Tag: heart

Slow and Gentle Weaving

Karen

One soft alpaca scarf. Slow and gentle. This weaving does not let me hurry. I don’t beat the weft; I carefully place it with the beater. For a rag rug weaver like me, accustomed to boisterous weaving, this soft weaving requires my full attention.

Alpaca scarf on the loom. Eight-shaft undulating twill.
Long alpaca scarf is nearing completion. Twill tape for measuring keeps track of the woven length. Two flat-head pins leap frog ahead each time I advance the warp.

There is no variation in this scarf. It’s the same treadling sequence, over and over. After this much repetition, it seems like I should be able to do this without thinking. But, no, I have to pay attention. If I don’t, I lose my place. Glaring mistakes all happen by accident.

Long alpaca scarf on the loom. Slow and gentle weaving.
Long scarf wraps around the cloth beam before it is complete.

We can choose what to hear. Listen wisely. Most things do not go in one ear and out the other. They go in one ear and down into our souls. Listening to gossip, for instance, seems harmless. It might even taste sweet. But what we hear affects our hearts. Listening to gossip is swallowing poison. It’s like weaving a faulty treadling sequence while being distracted. We must pay attention, or the wrong pattern will be woven into the scarf. Instead, let’s enjoy the gentle process of placing the weft and paying attention as we repeat the sequence we know is right.

May you be lifted up by what you hear.

All the best,
Karen

Quality Rug Warp

Karen

After a few weeks of having to refrain from weaving, I am thankful that there was warp to weave one more rug. The quality of warp thread matters because it is the core of the rug. Never underestimate the value of good, strong warp thread for weaving rag rugs.

Rosepath rag rug almost complete!
First hem is going around the cloth beam. Weaving is almost complete!

I like to use 12/6 cotton from Bockens. This rug warp is a six-strand thread with high twist. The smooth, nearly-unbreakable thread enables me to ratchet up the tension on the warp. That high tension helps produce sturdy, tightly packed rugs with tidy selvedges. Knowing you are making a rug that will last is a very satisfying and enjoyable weaving experience.

Cutting off never gets old!
Cutting off never gets old.
Rosepath rag rug just finished. Karen Isenhower
Ta da! Hems are folded under for the picture. As soon as the hems are stitched, this rosepath rag rug will have its Etsy photoshoot.

With finishing nearly complete, this rag rug will be enjoyed on the floor of someone’s home. Most people aren’t aware of the structural elements of a rag rug, but they do notice quality in the finished work. People, too, have an inner core–the heart. The heart matters. The strength of our inward framework determines our outward attitudes and actions. Since true quality is found in a life that serves others, most everything comes down to a matter of the heart.

May your quality of life be noticeable.

Happy weaving,
Karen

Handwoven Thick and Thin Towels

Karen

Do you remember the black and white towels? I love the fascinating results of weaving with thick and thin warp ends, and thick and thin weft threads. That’s why I submitted a project to Handwoven for their November/December 2016 Thick & Thin issue. I gave you only a brief glimpse of the thick and thin towels I wove on an Aquamarine, Teal, and Moss warp, from the palette given me for that issue. (See Tools Day: Loom Cart and This Time in Color.)

Thick and thin towels on the loom.
Double bobbin shuttle carries the doubled weft.
Thick and thin towels at the front beam. Karen Isenhower
Breast beam with thick and thin towels.
Thick and thin towels just off the loom!
Cut from the loom, new colorful thick and thin towels.
Thick and thin towels just off the loom. Karen Isenhower
Towels just off the loom.

Guess what!? My project was accepted for publication. Not only that, these towels that I enjoyed designing and weaving have been placed on the cover! What an unexpected privilege!

Excited to see my Thick and Thin towels on the cover of Handwoven!
Credit: Photograph by Joe Coca from Handwoven November/December 2016 magazine. Copyright © F+W Media 2016.

As great as it is to have your handiwork appear on the cover of a national publication, there is something even greater–being loved. Being on the receiving end of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. Love is like that. Love is to be demonstrated. That’s how Christ demonstrated his love to me–kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. His love is printed on the cover of my heart, with instructions written within so that I can learn to love like I’ve been loved. That’s the cover story I like to tell.

May your heart be covered with love.

With love,
Karen

PS I am recovering from back surgery better than anyone expected. I’m not weaving yet, of course, but I have no shortage of things to share with you while I regain my strength! Thanks for your wonderful encouraging words and prayers for my full recovery.

PPS My draft and instructions for the thick and thin towels are in this Handwoven November/December 2016 issue. This is the same draft I used for the black and white towels.
For purchase of the Handwoven November/December 2016 print edition:
http://www.interweavestore.com/handwoven-magazine-november-december-2016-print
For purchase of the digital edition:
http://www.interweavestore.com/handwoven-magazine-november-december-2016-digital
For weavingtoday:
http://www.weavingtoday.com/

Two Short Rugs Finish the Warp

Karen

Two short rugs finish off this warp. One has a treadling sequence that produces a delightfully different pattern; and the other one has fabric strips for weft, making it a rag rug. I am scheduled for back surgery this week, so I have been working hard (a few minutes at a time) to get this project off the loom. I know I am facing some new limitations in the coming weeks.

Stringyarn weft for 8-shaft block twill rug.
New treadling sequence. Stringyarn weft makes a well-defined pattern.
Rag rug in an 8-shaft block twill. Karen Isenhower
Fabric strips, cut 2cm (3/4″) wide, are used for the weft. The intriguing pattern in the weave structure is more subtle with print fabric than with the stringyarn weft.
Time for cutting off! 8-shaft block twill rugs.
Time for cutting off!

Pain and weakness heighten our understanding of what truly matters. Faith, family, friends. The Lord, Himself, is a safe place for those who come to him for shelter. When we are feeble, he directs our hearts to a place of strength. He invites us into the protective shelter of his mighty and loving presence. You’ll find me resting there. And don’t be surprised to see a portable loom in my hands before too long.

May your heart be at rest.

Yours,
Karen

PS I have prepared and scheduled my Quiet Friday post in advance so you won’t have to miss the unrolling of these eight-shaft block twill rugs!

Three on the Loom Bench

Karen

My son accepted my invitation to “try a little bit of weaving” while he was here for a recent visit. After a few instructions, Daniel was weaving the double binding rag rug like a pro. When his two little ones find him at the loom, they climb up to sit by him. They want to get a closer look. The children don’t understand what Daddy is doing, but they love being with him and watching him.

Double binding rag rug on the Glimakra Standard. Karen Isenhower
Three different cotton batik fabrics make up the body of the rug.
Learning to weave a rag rug. Glimakra Standard
Daniel tries his hand at weaving a double binding rag rug. He learns how to use two ski shuttles, turn the weft at the selvedge, step on four treadles in sequence, and move the temple. Whew, it’s a lot to remember!
Three on the loom bench. The children want to see what daddy is doing.
Up on the loom bench with their Daddy.

As children naturally love to be right next to their loving Daddy, so it is for us with our heavenly Father. Praise is the heart’s song. Praise to the Lord rises from the core of our being as we consider who he is and what he has done. There’s no better place to be than right by our Father’s side.

May your heart sing.

With wonder,
Karen