Tag: stripes

Awaken the Empty Looms

Karen

The transformation of looms has begun! One by one, three empty looms are awakened from their rest. Two of three warps have been wound, and I have started dressing one of the looms. Soon, all three looms will be active as I weave coordinating textiles for our Texas hill country home.

Cotton and linen for planned coordinating textiles.
Cotton and linen threads for the planned coordinating textiles.
Stripes on the warp beam. So inviting!
Warp beam is clothed with a narrow-striped warp. A separate warp chain for each color and two sets of lease sticks make the beaming process a little tricky.

This loom at our hill country home has a warp designated for placemats. Color-and-weave effects will take the simple two-treadle plain weave up a notch, starting with the warp stripes. Is there anything as inviting as stripes on the warp beam? The loom that was bare now holds great promise.

Threading the loom in the best spot in the house!
Threading the loom happens in the brightest corner of the house.
Warp stripes form the base of interesting color-and-weave effects.
Warp stripes form the base of interesting color-and-weave effects.

Love transforms people. Someone who feels empty is given purpose and hope when they are loved. A reason for being. A start toward something meaningful. Real love is extreme. Love is defined by the ultimate giving up of self-centered motives, as demonstrated by Jesus Christ. This is the extreme love that we have been given, and have been called to give. We’ve known the joy of stripes on the warp beam becoming handwoven fabric before our eyes. And we relish the thought of sharing that joy with someone else.

May you awaken empty looms.

Happy weaving,
Karen

Rag Rugs with a Zillion Threads

Karen

It thrills me to weave rag rugs again! This is spaced rep, and I am weaving almost the full width of this 100 cm (39″) Glimåkra Ideal. That means there are zillions of threads involved. 724 warp ends, to be exact.

Getting ready to weave spaced rep rag rugs.
Spaced rep is warp faced, but the weft is not completely covered. There is enough space between warp ends for some of the fabric-strip weft to show.

This is a type of warp rep, but it is not completely warp faced because there is space between the warp ends. It is also similar to the thick-and-thin weaving I have done with hand towels. Thick weft (fabric strips) alternates with thin weft (12/6 cotton rug warp). Pattern blocks change with two thick picks in a row.

Stripes for spaced rep rag rugs.
Stripes on the warp beam and back beam is a handsome sight.

With all those threads these rugs are made to last. They will outlast me, I’m sure. And my children, and grandchildren. But eventually, even these rugs will wear out.

Testing weft options for some rag rugs.
Testing weft options and trying out block patterns.

Everything but God ages and wears out. Even this earth and the heavens that we see will someday wear out. That’s when it’s good to know the Maker. He keeps those who have made him their trust. And, when we wear out and come to and end, he has a place for us where we will enjoy him forever.

May you make things that last and last.

Happy weaving,
Karen

Make Magical Fabric

Karen

Another magical experience at the loom! Double weave lets you weave two separate layers of fabric simultaneously. And then, the top and bottom layers can switch places in defined blocks. I don’t know who thought this up, but they were brilliant!

Double weave cotton baby blanket on the loom.
Cotton baby blanket for a dear friend’s first grandchild. This friend is amazed at the weaving process, and says that this woven fabric looks calming. Careful arrangement of the two shuttles ensures that the double-weave selvedges are woven closed.

The hard part was tying up the treadles. For a countermarch, working with eight shafts requires a more delicate balance under the loom. For a while, I was concerned that I might not get more than two decent sheds on this. But after several adjustments, I finally got a great shed with every treadle! Someone who looks at the final cloth will never know the effort that took place behind the scenes. But they may wonder at the amazement of handwoven cloth. Or not. (You’ve probably met someone who is not duly impressed with handwoven goods.)

Double weave baby blanket on the loom.
Long stripes in the middle of the baby blanket. I added dashed lines at the ends of the stripes for added detail interest.
Double weave cotton baby blanket on the loom.
Beginning sample reaches the cloth beam. Sample area at the beginning of the warp was used to test weft colors and to practice getting the appropriate weft density.

What do we see as ordinary that, truth be known, is full of wonder? One person may interpret an unusual event as an amazing sign from God. Another person experiences the same event and considers it nothing more than happenstance. If I say I won’t believe until I see evidence, I will never find evidence that satisfies me …even if I come face-to-face with a miracle. Keep the wonder. When you see handwoven cloth, let the work of the Maker’s hands bring wonder and awe. And know there are significant hidden details that are beyond our grasp.

May your fabrics be magical.

Happy weaving,
Karen

Quiet Friday: Serenity Towels

Karen

The neutral colors and the quiet elegance of these towels say “serenity.” What a pleasure to weave M’s and O’s. This was mostly single-shuttle weaving! Uncomplicated, luxurious, and serene. Five towels, plus one very long table runner that I made specifically for our dining room table. The fine 20/1 line linen weft increases the visual and tactile elegance for me.

M's and O's handwoven towels.
M’s and O’s towels.

I’m still amazed when I see the results that come from threads and a weaving loom. And thrilled that I get to be a part of that experience. Enjoy this short slide-show video of the process.

May serenity be woven into your days.

All the best,
Karen

Little Experiments on the Loom

Karen

This is my attempt to add a fascinating detail. I alternated white and brass-colored ends in the warp stripe. In a similar fashion, I alternated colors in the weft stripe, too. It’s an experiment. The short columns that emerge in the weft stripe are a result of this thread arrangement. The outcome looks promising. Wet finishing will reveal the final effects of this low-risk exploration.

M's and O's on the loom. Experiment in progress.
M’s and O’s (Sålldräll) with a warp stripe and weft stripe that have alternating light and dark threads.

I like to do experiments on the loom. Little risks open up possibilities and ideas for future projects. Every learning experience is a step that leads to insight for future learning. And I have so much more to learn!

Weaving the border of the long table runner. M's and O's.
Weft stripe signals the beginning of the end border for this long table runner.
M's and O's on the loom.
Short vertical columns take shape in the brass-colored weft stripe.

Step-by-step learning has some common ground with finding a good path for life. Walking the right path is like walking in the early morning. The dim light of dawn gradually increases and the pathway becomes more and more clear as the sun rises to the full light of day. Our Creator gave us a lighted path. The learning experiences from our experiments and explorations in life help us discover the path of the Lord, where the light beckons us. Walk in the light. It’s where we can see the next good step.

Happy weaving,
Karen