fringe – Warped for Good

Weaving with Friends

August 3, 2021August 2, 2021 Karen

Welcome back into my studio. I have been weaving, finishing, winding warps, and dressing looms. And spending time with friends. What better way to enjoy friends than to go on a floor-loom-weaving expedition together? Weaving Extravaganza at Homestead Fiber Crafts in Waco, Texas is the getaway. The looms are dressed and ready for us when we arrive. Abilities and experience are irrelevant. Anyone can do this!

From the projects available, I choose to weave a textured shawl. Keleen, a rigid heddle weaver (sitting at a floor loom this time), chooses to make fabric for an apron with a monksbelt border. Jan, who has never touched a loom until now, weaves natural-colored-cotton dish towels. Four hours pass in a flash, with weaving and camaraderie. We each complete our handwoven cloth. After returning home our fabrics are washed and finished, ready for use. My shimmering shawl is just right for a cool evening. Keleen’s fabric is soon to become an heirloom apron. And Jan’s first handwoven towels are drying dishes. Success!

Textured Shawl woven at Homestead Fiber Crafts. — Textured Shawl, mixed fibers, plain weave.

Monksbelt apron fabric woven at Homestead Fiber Crafts. — Monksbelt apron fabric, cotton, plain weave and two-shuttle monksbelt pattern weave.

Natural colored cotton dish towels woven at Homestead Fiber Crafts. — Natural-colored-cotton dish towels, plain weave.

Abilities and experience come in all shapes and sizes. Anyone who wants to learn, can. Your heart goes in the direction you turn it. The Lord sees your heart. He’s not looking for ability or experience. He reaches the heart that is turned toward him. That’s where his grace comes to life.

May you have true friends.

Your friend,
Karen

Process Review: Perfectly Imperfect

January 26, 2021January 25, 2021 Karen

I waded into deflected double weave for the first time. It took me one full scarf to figure out what I was doing. By the second scarf, I had a much better sense of how the pattern fits together and what to do with the shuttles (most of the time). Both scarves are quite imperfect (no one will ever know…). The loom behaved perfectly, though. This is my Julia’s first project using all eight shafts. Now, I know that this sweet loom is up to any challenge I give her.

20/2 Mora wool by Borgs for a lovely scarf. — 20/2 Mora wool by Borgs. Yarn is temporarily secured by pulling a loop behind the warp at the nearest upright on the warping reel.

Putting a new warp on the 8-shaft Glimakra Julia. — Preparing to dress the loom. The lease cross end of the warp chain is placed through the beater.

Glimakra Julia 8- shaft loom is ready to weave! — Warp is beamed and tied on, and the treadles and lamms are tied up.

Wool deflected double weave. — First scarf gives me a chance to learn. Beat consistency is getting better with practice.

Learning ins and outs of deflected double weave. — Trickiest part about deflected double weave is understanding how the shuttles interact so that the color from one shuttle (the salmon color) never goes to the selvedge.

Trying to learn deflected double weave. — Gaining confidence and consistency on the second scarf.

My first deflected double weave! — Stiff Mora wool will soon soften in the wash. After cutting off, I discover that a tiny misunderstanding gave me a consistent wrong thread all along one selvedge on the back side. Maybe we should call this *defective* double weave. (But, really, *no one will ever know*.)

O, the joy of twisting fringe! — Bundles of light and dark threads are twisted into swinging fringes before the scarves are washed.

By the way, I like the finished airy scarves, even with their flaws.

Deflected double weave scarf in Mora wool. — Finished scarf has delightful pattern and character. Mora wool is sufficiently softened through washing and drying, to make a supple fabric.

Texas hill country foggy day and new handwoven scarf to go with it. — Perfect (imperfect) scarf to brighten up a foggy day in Texas hill country.

May you wade into a new experience.

Happy Weaving,
Karen

Tried and True: One Small Skein

October 13, 2020October 12, 2020 Karen

I have a single skein of colorful cotton/bamboo sock yarn that a sweet friend gave to me. I’m not a knitter. What can I do with a mere 50 grams of silky-soft yarn? My 13.5” Glimåkra Emilia rigid-heddle loom is perfect for the task. When I’m at home I weave on floor looms. When I travel I like to take Emilia along.

"Make Do" warping while away from home. — This is called “Make Do” warping while away from home.

Glimakra 13.5" Emilia rigid heddle loom, ready to tie on and start weaving. — Emilia is beamed and the heddle is threaded. Ready to tie on and start weaving.

Weaving in the Casita Travel Trailer. — Now, a trip to visit some wonders of creation in Texas. Time to bring Emilia along. Weaving in “La Perlita,” our Casita Travel Trailer.

Weaving outside while camping. — Weaving outside the Casita in the shade of a tree is a relaxing way to spend the afternoon.

Weaving outdoors. — Two shades of bamboo thread are used for the weft–hot pink and coral–woven in alternating blocks of color.

Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park, with poppies in the foreground. — Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park. Poppies in the foreground provide color inspiration for more weaving projects.

Hemstitching at the end of a scarf on the rigid heddle loom. — Hemstitching at the end of the scarf, easiest to do while still on the loom.

One skein of this yarn yields just enough to make the warp for a short scarf with fringe. I am using Xie Bamboo thread for the weft, left from the huck lace shawl I wove for myself to wear to my daughter’s wedding six years ago (See Quiet Friday: Coral Shawl for a Memorable Occasion). This thinner weft gives me a loose weave, and the color blends in a way that allows the changing color of the warp to take center stage.

Trimming fringe on a handwoven scarf. — Back home again, doing the finishing. Fringe is trimmed to an even length.

