Quiet Friday: Kuvikas to Taqueté and video
- By Karen
- May 26, 2017
- 6 Comments
The color is rich, the drape is fluid, and the pattern in the lustrous cloth is eye-catching. “Kuvikas to taqueté” was not an easy project. Eight shafts, double treadling, and double-bobbin shuttles with slick 8/2 Tencel weft. But the fabric is incredible!
Warp chain of 8/2 cotton hanging from warping reel.
Thanks to a unusual tie-up, two treadles are pressed simultaneously, something I had not thought possible for a countermarch loom. I started with kuvikas (summer and winter), which has tabby picks between the pattern picks. The dark teal 8/2 cotton tabby weft and the bright teal Tencel pattern weft produce a tone-on-tone effect for the square and stripe patterns. These two pieces will become the front and back of a throw pillow.
Kuvikas panel 1 complete. I always use red thread for a cutting line between pieces, so there is no accidental cutting in the wrong place.
I then changed the treadle tie-up to switch from kuvikas to taqueté. The taqueté has no tabby weft. The teal and cream Tencel weft threads lay back-to-back, producing a double-faced fabric. This piece is being used as a table runner.
Finished kuvikas glistens in the sunlight.
Enjoy the little slideshow video I made for you that follows the process from three lovely aquamarine warp chains to fabric glistening in the sun on a Texas hill country table.
May you finish something that is not easy.
Happy Weaving,
Karen
Do you remember my Handwoven Thick and Thin Towels (that appeared on the cover of Handwoven), and my Black and White Towels (These Sensational Towels)? I will be teaching a workshop on that thick and thin technique at Shoppes at Fleece ‘N Flax in beautiful Eureka Springs, Arkansas August 24 – 26, 2017. You’re welcome to join us! I’d love to see you there! Contact the shop at the number below if you are interested.
Our weaving classes for May, June and July are filled ( but you can sign up on a waiting list!) and we still have a few…
Posted by Shoppes at Fleece 'N Flax on Wednesday, May 10, 2017
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Quiet Friday: Cartoon House Cartoon
- By Karen
- January 27, 2017
- 6 Comments
The fascinating thing about weaving a transparency is that it feels like color-by-number with yarn. There are similarities to tapestry weaving, for sure. But this seems ten times faster. I found it to be engaging and fun! I echo what my transparency-weaving friend says when it’s time to stop and do something else, “Just one more row…”
Warp chain of 16/2 golden bleached linen, before beaming the warp.
Threading heddles in my little playhouse, with project notes by my side, and a cup of coffee on the side cart.
Leveling string is added with extra care so that abrasion of the linen warp is kept to a minimum.
Butterflies are made from the hefty cotton chenille yarn.
Cartoon has been added. The pattern weft follows the lines drawn on the buckram cartoon, which is pinned in place.
Cartoon is removed.
Now, for the end of the warp…
After the main transparency with the zigzags, I had room to play on the remaining warp. I made another cartoon–a “cartoon” house. This gave me a chance to use a few more yarn butterflies, without it being overwhelming. Home. Sweet. Home.
“Cartoon” house cartoon. Ready for playtime at the end of the warp.
With several butterflies going at once, the transparency weaving gets even more interesting!
Now, the actual end of the warp is here.
Cartoon house just off the loom.
Welcome home! Home. Sweet. Home.
May you enjoy the fascination of learning something new.
Happy Weaving,
Karen
6 Comments
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Beth says:
I love these, Karen! You are truly one of the most inspiring weavers out there!
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Dear Beth, It fills me with joy to be able to share what I love to do with friends like you. I’m grateful that something I do can inspire others. Your work has certainly inspired me, as well!
Best to you,
Karen
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Sandy says:
Thank you for sharing your new thing. My guild friends & I will be attending the Mid Atlantic Fiber Arts (MAFA) conference this summer, my friends are taking the workshop “Weaving aTransparency” with Bobbie Irwin. I’m so excited for them! I never heard of weaving transparencies before, you’ve given us a cool demonstration to build our anticipation of the MAFA workshops.
Looking forward to learning something new in July at MAFA 2017-
Hi Sandy, How exciting! I just looked at the MAFA workshop choices. Wow, you have some terrific options! It would be hard to choose. Bobbie Irwin’s class looks great. I think you and your friends are going to have a fabulous time!
All the best,
Karen
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I haven’t done a transparency in years – these are wonderful. I’ve so enjoyed seeing your work in progress. You’re making me want to think about a transparency in the not too distant future.
And for Sandy who commented above, many years ago my guild brought Bobbie Irwin to teach the transparency workshop – it was the most fun. I went home and tried it using fishing line – a challenge but neat end result.
