Another Loom?

Karen

Guess what? I added another loom. You might think I already have plenty of looms. This one is a beautiful, well-cared-for 120 cm Glimåkra Standard countermarch loom. It’s the first real step toward another big dream—drawloom weaving. What a pleasant surprise for me to find out that the dear person handing off this loom is one of my blog friends from right here at Warped for Good! And not far from our Texas hill country home. Thank you, friend!

Bringing a loom home!
Glimakra Standard, 120 cm. The side gables fit, but just barely, in the covered bed of our Tacoma pickup truck.
Bringing a loom home with me!
Sticks. A Swedish loom is mostly a pile of sticks all fitted together just so.

There are a few things to be done before drawloom weaving becomes a reality for me.

  • Read, re-read, and review everything I can get my hands on about drawlooms and drawloom weaving, especially Joanne Hall’s new book, Drawloom Weaving, and Becky Ashenden’s DVD, Dress Your Swedish Drawloom.
  • Fix up the light-filled room in the hangar (did I tell you we have an airplane hangar on our property?) where there is ample room for the extended-length drawloom.
  • Order the drawloom attachment and supplies.
  • Move the loom to its special room in the hangar.
  • Assemble the drawloom.

In the meantime, I’ll weave a couple projects on this loom while it sits in a prized corner in our home. In our little piece of hill country. (We make our final move there next week!)

Setting up a Glimakra Standard loom.
Setting up the loom.
New loom, ready and waiting.
Ready and waiting.
Loom with a view of Texas hill country.
Loom with a view of Texas hill country. Perfect temporary spot.

May you take a step closer to your biggest dreams.

With deep gratitude,
Karen

Two Kinds of Dressing

Karen

Before everyone arrives for our Thanksgiving family gathering, I am making pie crust for the pecan pie, dough for my “famous” cranberry bread, and doing the prep to make Gram’s turkey dressing. Each family is bringing their contributions to the meal (feast). Thanksgiving Day is a flurry of activity with too many cooks in the kitchen—just how we like it! And sitting at the table with the feast before us, we give thanks. Thanks to each other, and to our Creator. We are blessed!

Making perfect pecan pie for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving feast prep. It takes two pastry chefs to make the perfect pecan pie.

And before everyone arrives I also manage to sley the reed on the Standard. A different kind of dressing—loom dressing.

Sleying the reed.
Two ends per dent in a 45/10 metric reed.
Sleying the reed.
I sit “inside” the loom on my loom bench to sley the reed.
Next step - tying on!
After the reed is sleyed, I remove the loom bench, lower the shafts, and move the countermarch to the front of the loom. Then, I place the reed in the beater and make sure it is centered. Next step–tying on!
Fresh warp on the back beam. Magical!
Getting dressed. Oh the beauty of a fresh warp going over the back beam! Magical.

A feast for the eyes and hands and heart. Thankful indeed!

May you give thanks,
Karen

Thankfully No Cartoon

Karen

My small tapestry isn’t following a cartoon. This time, I am making it up as I go. It’s an exercise in spontaneity, which is good for someone who is most comfortable when she knows exactly what comes next.

I know enough of the fundamentals of tapestry weaving that I can “wing it.” It also helps that I have enough past mistakes in my experience to have learned a few things. Think of this improvisation as another dimension of practice. A challenge that turns into a learning experience. I have much to learn, so I’m thankful for the experience.

Small frame-loom tapestry. Travel weaving!
Small frame-loom tapestry. Fåro wool weft, 12/6 cotton warp.

Sometimes life’s turns give us some weaving to do without a comfortable cartoon to follow. We make it up as we go. An exercise in spontaneity? Yes. Even in this, though, we see the improvised design emerge. Give thanks. The Grand Weaver who taught you how to get this far has your learning experience in mind when He brings you to another challenge. Knowing we have much to learn, let’s give Him thanks!

May you learn enough to enjoy “winging it.”

Happy Thanks-Giving,
Karen

Tried and True: Threading Eight Shafts

Karen

Threading four shafts is straightforward because the heddles fit perfectly between four fingers and a thumb. Threading eight shafts is tricky because we don’t have that many fingers! Thankfully, threading eight shafts can be as straightforward as threading four shafts. I like to think of it as four shafts in the back, and four shafts in the front.

For a review of threading four shafts, watch the short video in this post: You Can Prevent Threading Errors.

Threading Eight Shafts – Straight Draw

  • Set a small group of heddles apart on each shaft to prepare for threading the next group of ends.
  • Pick up the next threading group of ends and bring it to the front, on the left side of the separated heddles.
  • Lace the threading group of ends under, over, under, over the fingers of your left hand, palm up.
Threading eight shafts - the easy way.
Left hand becomes tensioning device for threading the heddles. I like to put my index finger in between the two parts of the cross, as separated by the lease sticks.
  • Wrap left hand index finger around the group of heddles on shaft one (the shaft nearest the back of the loom), the middle finger around heddles on shaft two, the ring finger around heddles on shaft three, the pinky around heddles on shaft four, and bring the thumb around to hold it all loosely together.
Threading eight shafts - the easy way.
Each warp end is taken in order from between the lease sticks, and then threaded through the heddles in order.
  • Thread the first four heddles—1, 2, 3, 4.
  • With the right hand, hold the group of warp ends taut, and open the fingers of the left hand to release the heddles.
  • Keeping the group of warp ends loosely laced around the fingers, slide the left hand toward you to thread the next four heddles—5, 6, 7, 8. Position your fingers around the heddles on each shaft, as you did for the first four shafts.
Threading eight shafts - the easy way.
Left hand slides toward the front of the loom to thread the next four heddles. It helps to hold the warp ends taut with the right hand while the left hand is repositioned.
  • After threading the second set of heddles, follow the same procedure as before and slide the left hand back again to thread 1, 2, 3, 4.
  • Continue sliding the left hand forward and back, until the threading is completed for that group of ends.
  • Check the threading group for accuracy, and then tie the group of ends together in a loose slip knot.
Threading eight shafts.
Always check for accuracy before moving on to the next threading group.

Complete the threading across the warp. And then, step back and admire the beauty of a beamed and threaded loom.

Glimakra Standard. Threading the loom.
Shafts are raised high for good access and visibility for threading, and for checking for accuracy.
Threading is complete. 8-shafts undulating twill.
Threading is complete. Cotton throw. 8/2 cotton, undulating (wavy) twill on eight shafts.

May you find efficient methods for the work of your hands.

Happy weaving,
Karen

Casita Tapestry

Karen

As Steve and I sign off little by little from activities and responsibilities here in Houston, the taste is bittersweet. Bitter, because moving away from time-tested friends is heart wrenching. Sweet, because an unknown exciting adventure awaits. Bitter, because unknown is uncomfortable. Sweet, because heart-connected friendships are treasures that distance can’t destroy. Bittersweet, but not bitter-ness, or sugary-sweet pretense. It’s life. Texas hill country living and Casita adventures are less than a month away! It’s all good.

Tapestry of our Casita travel trailer.
We are naming our Casita travel trailer “La Perlita” – (“Little Pearl”).
Glimakra Freja tapestry frame. Expressive tapestry weaving.
Large Glimåkra Freja tapestry frame and expressive tapestry weaving.
Tapestry of our new Casita.
Adventures are coming soon…
We will pick up our new little pearl the day after Steve retires and pull it to our hill country home.

May you have friends by your side when you face bittersweet seasons.

All the best,
Karen