Tag: tools

Daily Tapestry Weaving

Karen

I planned a small tapestry project to take with me on our travels to Grand Canyon North Rim last month. I was rushed in the planning of the cartoon and in the selection of the yarn colors. Sitting by our travel trailer at the campground, with the rim of Grand Canyon in view, I had an inspiring environment for weaving.

After returning home, I could see changes I’d like to make in the cartoon, and some adjustments needed in the hues and values of my yarn selection. The cartoon is a photo of a Grand Canyon North Rim sunset from our visit there two years ago. I reworked the cartoon in Photoshop and edited my yarn selection. Then I undid everything that I had already woven. I’m starting over and it is looking better already!

Every evening, now, I bring my Freja Tapestry Frame to our small breakfast table in the kitchen and weave for a little while. Steve made a holder for me to hang the tapestry frame on a wall in the study. I take a picture every morning. I will end up with a series of photos that show how the tapestry grows, row by row, over time. This daily tapestry weaving gives me a constant reminder of how beautifully creative the Creator of our universe is, and how His planning is never rushed, nor His selection of colors short sighted. His work is perfect from the start.

First, we found a place to hang this Freja Tapestry frame on the wall. Bright yarn is the scrap yarn for beginning to space the warp. Six rows of 12/6 cotton warp thread finish the job of spreading the warp evenly. I also added two quick rows at the top to help keep uniform spacing from bottom to top of the warp.
Steve’s simple mounting rack is just right for holding the tapestry frame. I can view the right (or wrong) side of the tapestry and watch it grow day by day. I completed these six rows in the first couple days back home.
Detail view of the right side of the first six rows. This tapestry is being woven from the back.
Adding rows two at a time.
So far, this is simply colors and shapes.
Sitting down in the evening and completing one pass (two rows) is a satisfying way to wind down for the day.
Pouch with yarn, Gingher snips on a handwoven band to wear around my neck, legs to hold the tapestry frame at a comfortable angle on the table, folder with tapestry cartoon and a few go-by’s. And, the Freja Tapestry frame, with slat that holds the cartoon, and tapestry needle held by earth magnets that Steve inlayed into the face of the right side of the frame, and a wood cover that slips over the bottom teeth on the frame that keeps anything from snagging on the teeth.
This is my simple setup. Most evenings I take my place here at our small breakfast table and set up my tapestry frame. I have a black-and-white, and a full-color go by. I refer to these constantly as color reference and value reference.
This is my “crayon box” of colors, carefully selected by value and hue. Most of the weft yarn is 6/1 Fårö wool, with a few colors of 20/2 Mora wool added in. I have the yarn sorted by value. There are five sleeves in the pouch, so 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 – for a five-point value scale. The yarn is wound on floss bobbins left over from my counted cross-stitch days. This makes the whole project very travel friendly.

May the colors of creation bring you joy.

Happy Weaving, Karen

Ski Shuttles – Glide with Ease

Karen

Ski shuttles are a rag-rug weaver’s best friends. A few simple tips for using a ski shuttle make rag-rug weaving even that much more fun.

Ski shuttles are fun tools to use for weaving rag rugs.
In the video I explain why I don’t use the longer ski shuttle very much.

In the video below I tell you why I prefer Glimåkra ski shuttles, and how I wind the weft fabric on my shuttle. And I share two quick tips to make weaving with a ski shuttle a bit more manageable. If you are an experienced rag-rug weaver you probably already know these things. Watch to the end to see a short demo, plus a little blooper. Enjoy!

Ski shuttles by Glimåkra are just right for me. They fit nicely in my hands, have a low profile that slides easily through the shed, and are artistic in design.

May you know your tools.

Happy Weaving,
Karen

Tried and True: Sheepskin Loom Bench Cover

Karen

A fluffy sheepskin stays between me and the hard wooden bench at my Glimåkra Standard loom. Softening your loom bench makes weaving that much more pleasant. Last week Jane asked a great question: How do you secure the sheepskin on the bench? To answer that, I invite you to follow along as I secure the sheepskin on my drawloom bench.

Fluffy sheepskin on my Glimåkra Standard bench.
Bench for the drawloom has sheepskin tied on with some twisted cords. Securing this sheepskin is long overdue. Thank you to Jane for prompting this project.

Make a Sheepskin Loom-Bench Cover

Supplies

  • Sheepskin
  • 6 3/8” grommets
  • Pencil
  • Grommet kit (hole punch, base, and flaring tool)
  • Small block of wood
  • Hammer
  • Tape measure
  • Texsolv cord (scissors, and small flame to sear ends)
  • 6 Arrow pegs

1 Mark placement for 6 grommets on the underside of the sheepskin.

2 With block of wood underneath, hold grommet hole punch over one of the marked positions. Tap tool with the hammer to cut a small hole.

