A few weeks ago when Yuko, Randee and I went to the LA Weavers Guild annual show, we bought some rovings. I bought a small package of spaced dyed cotton while Yuko bought all manner of wool from 3 or 4 different vendors, and we all agreed to play with our drop spindles in a few weeks down at the barn.  

Spinning is not new to me but I not an expert at it either. Several years ago, I had used my drop spindle to spin some soy silk for a friend and I even had a charka for a while, which has since been sold on. I used the charka to spin some cotton as well as some silk which I still have in my stash.

The drop spindle event was the week before Thanksgiving and we had fun spinning and more than not, dropping our spindles. While we were trying to spin, Ester wandered by and said that she had two spinning wheels and would be glad to teach us. We settled on this weekend as the date.

When I arrived at the barn, Ester was there and we unloaded the wheels from her car.  Bill, one of the original members of the barn was also there and he also joined in on the teaching. BTW, Bill has been spinning and weaving for over 40 years!

First we were shown how to set up the spinning wheels, oil the various parts that need it and then we sat there spinning air while bill gave us a demo on spinning. The spinning air is to make sure our legs in a comfortable position and that our leg gets use to the movement. Next we moved onto putting some wool into the wheel to start spinning and learning how to advance and feed the wheel.  

Finally we got a rhythm going and we were spinning.   

We took a break for lunch because we were both getting tired. Afterwards we were getting tired so I stopped and Yuko continued to spin but she was having problems too. Ester was nice enough to let Yuko one of the wheels to take home with her for a week which will allow her to do some weaving everyday.

Here is a short video of Yuko spinning in the barn after lunch.

I bought my new loom just about a month ago.  In the weeks following bringing it home from LA, my husband spent a few hours on and off cleaning the light rust off of the heddles and the shafts. 

While my husband was doing the cleaning, Yuko (my "student" at the Weaving Barn) and I were planning some future projects and we chose to start with two - a color gamp twill scarf using bamboo on 4 shafts and then cotton waffle weave kitchen towels on 4 or 8 shafts. Then we placed our BIG order with Halcyon yarn and waited for our cones to arrive. The 2 ounce min-cones arrived 2 weeks ago but some of the cotton is on back order which was ok since we were planning on weaving the scarves first.

Yuko and I spent a Saturday afternoon playing with color theory and what order we would use the colors (we both chose different colors than were in the pattern), then winding our warps for the Color Gamp Twill scarves. Since we are using 8/2 bamboo, there are 24 e.p.i. and across the scarf a total of 272 ends and 8 colors.

The next day, Sunday I started to wind the warp on to my loom. The first issue I ran across is that the lease sticks are too narrow to fit inside the loom BUT not wide enough to sit fully on the loom frame. I eventually, after much struggling, had to tape them together off center so I could tape it to the frame and wind it onto the back beam.  Once the beaming was done I was able to thread the open top heddles and then slay the reed and then tie onto the front beam. This entire process took over 6 hours. 

I did not touch the loom during the week because I figured once I got started, I would not go to bed early and I would be dead the next day at work - not that it really mattered but a girl needs her rest. 

When I got home that Friday, I started to check the threading of the heddles and reed. The scarf has a 6 inch fringe so I used paper to help spread the warp - I used 3 sections of heavy paper folded several times to be about 2 inches. I lifted every other shaft to give me plain weave and that is when I found my mistakes. I had some threads that had popped out of the heddles which are open at the top; some threads were in two heddles; others were threaded on the wrong shaft. Sorting all of this out took another 5 hours because I checked every single thread.

Last night, I actually wove after I got home from the barn. I wove in the the bottom selvage and the first color.  Just another 60 inches to go.

I have started another rug on the loom down at the barn. Even though it is an 8 shaft loom it is currently set up with only 4 shafts with a straight draw. So I went looking for some ideas and in the Rug book by Peter Collingwood, where I found a section on 2 to 3 color 2/2 advancing twills which make several patterns just by changing the order of the colors thrown for each pick.  I have selected one to start and using a medium weight wool which there is lots of (Red, Brown, and a Beige tweed). I was inspired by the colors of the Sock Monkey and below is a picture of the rug I am now working on.  I figure there are 2-3 more rug warps on the back beam including the one I just started thus I will be at this set-up until after the new year. 

