Three looms are active right now. The drawloom has the napkin project, with a wild turkey on this one.
Wild turkey feet and legs weave up quickly. There are only a few single unit draw cords to pull at a time, plus one pattern shaft draw handle for the side borders.Wild turkey feathers require many more single unit draw cords. Even the borders at this place in the pattern are done with single units. The cast shadow on the loom from the bell that hangs in the window makes a funny face at this time of day. Could be a silly turkey face? đ
The Julia has the wool goose-eye twill fabric that I plan to use for making myself a simple winter cape. Next winter should be here soon enough.
Last but not the least at all is the GlimĂ„kra Standard with curtains for our remodeled bathroom. This is a big project and I will be weaving on this for a while. M’s and O’s is enjoyable to weave. I like the counting for the squares and stripes, and the trading off of feet that this project gives me.
I like goose-eye twill. Do you? I’ve woven it in throws, towels, and rag rugs. I am not sure why this is such a pleasing pattern to me. Maybe because it speaks of classic simplicity.
Brage wool yarn is threaded in the heddles for goose-eye twill.Testing the pattern. I want the goose-eye diamond to be “square,” so I will weave further to get a consistent beat. Then I will count how many rows it takes to make the diamonds “square.”
I have woven goose-eye twill with and without floating selvedges. This time is without. The advantage is that I can get a cleaner edge without floating selvedges. The disadvantage is that I can get messier edges without floating selvedges. It takes me a little practice to get the selvedges just right, catching some of the outer warp ends. After I get it down, the selvedges will be pretty tidy.
Squares of goose eyes make the overall pattern for this fabric that I hope to make into a small cape for myself. I am using yarn that I had on my shelf. The blue warp stripe is a little too loud for me, but it is what it is, so I’m going to make it work.
Persistence means you keep working at it until it works. And you overlook things (like the blue warp stripe) that it’s too late to change, and make the best of it. Persistence is a virtue when we persist with right things. Persist in faith. Persist in love. And always, persist in hope. Jesus waits for those who persist in leaning on him. Let’s lean in a little closer.
Merry Christmas! Julia is getting dressed with 7/2 Brage wool for a lovely goose-eye twill. Warp chains like this are big and squishy, just begging to be hugged.
This project is going nearly full width on this 70 cm GlimĂ„kra Julia countermarch loom. My warping slats are exactly 67 cm. (I should have measured the warping slats before I started.) At 65.7 cm weaving width Iâm asking for trouble. You can see the problem, right? Those ends can slip right off the edge of the warping slats on the warp beam. I got âer beamed, though, with the help of a friend. Hallelujah! The warp ends all ended up in the right place at the right time.
Successfully beamed, with less than a centimeter to spare on each end of the warping slats.Threading the heddles is a restful, enjoyable part of dressing the loom, especially with wool this soft and squishy.
If we mortals celebrate such earthly victories, imagine the hallelujahâs that all heaven expressed when the Son of God came down to us in the right place at precisely the right time as baby Jesus. That manger in a stable in Bethlehem was not a centimeter nor a millisecond off. This was Godâs plan from the beginning to come in person to bring back to himself all who would receive his offer of lasting grace. Hallelujah! The angel chorus rings out, âGlory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.â
May you see the Christmas story in a meaningful way.
You never need to motivate me to sit at the loom, or convince me to make time for weaving. I’m not sure why I am this way, but something in me longs to make fabric. I weave nearly every day, not to be productive, but simply because I love to weave.
Nine new towels, with hems pressed. Each towel will have a matching hanging tab stitched into the hem.
Ten meters / eleven yards gave me nine towels and two generous samples(Just wait. Next week I will show you what I am making from the samples!). Now, I am weaving hanging tabs on the band loom to match the towels. Meanwhile, the linen dice weave is progressing nicely on the big loom, as well. I am not just a person with weaving looms. …I am a handweaver.
Short two-yard warp will weave up quickly, giving me plenty of hanging tabs for the towels, plus extra length of woven band to put in my “band stash.”
You do what is in your heart to do. The commitments you make from the heart define you. Fruit in my life reveals what is in my heart. What does good fruit look like? Unselfish generosity, showing integrity in every interaction, and treating others with respect. I want to be the kind of person that lives this way, not because I “should,” but because that is what is in my heart to do.
May your good fruit basket be full.
(These towels will show up in my Etsy Shop soon. If you have your eye on one, let me know, and I will be happy to reserve it for you.)
It may look like there is no rhyme or reason, but there is a thoughtful pattern behind this arrangement of weft colors. …Okay, it is somewhat random; and, truthfully, I am making up the pattern as I go. It is refreshing to have the freedom to use up bobbins of color. I consider it a welcome challenge to create a visually vibrant fabric that is not a cluttered cloth.
Nine quills of 16/2 cotton. Trying out different arrangements of colors.
Our prayers can be like the assorted quills with varying amounts of thread in an array of colors. These are the needs, small and big, that we bring to the Lord. Can he make anything good out of all of this? What can he do about my concerns? Does he even hear me? Do my needs or hopes make a difference to Him? Am I saying my prayers in the “right” way?
Wide, narrow, dark, light. Nine colors are purposefully arranged in this cotton towel. Treadling variations help complete the multi-color composition.
It takes courage to have faith when you pray. In a world where “seeing is believing,” the eye of faith says, “believing is seeing.” Faith is expecting something to happen when you pray. It’s trusting the grand weaver to know how to arrange this assortment of leftover threads and make something good out of it.
May you take courage.
With you, Karen
~The Etsy coupon on my About Page is good for two more days. It’s my ThankYou to you.~
