Month: November 2017

How Long Did it Take You to Weave That?

Karen

It’s the question we expect to hear. “How long did it take you to weave that?” “…Well, hours and hours, basically.” After almost three hours of threading, I am nearly to the halfway point. How can I convey all the necessary work of dressing the loom? Or, the time it takes to practice a new skill at the loom? Or, the finishing work of twisting fringe, hand hemming, or cutting and sewing?

Threading ten shafts.
Threading ten shafts. The two newest shafts are pale compared to the others. They haven’t yet developed the golden hue of the wood around them.

With any hand-crafted article, there is more than meets the eye. Why do we want to know how long it took to make it? Are we trying to measure value, or understand the maker’s process? Or, is it simply a statement of incredulity about something we didn’t know was possible?

Threading ten shafts--in silence.
For this threading, I sit in silence. No music, no podcasts, no wandering thoughts. I’m easily thrown off by distractions, especially when threading ten shafts.
Threading linen on ten shafts.
Half of the 16/2 linen warp is threaded.

We have a Maker. He fashioned our physical selves; we see that. He also made us with heart and soul. He starts the weaving process before we are born, and takes as long as he needs for the finishing. The Lord, our Maker, includes the necessary development of our character, and the intricacy of our personality, and our dreams and hopes. We are more than meets the eye. How long does it take to make a person? A lifetime.

May you enjoy the process.

Love,
Karen

Wool Rag Rugs?

Karen

I have a generous selection of gorgeous wool yardage that was given to me a few years ago. I had said I would weave rag rugs with it. But I haven’t. …until now. What took me so long? Uncertainty. I haven’t seen wool rag rugs. What warp should I use? What sett? What problems await? I felt timid about walking into the unknown.

Cutting wool fabric for rag rugs.
Wool fabric has been washed and dried before cutting into strips for rag rug weaving.
Wool strips for a spaced rep rag rug.
Four different wool fabrics have been chosen for this spaced rep rag rug.

Last week I came across a recent Väv magazine. Lo and behold, here is a spaced rep rag rug with wool fabric weft! My loom is already dressed for spaced rep rag rugs. Here I go!

Spaced rep rag rug with wool fabric strips.
After a warp thread header, narrow fabric strips are woven for the hem of the rug. The wool selvedges are surprisingly soft.
Wool weft rag rugs.
Weaving in the morning. A pick of brown 12/6 cotton warp thread follows the pick of wool fabric, except when changing blocks. Weaving consecutive fabric strips changes the blocks.

Ten years ago a kind, elderly gentleman sat next to me on an airplane. He gave me sage advice I never want to forget,

Put your future in the hands of the one who holds the future.

We speak of past, present, and future. But for the Lord, the present has already been. The future has already happened. It’s as if the wool rug that I try to imagine and weave has already been positioned in the foyer of the Father’s house to comfort road-weary feet that enter. Amazing!

May your future be better than you imagine.

All the best,
Karen

What a Web We Weave

Karen

Threading errors happen. But you can reduce their occurrence. After beaming a warp, I count the warp ends into threading groups before I start threading. Always. This is the first step in reducing threading errors.

Beamed linen warp. Tied into threading groups.
Beamed linen warp. Ends are counted into threading groups, and tied in loose slip knots.

The second step in nearly eliminating threading errors is to check every threaded group right after it’s threaded, thread by thread. These intentional steps expose mistakes early in the process. I would rather find an error now than later.

Threading ten shafts.
After a group of warp ends is threaded I check every thread to make sure it is on the correct shaft.
Threading ten shafts. How to avoid errors.
View from the back beam. Every thread is now in its proper place. Two ends had ended up on wrong shafts, so threads were taken back out and corrections made. Threading ten shafts can get confusing, so it is critical that I check my work.

Did the spider check for threading errors before weaving her intricate pattern? Did she know her invisible web could be seen on a dew-rich foggy morning?

Napping spider on her almost invisible web.
Napping spider on her almost invisible web.
Spider's web in dew-rich foggy morning.
Early morning dew reveals the outlines of the spider’s web. Not wanting to be seen, the spider quickly climbs away to hide when I come close to her woven threads.

Our world tells us to make enemies, and hate haters. To grip what is mine, and demand my rights. It’s in my human nature to be that way. But love is different. Love your enemy, do good instead of hate, pray for those who mistreat you. Is that possible? Yes, if you know the love of God firsthand. Love makes you different. It changes you, making you want to take account of your attitudes, and check your motives. Count threading groups, and check the threading. There will be errors as you weave, but they are learning experiences, not fights. Remember, the invisible web we weave may not be as invisible as we think.

May you be different.

With love,
Karen