Tag: linen

Not Your Usual Search Engine

Karen

As I see it, this woven piece is a series of bordered ribbons laying side-by-side across the warp. I like to weave functional pieces, so it concerns me that I do not know how this will be used when it is finished. As I weave, then, there’s a quiet, ongoing mental search for a worthy function for this cloth.

Decorative bound rosepath progressing on the loom.
Bound Rosepath structure, with the linen warp entirely covered by the wool weft, is a thick, one-sided decorative cloth. It could be used as a wall hanging; or made into an article like a cushion cover, a table mat, or a bag, for example.

You can find many answers with a Google search; and I might even find ideas for this cloth by searching Pinterest (you can follow me on Pinterest). There are some things, however, that you will never find until you search a different way. Your heart is your search engine to find what cannot be seen with your eyes or touched with your hands.

Have you thought about the Christmas story? Baby Jesus, wrapped up lovingly in cloth (handwoven, no doubt), was sleeping in a makeshift cradle in Bethlehem. Simple shepherds were told of the special delivery and were sent to find the new baby, which they eagerly did. That is the kind of eager searching, with heart and soul, that will lead you and I to the ultimate gift! In our time, as it was then, God is the gift waiting to be discovered by those who are searching for Him.

May your quiet, ongoing search be rewarded.

Good Christmas to you and yours,
Karen

You May Be Looking at the Under Side

Karen

This is not reversible cloth. The colors on the back look pretty, but the design is only on the top. Sometimes we judge our circumstances from the underneath side, not realizing there is a dazzling scene being formed above us.

Bound Rosepath, the pattern is being designed at the loom.
Each row of the design takes four picks, producing a weft-faced cloth. Each shuttle carries a different color; so, at times, there are five shuttles going across for one row. Instead of following a diagram, this time I am designing the pattern as I weave.

The bound rosepath (rosengång) cloth develops slowly. My pace is about 35 millimeters (1.4 inches) per hour. I pay attention to every detail. Five shuttles, many color changes, careful turns at the selvedges. I get up to wind quills, to advance the warp, to repair broken linen warp ends, and to stand back for an overview. You cannot know all of the weaver’s work by looking at the reverse side. It is messy underneath.

We may not have a clear view of what our master weaver is doing, but we can see his consistency. And we have seen his masterful work in the past. Are you in a season that feels confusing? That is precisely when it makes sense to trust someone greater. Be one of the few in our day who sees the goodness of God with the eyes of trust. The finished cloth, the underside of which we see now, will one day be displayed by the maker, and all will be amazed!

May your fears fall away and your trust increase when you face uncertain times.

Believing is seeing,
Karen

Thanks Giving

Karen

Loved ones are filling my home this week, so why not include them in weaving endeavors? My son Daniel took the challenge to create a Thanksgiving image on graph paper that I could weave in Bound Rosepath. A turkey pilgrim!

Bound Rosepath turkey pilgrims with black hats.
Five shuttles carry the colors of Brage wool yarn for this bound rosepath weave on a 16/3 linen warp. Look at the orange to see the turkey pilgrims with black hats.

Give thanks. Pilgrims, turkeys, families, generations of freedom. The American story handed down through the ages.

  • Give thanks for the food.
  • Give thanks for the blessings.
  • Give thanks for your family coming together from near and far.
  • Give thanks to your family.
  • Give thanks to your friends.

But above all, oh, give thanks to our creator, for he is good; for his love goes on and on and on without end.

May your thankful heart ring with joy.

Thankful,
Karen

Quiet Friday: Just a Little More Yarn, Please

Karen

Cotton, linen, wool. Thick, thin, slick, rough, smooth, bumpy. Yarn comes in so many shapes and sizes. But, oh, it’s the colors that draw me in. I love a wall of yarn! I don’t need to have it all, I just want to look at it. Thread on tubes looks spectacular, piled up in cubbies. Yarn in skeins looks inviting. Yarn, thread, fiber… Whatever you want to call it, may I have just a little more, please?

Wall of Thread at Vävstuga!
I love the circles of colors and the “O’s” of the tubes! It’s as if they all have their little mouths open.
Working with colors at Vävstuga.
Class time at Vävstuga often means playing with colors.
Tubes of Linen Thread at Vävstuga.
Decisions, decisions… Which linen color would you choose?
Dahlia on the Bridge of Flowers, Shelburne, MA
Dahlia on the Bridge of Flowers, just outside the Vävstuga weaving studio.
Wall of Thread at Vävstuga! Isn't it pretty?
Cotton, anyone? This is a fun wall of color! It is the backdrop to the table where we wind our quills at Vävstuga.
Bridge of Flowers at Shelburne Falls, MA
Another Dahlia that caught my attention! I like the raggedy edges. Imagine blending yarn in these colors.
Skeins of Wool at Vävstuga
Yarn on skeins will be wound into balls to be prepared for weaving.
More Thread Tubes at Vävstuga!
What can I say? I never get tired of seeing the thread color circles!

Please come back next week for the lively conversation I had with Swedish weaving expert and founder of Vävstuga Weaving School, Becky Ashenden, in her living room. Find out what makes her tick!

May your days be filled with color!

Just a little more yarn, pretty please,

Karen

 

More Weaving at Vävstuga

Karen

Scheduled days filled with laughter, intense concentration, the pounding sounds of a roomful of weaving looms hard at work, aromas of incredible meals being prepared, camaraderie, tips and tricks from a master weaver, satisfying exhaustion after a full day of learning and weaving. That’s what Vävstuga is like. I am enjoying every minute of it.

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May you find something delightful to make with your hands.

Having fun,
Karen