In the afternoon light the linen takes on a golden appearance. The halvdräll pattern in the cloth is no less distinguishable in these low-contrast weft colors. In fact, the pattern seems more embedded in the fabric now than it did with the vibrant red weft in Weaving Christmas. Natural unbleached linen over white bleached cottolin brings monochrome elegance to this table square.
Unbleached and half bleached 16/1 linen are combined for the pattern weft. Bleached 22/2 cottolin is used for the warp and for the tabbyweft.View of the back of the halvdräll cloth under the advancing warp.
God has a life plan for us that reveals His glory. His instruction gives me wisdom, insight, and understanding for life. It is much like following a halvdräll weaving draft to produce halvdräll fabric, and witnessing the fabric at its best as it glistens in the afternoon sunshine.
It is sampling time! Before I weave the first table square with all red pattern weft, I am testing other options. I have several colors of 16/1 linen left from the linen lace weave scarves (Linen Air Scarves). Just what I need!
Linen in various colors line up as pattern weft options.
This uses a doubled weft. Besides doubled red, there is red with magenta, doubled royal blue, royal blue with periwinkle blue, lime green with periwinkle blue, lime green with unbleached, and unbleached with half bleached. But another reason for this sample is to practice the halvdräll before weaving the “real thing.” This isn’tplain weave, after all. Weaving with two shuttles and being attentive to a changing treadling pattern is quite a challenge. Why is it, then, that I experience such satisfaction weaving this halvdräll? As I’m immersed in weaving, everything else fades away.
Samplequills for testing color combinations. Each quill is wound with doubled 16/1 linen.Temple is moved out of the way to observe how the first picks are working out.Seven color duos make an interesting sample piece. From bottom to top – Doubled red, red/magenta, doubled royal blue, royal blue/periwinkle blue, lime green/periwinkle blue, lime green/unbleached, unbleached/half bleached, doubled red.
When the world is not making sense, when we’re too busy for our own good, when things are out of control… We need a place of refuge–right in the challenge. My loom bench is a place of refuge like that, where my mind is occupied and my hands are usefully engaged. You find refuge in the place you trust. Take refuge in the Lord. Immersed in his peace and comfort, our soul finds rest in him–right in the challenge.
Black and white and a little red all over. Black and white just became classier. Thin red stripes appear to tunnel under long white ridges. Surely there is a designer kitchen for this towel. Right?
Fringe at the end of one cut weft thread peeks out, revealing the spot where weft threads overlap.
Since the slender red stripes are made with only two picks, I do not have to start and stop the color at the selvedge. The first pick goes all the way across, and the second pick has cut ends that are overlapped in the shed. If you are looking, you can see where the red threads overlap. If you are not looking, you would never notice it. And after the towels are washed, the join will be virtually invisible…unless you know where to look.
We find what we are looking for. If we want to see where a weaver spliced the weft, we study and examine the fabric as much as needed until we find that detail. When we look for signs of our Creator, we find that, too. His wonders are not hidden from us, they are hidden for us. What a delight when our search leads us to the Grand Weaver, Himself.
Thread on a carefully wound quill comes off effortlessly. I love the feel of the boat shuttle chasing back and forth between my hands, with no resistance whatsoever from the unwinding thread. I wind a few quills at a time and drop them in the loom basket that hangs on my bench. Then, when I empty a quill, I simply reach into the basket and quickly replace the thread in my shuttle, and continue weaving. It is satisfying to do something as enjoyable as weaving, and have it end up as lovely cloth.
Freshly-wound quill in the boat shuttle replaces an emptied quill. The new weft thread will overlap the end of the former thread, and be secured with the swing of the beater, and changing of the shed.
I do hope to make beautiful things, but it’s more than that. The weaving procedure, itself, seems beautiful to me. Such strategy. Such alignment of movement and function. There is a deeper satisfaction than merely being pleased with the final results.
Beauty serves a purpose. Beauty points us to our Maker. Yes, purple mountain majesties and intricate iridescent hummingbird feathers do point to a masterful creator. But I am also talking about the beauty of how things work, and how people are responsive to love, and how everything in our solar system fits together. It’s amazing. It’s beautiful. What a Grand Weaver we have!
In warp-faced weaves, like this band, the warp is what you notice. When the weft is placed correctly, it is not seen at all, except at the selvedges. And even then, when the weft is the same color as the outermost warp end, as it usually is, the weft thread blends in and is virtually invisible.
Four strands of aqua cottolin (cotton/linen thread) are threaded together to form the “dots” in the center of the woven band. Brown weft matches outer warpends. Glimåkra two-treadleband loom.
The weft is doing its best job when it remains out of view. You could say the weft’s purpose is to make the warp look good. Consistency is the hallmark of a high quality woven band. I aim for that by pulling the weft snug, but not too snug, on each pick. If the weft thread is visible between warp ends, it’s a sign that the weft is not properly placed.
Humility is the hidden weft that holds relationships together. Humility preserves relationships. We must never let selfish ambition or conceit be our motivation for anything. “Me first” has no place in healthy relationships any more than weft is meant to be seen in warp-faced weaves. We are at our best when we make those we love look good.
