Drawloom Cords and Handles
- By Karen
- June 18, 2019
- 15 Comments
My first drawloom warp used ten pattern shafts, which was plenty. I have now installed the cords and draw handles for all fifty pattern shafts, so the sky’s the limit! (See Process Review: First Drawloom Warp)
Adding all these draw cords and handles is a big job. It involves a cord threader and scissors and time—reaching, going back and forth, measuring, cutting, tying. Over and over. It’s not hard, but it seems endless. Yet for some strange reason this job is entirely enjoyable. I feel like an architect and builder, a dreamer and investor. It’s incredible to step back and see the structure that this effort has produced. And this is merely the set up. Can you imagine the weaving prospects?!
This is how we build good structures in our lives. Intentional, persistent, focused. Listen well. Over and over. The way we speak makes a difference in the way we listen. When we speak with grace, seasoned for the hearer, we ready ourselves to listen. Our cord threader is our unselfish attentiveness to pull someone else’s thoughts and questions toward our understanding. With this beautiful structure we are ready for anything. Accomplished through the grace of God, the sky’s the limit!
May your words be seasoned with grace.
Getting ready,
Karen
15 Comments
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Weaving Hearts
- By Karen
- March 5, 2019
- 12 Comments
Pulling the draw handles for each four-thread unit of weaving is like doing counted cross stitch on the loom. I enjoyed cross stitch in the 1980’s and I am enjoying this drawloom version now. Very much. I started this Heart-Shaped Baskets table runner on Valentine’s Day—a fun way to celebrate the day!
Like weaving on any floor loom, I want to have consistency in my beat and in my selvedges. Inconsistencies in these basics can detract from the drawloom imagery of the final cloth. The main thing is to keep paying attention. And keep joyfully pulling those draw handles to create more hearts of love.
Grace is a gift of favor, not an earned reward. Forgiveness is the giving of grace. And gratitude results from receiving grace. Grace makes us graceful. Giving and receiving grace with consistency is what we’d like to see in ourselves. That’s when the love of God, in whose image we’ve been made, is most clearly seen in us. So we practice what we know to do. And pay attention. And keep joyfully weaving a heart of love, by God’s grace.
May you be grace – full.
Gratefully yours,
Karen
12 Comments
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Nancy Malcolm says:
I have seen that draft in the book. It is so Beautiful on your loom!! I hope to convert my loom for drawloom someday. Enjoy!
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Hi Nancy, You have a lot to look forward to! It is fun to use patterns like this from a book. And it’s not that hard to make your own patterns, too!
Thanks!
Karen
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Janet says:
Very nice Karen! Looks like you are having a great time 🙂
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Hi Janet, Thanks! Yes, I’m having a great time. There is so much more to try. I have yarn waiting in the wings for my next warp on this drawloom!
Happy weaving,
Karen
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Annie says:
I am amazed by what you are able to do with your draw loom, Karen! Not only is this heart pattern delightful but also the other towels I can catch glimpses of. I definitely understand why you wanted a draw loom and I am so happy that your dream came true.
You are the most graceful woman I know, Karen and a wonderful inspiration as a Christian and a weaver.
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Hi Annie, It’s fascinating to me, too, how much the drawloom can do. I have worlds more to uncover on this loom!
Your kind words are very touching. That means a lot to me.
All the best,
Karen
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The more I see draw loom weaving, the more I start to think that I need a draw loom! For now, I will have to relegate it to a “one day” possibility and appreciate the looms I already have.
Your hearts are beautiful!-
Hi Kelly, Maybe there’s a double meaning to the word “draw” in draw loom, as we are “drawn” to it. It’s a good thing to appreciate what we have.
Happy weaving,
Karen
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Good afternoon Karen,
There is so much to learn. Thank you for leading.
Your prayer on grace touched my heart.
Nannette
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Hi Karen, Yes, this is incredibly fun! The drawloom opens a whole new arena of fascination.
Happy weaving,
Karen
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Drawlooms in Montana
- By Karen
- February 5, 2019
- 16 Comments
Montana is beautiful, with snow-capped mountains and big-sky sunrises! It’s there that I took Joanne Hall’s fantastic drawloom class last week. My confidence level about setting up and weaving on my drawloom shot up 100 per cent! (And Steve got to experience fishing on the ice with Joanne’s husband Ed!) Please continue all the way to the end of this post to read about submitting a question for Joanne to answer.
