I am using graph paper and colored pencils again to design double-binding rag rugs. Twilldouble-binding rag rugs this time. The draft comes from Swedish Rag Rugs 35 New Designs, by Lillemor Johansson. The graph paper squares are great for playing out my own ideas. I am not aiming for specific color combinations with this exercise. And I don’t strictly follow my colored design when I weave, but instead use it as a guide that suggests a design pathway. This allows me to improvise at the loom as I see the cloth taking shape.
Graph paper for playing with design ideas, using Prismacolor pencils.Experiments with wide and thin blocks of color, unevenly spaced.Putting design experiments to the test. The twill structure gives more substance to the rug than plain weave, as well as adding to the textural appearance in the design.
The wool double-width blankets came out even better than I had hoped. It still seems magical to simply weave, and end up with cloth two times the woven width. What did I enjoy most about this project? First of all, the colors. It is so much fun to mess with colors. Secondly, the fringe. I love how the fringe turned out. Those chubby twists are my favorite part of the finished blankets. Knotted, or not. The first blanket has knotted fringe. Watch the Wool Blanket Final Finishing video below to see what happens with the fringe on the second blanket.
Fringes on the first blanket are finished with knots before the excess is cut away.Detail of opened and finished fold on double-width blanket.Finished wool double-width blanket. Final finishing complete.
In this final episode in the Wool Blanket Finishing series, I show you how I brush the blanket and finish the fringe.
In case you missed any of the previous videos in this series:
Will these long floats do what I hope they will do? I have puckered scarves in mind. Soft 8/2 cotton in shades of green. We do not often know, really know, how things will turn out. With weaving, I can sample first. That little piece of trial and error is not wasted threads. It enables me to weave the remainder with confidence. Without a sample, especially with a new technique, or an untested idea, my hope for a good outcome is guesswork, with no real substance.
How will this sample behave through the washer and dryer? Will I get the results I’m after?Yes, looks like a puckered scarf to me. It feels soft, too.
In some ways, my faith is like that sample. Faith is strength through storms; and I’m facing one of those storms today. I don’t know how things will turn out, but because of the One who has gone before me, my hope has substance. It’s as if my Lord has woven a sample for me to see, to trust in His care.
Sample piece gives a preview of what the end result will be like. The cloth on the loom looks and feels rigid and unbending, but the finished sample cloth reveals a surprising texture that has the feel of movement and freedom.
My soul is preserved through faith, taking me to the front line in the battle, with courage. And so, I continue weaving with hope, having an imperfect glimpse of what the finished fabric will be.
The softer, the better. We all know that wool can be scratchy, but we like wool because of its warmth. And, as a fiber for weaving, wool is easy to work with because of its elasticity. Wet finishing reduces the scratchiness, making it possible to end up with a comfy wool blanket. A soft and gentle blanket.
Wet wool blanket is dripping dry after just two minutes in the dryer. Towels on the floor collect the drips.
Gentleness is stronger than we think. A lullaby has the power to quiet a crying baby. My son once had a first grade teacher who could still a classroom of seven- and eight-year-olds with a whisper. And the gentle touch of a friend can speak louder than words.
We influence far more people through kindness, gentleness, and patience than we ever will with persuasive arguments. Like a soft and comfy wool blanket, gentleness is strong enough to warm someone in the cold.
Little things add up, especially when they continue day after day. Nearing completion, the tapestry diary I started on January 1st only has a few days, and not a lot of warp, left. The things we do consistently, little by little, make the biggest difference overall. (You can see the start of this tapestry in Tapestry Diary: Day One.)
Small tapestry is an accumulation of little rectangular sections woven day by day. Photo credit Steve Isenhower
Tapestry diary means I weave a small section every day. It has become my habit to sit down with my loom and my little selection of yarn in the evening, after supper is cleaned up. This is becoming a treasured wind-down time for me, something I look forward to. And when I finish my little section, Steve says, “Let me see what you added today.” Ah, sweet encouragement becomes motivation.
You and I have the amazing ability to impact other people for the better. It’s the little by little that makes the biggest difference. Your friends need you. Your prayer and touch may be what they need to soar in life. We need each other. What a wonderful world we live in, where our Creator designed us to thrive through the kindness of others. Imagine the tapestry He is creating with our little caring efforts.
May you weave a tapestry of kindness.
If you have woven, or are weaving, a tapestry diary, I’d love to hear about it!
