Choices

Someone asked me why I chose to use the Leclerc Fanny instead of the AVL for the place mat warp.

Looms, like cars, have different features - different advantages and disadvantages.

When I design a textile I generally do so with which loom it will be woven on in mind.

Let's take a look at the two looms and compare them.

The AVL is a 16 shaft loom, 60" weaving width, has a computer/dobby interface, four box fly shuttle, auto cloth advance and two beams, both of them sectional.

The Leclerc Fanny is a roller type counter balanced loom with four shafts, six treadles and 36" weaving width with a plain warp beam.

This line of place mats lends itself more to the Fanny than the AVL partly because it needs to be firmly beaten, partly because I wind warps 10.5 meters long, using two different hues/values in the warp.  I change things as I find appropriate, given my 'taste' on the day I'm winding warps, partly due to what has been selling.  Each warp produces one table runner and a dozen mats.  I change each warp colours at whim also based on what I have on hand when I'm making up the warps.

The weft is thick - four strands of 2/8 cotton plus two novelty yarns.  All six are wound at once on the bobbin and because the shed on the Fanny is large, I can wind really fat bobbins as long as they don't rub against the shuttle cavity.

On the AVL I tend to beam a minimum of 10 yards of warp, more usually (these days) 30 to 40 yards.  The width is generally wider (unless I'm doing scarves when I want more than four shafts) and threaded in some kind of 'fancy' 16 shaft weave structure.  With the computer assisted dobby I can change treadling/tie up as desired although sometimes I don't change anything but the weft colour in order to create a 'line' of, say, tea towels that are related through their design but different colourways.  Frequently the yarns are much finer, 2/16 cotton size, although I do use 2/8 at times.

I choose each loom for it's strengths.  Each one is 'better' at some things than others.

Currently reading Killers of the Flower Moon; the Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

Towels for Sharon

Perhaps it was my cold, perhaps the many days of hot (for us) weather or the poor night's sleep, but this afternoon I lay down for a few minutes and got up an hour later. :}

However I did manage to beam the warp tonight for Sharon to weave on when she arrives. It took somewhat longer than it ought because I wasn't paying attention and allowed the two warp chains to twist around themselves instead of maintaining a nice flat 'ribbon', making it more difficult to keep the threads straight. In total, from the time I inserted the rough sleyed reed into the beater to the time I transferred the cross was 90 minutes - 11 meters long, 24 inches wide, 16/2 cotton at 32 epi.

But it's done and ready to thread. However tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment (will find out how my cholesterol is doing on the Niaspan) and then I go to look at a loom for a new weaver who isn't sure if the loom is complete. It was given to her, but she really doesn't know anything about it.

I also have some admin type stuff that desperately wants doing, so I may work on that in the morning and try to clear it off my desk.

In reviewing Tien's stay she:

wove about 5 yards on a 16/2 cotton warp (tea towels)
wound, dressed the loom and wove off a 5 meter long tea towel warp 8/2 cotton 20 epi
wound, dressed the loom and wove off a 5 meter long sample warp
wound, dressed the loom and wove off a 5 meter long warp for a shawl which she hemmed and wet finished - based on the sample warp
learned Torchon bobbin lace, making 3 bookmarks, learning 4 different stitches
rummaged through my library looking at books and samples, taking lots of photographs
practised a different way of throwing/catching the shuttle, concentrating on ergonomics
practised beating for speed on the tea towels, then for precision on the shawl
practised a different way of threading and sleying
blogged http://travellingtiger.com/blog


In 5 days. And she called it a 'vacation'. A girl after my own heart. :D

'New' Loom

So above is the new loom. It looks a bit weird because the Leclerc Meko is folded up and shoved in front of it. I am seriously running out of room........

The new loom is a J-Made and needs a few minor repairs, but nothing that Doug can't handle. Once he's finished installing the insulation in the attic, gutted and re-done the bathroom, plus many other small jobs that have been sadly neglected around here the past few years. Now that we both have a little more energy, I'm hoping that he can get some maintenance on the house dealt with while I try to de-clutter.

I'm still trying to unload the van, and am seriously tempted to just leave all the yarn in the van for the next trip in May. Like I said, I am seriously running out of room. :(

But I did get the skirt fabric wet finished and will cut and serge it tomorrow. I promised to use orange thread but have to check first if I have any. May need to run to the store tomorrow to get some.

Also got some financial stuff dealt with and out of the way, so I do feel like I've made a little progress today.