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Hi, Cindie, I know I’ll be doing this again in the near future. I hope you do, too. We can compare notes!
Fishing line!? Now, that’s very interesting! I’d like to see that.Karen
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Quiet Friday: Plattväv Towels and Thanksgiving Prayer
- By Karen
- November 25, 2016
- 10 Comments
Start to finish, the plattväv towels have been a handweaver’s joy. Narrow stripes on the warp beam are strangely invigorating. Does it take extra effort to wind a warp with many stripes? Yes–cut off one color and tie on a new color, over and over. But when the loom is dressed and ready to go, the weaving is a breeze. Being cottolin, the warp is fully compliant; and with a little care, the linen weft becomes a weaver’s friend. Plattväv, the icing on the cake, gives me a simple pattern weft that dresses up these plain weave towels. (And, yes, I am in the process of developing a kit for these plattväv towels.)
The joy of weaving is a blessing, as is the joy of friendships across the miles. Thank you for walking this journey with me.
Thanksgiving prayer: Thank you, Lord, for everything.
May you overflow with blessings and reasons for giving thanks.
Thankful for you,
Karen
10 Comments
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Liberty Stickney says:
Hi Karen,
These towels are just beautiful. Thank you for all the work you do to help us with our weaving. Happy Thanksgiving my friend!-
Hi Liberty, Everything is more enjoyable with friends! Thanks for your sweet encouragement.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Karen
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Martha says:
Love the photo of the towels rolled up- very interesting to view. Beautiful work as always.
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Hi Martha, The linen is predominant in these towels, and linen begs to be rolled. I had fun playing around with them to take pictures.
Thanks for your kind words!Happy Thanksgiving,
Karen
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Anne says:
I will definitely be interested win the kit! Beautiful!
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Hi Anne, I’m glad to hear that you are interested in the kit. Thanks for letting me know!
Karen
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The towels are lovely. I too will be watching out for kit information.
I’m wondering if hemp would be worth a whirl in place of linen?-
Hi Theresa, I’m excited about putting the kit together. It’s good to know you are keeping an eye on it.
I have never woven with hemp. From what I’ve heard, it weaves much like linen. So I’m certain it would work for this.
I love the Bockens and the Borgs Swedish linen, so I haven’t branched out much in that regard.Happy weaving,
Karen
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Hi Christine, Thank you so much!
If you’re interested, there are a couple of these towels in my Etsy shop, as well as “Workshop in a Box” kits, where you can weave these towels for yourself.
All the best,
Karen
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Quiet Friday: Countermarch Back Savers
- By Karen
- October 28, 2016
- 10 Comments
After back surgery, I wondered how-in-the-world I would be able to tie up my countermarch looms. After a four-week ban on bending over, I was eager to weave, but not eager to do anything that might strain or injure my back.
Two simple maneuvers made it possible for me to tie up the lamms and the treadles on both of my Glimäkra countermarch looms:
- Remove the lamms. Treadle cords are added while sitting in a comfortable position.
- Detach the treadles. Bring treadles closer to the front of the loom for attaching treadle cords.
And two important practices kept me from over-reaching and overdoing it:
- Sit on a low stool instead of the back of the loom or the floor.
- Take frequent breaks to stand up, stretch, and walk around.
Tools:
- Low stool for sitting
- Rolling cart (IKEA cart) or small table
- Plank of wood, longer than the loom is wide (one plank of warping trapeze, 1″ x 5″)
- Treadle cords, Texsolv pins, other tie-up supplies
- Length of cord to hold treadle up (Texsolv cord that’s used for hanging the reed for sleying)
The 120 cm (47″) Standard loom has open space in the loom, making it easy to get within arm’s reach of most things; but the challenge increases with the number of shafts–eight for this tie up.
- Lamms are removed, 2 at a time, and placed on the cart to add the treadle cords, all the while sitting on a comfortable stool.
- After all 8 lower lamms have the treadle cords added, the lamms are reinserted in the loom, 2 at a time.
- Treadle rod is removed to detach the treadles. Wood plank keeps the treadles from sliding back while treadle cords are attached at the front of the loom.
- Cord acts as a sling to hold the treadle up to a comfortable height.
- The raised treadle helps with visibility, and enables the use of both hands, especially helpful for the “Vavstuga method” of tying up treadles with knitting needles (I use sharpened dowels). After treadles are tied up, re-attach the treadles at the back of the loom.
The 100 cm (39″) Ideal loom requires more reaching. Tying lamms to the shafts is a challenge for short arms, like mine. With four shafts, and only three treadles for this tie up, the rest of the process isn’t difficult.
Threaded for striped towels. Glimäkra Ideal has smaller spaces in which to work than in the Standard loom.
