Category: just for fun

April Spools Day

Karen

All my spools are quills, mostly pre-made cardboard, with a couple of rolled-brown-paper exceptions. I keep a few sizes of quills ready, sorted in little mugs inside a basket. The basket sits on a shelf under the table that holds my bobbin-winder, so I simply reach down and grab the size quill I need at the moment.

One of the mugs says Glimåkra (from Joanne Hall, my Glimåkra friend), another mug is a handle-less one I picked up at Ikea years ago that looks like a little flower pot, one is a baby’s pewter cup (when does a baby use a pewter cup?), but the mug I like best is my husband’s childhood milkglass cup with red two-block twill design (at least that’s what I’m calling it), and a blue “S” for Steve.

This fun idea of weavers sharing pictures of their spools is from Meg over at Unravelling. Thanks, Meg!

Last towel on the warp. Emptying as many quills as possible.
I like to use up as much thread as possible as I finish a project. The final towel on this warp has horizontal stripes of varying widths as I empty as many quills as I can.
Basket with mugs keep quills organized.
Several sizes of quills ready to be used. I like being able to tell at a glance if I am running short of any size.
There are always a few quills with thread/yarn left from various projects.
Quills with thread/yarn left from various projects. Do you see the two-block twill on the “Steve” cup?
Everything in place for winding quills.
Everything in place for winding a quill.

May your springtime be memorable with happy surprises.

Happy April Spools Day,
Karen

Thanks Giving

Karen

Loved ones are filling my home this week, so why not include them in weaving endeavors? My son Daniel took the challenge to create a Thanksgiving image on graph paper that I could weave in Bound Rosepath. A turkey pilgrim!

Bound Rosepath turkey pilgrims with black hats.
Five shuttles carry the colors of Brage wool yarn for this bound rosepath weave on a 16/3 linen warp. Look at the orange to see the turkey pilgrims with black hats.

Give thanks. Pilgrims, turkeys, families, generations of freedom. The American story handed down through the ages.

  • Give thanks for the food.
  • Give thanks for the blessings.
  • Give thanks for your family coming together from near and far.
  • Give thanks to your family.
  • Give thanks to your friends.

But above all, oh, give thanks to our creator, for he is good; for his love goes on and on and on without end.

May your thankful heart ring with joy.

Thankful,
Karen

Quiet Friday: Just a Little More Yarn, Please

Karen

Cotton, linen, wool. Thick, thin, slick, rough, smooth, bumpy. Yarn comes in so many shapes and sizes. But, oh, it’s the colors that draw me in. I love a wall of yarn! I don’t need to have it all, I just want to look at it. Thread on tubes looks spectacular, piled up in cubbies. Yarn in skeins looks inviting. Yarn, thread, fiber… Whatever you want to call it, may I have just a little more, please?

Wall of Thread at Vävstuga!
I love the circles of colors and the “O’s” of the tubes! It’s as if they all have their little mouths open.
Working with colors at Vävstuga.
Class time at Vävstuga often means playing with colors.
Tubes of Linen Thread at Vävstuga.
Decisions, decisions… Which linen color would you choose?
Dahlia on the Bridge of Flowers, Shelburne, MA
Dahlia on the Bridge of Flowers, just outside the Vävstuga weaving studio.
Wall of Thread at Vävstuga! Isn't it pretty?
Cotton, anyone? This is a fun wall of color! It is the backdrop to the table where we wind our quills at Vävstuga.
Bridge of Flowers at Shelburne Falls, MA
Another Dahlia that caught my attention! I like the raggedy edges. Imagine blending yarn in these colors.
Skeins of Wool at Vävstuga
Yarn on skeins will be wound into balls to be prepared for weaving.
More Thread Tubes at Vävstuga!
What can I say? I never get tired of seeing the thread color circles!

Please come back next week for the lively conversation I had with Swedish weaving expert and founder of Vävstuga Weaving School, Becky Ashenden, in her living room. Find out what makes her tick!

May your days be filled with color!

Just a little more yarn, pretty please,

Karen

 

Knot Happy?

Karen

A few knots tossed aside unwittingly ended up as a sad face.

knot happy face
This wasn’t intentional, really. It just happened.

Some days are like that. Life can be like that.

When I look closely, I see the intimate way the creator’s love is in the details. If I stand back for a broader perspective, I can see the majesty of his overall plan.

Surprisingly, with a new perspective, we can see a simple way to turn things around.

happy face with knots
Smile!

Have a smiling kind of day,
Karen