Tag: kindness

This Time in Color

Karen

Thick and thin in color. The appeal for me is that something so simple can look so complex. How can plain weave do this? By having thick and thin threads that alternate in a certain way. Add color, and the options multiply!

Thick and thin on the loom, using double bobbin shuttle.
Double bobbin shuttle carries the thick weft. 30/2 cotton for the thin weft adds texture and complexity to the plain weave.

For the thin thread, I use 30/2 cotton. This very thin thread has a big impact on the fabric design. Strategically placed in the warp, it helps define the two blocks. Repeating the thin thread in a weft sequence is what produces a block change while weaving. The thin threads are integral to the design, yet they will barely be noticed after the fabric is wet-finished.

It is fascinating how much impact little things have. Character is revealed in the very little things. It’s the special touch you add, the extra time you give, the kind thoughts you think. It’s how you are at home, doing ordinary things for your family. It’s who you are, what you are thinking, and what you are doing. …when no one is noticing. These are the little things that tell who we are at the core. Faithful in little; faithful in much.

May all your little threads fall into place.

With you,
Karen

Wool Blanket Gets Wet

Karen

The softer, the better. We all know that wool can be scratchy, but we like wool because of its warmth. And, as a fiber for weaving, wool is easy to work with because of its elasticity. Wet finishing reduces the scratchiness, making it possible to end up with a comfy wool blanket. A soft and gentle blanket.

Wool blanket is drip drying after wet finishing.
Wet wool blanket is dripping dry after just two minutes in the dryer. Towels on the floor collect the drips.

Gentleness is stronger than we think. A lullaby has the power to quiet a crying baby. My son once had a first grade teacher who could still a classroom of seven- and eight-year-olds with a whisper. And the gentle touch of a friend can speak louder than words.

We influence far more people through kindness, gentleness, and patience than we ever will with persuasive arguments. Like a soft and comfy wool blanket, gentleness is strong enough to warm someone in the cold.

~ It’s time for segment three in the Wool Blanket Finishing series. ~

You can learn about the previous video segments in Quiet Friday: Wool Blanket Finishing, or you can view them here:

1. Twisting Fringe on the Loom

2. Wool Blanket Before Wet Finishing

Please return next week for the fourth video segment, Wool Blanket Final Finishing, to find out what happens to the fringe!

May your gentle influence increase.

Warmly,
Karen

What Does Your Tapestry Look Like?

Karen

Little things add up, especially when they continue day after day. Nearing completion, the tapestry diary I started on January 1st only has a few days, and not a lot of warp, left. The things we do consistently, little by little, make the biggest difference overall. (You can see the start of this tapestry in Tapestry Diary: Day One.)

Small tapestry diary. Karen Isenhower
Small tapestry is an accumulation of little rectangular sections woven day by day. Photo credit Steve Isenhower

Tapestry diary means I weave a small section every day. It has become my habit to sit down with my loom and my little selection of yarn in the evening, after supper is cleaned up. This is becoming a treasured wind-down time for me, something I look forward to. And when I finish my little section, Steve says, “Let me see what you added today.” Ah, sweet encouragement becomes motivation.

You and I have the amazing ability to impact other people for the better. It’s the little by little that makes the biggest difference. Your friends need you. Your prayer and touch may be what they need to soar in life. We need each other. What a wonderful world we live in, where our Creator designed us to thrive through the kindness of others. Imagine the tapestry He is creating with our little caring efforts.

May you weave a tapestry of kindness.

If you have woven, or are weaving, a tapestry diary, I’d love to hear about it!

Day by day,
Karen

Rag Weaving with a Boat Shuttle

Karen

This is a simple way to make a rag weave table runner. The M’s and O’s weave structure provides a great framework. What I like about narrow fabric strips is that you can wind them on quills, just like yarn, and weave with a boat shuttle. It is fast weaving that breezes right along.

Rag weave table runner on the loom. Karen Isenhower
Boat shuttle holds quill with narrow fabric strips to weave table runner. In view below the table runner are pot holders that were woven using unbleached cotton multi-strand yarn.

I could use a small ski shuttle for this, as if I were weaving rag rugs. Or, I could even place the weft across by hand on this narrow-width warp. The most efficient way is the boat shuttle, and the main thing is to get the weft across so weaving can happen. In life and relationships, it is love that needs to get across.

Patience and kindness are universal expressions of love. Love never fails. It started with the patience and kindness of God. As we draw toward Christmas, consider the meaning of the holiday–that God so loved the world. His patience and kindness toward humanity meant sending His son to our world. And that baby, named Jesus, became God’s way of taking love across the gap between heaven and earth.

May you be known for patience and kindness.

Good Christmas to you,
Karen

Little Goes a Long Way

Karen

Compared to other weaving shuttles, this band loom shuttle is tiny. But it is just the right size for weaving a narrow band. My left hand moves the shuttle through the changing sheds, finding a rhythmic fluency. Once started, the weft takes on a life of its own as it repeatedly turns and goes back into an open shed. It almost seems as if my left hand is merely following the shuttle. Likewise, kindness takes on a life of its own after someone starts it.

Glimakra two-treadle band loom weaving.
My feet operate the two treadles on this Glimäkra band loom. My left hand carries the shuttle; and my right hand uses a band knife to beat in the weft. When all the movements are synchronized, I find myself making swift progress.

Consistency is the key to successful band weaving. Warp tension matters, as well as how often you advance the warp; however, consistency in the weft makes the biggest difference. My best results come when I weave several inches without stopping. The momentum itself brings consistency of weft placement.

Kindness repeats itself. There is a certain momentum that occurs. When we experience someone’s kindness toward us, we often turn and pass kindness along to someone else. And especially, if we have tasted the Lord’s kindness, we keep the momentum going by fervently loving each other. A little bit of kindness, repeated over and over makes a useful and lovely ribbon in the sea of humanity, a woven band with endless possibilities.

May you pass along a little kindness today.

Yours truly,
Karen