Tag: grand weaver

Tell Me When You Reach Halfway

Karen

The “MID” marking helps me to make a slight adjustment on this towel so that the second half comes out the same as the first half. I like knowing when I am at the halfway point of a piece because it tells me how close I am to completion.

Cotton goose-eye towel at the halfway point on the loom.
By moving the MID point of the measuring ribbon to the center of the brown stripe, the second half of the towel will be symmetrically aligned with the first half.

The midway point is a chance to evaluate and make sure everything lines up. If you could see the midway point in your life, or look back and see that you have passed “MID,” would you live the remainder differently? What adjustments would you make, large or small?

If only we could know when we are on the downhill side of life… But we don’t get a “halfway notice” on life, do we?

God made us. We did not make ourselves. Do you know a towel that wove itself? I don’t. The good news is that the one who made us wants to complete us. He knows all the necessary marks along the way, and nudges us when adjustments are needed. It is good to know we have a Grand Weaver who cares even more about our completion than we do.

May you see where to make adjustments.

Being Woven,
Karen

Are You in a Pretty Mess?

Karen

You might think this looks like a mess. Maybe there is a vague sense of pattern and color, but doesn’t it look like the assortment of rya knots are in a random arrangement? Guess again. Let me give you another view.

Rya knots, an assortment of colors in wool yarn.
Each colored wool strand is knotted by hand around doubled warp ends. Mora wool is doubled on the quill in the shuttle for the background weft, woven in a rosepath pattern.

Change the perspective of the camera, and you will see the simple, but distinct, pattern and order that is woven into this design.

Layered rya knots on the Glimakra Standard loom.
A simple stripe arrangement enhances the layered look of rya knots. The row of reds and violets is repeated to give prominence to that color family.

We think we are able to know all there is to know, but that’s just not true. We see from a human perspective. Is it possible that there is more than science, education, and philosophy can explain? God is greater than we think. His view of his creation is from a higher angle. He knows what he made and how he designed things to operate. We study and discover how it all works, but we didn’t make it. Our grand weaver is great. No one knows how great he is. But when things look like a pretty mess, we can trust he has a plan that will weave the assorted threads into a beautiful work of art.

May you see beauty even when things seem to be a mess.

In a pretty mess with wedding plans (only two weeks to go!),
Karen

Aiming At Perfection?

Karen

If I show you pictures of the bands and pieces of cloth I have woven, you might think they look perfect. That’s because the photographer (me) stages the photos so you get the best impression of the work. If you look closely enough for imperfections, trust me, you will find them. We all know that only God is perfect, so why are we so consumed with trying to reach perfection?

Cottolin ribbon woven on Glimakra band loom. Karen Isenhower
Nearly five yards of cotton/linen ribbon woven on the Glimåkra band loom. I had to finish this warp so I could start making a band to use for tabs on the towels I recently finished.

We think that if we are good or do enough good things we will make God happy. A lot of people have been practicing; so, if practice makes perfect, why isn’t anyone perfect yet? Most of all, me. How can I stand before my grand weaver and expect him to overlook all my imperfections? My camera tricks are useless.

Off with the old, on with the new. Band loom weaving.
Warp made with a few colors from the towels, this cotton ribbon will be a good match for making hanging tabs for the towels.
Glimakra band loom, weaving hanging tabs to match handwoven towels. Karen Isenhower
Three yards of cotton ribbon, completely in harmony with the towels they will adorn.

Jesus takes my place before God. His perfection covers my imperfect deeds. My simple part is to put my trust in him. His cross took all my failures to the grave. Now, when my grand weaver sees me, he notices the perfection of his original design as seen in Jesus, his son.

Hand-carved marionette and relief carving by Steve Isenhower. Handwoven towel by Karen Isenhower
New towel with hanging loop on display with Steve’s relief carving and hand-carved marionette. (Seven more towels to hem.)

May you be who you were designed to be.

Weaving onward,
Karen

Made to Fade?

Karen

You will always come back to what you love. I came back to this arrangement of stripes because I love the harmonious way the colors work together. Now used as a weft sequence, this is one of the color wrappings that I did when planning this towel warp. (You can see the rest of the color wrappings HERE.) But really, it’s just towels, it’s just colors, it’s just things that wear out.

Color wrapping used to inspire weft sequence. Karen Isenhower
Color wrapping for possible warp arrangement is now used as weft sequence. Except, since I ran out of light blue thread (remember THIS?), I am using dark blue in its place.

Everything we can touch and everything we can see is in the process of fading. Physical things deteriorate over time; they just do. The handwoven articles I so carefully make may last a human lifetime, or maybe longer. But eventually they will be no more, and any meaning they have now will be lost. (Even with my grandmother’s quilts and rugs, like THESE, I don’t know what they meant to her, and she’s no longer around to ask.) It doesn’t make sense to love things. Sure, we can touch and see them, and our me-first self wants them. But they are all going away.

It does make sense to investigate the non-physical things that never decay. When we align with the desires of our grand weaver and discover the plans he has had from the beginning of time, we are investing in heavenly pursuits that carry rewards that never fade. Ever.

May the work of your hands outlast you.

101 Thanks! Thank you, dear friend, for coming to my virtual weaving studio again and again. If you are one of the small handful (there are about eight or ten of you) that started with me 101 blog posts ago (HERE is the first post), a BIG thank-you to YOU! If you are one of the more recent guests, helping to grow this space to more than 1,200 guests a month, I am HUGELY grateful to YOU, too! You are welcome here. I am so glad you came!

Gratefully Yours,
Karen

Wedding Plans Come to Light

Karen

The next eight-and-a-half weeks may be the most exciting and challenging weeks I have ever known as a mom. My daughter is getting married! How quickly things change. One day your daughter is in a nice relationship; the next day she’s engaged. We already have the dress, the venue, the date, and the photographer. Oh, and the groom worth waiting for! And that’s no small answer to prayer.

Rya knots for pillow. Back of pillow being woven in background weft.
Rya knots that form the top of the pillow turn the corner around the breast beam. The back of the pillow is being woven in the flat pattern of the wool background weft.

Our grand weaver is light. There is absolutely no darkness in him at all. Bright, brilliant, and radiant. That light illumines every step, every decision. The motion of the vibrant rya strands ends in an abrupt line as the weaving moves on to the flat surface of the back fabric of the pillow. The once-hidden intricate pattern behind the rya knots is now in full view, in full light. (For more about that hidden background weft, click HERE.) The source for strength and endurance has already been set into place. Now, it’s time to fearlessly live it out.

May you find light on your path.

Your friend,
Karen