Tag: Glimakra Standard

Monksbelt Grid

Karen

I think of monksbelt as a grid. The grid, created in the threading, has blocks that I get to fill in with color. The only thing I have to do is follow the treadling draft and keep the two shuttles in their proper order. The rest is play. It is amazing what you can do with nine pattern colors, several background colors, and a simple grid. 

Classic monksbelt with a modern look. Karen Isenhower
Swedish monksbelt has two blocks in the pattern. Ground weave and pattern colors are changed in irregular intervals, giving a modern look to a classic weave structure.

A grid is a framework, a structure, that gives boundaries to the space. We need a grid for coloring our decisions, for outlining our beliefs, and for drawing our convictions. Our hearts can be fooled, so don’t trust your heart to tell you what is right. What seems right may be wrong. We need a higher standard for forming the patterns of our life. It makes sense to stay with the grid that the Grand Weaver, our Maker, planned when he dressed the loom. Then, filling in the blocks with color is pure joy.

May you find colors that delight you.

With joy,
Karen

Designing at the Loom

Karen

For the most part, I am designing this monksbelt at the loom. Even so, I have guidelines regarding color order, sequence of tabby and pattern colors, and treadling order. Each time I remove the temple, I make mental notes for the upcoming segment. When I advance the warp, I step back to get a better idea of where I’ve been, and where I want to go.

Monksbelt with Faro wool pattern weft.
Two tabby picks of blue 16/2 cotton are between each Fårö wool pattern pick. Purple wool weft is carried up the selvedge a short distance under the blue wool weft .

The challenging part is the weft rep tabby. I make a high arch with the tabby weft, and change sheds before beating the weft in. Inconsistency shows up as streaks, especially with darker weft, like the blue tabby I’m on now. When it seems like too much effort to get it right, I have to remember that I am not just making yardage; I am developing skills and habits for successful weaving.

Saturated colors bring high contrast to the monksbelt pattern.
The intensity of saturated colors provide high contrast. Lavendar wool appears gray when deep purple and dark blue are introduced.

It takes planning and caring to build a home. It takes wisdom. Homes are built with wisdom. It’s like designing at the loom. We can’t see into the future, but we can set guidelines that help us make a good design. There is always a challenging part, in every stage. All the more reason for consistency in our convictions. Home is not just a place. Home is where we learn to love.

May your home be your family’s favorite place.

Designing,
Karen

Between the Lavender Picks

Karen

I almost kept going. But something was off. Maybe the tabby hadn’t been beaten in as tight between the lavender pattern picks. In that case, a few more rows would obscure the slight difference. I did not want to undo; and wishful thinking tempted me to avoid taking a closer look. Sensibility won, though. I did stop to examine the cloth.

Weft threads are carefully snipped back to point of error.
Weft threads are carefully snipped back to the point of error. I did this very slowly, with a bright light shining on the area being snipped.

Even under close inspection, my eyes could not identify the error. I struggled to see the fine details. Magnifying glass to the rescue! Magnification revealed two extra tabby picks. Aha! Two fine threads out of place are enough to throw off the pattern. If not corrected, this errant line across the finished cloth would draw the attention of every eye. Knowing precisely where the error is gives me courage to face the necessary operation. Snip, snip, snip. Undo. Fresh start.

Magnifier reveals 2 extra tabby picks to be removed.
Magnifier reveals two extra tabby picks (16/2 cotton) that must be removed.
Error removed.
Weft threads are pulled out one by one, and then discarded.

An honest report tells it like it is. When we are trusting the Lord, we have courage to stop and examine errors, bypassing wishful thinking. Faith is like a magnifying glass that enables us to see clearly. Courage comes alive through the eyes of faith. The difficult and painful process of undoing errors and making corrections is worth it when you consider the high value of the finished fabric.

Monksbelt on the loom. Karen Isenhower
Monksbelt weaving continues. All is well.

