New beginnings. Same warp, but a new rosepath rag rug. This one may be better than the last. We won’t know until the rugs are all unrolled from the cloth beam at the end. I varied the colors, the treadling, and the hems for the rugs on this warp. I wanted to start over with each new rug. A fresh start means a chance to make fewer mistakes, and it’s an opportunity to do something different.
Fourth rosepath rug on this warp. The stripes are created by alternating two weft colors in plain weave. The rosepath strip is created by alternating two weft colors in a rosepath treadling pattern.
Are you getting a fresh start for this new year? A new start gives us the courage to break out of a rut, or to walk away from bad habits. Who doesn’t have unstoppable optimism with new resolutions? As we are pressed by time and real life, though, our hope and enthusiasm wear away much too soon. A successful new beginning requires a new outlook; otherwise, the discouragement is even greater when we find ourselves on the old familiar path that was leading nowhere.
Our grand weaver’s perspective transcends human time. He sees the end as clearly as the beginning. Thankfully, the new beginning that he offers brings us a hope-filled outlook that makes corrective change possible. He opens our eyes to see the threads he is faithfully weaving that bring our new beginnings into his story.
(Thank you for coming into my *virtual* weaving studio for a friendly chat. Warped for Good still feels like a new endeavor to me after these nine months of getting started. I deeply appreciate all the encouragement you have given me!)
Rosepath (Rosengång) is a motif that shows up frequently in Scandinavian textiles. I love seeing rosepath in any setting, but rosepath is at its best, arguably, when it is used for borders and accents on otherwise ordinary cloth. This four-shaft rosepath is well-suited for rag rugs, giving delightful visual results. Because it uses two ski shuttles and fancy footwork on the treadles, I must be deliberately attentive. (Click HERE to view my other Rosepath projects.) If there is to be a positive motif in the fabric of our lives, we must be deliberate about that, as well.
The characteristic dot in the rosepath motif is clearly visible in the high-contrast red/tan accent. The dot is still visible, but not as obvious in the lower-contrast mottled green/tan accent.
People want to be remembered. Stop for a minute and think about the people you are connected with–family members, friends, co-workers, acquaintances. Think about how thankful you are for them. Thankfulness is an outstanding motif. Not just thankful for what people give you or do for you, but simply thankful that they are here.
One of the best ways to love someone is to remember them when you’re talking with the creator, thanking him for putting them in your life. Thinking thankful thoughts is nice, but deliberately thanking the one who makes it possible is even better. That thankfulness shows up as the defining motif in all our interactions with the people we’ve been given to love.
May your thankful heart be the delightful motif that others see.
Here we are, already at the end of the warp. This run of towels was simple enough that I could concentrate on a few fundamentals while weaving. I have studied with three terrific weaving instructors– Leigh taught me to aim for excellence, but to not fear mistakes. Joanne taught me quality weaving through Swedish techniques. And Becky taught me to think about how and why things work. I will be in Becky’s class again soon, so this simple towel warp was perfect for practicing the basics again before I go. Each teacher taught me as much by example as by verbal instruction. Living by example, each of us are teachers in life lessons.
One of four hand towels on this cottolinwarp. Navy 6/1 Tow Linen is used for border stripes in the weft.
I do look for opportunities to explain things that will help other people. Just as much, though, I aspire to teach simply by living in a way that is true to what I believe. What we say, how we behave, how we love, how we live our faith, how purity is exemplified in us–these may be more influential than instructions we try to give.
Weaving to the very end of the warp. Back tie-on bar is as far as it can come–touching the back of the heddles.
You have something to teach that the people near you need to learn. Let them learn from your example–it speaks louder than words.
Fresh off the loom, the stiffness of these towels will relax with washing. The weave structure, M’s and O’s, will also become more defined after washing.
May your lessons continue as your students become teachers.
