The Challenge

This project has been on the back burner for a rather long time.  I was asked to make a particular textile by a shop in Vancouver and I've finally taken up the gauntlet to see if I can.

Since this is for a specific person I won't say more than that I'm pleased with how the cloth is turning out although it will, of course, depend on how it looks once wet finished.

As anticipated the loom isn't behaving very well.  I rather suspect the hoses for the air system have dried out.  While I've been increasing the oil delivery I have been doing so very conservatively because if you add too much it 'floods' and oil gets everywhere, most especially on my shoe as it blows through the air switch activated by my foot (instead of the usual treadle).

So I am having to kind of cajole the loom into working.

However, I am gaining enough knowledge to decide if I am going to go ahead and quote to the shop.  And then see if they are willing to pay my price.

If I'm too expensive I will simply add these 'samples' to my inventory and see if I can sell them myself at the craft shows.

It's a calculated risk management.  I learned, much to my cost, that if I stay too focused on one type of product when the market drops out from under me I'd better have something else in the wings or risk having my income disappear, almost overnight.  So it's a good idea to explore other avenues for different products, different markets.  A kind of safety net, given I don't have a 'day job' other than this.  Weaving.  Or teaching weaving....

Speaking of which, as of today there are just 3 copies of A Good Yarn: Linen and Hemp left.  There are about 12 copies of AGY:  Cotton, and around 30 copies of AGY:  Rayon.