What Our World Needs

Karen

I would rather not stop in the middle, but that’s how it goes sometimes. Now, I am picking up where I left off at the halfway point on the towel. After a week away, I am happy to be back at my weaving loom. Project planning, loom dressing, and weaving. It’s a satisfying perpetual cycle.

Cottolin and cotton for a pretty and thirsty modern towel.
Long pattern blocks create ribs across the width of the towel.

With Thanksgiving and Christmas quickly approaching, I am prepared to face continued interruptions. But I will keep coming back to my looms, sneaking in as much weaving time as possible. It’s no secret that I love to weave.

Thick and thin cottolin hand towels on the loom with interesting patterns.
As towel four rolls up on the cloth beam, towel five nears completion.

I feel the same way about praying. It is something I keep coming back to. For someone who loves to pray, prayer itself provides a welcome respite in troubled times. God responds to our heartfelt prayers. He hears and heals. Our world needs that now, more than ever. Perpetual prayer to our Prince of Peace.

May you keep coming back to what you love.

With Christmas in mind,
Karen

In Time for Christmas – Or Not

Karen

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I am excited to have halvdräll up next on the big loom. Warp chains are white cottolin. The weft is white cottolin for the tabby, and red linen for the pattern. Red and white for Christmas. However, if it is not finished by December 25th, there’s always Valentines Day, right? I would love to have this table square ready for Christmas, but I am not willing to make shortcuts on quality to make that happen. It will be finished when it is finished.

Winding a white warp on the warping reel.
Warping reel is used to measure a warp of bleached 22/2 cottolin. A counting tie goes between every 50 ends.
White cottolin and red linen.
Red 16/1 linen pattern weft will add Christmas (or Valentine) flair to the bleached 22/2 cottolin.

Do you ever find yourself being controlled by circumstances instead of convictions? Convictions are firm beliefs that guide our actions. Convictions are like signposts on an unfamiliar path. It’s like having time-tested weaving techniques that help you navigate any new weaving adventure. In time for Christmas, or not.

May you stay on course. 

With Christmas in mind,
Karen

Tapestry Imagining

Karen

Tapestry in the evening is a pleasant way to end the day. It does not need to be fast. I am not in a hurry. No need to be. The little girl is taking her sweet time. With innocence, she is daydreaming, wondering about things, and purely enjoying the moment. At least, that’s what I imagine she is doing.

Little girl small tapestry progress.
Little girl small tapestry grows a line at a time, evening by evening.

May you take time to wonder.

Happy weaving,
Karen

Tools Day: Let There Be Light!

Karen

Sunshine coming through the windows is marvelous for weaving. But my eyes need extra light to see small details. This is noticeably true with errors that I mend on the loom and off the loom. I turn on extra lighting at other times, too–when threading fine threads, sleying the reed with fine or dark threads, counting picks per inch on woven cloth, and checking the treadling pattern in a fine weave, for example. And sometimes I turn on extra lighting for no other reason than it’s a cloudy day.

Tools:
OttLite Task Lamp with Swivel Base
Handheld lighted magnifier

Broken weft repair.
Pin marks the spot where I broke a thin weft thread, 30/2 cotton, with the temple.
Repairing broken thread requires task lighting.
Repair area is flooded with light from my portable OttLite.
Replacing broken weft thread.
Illuminated stitches are easily seen. A replacement length of weft is needle-woven in.
Oops. A few skips to fix in handwoven cloth.
Series of errant floats are discovered after this fabric is removed from the loom. At 30 ends per inch, my eyes strain to see where to weave the needle.
Lighting and magnification needed for fixing threads.
Needing more than the bright OttLite, I add magnification. Pairing the OttLite with the handheld lighted magnifier does the trick!
Magnified threads for handwoven repairs.
Lighted magnifier, reflecting the OttLite just overhead, balances perfectly on a small sewing basket. Now I can actually see the threads I am fixing.

To further reduce eye strain, I am considering other lighting options. Have you had success with task lighting? I’d love to hear about it. Share your experience and recommendations in the comments.

My Lighting Wish List:
Full spectrum floor lamp
Adjustable-arm magnifying task light to clamp on table or loom

May you see what you need to see.

With a bright outlook,
Karen

Look Again

Karen

Black and white and a little red all over. Black and white just became classier. Thin red stripes appear to tunnel under long white ridges. Surely there is a designer kitchen for this towel. Right?

Black and white and a little red all over. Towels.
Fringe at the end of one cut weft thread peeks out, revealing the spot where weft threads overlap.

Since the slender red stripes are made with only two picks, I do not have to start and stop the color at the selvedge. The first pick goes all the way across, and the second pick has cut ends that are overlapped in the shed. If you are looking, you can see where the red threads overlap. If you are not looking, you would never notice it. And after the towels are washed, the join will be virtually invisible…unless you know where to look.

We find what we are looking for. If we want to see where a weaver spliced the weft, we study and examine the fabric as much as needed until we find that detail. When we look for signs of our Creator, we find that, too. His wonders are not hidden from us, they are hidden for us. What a delight when our search leads us to the Grand Weaver, Himself.

May your search lead to hidden treasures.

With you,
Karen