A warp that has not been properly wound on at the start will be full of problems every inch of the way, compromising the quality of the finished cloth. One thing that helps ensure an evenly wound warp is tension. I lay warp chains on the floor in front of the loom, weighted down with bricks and walking weights. The weights provide resistance for winding the warp over the back beam onto the warp beam, giving tight and even tension. People need tension, too.
Given a choice, I would like no tension, thank you. Just give me some slack. Do you know that the tension you and I would rather avoid could be the very thing that makes us shine?
Tension is uncomfortable, stretches our limits, and can bring out the worst in us. It tests us. But testing has positive results. Our maker knows that. His testing of our hearts reveals our true identity by confirming our deeply held convictions. Any loose or broken threads hidden in the warp become apparent, so they can be repaired or replaced. And we are made ready for the rest of the weaving.
May you find gold and silver threads shining in your warp as you become refined through testing.
Your friend, Karen
Have you ever been refined through tension?
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At Jason Collingwood’s Plain Weave Rug Workshop in Waco, Texas last week, I completed a technique sampler. I was not one of the fastest guns in the West, so I have a couple yards (or more…) of that linen warp still on my little loom. One piece of advice Jason gave in class was to use the intricacies of these techniques sparingly–to keep it simple when it comes to rug design. That is what I am aiming for as I finish off this warp, hoping to end up with some miniature rugs (the warp is only 11 1/4″ wide) as design samples.
Finished sample of plain weave rug techniques. The sample begins with countered twining that extends past the selvedge with a four-strand braid. My favorite technique is the crossed weft combined with meet and separate, seen at the far end of the sample.
Jason was kind enough to converse with me on topics that would benefit you, my blog friends. You can catch the first part of that conversation, covering Jason’s perspective as a rug weaver and a teacher of rug weaving, here.
Now, enjoy Part 2 of our conversation.
Me: Once someone has mastered the technical aspects, and is producing quality handwoven goods, they may want to sell what they have produced. What advice do you have for someone just starting out?
Jason: You need to be very determined. You have to accept that it’s not going to happen instantly. And you have to be prepared to sacrifice certain things in life that a normal job may give you–be that security, spare income, or, possibly, medical insurance coverage.
Me: It’s challenging to get started, then?
Jason: I look back to my early years, and it’s interesting… And Akiko, my wife, is a very successful ceramicist now, but when she started off, to save money, she would walk across London four or five miles, with a little dolly on wheels. She would buy her bags of clay, put them on the dolly, and wheel them back across London. And you know, there are all these early little sacrifices that you don’t see, when you see the person in the galleries successfully selling their work.
Me: Your father, Peter Collingwood, was well-known as an extraordinary rug weaver. But you still needed to put in a lot of hard work, yourself, for people to associate Jason Collingwood with high quality handwoven rugs. So, if someone aspires to succeed as a weaver, how can they make it work?
Jason: I think you need to have determination, and some amount of grit, and self-discipline. At the end of the day, there’s no one telling you to sit at that loom, and weave again the same things you did yesterday, and again, and again, and again. I think it’s just perseverance. As long as you are producing something of quality, eventually, if you persevere, it’ll pay off.
Me: Okay, that gives hope to someone willing to work hard. If we look beyond the present challenges, and work, with determination, we have something to look forward to.
Jason: You know, those barren early years are almost like an investment in your future life, your weaving life. I mean, I didn’t particularly enjoy those years, but I think they were almost a necessary test of whether I was going to stick it out. I think a lot of people would’ve folded in those early years, and said, Okay, this isn’t working. But, you know, it was kind of a test of my resolve that I carried on.
Me: Thank you for sharing your story! Your insights bring considerable value to weavers, but also to people in other fields interested in improving their craft. I appreciate the encouragement of your example of determination. Thanks again!
Please visit Jason Collingwood’s website, here, to see the stunning rugs he weaves and sells, as well as descriptions of his workshops. You can also enjoy the artistry of Jason’s wife, Akiko, at her website, here.
