Tag: prayer

Simple Secret Fixes Tension Problem

Karen

Those pesky warp ends! I am getting loose warp ends on the outer edges again. The last time this happened, it was near the end of the warp, and I rigged up a makeshift solution. (You can read about it and see pictures HERE.) This time, I began having trouble from the start; so, when I finished weaving the first piece, I cut it off, and re-tied the warp. There must be a better way!

Dice weave in linen.
Dice weave in linen. First piece is cut from the loom; and warp ends are re-tied. Emerald green weft for the second piece produces a lovely teal with the deep blue warp.

How do you handle recurring problems? I get tired of stumbling over the same old thing. I wanted to find a solution to this warp issue, so I started digging through my weaving books to see what I could find. Aha! On page 254 in The Big Book of Weaving, by Laila Lundell, I find helpful advice.

The outer ends of the warp are looser than the rest

(You mean I’m not the first person to have this problem?)

This can be adjusted by pressing an extra slat down at an angle inside the loose sections.

Slats take up the slack for loose warp ends.
One more secret in the bag of tricks to manage uneven warp tension. Simply insert extra warping slats into the warp against the warp beam. Thank you, Laila!

Seekers find secrets. The seeking itself shows you recognize your own need. This is what prayer is about. Come to God asking, seeking, knocking. These are the prayers he answers. Simple, heartfelt, persistent. Never give up. There are secrets to be found.

May you uncover long lost secrets.

Truly Yours,
Karen

No Crossed Threads Here

Karen

Properly dressing the loom means no thread out of place, no crossed threads, no missed threads. Every linen end is threaded through a heddle on one of four shafts, following a draft for dice weave (pattern weft on a plain weave background). I insert each thread one by one in a specific order. My fingers are the only tools I use for this task, and I love touching and directing every single thread.

Dressing the loom with linen.
Pattern repeat has twenty-four ends, repeated across the warp.

Someone great is looking after you. Our Father in heaven knows what is going on in your life, details and all. He knows the placement of every single thread in your personality. He knows the ins and outs of our needs, hurts, and desires. Father knows what we need before we ask. And yet, he invites us to ask. That’s a good invitation.

May you feel cared for.

Happy Threading,
Karen

Nine Color Towel

Karen

It may look like there is no rhyme or reason, but there is a thoughtful pattern behind this arrangement of weft colors. …Okay, it is somewhat random; and, truthfully, I am making up the pattern as I go. It is refreshing to have the freedom to use up bobbins of color. I consider it a welcome challenge to create a visually vibrant fabric that is not a cluttered cloth.

Nine quills of 16/2 cotton. Colorful towel up next.
Nine quills of 16/2 cotton. Trying out different arrangements of colors.

Our prayers can be like the assorted quills with varying amounts of thread in an array of colors. These are the needs, small and big, that we bring to the Lord. Can he make anything good out of all of this? What can he do about my concerns? Does he even hear me? Do my needs or hopes make a difference to Him? Am I saying my prayers in the “right” way?

Nine-color towel on the loom. Karen Isenhower
Wide, narrow, dark, light. Nine colors are purposefully arranged in this cotton towel. Treadling variations help complete the multi-color composition.

It takes courage to have faith when you pray. In a world where “seeing is believing,” the eye of faith says, “believing is seeing.” Faith is expecting something to happen when you pray. It’s trusting the grand weaver to know how to arrange this assortment of leftover threads and make something good out of it.

May you take courage.

With you,
Karen

~The Etsy coupon on my About Page is good for two more days. It’s my ThankYou to you.~

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

What the Label Tells You

Karen

I know details about these towels that most casual observers will never see. Every cloth starts with a plan; and, as the weaver, I am intricately involved in every aspect from start to finish. Labels on my handwoven articles identify me as the maker. When you see my label, you know that you can ask me anything about the weaving process for that item.

Finishing touch for handwoven towels.
Stitching the “Handwoven by” label on the towel is the final step in finishing this group of towels. 16/2 cotton, 3-shaft twill with warp floats.

On a grander scale, you and I have a maker. You don’t have to wonder if your maker knows you. He has known you from the beginning, planning the colors in the warp before it was on the loom, so to speak. You also don’t have to wonder if your maker hears you. Your prayers are heard. Even when no one else around you is listening, the Lord hears your prayer. Everything he has made, including you, bears his label. That makes you beautiful.

May you put your maker’s skills on display.

Labeled,
Karen