First thing every morning I pour myself a really good cup of coffee. And before I pour that cup, I select a mug rug to put under my coffee mug. A handmade mug rug makes a good cup of coffee that much better. I like having a mug rug under my cup as I walk, to catch any drips. And then, the mug rug protects the table surface, as well. So, in the early morning, with hot coffee and mug rug in hand, I go sit in my favorite chair to read, think, and pray. And I sip my coffee, thankful for a new day.
Morning Coffee! I keep a selection of handmade mug rugs to choose from. My sister and I had a short phase of basket weaving in the 1980’s. This is a basket I made at that time.
I have made, acquired, and given away too many mug rugs to count. Here are a few favorites that I keep within daily reach.
Mug rugs such as these sometimes come in conference goody bags.When my grandmother crocheted these decorative potholders many years ago, I’m sure she never imagined that her granddaughter would put them to use as mug rugs.Blue, brown, and green M’s and O’s. Dark wool butterflies left from tapestry weaving, woven on the Emilia Rigid Heddle loom. Green stringyarn for a rosepath mini rug.From a recent page in my sketchbook. A portion of this sketch is the basis for my next tapestry cartoon.
May your handiwork show up as embellishments for daily living.
You never know when you’ll need a piece of blue tape. A roll of blue painter’s tape is among my essential weaving supplies. My favorite way to temporarily mark just about anything is with a piece of blue tape.
Blue Painters Tape for Temporary Markings
Cut (or tear) the tape to size.
Fold one edge of the tape under. This makes a little tab so that the tape is easy to remove or reposition.
Use a fine point Sharpie to write on the tape.
Tape prepared for pointing.
Three Examples
Keep your place. Draw an arrow on a small piece of blue tape. Use the arrow on the tape to follow along the threading or treadlingdraft. This eliminates confusion, especially after a pause.
Measure the space. Draw a straight line on small pieces of tape. Measure the warp width on a tapestry frame or rigid heddle loom. Use the lines on the tape to mark where the first and last warp ends should lie on the loom. This eliminates guessing when warping the loom.
Tapestry frame is ready for a new warp. After measuring for weaving width, and counting dents, I mark the dents with tape. No more guessing if I’m “almost there” when putting on the warp.By clearly marking the first and last slots/holes I can verify that my calculations are correct before I start warping the rigid heddle loom. This is helpful for direct warping and for indirect warping methods.
Number with Grace. Write out a series of numbers on a long piece of tape, leaving space between the numbers. Cut the numbers apart. Use the numbers to label pattern shaftdraw handles on the drawloom. Place the numbers directly above the draw handles, arranged in groups of five for easy visual recognition. Use a separate series of numbers for border pattern shafts, if applicable. This temporary numbering system gives the advantage of being able to customize the numbering for each drawloom draft.
Using the Myrehed Combination Drawloom, I configure the numbers for the pattern shaftdraw handles to coordinate with the single unitdraw cords, which are grouped by tens. This makes my working chart that uses single units and pattern shafts much less complicated. For this reason, it doesn’t make sense to give my draw handles “permanent” numbers.
Have you found ways to use blue painter’s tape in your weaving studio? Share in the comments!
May your life leave marks that are more than temporary.
This is the completion of my first warp of three shafttwill on a rigid heddle loom. One step beyond plain weave, this opens the door to further exploration of double-heddle weaving on the rigid heddle loom. I already have two 50 cm (12-dent) heddles in hand for my next project, which will enable me to get an even finer/tighter cloth than with the 40 cm (10-dent) heddles I used for this project.
Glimåkra Siru rigid heddle loom, beside the Weber grill on the picnic table. Weaving outside in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas.Cottolin warp, and cottolin and linen wefts, make lightweight, but sturdy colorful face cloths. 1/2 weft-faced twill.
The Glimåkra Siru Rigid Heddle loom is the star of this show. Follow along as I take a quick look back through the process of weaving this light fabric. The cotton and linen squares are perfect for face cloths and light wash cloths.
Steve and I assembled another loom recently. This 40 cm (15 3/4”) Glimakra Siru Rigid Heddle Loom is going camping with me. It folds and opens effortlessly, even with a warp on it. The Siru loom has built-in support for two heddles. This gives me the perfect excuse to dip my toes into two-heddle weaving on the rigid heddle loom.
Glimåkra Siru Rigid Heddle Loom in the box. Do I see a little dinosaur? …or is that a pony?First project is a three-shafttwill, using 2 heddles. Warp is 22/2 cottolin. I am trying an assortment of linen, cotton, and cottolin wefts, with single threads and doubled threads. Everyone wants to know what I am making… Answer – Nothing in particular, I’m just weaving for fun.
As with any loom assembly, Steve and I first lay out all the parts and pieces, putting like things and sizes together. We then mark off the supply list in the instructions to make sure no parts are missing. That prep work simplifies the whole assembly process. The written instructions that come with the loom are sparse, but I found this online video that shows clear assembly steps for the Siru: Siru Assembly
I am impressed with the Siru for its sturdy construction, ease of folding, and smoothly operating ratchets. I will write more on two-heddle weaving on the rigid heddle loom in the future, as I gain experience…
And here is our one-minute version of assembling and weaving on the Glimåkra Siru Rigid Heddle Loom:
I have a single skein of colorful cotton/bamboo sock yarn that a sweet friend gave to me. I’m not a knitter. What can I do with a mere 50 grams of silky-soft yarn? My 13.5” Glimåkra Emilia rigid-heddle loom is perfect for the task. When I’m at home I weave on floor looms. When I travel I like to take Emilia along.
This is called “Make Do” warping while away from home.Emilia is beamed and the heddle is threaded. Ready to tie on and start weaving.Now, a trip to visit some wonders of creation in Texas. Time to bring Emilia along. Weaving in “La Perlita,” our Casita Travel Trailer.Weaving outside the Casita in the shade of a tree is a relaxing way to spend the afternoon.Two shades of bamboo thread are used for the weft–hot pink and coral–woven in alternating blocks of color.Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park. Poppies in the foreground provide color inspiration for more weaving projects.Hemstitching at the end of the scarf, easiest to do while still on the loom.
One skein of this yarn yields just enough to make the warp for a short scarf with fringe. I am using Xie Bamboo thread for the weft, left from the huck lace shawl I wove for myself to wear to my daughter’s wedding six years ago (See Quiet Friday: Coral Shawl for a Memorable Occasion). This thinner weft gives me a loose weave, and the color blends in a way that allows the changing color of the warp to take center stage.
Back home again, doing the finishing. Fringe is trimmed to an even length.Trimmed.Twisting fringe. (For more on twisting fringe, see Tools Day: Fringe Twister.)Fringe twisted.Before hand washing.Scarf has been air dried, and the fringe knots have been trimmed. This soft short scarf is just right to wear with a light jacket in the Texas autumn air.
Now that this scarf is finished, the only thing left to do is make sure I have a new warp ready for Emilia in time for our next travel adventure.
