Loom boom

Tags

#notsobighouse, crafts, creativity, determination, equipment, fiber friday, flow, loom, tapestry, tools

I never published a post about the tapestry looms that I was making, things got in the way of finishing them and when that happens life has a way of moving on to the next project regardless. In fact I still have one thing to do to finish my large tapestry frame! And the medium one (being warped on the red table cloth below) will be ditched or remodelled after I finish the project on it.

Then I got the Ashford rigid heddle loom and became fascinated with fabric making instead. But while I’m not done exploring plain weave adventures, I kept thinking about twills. I looked for a small table loom, just a wee 30 cm one perhaps to make samples and get it all out of my hair, LEARN. None appeared on the used market, they are not popular here. I’ve contemplated making a primitive one, after all, they weave beautiful things in India and other remote places with just sticks, stones and string in tiny dark huts on the ground! But, well, very time consuming and in the end probably too costly compared to quality.

There is no room for the floor loom of my dreams in this tiny house. Unless I give up painting, which I will not, but then I was alerted to folding looms. Measuring tape out. Now, in the spare room I have the old Singer sewing machine squeezed in beside the guest bed. So if I find another location for that and fold the loom when not in use… I could close the door if the cats become a nuisance…. So now, in the space of a year (but really just a few months of actual weaving time), I’ve gone from this:

 

to this and that, rigid heddle looms. Why two? Because the last one had a much denser reed than you can get on the new models. For finer yarns. (80/10, 40 epi) It’s also nice to be able to sample an idea while you still have a project on the other loom. I figured how to set up the stand for a more slanted position so I can use it on the couch and for tapestry, as it has really good tension. Have to look after that silly neck of mine.

And then I went nuts and got an old 4 shaft countermarch folding floor loom a month ago (Lervad) AND the other week a Glimåkra Gobelin, an upright 130 cm wide tapestry loom. I don’t really have the space for the latter, I certainly don’t have the time to weave large, fine tapestries, but:

1. It was dead cheap. + 60 bobbins & stuff.
2. They don’t make them anymore, so may become extinct.
3. It’s been said, that to create the life of your dreams you should act as if you already have it. So I dream of doing yarny, pictury things for the rest of my life.
4. Assuming I live another 30 years at least, I figure there will be time to get them all into action occasionally?
5. I’ve been thinking of large things with really thick yarns and various objects. Quicker than real traditional tapestry.

I guess I’m committed now!

I’ve realised that the tapestry thing is very time consuming and just not something I get around to in summer. Making cloth is a breeze compared, so at least that’s not likely to clutter up my todo list with wips forever. But thinking of it as having a 30 year overall deadline and learning curve is a great stress reliever. 😉

I think I’m done shopping just now. I’d like to move beyond reading and sampling to actually producing something. And there must be spinning done…

I figure when I drill more holes I can raise it even more, although it does get a very large footprint this way. (It’s not as big as it looks, cm 60Wx80L)