Cathleen and Deborah and I wove on the shaft drawloom, the single unit drawloom, and the Julia loom set up with half-heddle sticks to weave opphämta. What joy! …even in the challenges of learning new things.
Joanne taught us how to understand patterns and drafts, and how to make our own patterns. And we dressed the drawloom—we threaded pattern heddles and ground heddles, and distributed pattern shafts. Boy, did we students make mistakes! But with quiet Joanne, there is always a way to fix anything that matters. She is a picture of grace.
Striving to look good to other people, we face unwelcome judgment. Striving to please ourselves, we face demands of perfection. But when our heart strives to please the Lord, we receive grace. Our failures fade in importance as our confidence in his faithfulness grows. Know who you are working for. The imperfect images we weave in the cloth are a humble gift of gratitude back our Grand Weaver.
Please excuse me now while I go wind a warp!
May your imperfections be greeted with grace.
Love and grace,
Karen
~What are your questions? Joanne has answers~
Are you curious about drawlooms? Are you considering a drawloom for yourself? Do you have a drawloom and wish you could ask an expert for help? Please put your question about drawlooms and/or drawloom weaving in the comments below, or send your question to me through Get in Touch. Joanne Hall’s answers to two selected questions will be included in next week’s post. Please submit your question by this Friday, February 8.
16 Comments
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Oh, how lucky you are! I am searching for the loom, then take her class. It seems to be taking forever!!
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Hi Nancy, I know what you mean. I searched for quite a while, too, to find a loom. And then, all of a sudden, at just the right time, there it was! You have a lot to look forward to.
All the best,
Karen
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Marilyn Cann says:
Karen, my brain tingles at all the learning you did last week! The picture of Montana way lovely too, but I added to that my knowledge that it was bitterly cold in that part of the country! Have fun playing with your drawloom when you get set.
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Hi Marilyn, So much learning! Hopefully, the important parts will stick with me.
It was cold, but we didn’t get the bitter Artic cold that some places were getting last week. I think they got some of that right after we Texans left. Whew!
Happy weaving,
Karen
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Good morning Karen,
The draw down loom is something I did not know existed. At first glance, confusing. As I continued reading, exciting.
I look forward to your adventures.
Blessings,
Nannette
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Hi Nannette, It has taken me a while to peel off the confusion about drawlooms. I think I’m beginning to understand how they work. I’m super excited to get the whole thing set up!
Thanks,
Karen
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Shari says:
Amazing! The complexity and beauty and feeling so empowered to make beautiful textiles.
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Hi Shari, It seems complex until you start to understand it. It’s really pretty simple—just sticks and strings that do specific things. It opens up a world of beautiful weaving!
All the best,
Karen
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Elisabeth says:
I am so happy you got your drawloom, and that you were able to take Joanne’s class this soon.
Your weaving journey har been amazing, and it is such a pleasure to be invited into your weaving world through your blog!Elisabeth
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Hi Elisabeth, I feel very fortunate that the timing of everything has worked out so smoothly.
It’s wonderful to get to share my weaving journey with friends like you!
Happy weaving,
Karen
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D’Anne says:
I enjoyed seeing the pictures and reading your commentary, Karen. Is that your drawloom in the last photos? Have a wonderful time learning and weaving, and thanks for sharing your journey.
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Hi D’Anne, Yes, that’s my drawloom in the last photos. It’s almost ready to weave!
Thanks for dropping in!
Karen
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I’m so excited to hear about your recent trip, Debbie and I are headed there in April and I can’t wait!!
Janet-
Hi Janet, You are going to have a fabulous time! I’m excited for you!
Happy weaving,
Karen
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Thank you for sharing your experience and photos. Beautiful work. I am heading out there mid April and so looking forward to it. For some unexplainable reason I am so drawn to the big Swedish looms and the drawloom. I have an older Glimakra standard in storage and getting time with kind Joanne and the class I will know if it’s something for me or not. I will likely be less experienced than the other participants and your last paragraph is a reminder to not compare myself or lack of expertise but to enjoy.
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Hi Denise, Since you are drawn to the big Swedish looms, I am confident that it will be a great joy for you to weave on them. I’m excited for you! Your class with Joanne will be just what you need! No need to worry about lack of expertise. Just go with an attitude willing to learn. Enjoy!
