...the wisdom of the universe...
I haven't used a mill in any serious way for...decades. I used to have a small table top mill that I would wind warps on, on the dining room table. But I gave that up when I switched to sectional warping and never looked back.
When I did need to start winding actual warp chains again, a friend had a warping board that she gave me and I have quite contentedly been using that for the last 15 or so years when I needed to wind a chain.
A couple of months ago, helping clear out a weaver's stash of equipment, the large (non-folding) Glimakra warping mill was in danger of heading to the dump so I offered to take it home and try to find a buyer for it. It sat in pieces at the annex until this afternoon when I brought it back to the studio and squeezed it into a corner so I could wind some warps that really will be much easier and faster on the mill than the board. Trust me - I've already wound one warp on the board and it wasn't much fun. Oh, I could do it if I didn't have any other alternative, but there it was, the large floor standing mill, sitting right there (in pieces) in the annex.
Not everyone could fit such a large piece of equipment (30 inches on a side) into their home/studio and it was a stretch to get it into mine. Needless to say, I won't be using the trampoline much for the next little while!
The plan is to wind as many warps as possible that will be easier/faster when wound on a mill, then store them until I have time to weave them. Once they are done the mill will be taken apart again and stored until I can find a buyer...or I find a need for it again myself. We'll see if I actually try to find a buyer or just keep it!
PS - notice that I'm not using the full height of the mill. The Fanny is much happier with warps shorter than 13 meters and at that length, it fits quite nicely into the shoulder/hip distance of my body. So, while I'm standing to wind the warp (which I do at the board, anyway) there is no stooping/bending or reaching higher than just a bit higher than my shoulder. Mainly because that's where the pre-drilled holes were for the peg boards.
2 comments:
I think it's a sign. As we age, things like warping boards are not weaver-friendly. They're hard on our bodies, no matter how conciensious we are about how we use ourselves.
I had a vertical mill that was my grandfathers, and never really appreciated it until it was gone (a divorce casualty). After all but ruining my shoulders and upper back on a warping board, I was able to acquire a horizontal mill. I love it! When I got it, my knees were still my own (crumbly, painful). Being able to sit down to wind a warp was heaven.
Keep it. You'll be glad you did!!
Hi Laura, if this reel ever needs a new home, please let me know. I would lbe happy to offer it a trip to Rigaud QC if at some point in time you no longer need it. Happy Holidays!,Benoît :-) bcham-at-videotron.ca
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