Tag: wool

Tools Day: Tapestry Weaving in Flight

Karen

This is how a weaver enjoys a long haul flight. I keep my hands busy. A direct flight from Houston to Tokyo takes about fourteen hours. And then five more hours to Manila. Add layover time, and you have almost a full day of travel. I have been wanting to try the exercises in Kathe Todd-Hooker‘s Tapestry 101. So that is how I spent my travel time to and from The Philippines on our recent visit there. I followed advice I received from Teresa Loveless when I was at Weaving Southwest in New Mexico, to warp my little tapestry loom at a sett of 8 epi, using rug wool for weft. The coarse sett made the weaving easy to see and work with, even in the dim lighting of the airplane. (This is in contrast to last year’s travel tapestry using embroidery floss.) I kept the samplers small, so I could finish by the end of the trip. I ended up with two mini samplers.

Traveling with portable tapestry loom.
Ready to travel with all tapestry weaving supplies in a soft bag that is easy to slip into my flight carry on bag.

Tools:
– Travel-size tapestry loom (with tensioning device, and counter sunk rare earth magnets for holding tapestry needle)
– Warp thread (12/6 cotton seine twine), wound on a couple five-inch quills
– Wool rug yarn assortment (Jason Collingwood Rug Wool, and Borgs 25/1 Mattgarn), wound on five-inch quills
– Blunt tapestry needles (have extras in case you drop one in the dark)
– Travel snips (make sure they meet TSA regulations) on a neck strap (hand woven, of course)
– Clip-on book light (with paper napkin or thin cloth to diffuse the light, and extra batteries)
– Tape measure
– Small clips (you never know when you might need one, like to clip a napkin over the book light)
– Sewing thread and sewing needle (for stitching slits, which I did not do)
– Tapestry resource book (like Tapestry 101, by Kathe Todd-Hooker)
– Bag to hold everything (and a couple small pouches within to keep things organized)

Mini tapestry sampler.
First mini sampler was almost finished by the time we arrived in Manila.
Green tea cake roll in Tokyo.
Green tea cake roll was a yummy snack at Narita International Airport in Tokyo on the trip home. Maybe this should be a future color scheme for a weaving project?
Weaving on the airplane.
Weaving in the dark. The Starbucks napkin that I saved from Houston came in handy as a light diffuser around the too-bright reading light when other passengers were sleeping.
Mini tapestry sampler.
Second mini sampler was almost finished by the time we arrived back home in Houston.
Mini tapestry samplers.
Mini tapestry samplers show a compact view of the passage of time.

May you find something for your hands to do.

Merry Weaving,
Karen

Quiet Friday: Blanket Sample Thanksgiving

Karen

This warp for the double-width wool blanket is taking some down time while I complete a finishing sample. The five-fold purpose of the sample is to 1) check the sett and 2) the weft density, and 3) to examine the fold to see if I need more, or less, weft at the turn, and 4) to test the wet-finishing process, and 5) to see the effect of brushing the finished piece.  I am thankful for family, friends, fellowship, and finishing. (Thankful for blog friend Marie for first suggesting a finish sample.) I hope you, friend, get to have time with the ones you love, and have some down time to enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving!

Just cut off sample for finishing. Wool double weave blanket.
Sample piece is cut from the loom. Warp will be tied back on to the front tie-on bar.
One side of the double weave sample.
One half of the double-width blanket sample. The fold is at the yellow.
Other side of double weave sample.
Other side of the double-width sample. The fold is at the yellow.
Double weave fold revealed in sample piece.
Blanket fold revealed. Weaving double width means you only see one half until it is cut from the loom.
Double width sample washed and air dried.
Wet Finishing. Sample has been washed and dried. Washed on delicate cycle in washing machine for 3 minutes, no spin cycle. Air dried flat.
Double weave fold in sample after wet finishing.
Examining the fold after wet finishing. Also, notice the improved weft density in the final segment (brown weft at the bottom), when I applied a lighter beat.
Double width blanket sample after being washed. Karen Isenhower
Blanket finishing sample.
Blanket sample - brushed.
Blanket sample brushed on one side, using a stiff dog brush.
Comparing brushed and not brushed sides of sample.
Compare the brushed top side on the left to the unbrushed bottom side on the right.
Brushed double weave blanket sample. Karen Isenhower
Brushed double weave finishing sample. Hmm… Could this be my new Christmas tree skirt?

May your family and friends experience your thankfulness.

Thankful for you,
Karen

The Weft Question

Karen

I keep wondering about the weft that I forgot to purchase for this blanket. The heddles are threaded and the reed is sleyed; everything is ready…except the weft. As it turns out, I am glad I Forgot the Weft, because now I can try different options on the actual warp before committing to one single color.

