Tag: perspective

You Can Start Over

Karen

New beginnings. Same warp, but a new rosepath rag rug. This one may be better than the last. We won’t know until the rugs are all unrolled from the cloth beam at the end. I varied the colors, the treadling, and the hems for the rugs on this warp. I wanted to start over with each new rug. A fresh start means a chance to make fewer mistakes, and it’s an opportunity to do something different.

Rosepath rag rug on the loom. Karen Isenhower
Fourth rosepath rug on this warp. The stripes are created by alternating two weft colors in plain weave. The rosepath strip is created by alternating two weft colors in a rosepath treadling pattern.

Are you getting a fresh start for this new year? A new start gives us the courage to break out of a rut, or to walk away from bad habits. Who doesn’t have unstoppable optimism with new resolutions? As we are pressed by time and real life, though, our hope and enthusiasm wear away much too soon. A successful new beginning requires a new outlook; otherwise, the discouragement is even greater when we find ourselves on the old familiar path that was leading nowhere.

Our grand weaver’s perspective transcends human time. He sees the end as clearly as the beginning. Thankfully, the new beginning that he offers brings us a hope-filled outlook that makes corrective change possible. He opens our eyes to see the threads he is faithfully weaving that bring our new beginnings into his story.

(Thank you for coming into my *virtual* weaving studio for a friendly chat. Warped for Good still feels like a new endeavor to me after these nine months of getting started. I deeply appreciate all the encouragement you have given me!)

Here are the three posts that were the most popular in 2013: Quiet Friday: Rag Rugs, Conversation with Becky Ashenden, and Quiet Friday (Rosepath Band)

May your best accomplishments outlast you!

Happy Weaving,
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

Is Wet Finishing Really Necessary?

Karen

Oh, how I wish you could feel these hand towels! They are soft. When I take a run of towels off the loom, I first cut them apart and serge the ends; and then I throw them in the washer and dryer for wet finishing. This cottolin and linen fabric went in stiff and scratchy… (Click HERE to see how it looked before wet finishing.) But after the rigor of agitation, spinning, and heat, the towels are perfectly soft and absorbent! Our own hearts can be stiff and scratchy, and not very soft, can’t they?

Handwoven towels in classic M's and O's weave structure. Soft and durable. Tabs are linen, woven on band loom.
Cottolin warp and weft, with some 6/1 tow linen weft stripes. These durable hand towels will stand the test of time, getting softer and softer with use. I wove the hanging tabs, 100% linen, on my band loom.

It’s hard to admit I need help sometimes, because I would rather think I am good enough to make it on my own. Admitting need is a first step toward a softened heart. Maybe a little turmoil in life is like being thrown in the washer and dryer–we come out softer because we realize how needy we are.

Classic towels almost too pretty to be used; but oh, they must be used!
Soft and pliable towels, neatly folded. Almost too pretty to use; but oh, they must be used to be truly appreciated.

My purpose for these towels is to use them as towels (or, more specifically, for gift recipients to use them). The towels became useful when they became soft and pliable. That’s how I want to be in the master weaver’s hands. How about you?

May you receive delightful gifts that are soft to the touch.

Softly and tenderly,
Karen

What Color Is It?

Karen

It is obvious where I changed the weft color, leaving a distinct line from one color to the next. I am intrigued, though, by the subtle color differences that appear within a single weft color section. It is amazing to see how different the color looks just by changing my angle of view. Blue, with a touch of pink? Or, deep red-purple? You would think I am describing two different cloths. When we view each other’s ideas with understanding, it helps us show mutual respect, even when we see things differently.

Linen fabric for bags.
Linen fabric for bags, with narrow strip of beads. Green weft and magenta weft produce two different colors of bags.

Sadly, it is easy to put down or belittle others. I, like many, have strong viewpoints about right and wrong; but if I use words as weapons, I destroy the very fabric I want to protect.

An understanding mindset gives you the willingness to listen to another viewpoint, and it helps you hold your tongue. It doesn’t mean we always have to agree. As hard as I try, I may never be able to see the colors you describe in your cloth. I may even try to convince you to see it my way. But hopefully, we will both seek to understand each other.

May you have an opportunity to practice understanding.

Listening,
Karen

The Windows Are Opening Now!

Karen

Windows fascinate me. I even have a Pinterest board, Houses and Windows, because I enjoy images of windows. The windows in this cloth capture me! The fun part was seeing it happen. When I cut the cloth from the loom, I could immediately see the windows begin to form as the threads started relaxing. After letting the cloth rest a few days, the windows appeared even more. But the WOW happened when I gently kneaded the fabric in warm water, and hung it to dry. Seeing these handwoven lace windows made me silly with childish excitement!

Swedish Lace, also known as Mosquito Lace, or kneaded lace blocks
Handwoven Swedish lace, also known as mosquito lace or kneaded block lace. The spaces have opened up dramatically in the “windows” after having been gently washed and dried. Ready now for pressing.

(Compare these open windows with this before picture, while the fabric was still on the loom.)

What if we are little houses, and our soul has windows? Shall I keep the curtains closed, so no one can see in? But then, I can’t see out, either.

When I think of our grand weaver, and how he is so close by, I imagine him looking out those windows with me. He is not distant, but near. He stays involved, pointing out things he sees. Making the common and ordinary into articles of wonder and beauty. Stiff pieces of thread with a vague shape become wide open windows where the refreshing breeze blows through.

May the view from your windows be delightful.

Enjoying the breeze,
Karen