream. The time-tested loom operates without a glitch, doing everything I direct it to do. These Swedish looms are magnificently designed.
Start of another rug. Multiple rows of stripes for the hem and border.Weft fabric strips in green, blue, and red.Pattern develops on the loom.Central motif of the pattern.Red stands out in the pattern.Advancing the warp makes me think of a setting sun. When the sun sets here, it is rising somewhere else.
The sun rises every day. And it sets. Who designed the magnificent operation of the rising and setting of the sun? It’s like the rhythmic opening of the shed for passage of the shuttle. At the Grand Weaver’s direction, the fabric of life advances with every new day. Trust in him.
Two-block broken twill is a soothing pattern to weave because of its regular rhythm. Even though this is eight shafts, it is not complicated. Simple is good.
Four colors of weft are arranged in a repeated order. Warp is 22/2 cottolin. Weft is 8/1 tow linen. This is the second of twelve placemats on this warp on the Glimåkra Julia.
Instead of assigning a different solid color to each placemat, I am using all four weft colors in each one. The colors are arranged in an order that gives the appearance of gradated color. 8/1 tow linen: blue, then green, then teal, then black; repeat, repeat, repeat. There is no set number of picks for each color. Instead, I am changing from one color to the next in an irregular fashion, letting each color softly flow into the next. Regular two-block pattern; irregular color changes.
Keep it simple. The Lord’s pattern for our lives is not complicated. The Lord goes before us. As we follow him, all those irregular changes that happen in our lives turn into a lovely display of softly flowing gradated color. We can rest in that. From this color to the next…
I don’t want to tell you how many different colors I have of wool yarn. Most of it is 6/2 Tuna and 6/1 Fårö, but I have a good collection of other wool yarns, too. If it’s wool, I include it in my tapestry weaving. I have all of it arranged according to a 5-step value scale.
Yarn butterfly is equivalent to about 4 strands of 6/2 Tuna. I’m composing a color in the medium-dark value range.
If I combine the colors of wool just right, I can make the exact color I need for a tapestry detail. This is the challenge on which I thrive. There are never enough colors. Or, so it seems. The truth is, I have more than enough color options. Besides, for tapestry, the exact hue of a color is not nearly as important as the value of a color in relation to the colors around it.
Tapestry in progress. I carefully select yarns, mostly according to color value.The cart beside the loom holds all the possible colors I may need for this Figs and Coffee small tapestry. I stop frequently to evaluate the colors and the value contrasts in the weaving.
The Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, Creator of color, makes himself known. Take a look outside. Everywhere we look there is more color than we know how to express. So, in our humble attempts to make yarn butterflies in exact colors, we are showing that we are indeed made in our Creator’s image.
I have never woven napkins because napkins that are used get soiled. Why spend time weaving something you have to be so careful about? That is about to change. I am dressing the drawloom for napkins!
The napkins I have in mind are family-friendly napkins for all ages. They will get soiled, of course. They are made with grandchildren in mind–Cottolin warp and linen weft. I have a fun design for each napkin. And we’ll be ready to wipe any messy mouth. Napkins are made to get soiled.
Next step is to tie ends into threading groups to prepare for threading.
Wisdom is marked by a sense of calm. There is no dread of something ruining the day. If a little (or big) person soils a napkin, so be it. That will just serve to add a bit of history to the cloth. With a little wisdom, I’ll remain undisturbed.
How do you keep five floor looms busy? You sit at them, one loom at a time. Each loom has its own personality. Or, just maybe, the personality of the loom is more about how the loom makes me feel when I’m active with the loom to turn threads into cloth.
The 120cm Glimåkra Standard Vertical Countermarch is my Queen of Looms. Now:Spaced Rep rag rugs. Two more rugs on this warp. Next:Jämtlandsdräll (Crackle) rag rugs
The 100cm Glimåkra Ideal Horizontal Countermarch is my Workhorse of Looms. Now: Empty Next: Pictorial Tapestry (subject matter to be determined)
The 70cm Isenhower Little Horizontal Countermarch is my Princess of Looms. Now: Pictorial Tapestry sampler. Currently, “Figs and Coffee.” Next: unknown
The 120cm Glimåkra Standard Horizontal Countermarch with Myrehed Combination Drawloom Attachment is my Gentle Giant of Looms. Now: Being dressed for cottolin/linen napkins in 6-shaftbroken twill Next: unknown
The 70cm Glimåkra Julia Horizontal Countermarch is my Cinderella of Looms. Now: Two-block broken twill cottolin/linen placemats Next: Fabric for a stylish cape, using a vintage sewing pattern
Let’s take a look back to see how these looms showed their personalities in 2022!
