Halvdräll is one of those Swedish weaves that takes your breath away. How can I describe the exquisite simplicity and stunning splendor of this fascinating cloth? With halvdräll, every moment at the loom is pure joy. I keep thinking, I get to weave this! And every weaver knows no comparison to the delight of pulling beautiful just-woven fabric off the cloth beam.
Enjoy the journey with me now as I reflect on the halvdräll fabric from beginning to end.
Choke tie serves as a counting thread as the cottolin warp is wound.Red linen is anticipating a starring role as pattern weft.Sampling various color options for the pattern weft. Red may be one star among several.Second table square has blue and green for block I and red for block II. The back of the first table square, with all red pattern weft, is seen between the breast beam and the knee beam.Neutral tones with subtle elegance.Light play dances on the colorful woven fabric.Celebration time! When the cloth is cut from the loom the weaver is able to see a complete view of the woven fabric for the first time. Woo hoo!Wet finished and pressed. Ready for hemming.Blind hem, with sewing needle and thread. Needle goes under one warp end, and is inserted through folded edge of hem for 1/4 inch. Continued stitching across the hem is virtually invisible when complete.Label added.Hemmed, pressed, and ready to dress up a table.
The linen on my loom last spring was a secret project. I only showed hints of what I was doing. Now that the “secret” linen project is published, let’s go back to see some of the process. Complete instructions for weaving and sewing these Linen Dice Weave pillows are in the January/February 2016 issue of Handwoven magazine. Read how it all came about in Caught by Surprise – in a Good Way.
Linen arrives!Ready to pre-sley the reed.Warping trapeze in action to beam the linen warp.Ready to thread the heddles.First pillow.Linen dice weave as seen through the warp.Coming around the cloth beam.Ending the pattern.Dice weave.Cutting off celebration!Assembling pillows.Two sets of linen dice weave pillows.Linen dice weave pillows ready to send.
May you and those you love make meaningful memories on this Christmas day.
The start of a new warp takes my breath away. It’s magic, isn’t it? It’s at this beginning point that I often feel the wonder of the whole weaving process. Expectation, anticipation, and wonder. A new warp is a fresh start.
Warpends are tied on in 1″|2.5cm sections, with 1/2″|1.3cm going over, and the other 1/2″|1.3cm going under the front tie-on bar. The leveling string then flattens the warp by going over and under the little sections of warp ends, being pulled tight and tied through a hole at each end of the tie-on bar.
The loom is dressed through a series of steps. In the Swedish method of back-to-front warping that I have been taught, the steps are logical and systematic. They make sense. If I simply follow the steps, I can expect to have an evenly-tensioned, ready-to-weave warp. If the warp is good, it means I’m off to a good start.
Side view of new cottolin warp, set up for halvdräll table squares.Halvdräll is a Swedish block weave that has weftfloats. The tabby weft is white 22/2 cottolin, and the pattern weft is doubled 16/1 linen.
Christmas is about God offering us a new start through Jesus. It isn’t about trying to be good enough. Being good is never good enough. Trust in God’s goodness instead. Jesus is God coming to us in all his goodness. I can never repay the Lord for all the good he has done for me. What I can do is receive what he has given–a fresh start. Then, as the beginning weft appears across the warp, I see my hopes coming to life.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I am excited to have halvdräll up next on the big loom. Warp chains are white cottolin. The weft is white cottolin for the tabby, and red linen for the pattern. Red and white for Christmas. However, if it is not finished by December 25th, there’s always Valentines Day, right? I would love to have this table square ready for Christmas, but I am not willing to make shortcuts on quality to make that happen. It will be finished when it is finished.
Warping reel is used to measure a warp of bleached 22/2 cottolin. A counting tie goes between every 50 ends.Red 16/1 linen pattern weft will add Christmas (or Valentine) flair to the bleached 22/2 cottolin.
Do you ever find yourself being controlled by circumstances instead of convictions? Convictions are firm beliefs that guide our actions. Convictions are like signposts on an unfamiliar path. It’s like having time-tested weaving techniques that help you navigate any new weaving adventure. In time for Christmas, or not.
A vote of confidence from someone you look up to can make a world of difference. When I saw Joanne Hall’s exquisite towel made with thick and thin threads, I asked her, “Do you think I can weave something like that?” “Of course you can;” she replied without hesitation, “it’s plain weave.” Keep in mind that I was a complete novice on the floor loom; and I barely knew how to handle oneshuttle, much less two! I plunged into the ambitious project and came out with a winner! The blue and cream towel hangs on the oven door in my kitchen as a daily reminder of the powerful impact of an encouraging word. Thank you, Joanne!
First thick and thin towel, completed as a beginning weaver. This is one of Erica de Ruiter’s designs, found in “The Best of Weaver’s Thick’n Thin,” Edited by Madelyn van der Hoogt.
Thick and thin is just as fascinating this time around. It is delightful to revisit a rewarding experience. Who knew that plain weave could be this much fun?
Zebra warp with thick and thin threads on my new Glimakra warping reel. One of three bouts, 10 1/2 meters.View from the crossbar at the top of the warping trapeze, looking down. Ready to untie choke ties and add weights to the warp bouts.Thick ends alternate with thin ends as the heddles are threaded. Left hand separates the shafts‘ heddles for ease of threading.Weaving begins as soon as the warp is tied on and the leveling string is secured. I use the first few inches to check the threading and sett, and to do some sampling.First border is captured with my iPhone camera so that I can easily reproduce the pattern at the other end of the towel.I added a second double bobbin shuttle to make it easier and quicker to switch weft colors. Plain weave gets even more interesting with three shuttles!End of the third towel.View from under the breast beam. I love to see the fabric rolled up on the cloth beam.Temple keeps the fabric at the optimum width for weaving. Red cutting line serves as the separation between the end of one towel and the beginning of the next. Ready to start another fascinating pattern.
May you give a vote of confidence to someone who needs it.
