Tag: hope

Made to Be Noticed

Karen

Each rug is unique. Knowing what the possibilities are with a rosepath threading, I sketch a plan on graph paper. I pull colors from my stash of fabrics, adding, mixing, and removing, until the compilation is just right. My intention is to create a rag rug that will be noticed.

Rosepath rag rug on the loom
Plain weave sections in solid colors separate bands of rosepath patterning.

I start with a confident plan, but I will not see the results until the rug finally comes off the loom and is flat on the floor. I am hopeful, but there is still uncertainty. Do you ever feel that way about talking to God? It should be easy to pray, but how can we know if we are really getting through?

The Lord hears prayers. His willingness to hear is greater than my ability to express myself. When I take the fabric scraps of my life and arrange them in a pattern that pleases him, he notices. And he hears my inadequate sentences. As each woven rug rolls onto the cloth beam, what I do see gives me hope for the end results. Though my view is incomplete, every glimpse of answered prayer gives assurance that the Lord notices this weaving I call life.

May you get a glimpse of what you hope to see.

(One more rug to go on this warp! Soon you will see these rag rugs in my Etsy Shop!)

As always,
Karen

Do You See What I See?

Karen

Thanksgiving 2013 is over and the house is quieter now. I am back to weaving bound rosepath (rosengång). This piece will be a table mat for next year’s Thanksgiving dinner, with the turkey pilgrims facing one side of the table. (Click HERE to see more about weaving the turkey pilgrims.) It makes sense, then, to have pilgrim men facing the other side. This means weaving the pilgrim men upside down. As I am weaving, it is difficult to determine if the upside down image is forming properly. I courageously weave on, hoping I am correctly interpreting the diagram. Faith takes courage like that.

Bound Rosepath Pilgrims on Thanksgiving table mat
A small hand mirror gives an upright view of the woven pilgrim men that are facing away from the orange pilgrim turkeys.

I used Numbers on my iPad to design the bound rosepath pilgrim motif. The image is only seven squares across the graph sheet, and must be entirely symmetrical from side to side. This mere-seven-pixel-wide picture is a design challenge because of its narrow limit.

Bound Rosepath Diagram using iPad Numbers app
iPad screen shot of pilgrim diagram in Numbers (spreadsheet) app.

Putting our faith into action when we don’t know all the answers takes courage. It is like following the diagram when the picture doesn’t make sense. I imagine that kind of faith courage pleases our creator. It was only after I finished weaving the row of pilgrims that I thought of holding up a mirror to see the upright image. Don’t take the easy way out. Don’t shrink back. When you press into the picture with faith, your life becomes a positive reflection of your maker’s skillful design.

May you live with courageous faith.

Peace,
Karen

When Things Are Unraveling

Karen

I love weaving rag rugs, especially Swedish-style rugs. Even though I have a design in mind when I start, I often work out details at the loom. Each rug needs a header–a few inches of weaving that secures the wefts so the rug will stay together when it comes off the loom. The header is woven right before and after the rug, and is removed during rug finishing. It was in the header for this rug that I worked out the treadling and color sequence for the rosepath (rosengång).

Rosepath Rug edge finishing. Ends tied, then trimmed, then hem is folded and stitched.
Ends are pulled from the header and tied, two and two, into square knots to secure the end of the two-inch (5 cm) hem. After all the ends are tied into knots, the threads will be trimmed to 1/2 inch (1 1/2 cm), and the hem will be folded under and stitched.

What do you do when life unravels? Hold what you have and try to fix what is failing? If we could see the whole picture, we might see that the part we want to hold onto is the header before the rug. That header may be where the design of the weaver is formed in us, to be repeated in another setting. The header was necessary, but now it is time to let it go.

When things are falling apart, we must look to the master weaver. Yes, the trouble is immense and we don’t know how to fix it. So, we speak to the one who holds the design. We do not know what to do; but, master weaver, our eyes are on you.

May your eyes see hope on the horizon.

Being woven,
Karen

Weaving Basics

Karen

I love making bands! I started weaving bands in the 1980’s on my inkle loom; and more recently, I have been weaving bands on my Glimåkra two-treadle band loom, like these bands. Now, I am also learning to weave bands with a small rigid heddle. (The pattern for this Sámi band is from this book – not an affiliate link.)  There are rudiments of weaving that form a basis for understanding and developing skills. In the arena of faith, convictions are the rudiments that form a basis for learning and growing.

Rigid Heddle Band Weaving
Doubled 8/2 purple cotton thread forms the pattern, and single strands of 8/2 unbleached cotton are used for the background. Tools used are a rigid heddle, a shaped band knife, and a band lock.
  • Keep warp ends in order
  • Maintain even warp tension
  • Prepare your shuttle with carefully-wound weft
  • Pay attention to selvedges
  • Stay consistent with weft density
  • Follow a written draft, or a pattern passed down, or one committed to memory

Understanding these and other basics will give you a good foundation for any type of weaving, large or small. If I keep these essentials in mind as I practice, I have every hope that I will end up with something worthwhile.

Convictions of the heart form the basis for learning how to live in a meaningful way. When these convictions arise out of faith in our master weaver, they are accompanied with unfailing, unwavering, and unending hope. And hope assures that the journey is worthwhile.

May hope be your lifelong companion.

Reviewing the basics,
Karen

Beginning with Broken Ends

Karen

I have 240 perfect warp ends, but my attention is not on the perfect ones, it’s on the broken ones. Two threads got crossed behind the reed, and that extra friction was more than these linen singles could handle, so they snapped. I will repair these ends, and then they will weave in just fine with the rest of the warp. But until then, the broken ends have my attention. Likewise, our master weaver gives attention to people in need.

Linen singles warp with broken ends
Two broken warp ends have been uncrossed, and then repositioned correctly through heddles and reed. Now they are awaiting repair (relatively simple, because this is near the very beginning of the warp).

When we feel defeated in life, we may think we have to pull ourselves together and fix the mess. The problem is, when we are at our lowest, we are not capable of fixing anything. And, don’t think for a minute that everyone else is perfect, either. We all have weak spots.

The good thing is, we have a master weaver who keeps watching for broken people, so he can lovingly weave them into place in his fabric. He gives his kind attention, especially when we are at our greatest need. In his time, and in his way, he repairs and restores, and we become woven into his beautiful cloth.

May you find the help you need, when you need it most.

With care,
Karen