(And I know two others in the April class. You’ll be in GREAT company!)
All the best,
Karen
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New Year of Weaving Progress
- By Karen
- January 1, 2019
- 25 Comments
This year is different. I’m going to get organized, keep every loom dressed, and bake fruit pies for my husband! Alas, good intentions are not a reliable measure of what my progress will be. I always want to do more than what I manage to get done.
Before washing and drying the fabric I examine it. I look for errors and clip off any weft tails.
I cut the placemats to a uniform size. Scraps that were cut off will be used as ribbons to mark luggage for my daughter’s family as they prepare to travel. I simply zigzagged the edges of the scraps.
I washed, pressed, hemmed, and pressed again the twelve placemats. Finishing is finished. It’s a nice way to end one year and start the next. Measurable progress.
Pressing in the dining room.
Twelve handwoven placemats. No two alike. Basket weave, color and weave effects. 8/2 cotton warp and weft.
Thankfully, our value isn’t wrapped up in what we accomplish. Or what we don’t. We need the Lord’s grace. It’s strength that’s beyond our own strength. Grow in grace. Grow in strength. That’s my prayer this year for you and for me.
Welcome. Grace spoken here.
May your value be wrapped up in grace.
Happy New Weaving Year,
Karen
25 Comments
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Wende says:
Lovely placemats! Full of grace and beauty 🙂
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Hi Wende,
Would love to have you sit at our table!Grace-filled and beautiful new year to you and yours!
Love you,
Karen
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Beth Mullins says:
Very pretty! Happy New Year, Karen!
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Rachel Lohman says:
Thank you for the past year. I like the grow in strength and grow in grace! May you and your loved one travel light and always find your way home. God speed in the New Year!
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Hi Rachel, What a kind thing for you to say – “travel light and always find your way home” – very comforting thought.
Have a blessed year ahead,
Karen
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Gayle Pace says:
Blessed New Year to You and Yours!
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Anonymous says:
Happy New Year
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Ruth says:
Happy New Year! Blessings to you and yours through the coming year.
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Thank you for your prayers, Karen. I can always use more grace and strength.
Clever idea for the placemat strips. I will pray for your a safe journey for your family and happiness in their new home.Happy New Year!
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Cynthia says:
The placemats are beautiful and so is you home. Those chairs, the table, light fixture, everything
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Hi Cynthia, Thank you so much! We really enjoy it here. Hope to share our table with you, too!
Karen
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Beautifully said and beautiful work! Thank you!
Happy New Year to you and your family!
Elisabeth -
Happy New Year Karen,
It is a marvel how the same resources used can become so may different things. The beautiful place mats are from the same resources, but are so different.
They represent your application of the gifts from God. Previent grace is such a blessing.
Nannette
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Hi Nannette, Your thoughtful response is touching. I also thought of the people who will be sitting at the table — many similarities, yet so different from each other. It’s fitting that each person has a unique place setting at the table.
Happy New Year,
Karen
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Liberty says:
Happy New Year Karen, I hope it is filled with joy!
Liberty-
Thank you, Liberty, Joy is a wonderful thing to hope for!
Happy New Year to you and yours,
Karen
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Your table looks lovely, Karen! You must have all the boxes unpacked! We will miss you at WOW this week, but we wish you a very happy and productive New Year.
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Hi D’Anne, I did get all the boxes in the dining room unpacked. Haha, but there are quite a few boxes still unopened in the garage. Little by little…
I will miss being with all the ladies at WOW!
Happy New Year!
Karen
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Absolutely gorgeous! Best wishes for happiness and good health.
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Heart of a Tiny Tapestry
- By Karen
- November 6, 2018
- 6 Comments
Though small, this pocket-sized tapestry took a few months to complete. A car ride here, a coffee shop there, a move across town, and an imminent move across the state—this tiny tapestry has been in the background through it all.
Car-ride weaving.
Coffee-shop weaving.
The weft tails are neatly trimmed, but the back is completely exposed. I’m not weaving the tails in this time, nor covering them with a fabric backing. Just hold the tiny tapestry in your hand and feel it. Remember that all the pleasant color distinctions and pick-and-pick samples on the front side have a back side, too. True, the back doesn’t make as much sense. However, I want my friend who is receiving this to see and touch the heart of the weaving.
