Tag: hidden

Show Me the Evidence

Karen

Few things are as important as even warp tension if you are hoping for quality results in your weaving. Eight warping slats are placed, one by one, across the warp as I begin beaming the warp onto the octagonal warp beam. After three full revolutions, I do it again, with eight more slats; and repeat the process until the warp is fully beamed. This effective technique gives a solid “platform” every few rounds for the warp ends, promoting even tension across the warp.

Beaming new rug warp on Glimakra Ideal.
Warping slats lay in a pile behind the warp beam. Counting out eight slats at a time helps me know when I have covered the eight sides of the octagonal warp beam.

The warping slats are hidden between the layers of warp ends. Having the slats in place means I can confidently tighten this rug warp to the max, giving me the best conditions for a handwoven rug.

Nothing is hidden that will not become evident. In other words, when I tighten my warp I can tell without looking that the slats are in place. And better than that, the rugs that are produced will have the consistency that a tight, even warp provides. The warping slats are like faith. Faith hidden in your heart becomes light that is seen in your life. How you live is evidence of what is in your heart. Faith always bears evidence.

May your light shine.

All the best,
Karen

True Treasure

Karen

I already own a plentiful selection of handwoven towels. I am weaving the fifth towel on this warp, and there will be at least three more towels after that. So, you might think I am storing up towels. Even so, whatever I am weaving at the moment becomes my favorite thing, like a precious treasure. The intricacies of the goose-eye twill and the color interaction seem special, with fancy treadling footwork and several colors of 16/2 cotton to play with. It is a journey of discovery–of learning and being delighted with the visual and physical impact of it all. In the end, though, it’s just a towel–a thing. (I will keep one towel for my collection. The rest will go in Etsy and/or become gifts.)

Goose-eye twill towels on the loom. Karen Isenhower
Temple in place, weaving goose-eye towels progresses. Viewing the cloth as it comes over the breast beam.

The greatest treasures are intangible; and the most valuable ones are hidden, to be discovered by those who are seeking. Beware of false treasures. When we make things we hold in our hands more important than they should be, we risk overlooking the true treasures. Uncovering and collecting those timeless treasures becomes life’s most exciting adventure.

May your treasure hunt make you rich (on the inside).

Happy Discovering,
Karen

(~As a thank-you for coming here, I have a discount coupon for you on my About Page to use in my Etsy Shop during the month of August, 2014.~)

The Rosepath Warp

Karen

This Swedish rosepath is a weft-faced structure, which means the warp is covered by the weft. (To see more of what I wove during my week at Vävstuga Classics, click HERE and HERE.) Yes, you can see this linen warp preceding and following the woven wool weft, but if you look at just the patterned area, the warp is not visible. The treadling is simple (weaving on opposites); and because of many possibilities with pattern and color, designing at the loom is incredibly fun! Do you ever think about the warp that lies under the pattern and color of your life?

Rosepath on Opposites at Vävstuga.
Warp is 16/3 Line Linen (Bockens) and weft is Brage Wool Yarn (Borgs). Treadle one is paired with treadle three, and treadle two is paired with treadle four. This simple treadling, combined with color choices, provides endless design possibilities.

At times I find myself so involved in my day-to-day activities that I only think about what needs to get done, forgetting the unseen warp that provides the inner strength I need.

Swedish Rosepath on the loom at Vävstuga.
Inspired by New England’s autumn foliage, this piece is an attempt to capture the glory on display in creation.

Our creator’s goodness is so constant we can overlook it, forgetting how much we need his goodness to sustain our lives. And it is his unending love that gives meaning and stability to the overlaying patterns and colors that form our days. You do not have to see the warp with your eyes to know it is hidden within the beautiful rosepath weaving. The scenic autumn New England countryside that I enjoyed last week is the creator’s rosepath on display!

(Next week: You don’t want to miss my exclusive conversation with Becky Ashenden, the delightful master weaver of Vävstuga.)

May you discover hidden things worth discovering.

Having fun with rosepath,
Karen

More than Meets the Eye

Karen

We are surrounded with ordinary things. If we focus entirely on the ordinary we can miss the extraordinary that’s right in front of us. Something amazing happens and we don’t even notice. I’m not just talking about everyday miracles — a baby takes his first breath, a rosebud opens, a butterfly escapes from its chrysalis. I’m talking about the hidden things that are only seen with a special lens.

handwoven band
Woven on a two-treadle band loom, this cotton/linen band will be used as trim, straps, and handles.
(Click to enlarge)

Anyone might appreciate a woven band like this, but a handweaver will see things about this woven piece that wouldn’t occur to the casual observer. It makes sense that a weaver would see threads and cloth with a different lens than someone without weaving experience. What kind of lens do we need in order to see beyond the surface of ordinary events in our lives?

Faith is the lens of spiritual eyes, and by wearing this lens we are able see the amazing things God is doing around us — things unnoticed by the naked eye. There will always be the everyday miracles that we don’t want to miss, but I want to be one of the few who see the back story of how the threads of life are intentionally being woven together.

May you capture the wonder of intricately woven threads in your life.

Constantly amazed,
Karen

Hidden Strength

Karen

There are some things people don’t know about me. In fact, there are some things I don’t know about myself. Is that true about you, too? When we come unraveled a bit we find out what’s in the hidden places in our hearts.

warp rep rug selvedges
Alternating thick and thin wefts are covered by 2,760 warp threads. View is from the side to show turned weft threads at the edge.

The weft in this warp rep rug is mostly hidden in between the warp threads, and is only revealed at the selvedges. If we think of our hearts as a weaving like this, we could say the selvedges are the parts we let others see. But the hidden part of this weft is the part that makes the cloth strong enough to be a rug. A rug that will be walked on!

There’s a sense of security in knowing that someone bigger than myself sees what is hidden in the fabric of my life. When I do come unraveled, My creator takes those inner threads and weaves them perfectly back into place.

May your hidden beauty be your strength today.

Safely hidden,

Karen