Tapestry with No Intention to Hurry

I call it Figs and Coffee, but the figs and the coffee are barely recognizable at this point. The image will make sense when it is complete. In the meantime, I am continually intrigued by the fascinating interplay of colors. You can expect me to keep adding to the tapestry until it is complete. It’s nice to not be in a hurry.

Warping slat hangs from the ends of the beater and sits below the warp. The suspended slat keeps the cartoon right under the warp. I use a quilter’s clip on each side to hold the cartoon in exact position.
Every time I advance the warp I examine the positioning of the cartoon to make sure it matches up with marks I have made on the warp in key places.
Regular stops to step back and see if I need to make color or contrast adjustments keeps me on track. Thus, the need to backtrack and undo rows of weaving is infrequent.
Corner window setting for this hand-built loom reinforces my intention to not be in a hurry.

May you keep moving toward completion.

Happy weaving,
Karen

Advancing the Warp – Sunset and Sunrise

The Glimåkra Standard makes this project a weaver’s dream. The time-tested loom operates without a glitch, doing everything I direct it to do. These Swedish looms are magnificently designed.

Start of another rug. Multiple rows of stripes for the hem and border.
Weft fabric strips in green, blue, and red.
Pattern develops on the loom.
Central motif of the pattern.
Red stands out in the pattern.
Advancing the warp makes me think of a setting sun. When the sun sets here, it is rising somewhere else.

The sun rises every day. And it sets. Who designed the magnificent operation of the rising and setting of the sun? It’s like the rhythmic opening of the shed for passage of the shuttle. At the Grand Weaver’s direction, the fabric of life advances with every new day. Trust in him.

May you pay attention to the rising sun.

Weave into the sunset,
Karen

Tried and True: Cheater Bar

UPDATE: I no longer use the cheater bar, as it could put too much force on the loom parts. Instead, I loosen the front ratchet first, and then I am able to loosen the back ratchet.

I have a tool that makes me stronger than I naturally am. Warp tension is extremely tight on my loom when I am weaving rugs. After advancing the warp, and locking the pawl on the cloth beam, I tighten the ratchet on the warp beam as much as I can. Then, I put all my weight into tightening the cloth beam. And then, with a bit of oomph, I lean into the handles on that cloth beam wheel to turn it one more notch on the ratchet. I pat myself on the back for exhibiting such strength. But wait, I have just created a problem. The next time I need to advance the warp, I’m not nearly strong enough to release those front and back pawls.

Meet my simplest tool: The Cheater Bar.

Cheater Bar is PVC pipe to use as a lever.
PVC pipe, 1 1/4″ x 24″

With this amazing helper, I can safely release even the most extremely tight warp tension. (But NEVER use the Cheater Bar to tighten the warp.)

Slip the end of the pipe over a handle on the ratchet wheel.
Force of the lever makes it easy to release the ratchet. CAUTION! Do not use the lever to tighten the warp beam or cloth beam. You could easily tighten it more than the loom is made to handle.

I never knew I could be this strong. Celebrate the moment! (A play on words. Steve tells me “moment” is a physics term that has to do with a force’s tendency to cause something to rotate about a specific point or axis.)

Good tools make hard things easier.

May you find strength you didn’t know you had.

Happy weaving,
Karen

Tried and True: How to Count to Three – and Other Weaving Tips

We weavers are resourceful. We enjoy finding solutions that make our time at the loom more efficient, while raising the quality of our weaving. We’ve done some of these little tricks so much we don’t think about them anymore. And then, some innovations are things we think up on the spot because necessity, as you know, is the mother of invention.

Keep Count

Necessity: Keep from losing my place with treadling repeats.
Solution: A strip of blue painter’s tape with “3 2 1” and a rubber band, placed on the breast beam. Move the rubber band on the tape (from right to left) to track repeats.

Weaving tips - low tech solutions.
I need help counting to 3 when it comes to treadling repeats. On the Glimåkra Standard loom, I am able to loosen the warp enough to lift the breast beam so I can put a rubber band on it. Without a removable breast beam, one could use a separate small piece of tape instead of a rubber band to keep track.
Keep track of repeats. Blog post with tips and tricks.
Low tech solution for keeping track.

Shuttle Catch

Necessity: Keep from fumbling the catch, having to reposition the shuttle in my hand to send it back across the warp.
Solution: Keep my eye on the shuttle. If I turn my head to watch the movement of the shuttle, my catching and throwing improves immediately. This makes my selvedges improve, too.

Weaving tips and tricks. Easy tip on how to catch the shuttle perfectly.
It is easy to throw and catch the shuttle without actually looking at your hands. I have to consciously remember to turn my head to follow the shuttle with my eyes.

Leave No Trace

Necessity: Keep from leaving slightly perceptible lines in the woven cloth that reveal every time I stop to move the temple and advance the warp.
Solution: When it is almost time to advance the warp, I move the temple and then weave one or more pattern sequence(s) before advancing the warp. This helps me leave no trace of starting and stopping.

Tips and tricks for the weaving loom.
Almost ready to advance the warp, I remove the temple and reposition the pins on my guide tape. Then, I put the temple back on, near the fell line.
Tips about when to advance the warp.
After moving the temple, I weave one or more complete treadling sequences before advancing the warp.
Three simple weaving tips for efficiency and quality!
After advancing the warp, I know exactly where I left off because of my tape-and-rubber-band counter. My eyes are on the shuttle to continue this segment of weaving.

Do you have a simple tip that improves your efficiency and/or quality at the loom? Please share in the comments.

May you notice what you’re doing.

Happy Weaving,
Karen