Tag: design

Rag Rug Rya

Karen

I have an enormous brown paper cartoon hanging under the warp, suspended by a contraption of wood, string, and rubber bands.The pattern area of this rag rug begins with rya knots. The dark colors of the rya pile contrast with a background of whites, off-whites and light prints. The rya knots follow a geometric design that I drew onto the brown paper with a Sharpie.

Rag rug with rya knots.
Brown paper under the warp hangs over a slat which is suspended with seine twine and rubber bands.

As the designer and weaver, I already see the finished rug in my mind’s eye, and understand what is needed to complete it. I am weaving this rag rug for our own home, so naturally I am already thinking about where it will be placed. This makes it personal, and the slow weaving process grants me the opportunity to know this rug, inside and out.

Tightly-woven selvedges on hefty rag rug with rya knots.
Tightly-woven selvedges. Doubled weft gives extra fullness and weight to the rug, as well as contributing to strong rug selvedges.

Yes, it is important for me to know my Maker, but even more important that He knows me. All of life has meaning when God knows you by name. He knows what is needed to give our lives purpose. And the slow process becomes that much more personal as he weaves the design that he has seen all along.

May you accumulate many meaningful moments.

Happy rug weaving,
Karen

These Sensational Towels!

Karen

What can compare to the thrill of unrolling freshly-woven cloth? Pulling, and pulling, and pulling until you get to the very beginning of the warp. As every towel unwinds, I do a micro evaluation, knowing that complete scrutiny comes later. I could not be happier with these towels! They are every bit as sensational off the loom as they were to weave. What a joy to be a weaver!

Towels galore just coming off the loom!
Back to the beginning! Cottolin thick and thin handtowels are coming off the loom.

It wasn’t that long ago that I was winding lopsided quills, dropping the shuttle more than occasionally, and struggling to understand weaving drafts. Desire and a willingness to learn have pushed me through these and other barriers.

Handwoven towels ready to be hemmed.
Ready for hemming.
Black and white and a little red. Handwoven towels.
Black and white and a little red, ready for hemming.
Photo shoot for new handwoven towels. Karen Isenhower
Getting set up for a photo shoot. Photos are used in Etsy listings.

Willingness is more important than capability. Being willing sets the stage for learning. We all start incapable. God doesn’t expect us to be capable. He does expect us to be willing. God weaves His purposes on earth, not through the capable people, but through the willing. In weaving, and in life overall, I want to embrace and preserve the willingness factor that keeps me learning.

Thick and thin structure is a handweaver's playground. Karen Isenhower
Thick and thin structure is a playground for a handweaver to imagine and develop designs. Cottolin handtowels and table runner. Designer kitchen, anyone?

And as we yield our will to our Creator, what joy is ours as we learn how to truly live!

May you never stop learning.

(You can see a few of these items now in the Warped for Good Etsy Shop.)

Happy Weaving,
Karen

Quiet Friday: Thick and Thin

Karen

A vote of confidence from someone you look up to can make a world of difference. When I saw Joanne Hall’s exquisite towel made with thick and thin threads, I asked her, “Do you think I can weave something like that?” “Of course you can;” she replied without hesitation, “it’s plain weave.” Keep in mind that I was a complete novice on the floor loom; and I barely knew how to handle one shuttle, much less two! I plunged into the ambitious project and came out with a winner! The blue and cream towel hangs on the oven door in my kitchen as a daily reminder of the powerful impact of an encouraging word. Thank you, Joanne!

Cotton tea towel, thick and thin. Karen Isenhower
First thick and thin towel, completed as a beginning weaver. This is one of Erica de Ruiter’s designs, found in “The Best of Weaver’s Thick’n Thin,” Edited by Madelyn van der Hoogt.

Thick and thin is just as fascinating this time around. It is delightful to revisit a rewarding experience. Who knew that plain weave could be this much fun?

