Stretching the Limits

When I inherited my Grandpa's loom, I knew he built it to perform a singular task. The big loom is simple, sturdy, and it does one thing very well, weave rag rugs. Unlike the other looms in my studio, Grandpa's loom has some notable limitations. There's no way to add or remove heddles (the devices that hold each thread as the shafts lift and lower) and the reed that spaces the threads at 12 ends per inch can not be changed. That means I will never be able to use more than 400 warp threads when I weave and increasing the thread spacing could be difficult.

I studied Grandpa's final warp, the remaining yarn and fabric strips on his shuttles and three of his rugs for clues about his materials how he wove. Since I was already familiar with the basic principles of floor loom weaving, I dressed the loom and began making practical, usable rag rugs like those Grandpa (and many Finnish people before him) wove.

In addition to the loom, I also inherited the Finnish rule-following gene, but there are times when I like to test the limits, especially artistically. I deviated from plain floor rug weaving and began experimenting with different techniques. First, clasped weft weaving. Then, tapestry weaving with rag strips rather than wool yarn, a technique I like to call "scrap-estry".

An experiment with clasped weft, the transition from clasped weft to scrap-estry, a scenic scrap-estry.

Like Grandpa, I use upcycled materials to create rag rugs except some of my designs go beyond traditional stripes and have a less utilitarian purpose. However, as I mention in my article about Learning and Letting Go, I have not been completely satisfied with every project.

I've learned that despite being unable to change the physical parts of the loom, by creatively adjusting the warp thread spacing, altering how I cut my fabric strips and incorporating unconventional rag rug weaving techniques I can use Grandpa's loom to weave rag rugs in a way he likely never imagined possible. Even though we have very different styles, I'd like to think he would approve of how I use his loom to create something pleasant and new from worn and tattered textiles.