Thanksgiving. What is a family gathering without food? We have our traditions, like turkey, dressing, and pumpkin pie. We also have some recently discovered favorites, like pomegranate seeds and pecan pie. Even for a reluctant cook like me, the hustle and bustle of preparing the Thanksgiving meal with more-than-usual pairs of hands in the kitchen is heart-warming. Making memories with love is a thread that weaves the fabric of our family together. I am grateful.
Steaming dinner rolls, just out of the oven, are wrapped in a handwoven cotton towel. Thanks to my daughter, Melody, and her cooking timeline, we knew just when to put the rolls in the oven. The towel is simple plain weave that takes on elegance in this color-and-weave effect using thick and thin threads.Antique family bowl with pomegranate seeds, on classic cottolin hand towel in point twill, with turned rosepath ribbon at the side.Brined and Roasted Turkey, prepared by my daughter-in-law, Lindsay, was one of the best we have ever eaten. Eight-shaft two block twill Tencel scarf completes the presentation.Decorative band woven on my band loom playfully dresses up the reinforced weft table runner, which is made with narrow strips of cotton fabric for weft. Frozen Cranberry Salad is a traditional favorite for our family.My other daughter-in-law, Marie, created the braided edge for this pecan pie. Superb! The eight-shaft two block twill cloth matches the Roman shades that hang from my kitchen door, made from the same warp.
When yarn comes on tubes or cones I can use it as is for weaving, but when the yarn comes in skeins I need to do some prep before I can use it for weaving. (HERE is how these skeins looked when I got them.) I use my Beka Yarn Swift and Royal Ball Winder to convert skeins of yarn into balls that I can use for winding my next warp. Most of my weaving friends use an umbrella yarn swift, but I like my Beka swift that I have had for thirty years. (If I do get an umbrella swift someday, I will get one like THIS.)
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Weaving tools: Yarn Swift and Ball Winder
Yarn swift on the white table turns quietly and effortlessly as the yarn is wound onto the ball winder clamped to a wooden barstool placed near the table.
How to use a yarn swift and ball winder:
Carefully open out the skein of yarn, and notice how it is tied.
Place your two arms through the center of the ring of yarn. Sharply pull your arms apart, so the skein is fully outstretched. Turn the circle of yarn about a half-turn, and sharply pull your arms apart again. This will help even out the skein and make it unwind smoothly.
Carefully place the opened skein over the yarn swift.
Loosen or clip the threads (often tied in a figure-eight) that are tied around the skein; be sure to hold onto the two loose ends of the skein, the beginning and end tails.
Take the beginning tail and feed it to the ball winder.
Turn the ball winder handle with one hand, and allow the yarn to loosely glide through your other hand to help maintain an even tension as you wind.
When all the yarn has been wound onto the ball winder, remove ball of yarn by carefully pulling it up and off. (If you want a center-pull ball, which I don’t, be sure to grasp the beginning tail so it is not lost inside the ball.)
Neatly wrap the outer end around the outside of the ball so it is ready to be used.
If it weren’t for these tools, I would need a very patient helper to hold the skein of yarn between their hands just so, while I would take the end and gradually wind the yarn into a ball. I’m thankful for tools! (Steve is, too.)
Wisdom tools: Work and Thinking Ahead
Work means doing what needs to be done. If I’m a slacker about winding skeins into balls, I’ll have nothing to weave, and no woven handiwork to show.
Ready to wind the warp for the next project on my Glimåkra Standard–an alpaca-tencel shawl with a lace weave.
Solomon had this to say –
The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
What about other areas in life? What needs to be done now to ensure fruit in the next season?
Next up on the big loom (Glimåkra Standard): Alpaca and tencel blend yarn, golden brown, to be woven in lace and plain weave to make a shawl. Wear faith and love as a protection for your heart, as you would wrap yourself with a handwoven shawl for comfort and warmth. Be prepared for the cool days of autumn and winter.
Alpaca 65% Tencel 35%, approximately 2400 yards per pound. This very fine, lightweight yarn should be perfect for a lacy shawl.
I am thankful our creator has given us security in the shawl of faith and love he has woven for us.
May you stay warm and secure as the days get cool.