Threading heddles for double weave wool blanket.
Ends are grouped into bundles of 32 threads each at the back beam. Pre-counting into groups helps prevent threading errors. Each heddle holds two threads. As a group of ends are threaded, I re-check the threading, and then tie the bundle into a slip knot.
Two set of lease sticks for double weave blanket.
Two sets of lease sticks, secured at the back beam, keep the two double weave layers separate and in order. The reed is cradled in place horizontally in front of the shafts for easy sleying, four ends per dent.

I am testing eight of the eleven warp colors, plus one more that I had in my stash. Nine colors. Think of it as nine questions. This one? This one? This one?… I am looking for weft that compliments the warp all the way across, showing off the warp gradation that spans both layers of the double weave. When the weft is woven in, rather than just held up for comparison, I find the answer unfolding before my eyes.

Double weave, finding the right weft.
Barely an inch of each color, but it is enough for a favorite to stand out for me.

Questions are good. Be ready to ask genuine questions about life. Genuine, like weaving the threads, rather than simply laying threads on the surface for consideration. The Lord specifically answers a seeking heart. In this journey of discovery, the answers unfold. Those looking for truth will find it.

Which weft color would you choose (last picture, options 1 – 9, left to right)? The weft is doubled, so you can choose one color, or two colors combined. (I will reveal my choice later. The yarn arrived today!)
Leave your answer in the comments.

May you be asked good questions.

Discovering,
Karen

Brave Enough to Weave

Karen

This is my first double width attempt, and it makes me nervous. Dressing the loom feels intimidating when you are trying something new. Each layer has its own warp chains and its own set of lease sticks. And eleven colors–will they end up in the correct order? My uncertainty makes me feel like a beginner again.

Colorful wool warp beamed using warping trapeze. Karen Isenhower
Colorful wool warp travels over the breast beam, under the foot beam, and over the crossbar of the warping trapeze while it is being beamed onto the warp beam. Each layer of the double weave warp has two bouts. Walking weights hang on the bouts to add resistance for beaming the warp with even tension. Afternoon sun plays along by creating changing designs on the hanging warp.

Stepping through uncertainty takes bravery, and a bit of “Oh well, it is what it is.” Even ordinary weaving is filled with uncertainty. You don’t know if you succeeded in dressing the loom properly until you start weaving. And you don’t totally see how your weaving looks until it comes off the loom. Even then, the fabric has more to reveal when it is wet finished. Weaving is not for cowards.

Beaming complete for wool double-width blanket.
Beaming complete for wool double-width blanket. This view causes me to respect the process that brings me to this point of accomplishment.

Doing the next thing with courage does make a difference. It is like that with prayer. When I face a new difficulty, I struggle to know what to pray. I feel like a beginner again. But I keep coming back to this comforting thought: God always listens to the heart as much as to the words. God does not look for a “leader” who prays, he looks for an ordinary person who has faith to hear and obey. This is the person whose prayers reach God’s ears.

May you have courage for the next thing.

Learning,
Karen

Home Is Where the Weaving Is

Karen

I arranged, added, and swapped until I had eleven different colors to blend into a courageous wool warp. I had more fun pulling out skeins of yarn in Vävstuga’s shop than a kid in a candy store! The yarn is for a double weave blanket that has been on my mind for a few weeks. Yesterday, I finally had a chance to wind this wild warp! Dressing the loom is next!

Winding wool warp on warping reel.
Yellow will be the center color of the double weave wool blanket. The symmetrical way the warp is wound on this warping reel might fool you, though. These are only a few of the eleven colors that will be blended across the warp.
Winding Tuna wool for weaving a blanket.
Second bout wound on the reel. I check and double-check my written notes to make sure I get the correct color order and numbers of ends.

Away from home, I can only think about weaving on my looms. As much as I enjoyed the experiences of Vävstuga (Vävstuga Autum, Vävstuga Autumn II) and New Mexico (Pointers for Exploring New Mexico Fiber Arts Trails), I have been eager to put my hands to the tasks of weaving here in my own little studio. Winding the warp, feeling and smelling the soft Tuna wool, getting over-excited about the blending colors on the warping reel, handling the fat warp chains… Ah, I am where I’m supposed to be!

I love fat warp chains of wool!
One layer of colors for the double weave blanket.
Warp chains for wool blanket, and what's left of eleven skeins.
Basket holds what is left of the eleven skeins of Tuna wool. These two warp chains will be the other layer of the double weave blanket.

Come home. Do you ever hear that? …as if you have been away too long? The nudge is to return to your faith roots. Enjoy the refreshing that comes in the presence of the Lord. It’s good to be where you know you belong.

May you be where you flourish.

In living color,
Karen