Since I have a new theme, and Fall is coming I had the wonderful idea that maybe I should tweak my new theme by changing the banner image depending on the time of the year.  The current image was sent to me by Elisa of Scotland though I can’t remember if she actually snapped the image or she found it in an image collection. 

Despite all of that, when she and Mike (a.ka. Gnomy Man) are  “oot and aboot” doing their errands, she does take some really good images. Via several emails today, I have cajoled her into sending me an occasional “new” image to post as my banner.

We are working together in an attempt to change the colors of the leaves to coordinate with the seasons. Actually she is doing the work, I just sit around looking cute.

Stay tuned.

These are pictures of the loom with the shafts being removed for cleaning. Click on the pictures to see a larger image and a description

Yesterday I picked up my (new to me) Pioneer Loom in Los Angeles.
Sorry, no pictures YET… maybe later in the week.

Eric and I got out of the house at around 11:15 am and some glitch in the GPS resulted in the destination not being set. Luckily I knew how to get to LA and we pulled off the highway and set the GPS correct before we got too close and we arrived at our destination just before 1pm (I had estimated 12:30 as it should only take an hour and a half.).

Ralph, who was the seller was an older gentleman who has lived in this house since the ’60 – it is nestled up in the Hollywood hills not far from the Hollywood Bowl (musical amphitheater).  There was stained glass windows everywhere – in the widows and on the walls, and he said he made most of it.  We were escorted into the study where everything for me was laid out on a table. The loom, the warping peg/board attachments, 2 boat shuttles, lease sticks, 2 reeds, extra heddles, extra temporary insert heddles, a repair kit of lift springs and a cable, the instruction book, his original letters of inquiry and the purchase invoice. The loom was warped with black thread and an incomplete project had been started and Ralph showed me: how to raise and lower the shafts and weave on the loom; how to warp the loom and use the warping peg attachments by extending  the front and back beams; then I was shown how to change the threading in the open top heddles and how to change the threading in the reed as it has a removable cap as well. 

Ralph showed me his other loom which is an AVL folding DOBBY with 24 shafts!  Which is a computer controlled  loom – the computer is programmed which shafts to lift in what order and you just have to press a peddle and throw the shuttles and beater. Setting it all up is the hard part.

We put all of the accessories in a bag including the yarn for the weft of the project that was on the loom. And put it in my car. Because of afternoon traffic, it took about 2.5 hours to get home.  I was beat so I did not play with the loom but watched some DVD’s and went to bed early.

The heddles are not sliding easily on the bar which is inserted through a square opening at the bottom of the heddle, the bar is what  lifts the heddles, and they also slide from left to right across on it . This may be due to the slight amount of rust and because the square opening in the heddle and the bar have tight tolerances, the extra rust is the issue. I would like to clean off the rust and put a coating of WD-40 on it. First I will have to loosen warp and remove the threads from the heddles and take the reed out of the beater; and set the warp to one side without having to cut the warp. Then I will take all 16 bars out of the loom and take over a hundred heddles off the bars; clean with steel wool, wipe down with the WD-40 and put it all back and re-slay the heddles.  

Another reason the heddle might not slight so easy right now is that with a thread through an eye slot, the bottom of the heddle, on the bar, has shifted and the heddle is not perpendicular to the shaft so the heddle is off kilter – this probably happened when we lifted the loom up and put it on its side in the car.

Either way, it could use the cleaning.  I figure I will have the loom up and running in two weeks – the Vista Fiber Fest is next weekend so no work will be done then.

After I returned from Haystack, I blogged about how I had taken a scarf I had woven, to the silent auction.

Three people I had become friends with – Myra, Carl, and Fanny had been bidding on the scarf but none of them won it.

As a result I promised that I would make some scarves and this past week I mailed the first one to Myra.

It is made from Rayon Chenille and it ended up being 80” long and about 5” wide. These dimensions are required for warmth factor. It will wrap around the neck at least twice and still have a good drop to cover the chest and the extra layer help cover the neck and face when a very cold wind is blowing.