Twisting fringe. (For more on twisting fringe, see Tools Day: Fringe Twister.)

Handwoven scarf before washing. — Before hand washing.

Rigid heddle scarf made with sock yarn. — Scarf has been air dried, and the fringe knots have been trimmed. This soft short scarf is just right to wear with a light jacket in the Texas autumn air.

Now that this scarf is finished, the only thing left to do is make sure I have a new warp ready for Emilia in time for our next travel adventure.

May you take your joys with you.

Happy travel weaving,
Karen

Monksbelt Flowers on a Shoulder Bag

June 30, 2020June 29, 2020 Karen

Remember Joanne Hall’s Swedish Art Weaves workshop that I took a few months ago? With the warp that was left, I explored some of the art weaves in more depth.

Monksbelt (Munkabälte), Dukagång, and Halvkrabba can be seen below the warp.

I finished off the linen warp by making a front and back panel for a small shoulder bag. A monksbelt pattern is scattered like flowers on the front. The back has various stripe patterns in weft-faced plain weave. I wove a shoulder strap on my band loom using 6/2 Tuna wool for warp and 12/6 cotton for weft.

Weaving Monksbelt with half heddle sticks. — Half-heddle sticks and batten in front of the back beam, for weaving monksbelt patterns.

Pick up for monksbelt. — Pick-up stick in front of the reed is being used to weave a monksbelt flower “petal.”

Handwoven shoulder bag in progress. — Back panel has varying stripe patterns.

Glimakra band loom. Narrow wool band. — Narrow wool band for the bag shoulder strap.

The bag has simple construction, mostly hand-stitched. In one of my remnant bins I found a piece of wool fabric that I wove several years ago. It’s perfect for the sides and bottom of the bag. The lining uses pieces from fabric that went into my latest rag rugs, and has pockets, of course.

Making a handwoven wool bag. — Overhand knots secure the warp ends.

Construction of a wool shoulder bag. — Ready to assemble all the parts.

Constructing a small handwoven wool bag. — Handwoven wool pieces are hand-stitched together.

Handwoven wool bag construction. — Bag construction continues with stitching the back in place.

Magnet closure on a handwoven bag. — Magnet closure is added to the lining before stitching the lining in place. Knots and fringe outline the top of the bag.

This bag with Monksbelt Flowers is for carrying sweet memories, happy moments, and heavenly dreams.

Inside of handwoven wool bag. — Pockets in the lining.

Monksbelt Flowers handwoven shoulder bag.

Resources: Swedish Art Weaves workshop with Joanne Hall; Heirlooms of Skåne Weaving Techniques, by Gunvor Johansson; Väv Scandinavian Weaving Magazine, 2/2013.

This is the time for my annual pause for the month of July. I appreciate you joining me in this weaving journey!

I look forward to being back with you again Tuesday, August 4. In the meantime, joyfully draw living water from the source, Jesus Christ.

May you carry no more than necessary.

With love,
Karen

Process Review: Jämtlandsdräll with Julia

May 26, 2020May 30, 2020 Karen

My intention is to weave fabric for a couple of cushy throw pillows. But after just one pattern repeat, I realize that this cloth on my brand new Glimåkra Julia is something I would like to wear! No pillows this time. Instead, here is my new autumn/winter shoulder wrap, embellished with frisky swinging fringes. Miss Julia has proven her worth on four-shaft Jämtlandsdräll (crackle) in 6/2 Tuna wool. Her next adventure will be something that explores all eight shafts. (See My New Glimåkra Julia Loom.)

Jämtlandsdräll Wool Wrap - woven on Glimåkra Julia. — Finished wrap. Ready for cool weather!

This project starts with the draft for the Jämtlandsdräll Blanket on p.59 of Simple Weaves, by Birgitta Bengtsson Björk and Tina Ignell. Tuna yarn samples, along with Fiberworks Silver for Mac, help me jazz up the color. I settle on three colors for the warp, with burnt orange as the anchor. Six different colors are used for the pattern weft, plus dark teal for the tabby.

Planning my next weaving project on Fiberworks. — Paint chips, Tuna yarn samples, and Fiberworks Silver for Mac aid my planning process.

Colors! Let's see how they work together on the loom. — Colors! Let’s see how they work together on the loom.

Beaming the warp on my new Julia. — Beaming the warp.

Weaving Jamtlandsdrall (Crackle) on my new Julia. — Daylight, plus colorful yarn. As summer is warming up outside, Julia is dressed warmly inside.

Color gradation in the pattern. — Some color gradation in the pattern.

My new Glimakra Julia! — Miss Julia, filling up her cloth beam.

Crackle (Jamtlandsdrall) in Tuna Wool. — Ending with a few picks of plain weave.

End of warp on my new Glimakra Julia. — Thrums at the end of the warp will serve as fringe.

Cutting off Jamtlandsdrall (crackle)! — Cutting off, giving a view of the back side of the cloth. Front and back have reverse images.

Twisting fringe on Jamtlandsdrall wrap. — Much to my pleasant surprise, after removing (unweaving) my short sample weaving at the beginning, and untying the front tie-on knots, I had the EXACT same length of fringe–*to the centimeter*–on both ends of the woven wrap.

Chunky, frolicky fringe. — Overhand knots secure the weft. Two groups of four warp strands each form each chunky fringe. Now, this wrap is ready for wet-finishing.

This is one of those times when the weaving is so satisfying that I truly don’t want the warp to come to an end. (…except that I’m excited to start on Julia’s second adventure!)

May your adventures never cease.

Happy Weaving,
Karen