Using a needle to pull the warp ends back through the warp thread header. After pulling through, the warp ends are trimmed close to the surface. The weft tails are also trimmed to about 1/2″.
Steaming the tiny tapestry. 12/6 cotton warp pulls together nicely as the back of the tapestry is steamed.
Exposed back of the tapestry reveals trimmed weft tails.
Visual and tactile satisfaction.
This is a picture of grace. Look at the heart of the matter. We so often rely on the rules. Break a rule, and you’re condemned. But Jesus is interested in the heart. A pure heart doesn’t stand condemned. This is why the gift of his forgiveness is so wonderful. God knows the exposed messy side of our tapestry. Yet, his grace sees us as perfectly covered by Christ Jesus himself.
May your hands keep making.
Simply yours,
Karen
6 Comments
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That made me cry. (In a good, cathartic way.) Thank you for your beautiful words.
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Joanne Hall says:
Thank you so much for this story of the little tapestry. It is so satisfying for us as I am sure it is for you,. Joanne
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Hi Joanne, Every tapestry, every weaving has a story to tell. I’m honored that you take an interest in the stories I share.
Karen
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This adds layers of meaning and gratitude to the little tapestry! Grateful! Blessed!
Copyright © 2019
Looks so complicated!
Hi Beth, I know it looks complicated. That’s what I always thought. I’ve been surprised to learn that it’s actually a series of simple steps to set this up.
Happy Weaving,
Karen
Oh, my goodness. The loom set up is a piece of sculpture. Precision. Symmetry one view. Asymmetrical from another direction. Soooo beautiful.
Function that is a finely tuned instrument.
Thankful for sharing.
Nannette
Hi Nannette, Yes, It is a piece of sculpture. A fluid sculpture. You’ve given it a beautiful description.
All the best,
Karen
At one o’clock this morning I finished weaving up the last of the rag on the overshot warp. The plan was to cut off the 3 rugs and re-tie the warp to use to explore tapestry as described in one of your more recent blogs.
Curmugeon66 uses a stick to stabilize the woven edge until it can be machine hemmed. So… I pulled out a stick. Put it on the beater bar while I pulled the 3 rugs from the loom.. You know where I am going with this.
By the time I heard the stick hit the treadles, hours of carpet warp had been pulled from the reed. It was hot and sticky and I was tired.
This morning’s Sound Bites daily devotional title was ‘Paying Attention’.
Today’s plan is to put a sewing machine hem on the rag rugs and pack them up to take to the future retirement home.
There is nothing else to say… Well maybe “Praise God”
Please send more posts on how it works! Will be eager to see! Also, how wide of a Glimakra Standard Loom is needed to fit all 50 pattern shafts? (Minimum width) It looks like it will be fun.
Hi Lynette, I will post my progress with this loom. My Glimåkra Standard is 120cm (47”), but I think this same draw frame fits on a smaller Standard or Ideal—maybe 100cm (39”). Someone who knows for sure can comment on this to verify.
It will certainly be fun! That I know.
Happy Weaving,
Karen
I love the spiritual aspect of weaving and being that listener…. and incorporating the other person into our being …thank you for your post. Arlene
Hi Arlene, Thanks for your thoughtful words!
I’m so grateful for the Lord’s grace to show us how to make others more important than ourselves.
All the best,
Karen
That whole set up just boggles my mind! Nannette’s description is perfect!
Hopefully, I will have an opportunity to come see this in person one day, Karen.
In the mean time, I am looking forward to some videos of you weaving with this.
50?! I really don’t know if I could keep that all straight!
Hi Annie, It’s my hope to make some short videos of the drawloom. Thanks for the prompt.
Yes, 50 pattern shafts. That means 50 handles to pull. The more, the merrier!
All the best,
Karen
Karen thank you for your posts on the drawloom. I have an old countermarche loom that I would love to build a drawloom for. I find this very interesting and can’t wait to see what you do with it. I have taken a basic drawloom course. You have inspired me to get started.
Hi Judy, How wonderful that you are dreaming of building a drawloom for your countermarch! Dreams are where the action begins!
Happy Weaving,
Karen
Beautiful post!
Hi Keri Mae, Thanks for stopping by, my IG friend!
Happy weaving,
Karen