Category: bound rosepath

Weaving through The Big Book

Karen

It took me seven years of study, practice, and mistakes to complete this rigorous Swedish weaving curriculum! You have been with me through much of it right here. I’m talking about The Big Book of Weaving, by Laila Lundell. I made it through the book, sequentially, page by page, warp by warp. 43 warps in all! Remember the blue 12-shaft double-weave blanket I had on the loom in June? That is the final project in the book.

Handwoven double weave blanket. 12 shafts.
Double-weave wool fabric is ready for wet finishing, where it will be transformed into a soft, cozy blanket.

In the short video below, each completed project is presented in order in our Texas hill country home. Watch to the end to see the blue blanket in all its finished glory.

For nitty-gritty details, check out The Big Book of Weaving tab at the top of the page.

I. Secrets to success:

  • mindset of a student
  • determination
  • eyes on the goal
  • no option other than completion

One loom dedicated to the book.


II. Lessons learned:

  • technique
  • processes
  • planning
  • drafting
  • Swedish practices

Any mistake can be remedied.


III. Treasures gained:

  • patience
  • humility
  • endurance
  • focused attention
  • problem solving
  • creative freedom

Confidence.


IV. Prized perspectives:

  • new experiences
  • delight of dressing the loom
  • wonder of cloth-making
  • fresh ideas
  • joy of discovery
  • knowledge and understanding of the loom

Getting lost and absorbed in the whole process of weaving.

V. Favorite project: Old-Fashioned Weaving / Monksbelt (at 4:46 in the video)

Are we determined students of heavenly things? Oh, to know God’s will! Study what’s written, don’t lose heart, eyes on the prize, no option besides completion through Jesus Christ. One life dedicated to know him. Day by day, warp by warp, the Grand Weaver teaches us. We can know God’s will.

May you be a lifelong learner.

Happy Weaving to you,
Karen

Quiet Friday: Double-Width Blanket Progress

Karen

Do you ever feel like you are just not making progress? Stopping bad habits and starting good ones can feel like that. Or, what about that craft project you meant to finish before Thanksgiving? The loom is one place where progress is visible. You can’t fool yourself; the cloth beam shows you how far you have progressed. I find it encouraging to see the fabric that has been woven. What starts with an idea shows up as cloth.

Blanket idea with eleven colors of wool.
It all started with an idea and eleven colors of wool.

As we settle into the very end of this year, we know that time keeps rolling on. The warp keeps advancing. This is a great time to look at the cloth beam of our life and see the progress. Like this blanket, much has been accomplished, but there’s more work ahead before it is time to cut it from the loom.

Bottom layer of double weave blanket is spread on the loom.
Bottom layer is spread on the loom.

Upper layer of double weave is spread on the loom.
Upper layer is spread on the loom; and the two layers are combined on the back tie-on bar. Two sets of lease sticks keep all the ends in order.

Beaming on double weave blanket with warping trapeze.
Beaming on two warps at once. After removing the choke ties, I beamed on with the warping trapeze, slowly and carefully. I stopped every few inches to check everything, to make sure nothing was getting hung up anywhere.

Threading heddles for multi-color wool blanket.
Threading heddles.

Sampling helps determine optimum weft colors.
Sampling helps determine weft colors, as well as checking the sett and weft density.

Warp ends ready to tie onto front tie-on bar.
Sample is cut off and warp ends are tied in bundles, ready to re-tie to front tie-on bar.

Wool Blanket sample piece after wet finishing and brushing.
Sample piece, after wet finishing, air drying, and brushing.

Fringe, twisted on the loom, at the beginning of the wool blanket. Follow progress.
Fringe, twisted on the loom, goes over the breast beam as the body of the blanket is being woven.

Pics show double weave blanket progress on the loom.
Progress is revealed. The beginning blanket fringe has reached the cloth beam! The fold edge of the blanket is in view.

Dusk dims, yet enriches, the colors. Karen Isenhower
Dusk dims the colors, yet enriches them at the same time.

Hand-carved Nativity on handwoven bound rosepath. The Isenhowers.
Glad-hearted Christmas to all! The camel is this year’s new figure in the hand-carved Nativity by Steve Isenhower. Bound rosepath provides the backdrop.

