Category: yardage

What Color Is It?

Karen

It is obvious where I changed the weft color, leaving a distinct line from one color to the next. I am intrigued, though, by the subtle color differences that appear within a single weft color section. It is amazing to see how different the color looks just by changing my angle of view. Blue, with a touch of pink? Or, deep red-purple? You would think I am describing two different cloths. When we view each other’s ideas with understanding, it helps us show mutual respect, even when we see things differently.

Linen fabric for bags.
Linen fabric for bags, with narrow strip of beads. Green weft and magenta weft produce two different colors of bags.

Sadly, it is easy to put down or belittle others. I, like many, have strong viewpoints about right and wrong; but if I use words as weapons, I destroy the very fabric I want to protect.

An understanding mindset gives you the willingness to listen to another viewpoint, and it helps you hold your tongue. It doesn’t mean we always have to agree. As hard as I try, I may never be able to see the colors you describe in your cloth. I may even try to convince you to see it my way. But hopefully, we will both seek to understand each other.

May you have an opportunity to practice understanding.

Listening,
Karen

Weaving a Song

Karen

This three-treadle weave was not complicated to thread; and with only three treadles and one shuttle, it is simple to weave. The beads certainly give a festive look, but most of the fabric is woven without the added sparkle. This weave creates an interesting striped pattern, giving physical and visual texture to the fabric, even without beads. Singing adds that kind of interest and pleasant consistency to life, even during times that don’t *sparkle* with happiness.

16/1 linen three-treadle weave, with beads.
A zig-zag treadling pattern, using three treadles, results in fabric with a striped look. Woven-in beads embellish this linen fabric.

Singing is a sign of a joyful heart, and the only instrument you need is a voice. My dad was a great example of this. He couldn’t carry a tune in a basket, but that did not keep him from singing. The thread of joy was woven in him from the beginning to the end of his life–through good times and hard times.

An inner melody of joy gives strength and consistency to make it beyond the happy sparkle times in life. Singing is a natural response to the grand weaver’s personal attention. So, go ahead and sing! Don’t be embarrassed–your voice is the grand weaver’s delight!

May you sing through your day.

Joyfully,
Karen

Linen and Beads

Karen

After threading nearly 200 beads on a length of linen thread, and then winding it oh so carefully on a stick shuttle… I had a clumsy mess! The beads were too big (these pretty blue beads), and there were too many to manage at once. Time to start over. Smaller and fewer beads on the strand of linen was the solution. Now I can successfully weave them in. Smaller and fewer. You cannot measure success by size and quantity. You cannot measure generosity that way, either.

Glass beads lined up to place in a row of weaving.
Small glass beads arranged in a row before taking them to the loom.
Weaving small glass beads into the linen textile.
I found success when I threaded the beads on the linen thread at the loom. one row at a time.

We usually measure generosity by how much someone gives, but I’m not sure that is a true measure. When I give from my surplus, that is easy giving, no matter how much I give away. Most of us can do that. What about giving money, time, or resources from my personal supply? Now, that’s another story. A heart of generosity shows when I give what I would prefer to keep for myself.

Authentic generosity is a rare virtue. I am not completely there yet, but if I start with just a few beads, being intentional about selfless giving, I’ll be able to look back and smile at the results.

May you find something meaningful to give away.

With love,
Karen

Beginning with Broken Ends

Karen

I have 240 perfect warp ends, but my attention is not on the perfect ones, it’s on the broken ones. Two threads got crossed behind the reed, and that extra friction was more than these linen singles could handle, so they snapped. I will repair these ends, and then they will weave in just fine with the rest of the warp. But until then, the broken ends have my attention. Likewise, our master weaver gives attention to people in need.

Linen singles warp with broken ends
Two broken warp ends have been uncrossed, and then repositioned correctly through heddles and reed. Now they are awaiting repair (relatively simple, because this is near the very beginning of the warp).

When we feel defeated in life, we may think we have to pull ourselves together and fix the mess. The problem is, when we are at our lowest, we are not capable of fixing anything. And, don’t think for a minute that everyone else is perfect, either. We all have weak spots.

The good thing is, we have a master weaver who keeps watching for broken people, so he can lovingly weave them into place in his fabric. He gives his kind attention, especially when we are at our greatest need. In his time, and in his way, he repairs and restores, and we become woven into his beautiful cloth.

May you find the help you need, when you need it most.

With care,
Karen

Preventing Errors

Karen

After the warp is wound onto the back beam, I prepare to thread the heddles. By counting the warp ends into measured groups, I am much more likely to prevent a threading error. If I miss a heddle, I catch it after only 24 ends, instead of after threading all 424 ends. Now, if only I would measure my words before I speak, I could prevent errors in what I say, too.

16/1 linen warp, reading for threading heddles
Blue linen shimmers on the back beam, with loosely-tied overhand knots holding groups of warp ends.

Of course, you wouldn’t literally count your words before speaking, but thinking before speaking is always a good idea. When we rush to say what’s on our mind, our safeguards are gone. And spoken errors are a lot harder to fix than threading errors.

Wisdom protects your words. It means not saying everything you think. Wisdom is a filter that makes your thoughts presentable, so you can speak in a way that does no harm, and only good. When we stop and count the cost of our spoken words, before they leave our mouths, we have the beginning of a good conversation, a healthy dialog, or even a worthwhile disagreement. Oh, the interesting cloth we weave with our words!

May you speak wise words at just the right moment.

Counting,
Karen