Tag: problem solving

Shuttle Catching

Karen

I am already a quarter of the way on this baby wrap. Simple plain weave with one shuttle is fast and uncomplicated, making this the perfect setting to improve weaving technique. Surely, I can gain efficiency by examining some of my practices.

First quarter woven on baby wrap.
Twill tape has marks that show 1/4, Mid (1/2), and 3/4 of the length of woven baby wrap. The first quarter used about seven full quills of light blue weft.

Under scrutiny, I see that I am not consistent in how I catch the shuttle. It makes a difference where I make contact with the shuttle as it glides into my hand. I often have to reposition the shuttle in my hand to prepare it for the return throw. That’s not very efficient. Solution? Look at the hand that is catching the shuttle. All I have to do is turn my head to look, and the hand does the job. It’s amazing how that works. It pays to pay attention.

Beginning sample comes around the cloth beam. Baby wrap.
Beginning sample meets the cloth beam. View is from the front of the loom, looking under the breast beam.

Following Jesus can be compared to finding a breakthrough in weaving technique. It’s more than just meeting him, and trying to go the right way. That is weaving by habit, doing it like I’ve always done it. Jesus gives all to those who give him all. Breakthrough comes when I give up my habits to find a better way–his way.

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

– Jim Elliot

May your eyes help your hands.

With love,
Karen

Between the Lavender Picks

Karen

I almost kept going. But something was off. Maybe the tabby hadn’t been beaten in as tight between the lavender pattern picks. In that case, a few more rows would obscure the slight difference. I did not want to undo; and wishful thinking tempted me to avoid taking a closer look. Sensibility won, though. I did stop to examine the cloth.

Weft threads are carefully snipped back to point of error.
Weft threads are carefully snipped back to the point of error. I did this very slowly, with a bright light shining on the area being snipped.

Even under close inspection, my eyes could not identify the error. I struggled to see the fine details. Magnifying glass to the rescue! Magnification revealed two extra tabby picks. Aha! Two fine threads out of place are enough to throw off the pattern. If not corrected, this errant line across the finished cloth would draw the attention of every eye. Knowing precisely where the error is gives me courage to face the necessary operation. Snip, snip, snip. Undo. Fresh start.

Magnifier reveals 2 extra tabby picks to be removed.
Magnifier reveals two extra tabby picks (16/2 cotton) that must be removed.
Error removed.
Weft threads are pulled out one by one, and then discarded.

An honest report tells it like it is. When we are trusting the Lord, we have courage to stop and examine errors, bypassing wishful thinking. Faith is like a magnifying glass that enables us to see clearly. Courage comes alive through the eyes of faith. The difficult and painful process of undoing errors and making corrections is worth it when you consider the high value of the finished fabric.

Monksbelt on the loom. Karen Isenhower
Monksbelt weaving continues. All is well.

May you catch your errors while they can be undone.

Honestly,
Karen

My Mistake that Made Rug Warp Snap

Karen

Draw-in can wreck your weaving. Avoid it at all costs. Did you know that draw-in can cause even 12/6 cotton rug warp to break? First, two ends on the right, and then, an inch later, two more in the middle. I had ten broken warp ends in all. Strong, sturdy, Swedish rug warp! I was weaving miniature rugs. Between the absence of a temple, and my failure to place in enough weft, the drawn-in warp ends could not stand the abrasion they got from the reed. What started out as a bright idea ended up a “learning experience.”

Miniature rag rugs, side by side.
Double binding warp is divided into four sections to weave individual mini rag rugs.
Four mini rag rugs on the loom. Draw in was a problem.
Draw-in happened gradually, and didn’t seem to pose a problem until near the end. Then warp ends started snapping.
Finishing miniature rag rugs.
Mini rag rugs off the loom. After making all repairs and finishing the ends, they will be hemmed and ready for use as mug rugs and hot pads.

Words reveal a person’s core. When abrasive thoughts continue time and again, words eventually break loose from the tongue. The warp end breaks, and the stability of the rug is compromised. It may seem like the warp end is the problem, but the problem is the abrasion that led up to the breakage. Fortunately, broken warp ends can be fixed, with time and effort. But learning to eliminate the abrasion in the first place is the tactic I want to employ.

May you strengthen your core.

Your friend,
Karen

Tools Day: Just Me Bell

Karen

My weaving studio is usually a place of solitude where I can slip into deep concentration. I am counting warp ends; or I am paying close attention to synchronizing shuttle, treadles, and beater for greater efficiency and speed; or I am doing calculations to plan my next project. Or I am examining the cloth on the loom with a magnifying glass, counting picks per inch; or I am trying to wind a quill with just enough, but not too much, yarn. Without realizing it, I get absorbed in my thinking.

Bell for breaking silence before entering studio of concentrating artist.
Old little brass bell hangs in the hallway on the way to the weaving studio.

When I am in this state of being immersed in weaving, I am easily startled by any innocent interruption. My husband has solved the problem of seeing me jump and hearing me gasp when he walks into my concentration bubble. He has hung a little brass bell a few steps outside the doorway to my weaving room. “Ring-a-ling-a-ling…,” the bell quietly announces, “It’s just me…” Now, with fewer incidents jolting me from solitude, I may live longer, as well.

May you welcome those who come near.

Come on in,
Karen

One Treadle Short

Karen

I faced a dead end with this six-shaft weave. The draft requires seven treadles in order to include true plain weave. And I do want plain weave for the hems. That is a problem. This loom has only six treadles. So these double binding twill rag rugs were put on hold while I thought about it.

And then I had an idea. What if… I tie the sixth treadle as if it were the seventh treadle, enabling me to weave the plain weave hem. And then, undo the treadle and re-tie it as the sixth treadle for weaving the body of the rug? It works! Essentially, I created seven treadles out of six. What seemed like a dead end became the point of discovering something new.

Changing treadle tie-up to make six treadles into seven.
With this tie-up, the fifth and sixth treadles (counting right to left) are able to weave an even plain weave. The sixth treadle is actually tied up as the seventh treadle, which is only needed for the plain weave hems at the beginning and end of the rug, paired with treadle five. To change the treadle tie-up, the upper and lower lamms for the first and second shafts (counting back to front) need to be switched. That’s all.
Changing treadle tie-up to make six treadles into seven.
Treadle tie-up now follows the draft as written for the first six treadles to produce the twill weave for the body of the rug.
Underneath view of Vavstuga treadle tie-up system. Makes changing tie-ups a breeze.
Under-the-treadle view of the Vävstuga treadle tie-up system. This tie-up system with beads and pointed dowels (or knitting needles) makes changing the tie-up a breeze.

Can you imagine the dead end the friends and family of Jesus felt when they saw his body go limp on the cross? ……………………………………………………………………………………

Easter is about the excitement of knowing Someone who died and came back to life. In the Easter story, the angel tells the women who arrive at the tomb, “I know you seek Jesus, the Crucified. He is now Jesus, the Risen.” For these women, this moment changed everything. What had seemed like a dreadful dead end became the point of discovering new life. Indeed, even now, a dead end is often the starting point of finding new life in the Risen one.

May you discover something new.

Blessings,
Karen