May you enjoy reflecting on the progress you have made this year.

Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year,
Karen

Romance and Whimsy

Karen

Our Melody was princess of the day. You could see the white chairs from a distance that told the world, “Wedding!” It was a romantic outdoor setting, under a canopy of majestic old oak trees, appropriate for wedding vows spoken with lifetime integrity. Lights in the trees, mason jars with flowers, and popsicles brought whimsy and laughter to the celebration. (There was an evening breeze that made the air surprisingly cool. I was thankful for the warmth of my handwoven huck lace bamboo shawl.) Everything beckoned guests to come closer. And if you were close enough, you could smell the fragrance of the purple larkspur in Melody’s bridal bouquet!

Bride's wedding dress and bouquet is displayed on bound rosepath by her mother and hope chest built by her father.
Melody’s bridal bouquet in her grandmother’s Fostoria vase, rests on my handwoven bound rosepath piece that is laying on the hope chest built by her father. Melody’s memorable wedding dress completes the scene.

Our heavenly Father is like that, beckoning us to come take a closer look. Close enough to enjoy warmth in the breeze, smell the flowers, and wonder at the mystery of true love.

Bride and Mom just before the wedding.
Bride and Mom sharing laughter and smiles just before the wedding!

May you come close enough to enjoy the details prepared for you.

With Romance in the Air,
Karen

Bound Rosepath – More Yarn and Time, Please!

Karen

I still had patterns I wanted to try in bound rosepath; but, alas, there is no more Brage wool yarn in my hands. I ran out of weft before I ran out of warp! With five colors of this wool weft, it seemed like the variations on this rosepath threading were limitless. Imagine how it would be if you had two or three times that many colors to work with! You might never find an end to all the design options!

Bound rosepath just off the loom. Karen Isenhower
Brage wool in five colors covers the surface in this weft-faced weave structure, bound rosepath.

I was not ready to stop playing with this interesting weave structure, exploring the possibilites. Indeed, I had several more ideas lined up. If I had all the yarn in the world, I would need all the time in the world, too, because the discovery process is so intriguing. But eventually, I would run out of ideas.

We have heard that God is worthy of unceasing praise. Perhaps that is because there is no end to his love and goodness; and the riches of his mercy and grace are infinite. Maybe there are so many exquisite facets to learn about our creator that it will take eternity to discover them all. We might as well start now.

May you enjoy the intrigue of exploration and discovery.

Weaving onward,
Karen

What Linen Is Like

Karen

Linen makes a strong warp. Known for strength and longevity, linen cloth endures for years and years. It is almost impossible to break a linen thread with your bare hands. Why, oh, why, then, is it so easy to break linen warp ends while weaving?! One reason: Abrasion. Linen is like a gentle heart. It needs to be cared for and nurtured; but don’t underestimate the underlying strength.

Bound Rosepath on the loom. Five shuttles with colorful Brage wool yarn.
Five shuttles with colorful Brage wool yarn, each one waiting its turn as weft in the bound rosepath weave. The 16/3 unbleached linen warp, completely hidden in this weft-faced weave, gives lasting strength and stability to the cloth.

At the start of this bound rosepath project I had several linen warp ends break at the selvedge. The weaving was drawing in; consequently, the ends at the outer edges were receiving abrasion from the reed, causing the ends to fray and break. So, I began using more weft for each pick, by increasing the angle of weft in the shed. By doing this, I stopped the excessive draw-in. This simple correction made all the difference. No more broken warp ends. The reed is not a threat when appropriate weaving practices are in place.

Stay gentle, my friend. Gentleness feels; so be aware of the abrasion, and make corrections. Don’t allow bitterness or disappointment to linger from times of hardship, wearing you to the breaking point. The people in your life need your gentleness. Gentleness is the underlying strength of satisfying relationships.

May your most important relationships gain strength because of your gentleness.

Your friend,
Karen

Here are previous posts with views of the bound rosepath on the loom:

Thanks Giving

Do You See What I See?

You May be Looking at the Under Side

Not Your Usual Search Engine