- Upper lamms are placed on the cart. I hold the weaving draft in my lap as I add the treadle cords to the lamms.
- Lower lamms are removed as the pin is pulled out. After the treadle cords are added, the lamms are reinserted.
- Detached treadles lay on the floor. They easily pivot up at the front of the loom for attaching treadle cords.
- Everything is tied up and ready to weave!
May you stay healthy to live long and weave.
Happy Weaving,
Karen
10 Comments
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Patty says:
Thank you so much! As an aging weaver I’m definitely going to try this.
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Hi Patty, I guess we are all aging. Some of us are further along. 🙂 We have to constantly find ways to adjust how we do things. I plan to weave long into elder-hood.
Karen
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Sandy says:
Wow. What a great idea. Thank you for sharing. That solves so many problems…
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Anonymous says:
Thanks for sharing, Karen, and happy to have you back weaving!
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It’s great to be back at the loom! I’m still careful not to sit too long, or overextend what my body can do.
Karen
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I love all your clear pictures because I think I’m a visual learner. You inspired me to make a trapeze, and it wasn’t that hard (with a little help from my husband and his saw). It had its debut performance a few days ago, and for the first time in 13 years of weaving, the warp beamed on so tightly and smoothly – no more “yank and crank” or tangles! I will use it all the time. I’d love to see a video of your warping mill use sometime. The Big Book of Weaving recommends doing some kind of figure eight at the top peg, but Vavstuga just goes on one side of the peg and back on the other with no figure eight. How have you found the best way to be? Hope you recover quickly!
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Hi, Lynette, That makes me so happy to know that you have had a great warping experience! That’s worth celebrating!
I love your suggestion of making a warping reel video. Now I’m going to have to go look at The Big Book of Weaving to see what it says… I don’t do a figure 8 at the top peg, but maybe I should try that and see if it makes a difference.
Your encouragement has put a big smile on my face today.
Karen
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Jane says:
It’s wonderful that someone with back problems is still determined to tie up a countermarche loom. In July, I took my countermarche (Varapapuu) loom (eight shafts) down in order to free up space in what is, actually, a rather small house.
As the months went by, I got grumpier and grumpier and then finally realised that I missed my loom!
Notwithstanding the small house and the space issues, I am now in the process of rebuilding my loom. These looms are not easy to set up, but they certainly give good results.
I keep hoping that Vavstuga will come up with some sort of e-learning course for those of us who don’t live in the USA.
One thing that is worth mentioning, perhaps, is that these big looms are not sample looms. The lady who sold me my loom advised not to keep changing the tie-up. This alone means that you don’t sit for too long under the loom.
Jane (Pretoria, South Africa)
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Hi Jane,
I can see why you would miss your loom. I’m glad you are finding a way to make the loom fit in your home.I love the variety of weaving that countermarch looms are good for. I think I would have a hard time leaving the tie-up alone. But I think long warps are good, too. Then, you get to do a lot of weaving between tie-ups!
All the best,
Karen
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Quiet Friday: Eight-Shaft Block Twill Rugs and More
- By Karen
- September 23, 2016
- 20 Comments
The sample piece, a long rug and a short rug with string yarn, and a short rag rug. I look on these results with fondness. A challenge and a joy to weave! The two string yarn rugs will have bound hems when I get a chance to do that. I have world map fabric for the hems. The sample piece and the rag rug piece are destined to become cute bags. I have all the supplies–band loom-woven strap, and yarn to make a band loom-woven strap, lining material, and a handwoven remnant to use as inside pockets. Now, all I need is time. And we all have as much as we need of that.
In case you needed a smile today. Our dear Lucia Annabella.
May you have all the time you need.
All the best to you, my dear friends,
Karen
20 Comments
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That is one beautiful Lucia Annabella! And some delightful weaving. My mother use to tell me, “You have all the time there is.”
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Hi Julia,
As any grandmother would, I have to agree with you about Lucia Annabella. I love your mother’s words of wisdom. It would be well for all of us to remember that. Thank you for your kind words!Happy weaving,
Karen
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Gabriela says:
Thank you, Karen. So lovely.
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Barbara says:
We all have time for what is important. I can choose what to put first in my life. You have placed God first and it shows in every other aspect of your life.
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Barbara, Good point! We have a choice in what to put first. If we put the most important things first, the rest falls into place.
Love you sis,
Karen
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Denise says:
Karen,
I’m hoping you can help me, again, by giving me an idea of how much string garn it might take for a lovely rug such as the pink one shown here. Thanks in advance for your help–especially as you have other things on your mind.-
Hi Denise, It’s no trouble at all! I can tell you how much string yarn I used in total– for the sample, long rug, and short rug, and I’ll let you do the math for the length of rug you want to make. 🙂
Lengths: Sample 17cm, Long rug 115.5cm, Short rug 42.5cm
Midi string yarn 500m/kilo; 250g/125m per tube (#124 Dusty Coral from Vavstuga.com)
Total yarn used: 4 tubes, with about 2-3m leftoverI hope that helps!
