Thursday, October 30, 2008

Dear gods.

Do want. DO WANT!

Wow. I'm going to have to buy that. And maybe the other similar shawl pattern she has. Just amazing!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

This is normal, right?

I love my loom. I also love my husband for letting me turn our living room into a den of fibre.

We swapped out the leather cords for the new plastic coated metal ones yesterday (with a little bit of a learning curve, but we figured it out). The warp was what came on the loom when we bought it, and though it's old (I had one thread snap, but I was able to work it back in later), it's so damn freeing to be able to do whatever I want with it. This is a bit of sampler type work, though I've settled into a nice herringbone pattern that pleases me greatly. The basket of wool was from some friends who picked up a bunch of needlepoint wool and gave it to me. It was a bit too itchy to knit with, but it's perfect for weaving!

I know that I'll probably be griping later on about setting up the warp, but being able to just weave is such a gift. I'd forgotten how quickly it goes when you're just workin' away.

Glee!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

*sigh*

So. Wierd. Friggin' knitters.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

I feel like Father Christmas roughed me up.

I was spinning this. It's lovely, but I've never spun anything with angelina before. It sheds like a mad thing, and now I'm covered with glittery stuff. You know the icicle stuff that you use (or maybe used to use...I haven't done it in a while) when decorating a Christmas tree? This is like that, but with a hideous pervasiveness that I was unprepared for. I was even being a good little spinner and using my drop cloth. (IE, folded in half pillowcase.) And yet, it kind of exploded everywhere, like an elf...er...I'll refrain from my usual comparison, but I'm sure there must be a shot for that sort of thing.

I have a feeling that I'm going to be spinning random sparklies into my yarn for the foreseeable future. At least it's cheerful.

What in the everliving hell...

It is knitters who make things like this that give us all a bad name.

If you don't have a Ravelry account, you won't be able to see it. Be glad.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Clinging to the good is important when the bad gets overwhelming.

My new (to me) loom. Except for the fact the one in the link has 6 treadles, and mine only has 4, due to it being...er...38 years old. I'm replacing the cables for the harnesses, as one has broken (old leather cording), and I might as well bring them all up to spec. The folks we bought the loom from were snazzy as hell, dropping $50 from the buy price due to the broken cable and the lack of a crank. Daven has Plans for it, and until such a time as he has time to implement said plans, the website has this to say:

For the older looms where the shafts taper to a four sided point we recommend using vice grips or replacing your beams. We are sorry but that handle company went out of business years ago and the handles are no longer available.

Not a problem. We have vice grips.

The woman who owned the loom before me bought it before she became a mother (her children are all grown and out of the house, and they're looking at retirement), and was describing to me how they were living in KY. She had taken a weaving and natural dyeing class, and was inspired by the whole earth-mother deal. I couldn't help but grin, as her dreams of old sound terribly familiar.

Aside from the aforementioned bits that are getting replaced, the loom is in great shape. Some things, I wouldn't want an older model, but for something like this...if it's made it 38 years, it probably has quite a few more in it. :)

She kindly threw in the warping board for free, as well. Score!

I'm so looking forward to playing with my new toy. Just need the new bits to arrive!

It came with some warping on it, so I can skip that process to begin with. Yay!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

SQUEE!!

I has loom.

Is nice loom.

Is $2000 loom for $400. Score!

Loom is 8 years older than me. Hee!

*happywiggles*