It wasn't really on the to do list...

or the shopping list for that matter. But when you have been looking for something and you see what you realize is an incredible deal, you go a take a look. See what I brought home today...


This is a little floor loom. I thought it was going to be a jack look, but it turns out to be a four shaft counter-balance loom. (The details are for my few readers who know anything about looms.) It is a fifty year old homemade loom and I got to meet the owner when I went to get it. She used it a lot, so I know it works. (And I checked it all out before I bought it.) My only concern is that I foresee the shafts begin a little fiddly and I will have to use the treadles to move the shafts back up into position. For what I paid, it is a small irritation. 

I really want to play with it, but so far I've just kind of poked around at it and figured out how everything moves. It is currently warped, but I know the warp thread is at least thirty years old and might be too brittle to work. I should probably rewarp it before I begin, but I need to get a few more tools in order to do that without too much bother. (Once again, for the knowledgeable, I need some sort of warping board and a sley hook and heddle hook. A shuttle would probably also be useful.) I'm not sure ten days before Christmas is the time to drop everything and play with a loom. I'll have to be a responsible adult and just admire it for the moment.

As well as the loom, a huge bag of weaving yarn and a box of weaving books were included. This was about the same great deal that I got when I bought my last spinning wheel. I think I should add a "weaving" label. This also means that those readers who are not interested in the fiber arts have yet one more subject they will have to skip. Think of it as me expanding your horizons. 

So there in the living room it will sit until I have enough time to actually do something with it. I should also probably find a more permanent home for it. But getting ready for Christmas first...

Comments

Rusulica said…
Wow! I actually do know something about looms, and yours is beautiful. It's funny you call it small, since it seems to take up quite a lot of room nevertheless. Can't wait for all the loom posts, so I can live through your experience! :)
12/17/2021 3:14 AM
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