Warp wound onto the back beam, as seen through the beater, only adds to the expectant delight. The new warp is tied on and the treadles are tied up. The next step is to wind a quill with linen thread to put in the ready boat shuttle! This is joyous anticipation for a handweaver.
Immanuel, God with us, Jesus Christ. He came to live among us. The one who came to save us lives among us. He delights in us, loves us, and rejoices over us. Imagine that! The Lord rejoices over you. The Grand Weaver delights in his creations. Why are we surprised?
Kit development for the plattväv towels is in full swing. I’m in the first stage–making a sample kit. Winding a warp with narrow stripes is a stop-and-go procedure, cutting and tying ends. My process is well structured, as it needs to be, to avoid mistakes. Knowing how to tie a good square knot is essential, too. This is not the time for slipping knots!
Winding the warp with five different colors (2 tubes each), and frequent color changes, is the most challenging part of the plattväv towels.Square knots will hold tight if tied properly.
As I write the instructions for this kit, the eventual towel-kit weaver is on my mind. Besides writing clear steps, I want to include special helps that put even an apprehensive weaver at ease. How can I help the weaver have a great experience? Weaving this sample kit will help me answer that question.
Plattväv towels in the making! Again.
Having structure and precision in the process of winding this warp makes me think of the value of truth. Truth matters because it keeps things from slipping that shouldn’t slip. Love matters, too. Love puts gentleness and understanding in the instructions. Love cares about the experience another person will have. Love and truth flourish together. Like a precisely pre-wound warp, and instructions written with care, truth and love are inseparable. Both are needed for life to be a gratifying experience.
I was ready to hem the plattväv towels. But then, I thought of one more thing–I need a woven band for the hanging tabs! Since the towels have black borders, I decided to weave a simple band in black cottolin, with a single white dotted line down the center. I measured the little warp, put it on the band loom, and quickly wove it up.
Single white thread produces dotted white line in the woven band.
I love the classy black band with the white dotted line. However, I don’t love it with these towels… Too wide, and too… black. It’s going into my band stash box. Someday, when I least expect it, I’ll find this band in the box; and it will be exactly what I need at the time. So, I started over at the band loom this morning, and wove a new band.
Second chances are possible with a Glimåkra two-treadleband loom. It doesn’t take long to weave a second band if the first one doesn’t work out.Ready to be cut into hanging tabs for the plattväv towels.Hem, turned twice to the back of the towel, is pressed and ready to be stitched. The ends of a coordinating hanging tab will be stitched in the seam. The black woven band is stashed away for future use. The narrower gray band fits the style of the towels.
Joy is ignited by giving thanks. Gratitude changes your outlook. Instead of seeing the black band as a setback, it’s a gift for the future. The gray band is a reminder to be thankful for second chances. To whom will we give our thanks? To our looms? No. To each other? Yes. And to our Maker who gave himself for us? A resounding, joyful yes.
The length of woven cloth unrolls and unrolls until you get all the way back to the front tie-on bar. The towels are 70% linen. Oh, how I wish you could touch this fabric! You would feel the crispness of a linen tea towel, with a little bit of cotton softness.
Plattväv towels and one table square are unrolled from the loom. Last to come through are the warpend knots securely hugging the front tie-on bar.
It all comes back to the front tie-on bar. This is where the weaving begins. The warpends must be secure at the beginning. No one wants the tie-on knots to slip as the woven fabric rounds the cloth beam. You want warp ends to be securely fastened, with no chance of losing their grip. Your cloth depends on it.
Plattväv towels, with 22/2 cottolin warp, and 16/1 linen weft. The towels have been washed, dried, and pressed. They are ready to be hemmed.
Think of yourself gripping onto hope. Think of the knots that hold tightly to the front tie-on bar. Hold tightly to hope, and don’t let go while the weaving progresses. Our hope is not some vague wish. Our hope is based on the redeeming work of Jesus Christ–God’s promise to be with us. God can be trusted to keep his promise. Don’t waver in your tight grip on this true hope. The fabric of your life depends on it.
The brilliant blue linen, with its natural luster, is a lively option for the plattväv pattern floats. And blue linen weft for the hem makes a fitting border. These towels with blue accents have a different “character” than the towels with the black linen accents (as seen in Striped Warp Freedom). The accent color makes a big difference.
Golden bleached 16/1 linen for plain weaveweft. Plattväv pattern weft is doubled royal blue 16/1 linen.
I planned stripes in the warp to simplify the weaving. The warp stripes enable me to weave patterned towels with a single weft color. Plattväv weft floats keep it interesting. As much as I like blue linen, I am uncertain about it here. I’m waiting to see the towels off the loom, washed and dried. In the meantime, the warp stripes make my heart sing. And I’m thankful to have options for the pattern weft.
Royal blue 16/1 linen is used to weave the hem. The antique Swedish shuttle seems appropriate for this Swedish weave.
We always have a reason to sing. ThanksGiving may be a holiday, but it’s also a way of life. It’s seeing the good, the benefits, the blessings, even in the midst of uncertainty. It’s knowing that carefully planned warp stripes are still there. My hope is in God. My soul is confident, firm, and steadfast in him. And thankful to the core.