May you catch your errors while they can be undone.

Honestly,
Karen

Tools Day: Loom Cart

Karen

Having a cart beside my loom is the next best thing to a loom-side assistant! A turquoise utility cart from IKEA sits beside my Glimåkra Ideal. An Elfa drawer system on casters is right beside the Glimåkra Standard, and keeps oft-used tools within arm’s reach.

The IKEA cart (Råskog Utility Cart) serves as a holding space for any project on the Ideal. Since this loom is not in the room where I keep my weaving supplies, it helps to have a rolling cart that holds items as needed. The three tiers hold tools and supplies for dressing the loom, like sley hook, extra Texsolv heddles, and treadle cords. While weaving, I keep extra shuttles and small tools on the top tier. All the weft thread or yarn for the project goes on the second or third tier. When I weave rag rugs, fabric strips that are sorted by design and/or color are piled up on the three tiers.

IKEA utility cart as loom-side assistant.
IKEA utility cart holds thread and wound quills while I try out weft colors on a new warp.

The Elfa cart enhances efficiency at the big loom. It houses frequently-used essentials, especially small tools and supplies needed to dress the loom. It is near my work table where I wind quills, so yarn for the current project goes in the deep bottom drawer. The woodblock top adds a nice touch that compliments the wood of my Swedish loom.

Elfa drawer system with casters for loom-side assistant.
Too many leftover quills from projects sit in the top drawer of the loom cart. Sley hooks, flat head pins, headlamp, pencils, tape, and other small tools and gadgets are in this top drawer.
Elfa drawer system as loom cart. Organized!
Second drawer has anchor pins and arrow pegs for Texsolv cord, box of choke ties, box of long treadle cords, box of short treadle cords. I found the little boxes at IKEA.
Loom room organization. Guide strings wrapped on empty tubes.
Guide strings for measuring warp are wrapped on empty thread tubes. This drawer also holds rolls of twill ribbon used for measuring weaving length at the loom.
Organization at the loom. Elfa cart solution.
Yarn in the bottom drawer is only a half step away from the winding station. All the cotton and wool weft for the current project is in this drawer, making it easy to grab what I need for winding more quills.

May your loom-side assistant serve you well.

Happy Weaving,
Karen

Weaving Slowly

Karen

After a solid hour of weaving, I have produced only two more inches (5 cm) of woven fabric. I am completely enthralled with the process, though, of this intriguing monksbelt weave. Some of the best things take the most time.

Monksbelt on the loom. Karen Isenhower
Walnut boat shuttle is an Ebay find. It appears to be an antique Swedish shuttle. I like the way it fits in my hand. The fabric measures 4 inches (10cm) from the beginning of the Rust and Brick section to the fell line.

I long to feel the completed cloth in my hands. This weft rep monksbelt is new to me. I honestly don’t know how the hand and drape of the final cloth will be. There is nothing I can do but wait. And, at two inches (5 cm) per hour, that’s a long wait. But I won’t give up. I have enough experience at the loom to know that this is going to be a treasured piece…if I don’t get impatient and cut it off early.

Monksbelt on the loom.

Monksbelt with 9 colors of Faro wool pattern weft. Karen Isenhower
Palette of nine wool pattern colors has been selected for this monksbelt project. Changing the ground weft and the pattern weft at differing intervals produces an active cloth, reminding me of musical counterpoint.
Monksbelt on the loom in the late afternoon.
Weaving in the late afternoon–a relaxing and satisfying experience. Temple awaits on the beater, to be re-positioned when the photo op is over.

Do you have a prayer waiting to be answered? Sometimes it takes a while. Does that mean that God didn’t hear, or that he doesn’t care? If we could see the invisible, I think we would see things being woven into place–at the right time, in the right way. Do not give up on God. Ask, seek, knock. And remember that our heavenly Father has good in mind for us.

May you rest in the wait.

Patiently,
Karen