Zebra warp on Glimakra warping reel.
Zebra warp with thick and thin threads on my new Glimakra warping reel. One of three bouts, 10 1/2 meters.
Warping trapeze in action.
View from the crossbar at the top of the warping trapeze, looking down. Ready to untie choke ties and add weights to the warp bouts.
Threading Texsolv heddles.
Thick ends alternate with thin ends as the heddles are threaded. Left hand separates the shafts‘ heddles for ease of threading.
Ready to weave thick and thin towels!
Weaving begins as soon as the warp is tied on and the leveling string is secured. I use the first few inches to check the threading and sett, and to do some sampling.
Border pattern for cottoln towel on the loom.
First border is captured with my iPhone camera so that I can easily reproduce the pattern at the other end of the towel.
Plain weave with three shuttles creates interesting patterns.
I added a second double bobbin shuttle to make it easier and quicker to switch weft colors. Plain weave gets even more interesting with three shuttles!
Thick and thin cottolin towels on the Glimakra Ideal loom.
End of the third towel.
Black and white towels on the loom. Karen Isenhower
View from under the breast beam. I love to see the fabric rolled up on the cloth beam.
Temple in place for weaving black and white cottolin towels.
Temple keeps the fabric at the optimum width for weaving. Red cutting line serves as the separation between the end of one towel and the beginning of the next. Ready to start another fascinating pattern.

May you give a vote of confidence to someone who needs it.

Happy weaving,
Karen

Pass the Test with Black and White Weft

Karen

Who knew you could do so much with black and white? The pattern for this third black and white towel differs from the first two. Each new towel is an opportunity to create a new pattern.

Cottolin towels (thick & thin) on the loom.
Two red picks mark the end of towel #2. I always use red for the cutting line between pieces to prevent accidentally cutting at the wrong spot.

For the first four towels I am putting myself to the test, using only black and white weft. The color restriction turns out to be a designer’s advantage. It forces me to consider possibilities that I might have overlooked if I had allowed myself to include other colors. I get excited when I see ideas turn into cloth on the loom. It is still as delightful as it was the very first time I threw a shuttle. If you are a weaver, you know what I mean.

Here is an amazing thought: You can bring delight to God. It brings delight to the Lord when we trust in him completely. He knows the right plans, and knows when to stick with black and white, and when to throw in a splash of color. Think of his delight when we go along with his ideas, and the resulting woven cloth of our lives brings a smile to his face.

May your ideas turn into delightful cloth.

Happy weaving,
Karen

Zebra Warp

Karen

I changed my mind. A long zebra warp (formerly known as black and white) will not be boring. When I come to the end I’m certain I will wish I had an even longer warp. The first few picks are already amazing. Design possibilities are flying through my mind!

Zebra warp on Glimakra Ideal loom.
Zebra warp has taken over my Glimåkra Ideal loom. There are 10 1/2 meters (11 1/2 yards) of thick and thin threads.

This is plain weave. But here, the plain weave is transformed with thick and thin threads–in warp and weft. Combining thick (doubled 22/2 cottolin) and thin (30/2 cotton) gives me two blocks to work with. I am using two shuttles, one of which is a double bobbin shuttle. As always, weaving feels like magic. All I do is dress the loom and throw the shuttles, and exquisite cloth magically appears!

Black and white towels on the loom.
First few picks reveal interesting design options. Leveling string across the beginning of the warp eliminates the need to weave scrap yarn to spread the warp.
Black and white towels on the loom. Karen Isenhower
First towel has a border design–one element that sets a handwoven towel apart.

God’s faithfulness is like a long zebra warp. It doesn’t seem elaborate or noticeably fancy. It’s been there forever. His faithfulness is known among the angels and all of heaven. God’s faithful love is as constant as day and night. We take notice when we see beauty appear, like kindness from a stranger, or love from a friend, or inner peace from doing the right thing. As the shuttles of life traverse the threads, the evidence of God’s faithful love is revealed. Always and forever.

May you enjoy endless design possibilities.

Happy weaving,
Karen