Tag: joy

You Need a Boat Shuttle for This

Karen

A boat shuttle is clearly the best way to send weft thread across a 45-inch (114 cm) warp. The pleasing rhythm of weaving is possible because of this very simple tool. Even so, the shuttle is merely a vehicle for the thread. Music is another kind of vehicle.

Alpaca/Tencel throw on the loom. Plain weave, with lace weave squares.
Plain weave, with evenly-spaced lace weave squares. The alpaca/Tencel yarn is soft, yet very easy to work with.

I doubt there is a more effective vehicle for carrying a message than music. Surely you have noticed how ideas spread across the culture via songs, and how easily we retain words that are attached to a tune. Boat shuttles were invented because handweavers needed a way to send weft thread across a distance. Maybe music was invented because we needed a way to send messages that matter.

I would like to send a message across time and space. I’ll wrap the words around a quill, and insert it in the boat shuttle. And then, momentarily holding the shuttle just so, I’ll release the song with a flick of my wrist, sending the message to the one who means the most to me. A joyful pronouncement of my creator’s goodness and love, set to musical expression. Brings a smile from heaven, don’t you think? And as that shuttle continues, in the rhythm of the weaving, the thread of the simple song ends up leaving a pattern in the cloth.

May you have a reason to sing.

Making melody,
Karen

End of Warp Reminders

Karen

Whenever I cut new cloth off the loom I am reminded of how much I have. I feel extremely fortunate to get to do what I enjoy–weave! At the same time, I know there are many people in great need. Is it possible to establish a rhythm of giving? I want to be aware of the needs around me, caring enough to make a difference.

Iridescent linen fabric just off the loom!
Linen fabric, just off the loom. I was hoping this fabric would be iridescent; and it is!

What if…, every time I come to the end of a warp, I intentionally help someone in a tangible way? Since I weave one warp after another, this could be a routine reminder to put kindness into action.

I did that today. This linen warp came to an end, and I took my cello to play for Sam, a precious elderly gentleman who doesn’t have much to look forward to in the here-and-now. I wish I could tell you I planned the visit to coincide with the weaving, but I didn’t. The warp happened to be at the end, and I had already made plans for the cello visit. But it did make me think…

What ideas do you have for establishing a rhythm of providing for others in need?

May you continually experience the joy of giving.

Love,
Karen

Weaving a Song

Karen

This three-treadle weave was not complicated to thread; and with only three treadles and one shuttle, it is simple to weave. The beads certainly give a festive look, but most of the fabric is woven without the added sparkle. This weave creates an interesting striped pattern, giving physical and visual texture to the fabric, even without beads. Singing adds that kind of interest and pleasant consistency to life, even during times that don’t *sparkle* with happiness.

16/1 linen three-treadle weave, with beads.
A zig-zag treadling pattern, using three treadles, results in fabric with a striped look. Woven-in beads embellish this linen fabric.

Singing is a sign of a joyful heart, and the only instrument you need is a voice. My dad was a great example of this. He couldn’t carry a tune in a basket, but that did not keep him from singing. The thread of joy was woven in him from the beginning to the end of his life–through good times and hard times.

An inner melody of joy gives strength and consistency to make it beyond the happy sparkle times in life. Singing is a natural response to the grand weaver’s personal attention. So, go ahead and sing! Don’t be embarrassed–your voice is the grand weaver’s delight!

May you sing through your day.

Joyfully,
Karen

The Surprising Thing about Color

Karen

While weaving this one-color-white fabric, I let colors dream away in my mind. I understand the elegance of simply white, but I find vibrant color combinations invigorating. Nature is full of intriguing mixtures of color, including some outlandish examples of wild color play.

Swedish lace curtains being woven
Woven Swedish lace fabric progresses to the cloth beam, where it is neatly rolled up.

Since this Swedish lace fabric is well underway, it is time to plan my next project. After all, I wouldn’t want my loom to sit idle… smile. I am choosing colors now for the 16/1 linen warp that is up next. Colors are like children playing dress up–they are full of surprises, and they change identity easily. She is Miss Pink while seated next to Mr. White, but the same thread becomes Miss Lavender when she’s beside Mr. Blue. Experience helps predict how colors will work together, but I still get surprises. I never know for sure how colors will behave until they are interlaced in the woven fabric.

I witnessed a gorgeous sunset recently. Saturated colors of purple, red, orange, pink, and yellow produced a tapestry in motion. This joyful display of color is surely nature’s response to the creator. The sky is singing praises that we can see!

May you be delighted with surprising expressions of color.

Joyfully,
Karen