temple – Page 4 – Warped for Good

Rosepath Mug Rugs

April 5, 2016April 4, 2016 Karen

Even though I am pleased with the miniature rugs, this project taught me that I would rather weave large rag rugs than tiny ones. After three mini rosepath rag rugs, and now, a few small mug rugs, I am nearly finished. (See Rosepath Miniature and One Mini Rag Rug to see the mini rag rugs.)

Mug rug being woven with string yarn. Customized mini temple. — Mug rug is being woven using string yarn for the weft.

I have a new project I’m excited about. That’s all the motivation I need to get the current project off the loom. The thread for the new project will be here soon. A new warp is celebration time! It means more weaving. But the aim of weaving is always to make cloth. Whether tiny rugs or monksbelt yardage, everything I weave eventually gets cut off. And for a weaver, the cutting off is party time, too! That’s when we get to see and touch the results of our efforts.

Rosepath mug rug. Glimakra Ideal. — Rosepath mug rug, woven with fabric strips. White scrap header is removed during finishing.

Sampler effect, rosepath mug rug, woven with stringyarn. — Sampler effect is made by varying the rosepath treadling on this mug rug.

You and I are here for a purpose. Though not all the same, every person is significant. Heaven knows your name. And when your name is written in heaven’s book, it’s like a new warp, and all the angels have a party! The cutting off party will be grand, too, with Jesus being clearly pleased at the results of his handiwork.

May you make angels sing.

Happy cutting off,
Karen

Simplest Rag Rug Stripe

March 15, 2016March 14, 2016 Karen

An isolated thin weft stripe makes a bold statement. One simple technique greatly improves the efficiency of weaving such a stripe in a rag rug. This method eliminates the need to weave weft tails in at the beginning and end of the stripe. So, besides being efficient, the selvedges look better too.

How to Weave a Thin Weft Stripe (Two Picks)

1 Weave up to the stripe placement. No need to end the weft if the same weft will continue after the thin stripe.

2 Place the first pick of the stripe in the shed, leaving a long tail of about 6 inches / 15 cm, or more.

3 Beat in the first pick of the stripe.

4 Change sheds. Lay the long tail into the new shed.

5 Send the shuttle across for the second pick, catching the previous weft to carry it up the selvedge.

6 As the weft goes across for the second pick, bring the shuttle all the way out.

7 Pull enough of the second pick through the warp to cut a tapered edge that will overlap the tapered edge of the long tail.

8 Overlap the two tapered fabric strips in the shed.

9 Beat in the second pick of the stripe.

10 Continue weaving with the previous weft that was carried up the selvedge.

If you’re like me, you are always on the lookout for ways to enhance weaving efficiency. One little tip can improve the whole weaving experience. When you know there is so much more to learn, and you are hungry to learn, every morsel of insight is delectable.

Has your soul ever felt hungry? Mine has. The Lord is ready to fill the hungry soul with good. He fills the empty. He satisfies the hungry, meeting the deepest need. One sweet morsel leads to another, inviting us to keep coming back. Taste and see that the Lord is good.

May you be hungry for good things.

Satisfied,
Karen

How to Strip the Fun out of Weaving

March 11, 2016March 10, 2016 Karen

No fancy stuff for this rug, like rya or loops. The main thing is to finish off this warp. I am eager to get on to the next project–monksbelt (munkabalte)! Even so, it is good to enjoy what you are doing, to be happy and content with what you have and where you are. There is no use complaining about having to finish this. …even though something else seems more exciting.

Simple rag rug on Glimakra Standard. — Simple rag rug using neutral colors. Dark weft stripe is produced by two consecutive rows of a dark brown print fabric as weft.

A grumbling attitude can strip all the joy from the current process. Grumbling poisons your thinking. It starts as a small complaint, but is never content to stay small. In fact, grumbling spreads to other people and corrupts their desires, too. Better to refuse it before it has a chance to begin. Notice and enjoy the blessing of the moment you are in. And so far, I haven’t found a rag rug I didn’t enjoy weaving. Now that’s a blessing!

May your attitude be worthy of imitation.

With contentment,
Karen

Quiet Friday: Rya Rag Rug

February 26, 2016February 25, 2016 Karen

I wasn’t happy with a simple “X” for the design area, but I struggled to come up with something better for this rug. And then, Steve and I went to the symphony. There, on the floor, in the long hallway, was the inspiration I needed for the pattern design on this rug!

Design inspiration for a rug. — Design inspiration is found on the floor on the way to the symphony.

Despite all that went wrong from the start, and how many things I had to undo and do over, I must tell you that I really did enjoy weaving this rug. The rya knots and loops made it fun and interesting. And this unique fluffy rug will always remind me of that sweet symphony date with my honey, when he patiently waited as I pulled out my iPhone to snap a few shots of the floor. Now that’s love.

Dressing the loom starts with pre-sleying the reed.

Ski shuttle and temple for making large rag rug. — Ski shuttle holds doubled weft–fabric cut into 3/4″-wide strips.

Cutting fabric strips for rya knots. — Three different lengths of fabric strips are used for making the rya knots.

Placing rya knots in large rag rug. — Adding more rya knots.

Large rag rug with rya knots and loops. — Loops are made with the help of a wooden dowel.

Rag rug with inlay, using a brown paper cartoon under the warp. — Brown paper cartoon under the warp has the outline for the pattern. Lines on the cartoon, showing where to change the inlay technique, are inked onto the warp as a guide.

Making loops on a rag rug. Fun! — Making loops.

Extra warp width after re-sleying the reed. — After weaving a sample at the very beginning, I re-sleyed the reed, spreading the warp ends further apart. Excess warp ends, because of the increased width, are chained on both sides. Future band loom warps?

Another do-over. — Don’t ask. Almost finished weaving, and another do-over happened.

Cutting off!! Time to celebrate!! — Cutting off! Time to celebrate!!

Handwoven rag rug with rya knots and loops. — Sculpted inlay appearance is achieved by graduated lengths of the rya strips and heights of the loops.

May your design inspiration come from unanticipated places.

Love,
Karen

Tools Day: Teeny Tiny Temple

February 9, 2016February 8, 2016 Karen

What if you start weaving a project and realize your smallest temple is too big? And that your smallest temple is the smallest one they make. I am aware that most people do not use a temple for something this narrow, 16.7 cm/6.5 in. width in the reed, but this is a rag rug. A miniature rosepath rag rug. And draw-in is inevitable, which leads to weaving headaches like broken selvedge warp ends. A temple helps prevent all that.

Smallest temple is too big. How I solved this dilemma. — Smallest Glimåkra temple is two inches wider than my weaving width.

I have seen makeshift temples that I could try, but my genius husband has a better idea. Why not cut down my little temple to the size I need? So he takes the tiny temple out to his workshop in the garage and turns it into a teeny tiny temple! (He does this knowing full well that I will need to replace the temple being cut.)

Cutting a temple down to make a teeny tiny temple. — Measure twice; cut once. Steve marks his cutting lines on the original temple parts.

Small temple is cut down to teeny tiny size. — Happy with the first cut, Steve is now ready to let the second piece meet the saw blade.

Small temple is cut down to teeny tiny size. It works! — Once cut apart, we wonder if a temple this tiny will work? Will there be enough length for the pieces to pivot as needed? There’s one way to find out…

Perfect! It works! And holes for the locking pin line up, too!

Teeny tiny temple in place on miniature rag rug. (6 1/2") — Teeny tiny temple does its job. Yay!

Start of a mini rosepath rag rug. Karen Isenhower — Start of a miniature rosepath rag rug.

May you cut your problems down to size.

A little weaving,
Karen