I have a 4 shaft, direct tie-up folding Dorset Loom that I purchased about 4 years ago. It is a great little loom but I've wanted a loom with more shafts for a while. 

Having a minimum of 8 shafts would be great but more is always better! Then there is the size - I would want a weaving width that this wider than the Dorset which is about 20", as I think I would do some rugs, and for that the loom has to be floor loom. Then should it fold or be fixed. Either way the loom can get rather big. I have the space in the house for it but when I retire and if we move, would I have the space for it then?? And then there is the cost - they are not cheap used and finding a used one locally (so I don't have shipping costs) is not easy.

And... if the new loom could be folded, would I sell the Dorset???

Since I have been weaving down at the Barn, I have been on an 8 shaft loom that has about a 3 foot (plus some) weaving width.  I have realized that having access to this loom would allow me to weave those rugs...

So I began to rethink my loom requirements.  An 8 shaft loom would be nice so it is now down to size. Having portability would be really nice so I set my sights on a Mighty Wolf: 8 shafts, 10 treadles, 36" wide. I could do scarves, small rugs, table sets, fabric for my sewing.....

                   ohhhh, be still my palpitating heart.

I started to stalk eBay, Craig's List, Weaving Store websites, used equipment sites hoping to snag one.

Then this past Sunday, I found on eBay a used 16-Shaft loom.

YES 16 SHAFTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is a Northwest Loom Pioneer table loom that has a weaving width of 20". So I snagged it for $350 which is half of what it would cost new.  I figure if I want to make something more than 20" I can do a double width and still have 8 shafts!

I can pick the loom up as it is within an hour drive of my house. I am now working out when to go get it . I expect to have it in about a week. Here is a picture

I was back at the cardiologist on Tuesday morning.  This was a follow up to see how the BP medication was working. It has helped some but not quite enough as my diastolic readings are still high and the pains and palpitations have not abated. 

As are result the Doctor has put me on a calcium channel blocker. It will do two things, lower my bp a bit more  and hopefully reduce the pains the palpitations.   If the channel blocker doesn't seem to help in two weeks I am to up the dose.   I am also supposed to continue monitoring my BP and write down when I have events.

My next follow up is 2 months unless things do not get better and at that time she would consider a long term heart monitor and possibly an angio as it would be the last test to do. 

Oh, and in the mean time, I should also see my GP and have myself checked for esophageal problems. I guess some people have bad heart burn, spasms, etc... and it can appear to the person as palpitations and pains. And we need to rule that out just to be thorough  

BUT the Doctor is not denying that I have a heart issue as there is my high blood pressure and the traces from the EKG do show something going on.

So I started the CB Wednesday and I have been even more tired for the past few days. I think my body has adjusted to the meds because I was not as tired when I woke up this morning.   

All of this means still taking it easy, lots of sleep and no metal working for a while longer. 

The Heart:
I have been on the BP medications for almost a month now.  I have been recording my BP almost every day and yes I am feeling somewhat better but then there are days I feel horrible.  

I am going see my endocrinologist on Friday the 9th and then back to the cardiologist the following week. I am seeing the endo to ensure that my thyroid meds and the hormone replacements I am taking are not too hight as they can cause heart palpitations.  

Depending on those results, the cardiologist will either increase/decrease/change my blood pressure meds and/or add a channel blocker and possibly schedule an angiogram to determine if the doctors can actually see some problem - as we still don't know why this is happening.   

Some days I feel like I am handling it all well and other days I just want it to be over. 

The Weaving:
And yes, the weaving is calmer and more relaxing that hammering away on metal. That has to do with keeping my BP down and how tired I get. The added benefit is that when I am down at the weaving barn I am socializing (and not with friends from work) and making new friends. Some of the ladies at the barn have been weaving for almost 40 years and I am the "kid" of the group!!!

I just finished the scarf for Myra - I put pictures on my FB feed last night. It is 80" long, I think that she will be able to wrap that around her neck several times! 

I am also doing some chain maille (weaving of a different sort). I made a dragon scale bracelet for me - which I ended up selling to a friend. I am now making another dragon scale for another woman at work and another one for me. PLUS I am working on a Byzantine bracelet today which is yet another sale!