Happy Weaving,
Karen-
Thanks for the information, Karen. I’m stashing it in my “futures” notebook.
Denise
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Elisabeth says:
From one grandma to another…
Although everything you make is just beautiful, little Lucia Annabella shines even brighter 🙂Love, Elisabeth
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Angie says:
Pictures speak a thousand words! I really enjoy seeing your weaving process and all the lovely items you make, and the beautiful grandbaby.
As you are a weaver that gets good use from your Glimakra, may I ask where you rest your feet when not pressing a treadle? I’m almost ready to bring one into my home and while I’ve sat at one I haven’t woven more than a pass or two on it. I have a Norwood Jack loom and just slide my feet to the base of the treadle when switching. Of course, a Standard is set up differently. Thanks for your advice and any tips you may have for my Glimakra contemplation.
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Angie, First, thank you for your very sweet words. That means a lot to me!
Glimakra? You said the magic word. 🙂 I am extremely happy with my 2 Glimakra looms, Ideal and Standard. It is all I have woven on, so I don’t have anything to compare them to.
The Standard has a foot rest directly under the breast beam. It’s in the perfect spot for resting your feet when not pressing a treadle.Here are some resources I highly recommend for Glimakra loom weavers:
Learning to Warp Your Loom, by Joanne Hall, GlimakraUSA.com
Tying Up the Countermarch Loom, by Joanne Hall, GlimakraUSA.com
The Big Book of Weaving, by Laila Lundell, GlimakraUSA.com or Vavstuga.com
Dress Your Loom the Vavstuga Way: A Benchside Photo Guide, Vavstuga.com
Dress Your Loom the Swedish Way DVD, Becky Ashenden, GlimakraUSA.com or Vavstuga.com
Vavstuga Basics class at VavstugaPlease let me know if you have any more questions as you get going with your Glimakra Standard. I predict that you will love it!!
Very happy weaving,
Karen-
Thank you, Karen!
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Your photos including all of your finishing ideas are very helpful! Would you tell me what part of the world you are in? Just curious–since you use meters, etc.!! Grand babies are beautiful everywhere–even when they grow up.
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Hi, Na, I’m an oddball from Texas. Houston, Texas. I like to use metric for weaving — makes the calculations simpler. Also, I primarily use Swedish drafts, so I have gotten used to using metric measurements from the Swedish weaving books I have.
Yes, grandbabies any age are the best everywhere in the world.
Happy weaving,
Karen
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Gerda Hoogenboom says:
Thank you, Karen, for all the clear pictures and inspiration. Now I am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be pictures (or even a video) of the process of binding a rug with fabric. I wonder how you reinforce the rug before sewing the binding on, and how long a cloth binding would last on a rug. It is not a quilt, after all. Every one of your posts teaches me things and leads me to ask questions I had not anticipated. The mark of a true teacher! Looking forward to seeing the finished products (on Etsy?). Greetings from France, Gerda
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Hi, Gerda, You have great questions! I can answer some of them by referring you to previous posts. But first, I want to say that’s a terrific idea to do a video tutorial of making a bound hem on a rug! Thanks for the suggestion. I think I will do that.
(Click on the links)
How to bind a rug with fabric: How I Make a Bound Hem
How to reinforce the rug before sewing the binding on: Tools Day: Rag Rug Finishing Video
How long a cloth binding lasts on a rug: I made this rug a few years ago that sits in our front hallway and is walked on every day. Blue Twill Rag RugI don’t know if the items will show up on Etsy, but I will try to remember to show the pieces here when they are finished.
Happy weaving from Houston to France,
Karen-
Thanks Karen for taking the time to give real answers and even to index your previous posts for me. Please remember, we do not actually deserve that much of your time! But I am gratefully reading the posts and learning. Hopefully absorbing enough to avoid crucial mistakes. Thanks again!
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Gerda, It’s my great pleasure to answer questions, especially from people like you. 🙂
Karen
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Copyright © 2017
They’re all going to be beautiful, Karen!
Beth, that’s so kind of you! Thanks!
Happy weaving,
Karen
Karen, these towels are stunning. What an interesting technique.
Martha, I agree. It is an interesting technique. It’s surprising what different tie-ups can produce.
All the best,
Karen
Beautiful video and great toe tapping music to go along with it! Love your work!
Thanks so much, Shari! I always love a good tune, too.
Karen