3 Insert the protruding ring of the top grommet piece (grommet) into the fur side of the hole.

4 With fur side down on the block of wood, fit bottom grommet piece (washer) on top. Align grommet and washer between the base and flaring tool. Firmly tap with hammer until the two grommet pieces are tightly fastened together.

5 Repeat steps 2 – 4 for each of the 5 remaining grommets.

6 Lay the sheepskin fur-side down on a table or floor. Center the seat of the bench upside down on the sheepskin. Bring the sides of the sheepskin over the bench. Measure the distance between opposing grommets.

7 Double the grommet-to-grommet measurement, and cut three Texsolv cords that length. Sear the cut ends in a flame.

8 Secure the sheepskin to the seat of the bench by lacing one of the cut Texsolv cords through two opposite grommets. Tighten the cord and lock it in place with an arrow peg. Repeat for the remaining two cords.

Sit in immovable comfort.

While we’re at it, let’s fix up one more bench cover…

Scrap of rosepath rag rug is held in place with bungee cords. (Bench for my Glimåkra Ideal loom)
Cord threader pulls Texsolv through. The end knots on the rug should keep the cord from pulling the weft out (I hope).
No more bungee cords!
Sitting in style.

May you see where you can soften things up.

Happy Sitting,
Karen

Tried and True: Cheater Bar

Karen

UPDATE: I no longer use the cheater bar, as it could put too much force on the loom parts. Instead, I loosen the front ratchet first, and then I am able to loosen the back ratchet.

I have a tool that makes me stronger than I naturally am. Warp tension is extremely tight on my loom when I am weaving rugs. After advancing the warp, and locking the pawl on the cloth beam, I tighten the ratchet on the warp beam as much as I can. Then, I put all my weight into tightening the cloth beam. And then, with a bit of oomph, I lean into the handles on that cloth beam wheel to turn it one more notch on the ratchet. I pat myself on the back for exhibiting such strength. But wait, I have just created a problem. The next time I need to advance the warp, I’m not nearly strong enough to release those front and back pawls.

Meet my simplest tool: The Cheater Bar.

Cheater Bar is PVC pipe to use as a lever.
PVC pipe, 1 1/4″ x 24″

With this amazing helper, I can safely release even the most extremely tight warp tension. (But NEVER use the Cheater Bar to tighten the warp.)

Slip the end of the pipe over a handle on the ratchet wheel.
Force of the lever makes it easy to release the ratchet. CAUTION! Do not use the lever to tighten the warp beam or cloth beam. You could easily tighten it more than the loom is made to handle.

I never knew I could be this strong. Celebrate the moment! (A play on words. Steve tells me “moment” is a physics term that has to do with a force’s tendency to cause something to rotate about a specific point or axis.)

Good tools make hard things easier.

May you find strength you didn’t know you had.

Happy weaving,
Karen

Tried and True: Wool Skeins into Balls

Karen

I am adding about thirty more skeins to my yarn supply to get the colors I need for a new tapestry. At this rate, maybe I will have every single color of Borgs 6/2 Tuna and 6/1 Fårö wool on my shelves some day. That’s wishful thinking… But I do have what I need for now to make the butterflies for this special pictorial tapestry.

Preparing to weave a new pictorial tapestry.
Beautiful colors of wool skeins of yarn.

All these new skeins of yarn need to be wound into balls using my Swedish umbrella swift and a ball winder. In the past, I have used a manual ball winder. That means a lot of handle turning, but eventually all the yarn is wound into balls.

Swedish umbrella swift and an electric ball winder.
Skein of yarn is opened and placed on the umbrella swift.

This time is different. I found a new time-saving and arm-saving tool. It’s an electric ball winder, made by Fiber Artist Supply Company. I put the skein on the swift, cut the ties, secure the loose end of yarn to the ball winder, and then turn it on, gradually increasing the speed. In less than two minutes, I have another beautiful ball of yarn to use for making tapestry butterflies.

My new electric ball winder.
End of yarn is secured on the post of the ball winder.
Electric ball winder. Time-saver and arm-saver!
Dial on the winder allows me to gradually increase the speed. When I see that the skein is unwinding properly, I turn the dial to full speed.
Yarn swift is turning swiftly!
Maybe this is why it’s called a yarn “swift.” Previous pictorial tapestry, Siblings, is seen on the wall.
Electric ball winder. Time-saver and arm-saver!
One minute, fifty-four seconds later, and we have a ball of yarn.
New ball of yarn from the electric ball winder.
I will wrap the label on this ball of yarn and it will join the yarn collection for this tapestry.
Getting ready to start a new pictorial tapestry!
Linen warp is ready for beaming. Wool weft yarn is being sorted and organized for making butterflies.

May your tools give you more time for weaving.

Making it easier,
Karen