Tag: warping

Beginning with Broken Ends

Karen

I have 240 perfect warp ends, but my attention is not on the perfect ones, it’s on the broken ones. Two threads got crossed behind the reed, and that extra friction was more than these linen singles could handle, so they snapped. I will repair these ends, and then they will weave in just fine with the rest of the warp. But until then, the broken ends have my attention. Likewise, our master weaver gives attention to people in need.

Linen singles warp with broken ends
Two broken warp ends have been uncrossed, and then repositioned correctly through heddles and reed. Now they are awaiting repair (relatively simple, because this is near the very beginning of the warp).

When we feel defeated in life, we may think we have to pull ourselves together and fix the mess. The problem is, when we are at our lowest, we are not capable of fixing anything. And, don’t think for a minute that everyone else is perfect, either. We all have weak spots.

The good thing is, we have a master weaver who keeps watching for broken people, so he can lovingly weave them into place in his fabric. He gives his kind attention, especially when we are at our greatest need. In his time, and in his way, he repairs and restores, and we become woven into his beautiful cloth.

May you find the help you need, when you need it most.

With care,
Karen

Preventing Errors

Karen

After the warp is wound onto the back beam, I prepare to thread the heddles. By counting the warp ends into measured groups, I am much more likely to prevent a threading error. If I miss a heddle, I catch it after only 24 ends, instead of after threading all 424 ends. Now, if only I would measure my words before I speak, I could prevent errors in what I say, too.

16/1 linen warp, reading for threading heddles
Blue linen shimmers on the back beam, with loosely-tied overhand knots holding groups of warp ends.

Of course, you wouldn’t literally count your words before speaking, but thinking before speaking is always a good idea. When we rush to say what’s on our mind, our safeguards are gone. And spoken errors are a lot harder to fix than threading errors.

Wisdom protects your words. It means not saying everything you think. Wisdom is a filter that makes your thoughts presentable, so you can speak in a way that does no harm, and only good. When we stop and count the cost of our spoken words, before they leave our mouths, we have the beginning of a good conversation, a healthy dialog, or even a worthwhile disagreement. Oh, the interesting cloth we weave with our words!

May you speak wise words at just the right moment.

Counting,
Karen

Keep it Simple Sweetie

Karen

A simple solution for keeping the guide string out of the way when winding a warp: Eliminate the guide string! Okay, use a guide string, but not while measuring the warp. After I select the appropriate length guide string, I line it up on the warping reel. And then — this is the simple part — I place a little piece of blue tape (fold under one edge for easy removal) on the inside of each vertical post at the spot where the guide string passes. Remove the guide string and wind the warp, following the little blue tape markers! Simple.

Rag rug warp for Glimakra Ideal loom. Read about simple solution to eliminate guide string.
New rag rug warp for little Glimakra Ideal loom. Little pieces of blue tape mark the winding path for the warp.

It is easy to complicate things. In my efforts to simplify, I occasionaly reach an impasse by trying too hard to get the perfect solution, and lose sight of the main thing.

Talking with our creator is one of the simplest things we can do. When we get caught up with trying to say the right words, we can make it so complicated that we totally miss having the conversation. Simply saying what is on your heart touches our creator. And I’m convinced he bends down to listen …just like a father.

May you find simple words to express your heart.

Simply,
Karen

Quiet Friday: Dressing the Loom

Karen

Enjoy some peace and quiet today.

Measuring warp ends on warping reel
Counting string at lease cross separates groups of warp ends while measuring warp on warping reel. (Click picture to enlarge)

 

Beaming the warp
Warp bouts, under tension, being beamed. Choke ties, which keep the threads from shifting, are removed as they move close to the breast beam.

 

Lease sticks across the warp
Pair of lease sticks across width of warp keep warp ends in the same order they were wound on the warping reel. (Click picture to enlarge)

 

Texsolv heddles being threaded
Each warp end is threaded through the eye of a heddle.

 

Sleying 22.5 dent per inch reed
After the heddles are threaded, each warp end is pulled through a dent in the reed. This warp has one end per dent. There are 22.5 dents per inch in this reed.

 

Warp tied to front tie-on bar
With the reed placed in the beater, one-inch sections of warp ends are smoothed out and tied onto the front tie-on bar.

 

Sitting under the warp
Like getting into a secret playhouse, I sit under the warp at the back of the loom to attach the lamms and tie up the treadles. This view is looking up from my secret hideout.

 

Perfect shed for weaving
After everything is tied up, the shaft holders removed, and the locking pin taken out, this makes me rejoice — A Perfect Shed!

Let the weaving begin! Come back soon to see the Swedish lace curtains being woven.

Quietly yours,

Karen

You Can Always Hope

Karen

Starting a new warp is like having a blank slate. I still find it fascinating that one can weave thread into cloth! Every new warp is a time of starting over. No matter what went wrong before, this new set of ends has fresh possibilities. Hope gives a blank slate like that. Anyone can begin again.

Warping the loom for cotton curtains
Over the back beam and around the warp beam, images of white Swedish lace curtains dance in my mind.

Hope can slip away gradually, and we don’t even notice until it is gone. Dreams are put on the shelf, and we tell ourselves if we don’t look, it won’t hurt. Whether we mess up, or others mess us up, we secretly decide to stop trying. One day we look up, and hope is missing. The loom sits empty.

Listen… Can you hear it? There’s a quiet voice speaking strength and courage to you. It’s the whisper of the creator’s love. It brings a strong picture of hope for the future at the very moment all present hope seems to be slipping away. There is always a new warp to wind, and resulting handwoven fabric is around the corner. A brighter day is coming. Don’t stop hoping.

May your dreams and hopes find fulfillment.

Hopefully Yours,
Karen