Next Off the Loom

As I learn to deal with my new loom - I decided to do a "sampler" table runner.  I took a number of the 12 shaft patterns from the Laurie Autio Workshop that the Michigan Weavers Guild had this past year.

Still have some of the painted warp on the loom - so my next attempt will to be to combine some of these drafts together into one weave structure.  I am taking baby steps on my new loom.

Finally Working

During the winter I purchased a new loom - an AVL Compu-Dobby 24 shaft workshop loom.  (Workshop meaning it is not as wide as their other looms and they claim it can be taken apart and taken to workshops).   It has had its' share of problems.  A part was broken in transit, they had installed a gear backwards, and most troubling.  I could not weave for more than a half an hour without a shaft sticking up.  I was continually unweaving problems like the long "floats below".

But I have FINALLY gotten the problems worked out and below is the first finished piece taken off the loom.  It is a table runner with painted warp that I dyed.

It has one short lift problem that I didn't catch and a threading problem that I was too lazy to take out (not used to threading 24 shafts versus my old 8) but at least the loom is now working.

A Lost Friend

My friend Richard Jeryann passed away Thursday, June 25.  Unfortunately I did not make it over to the house before he died to tell him how much I will miss him.

I met him many, many years ago when we were both taking weaving lessens at the Birminham Bloomfield Art Center.  He "twisted my arm" and got me to volunteer at the Weaving Shoppe at Greenfield Village.   He had unbounded enthusiasm for that place.

The picture above was taken at the weaving shop.  It will not be the same without him.

For those in the weaving community who will be reading this - a memorial/celebration of his life service will be held in a couple weeks.

I Think It Was the Yellow Jacket

Yesterday my friend Helen Near (she is in the light colored hat behind me) went to the Wildflower Sale at Cranbrook.  It was my first time though Helen had purchased some plants for me in previous years.

At the time I decided that The Detroit News took my picture since I had a bright yellow coat and others had dark colors and it was a very grey day.  Of course the picture is in black and white so it does not show up.  Spend more than I should on plants and finished planting them today.  I only have a small part of my yard in shade than can handle these types of plants.  I call it my Secret Garden since it is behind some larger bushes.  

Back to Scanning The Old Photos

Two of my father

Just off my Old Loom

A friend recently said how much they enjoyed my weaving posts - I checked, and except for yesterday I haven't posted a picture of any of my weaving for quite a long time.  Maybe that was a hint.  So I will try to catch up with posts of my recent weavings.

Just off my loom is the following two scarfs.

They are from the same warp but the first uses a wool crepe that shrinks in the weft and the second used a regular wool instead of the crepe.

These are for the exhibit the Cross Borders weaving guild at the Michigan League of Handweavers summer conference.

The two year topic of study the guild had was titled "Off the Grid - A Study into Deflected Threads and Distorted Weaves".  Both the scarfs fits into that description.

Finally Weaving on the New Loom

It has certainly taken me awhile.  This winter my new loom arrived.  An AVL 24 shaft comp-dobby (means it is computer aided).   It arrived in 3 large boxes.  It took me awhile to put it together.  It had one broken piece which AVL had to ship another piece for.  Then one of the factory installed gears was installed backwards (that took awhile to figure out).  

Needed to purchase and install the upgrade to my computer software to get the drivers that run the loom.

Finally got the loom warped and since this was the first time with 24 harnesses and I did not yet know how to have the computer raise the harnesses, I had many threading errors.  Then I also had crossed cables.   (Also during this time I was weaving samples for two weaving groups, scarves and towels on my other loom).

Once I got that fixed I started weaving.  Did not work correctly.  Shaft 15 raised every time.  Finally Nancy Peck (who has the same loom) came over last Thursday and she showed me how to go in with a screwdriver and re-line up the solenoids to the cables (I swear you need to be an engineer to be a weaver).

So today I finally sat down to weave.  Instead of shaft 15 acting up, shaft 21 did the same.  At least this time I was able to fix it myself.

The picture above is what I have woven so far.  It is on a hand-painted warp and I found the pattern online (I was not adventurous enough to design my own warp for my first piece - my current loom is 8 shafts).

So far I do not love my new loom yet.  I hope I will in the future.

It has a sandpaper from beam that you have to be careful about.

It has a very narrow "sweet spot" for the weaving.

My current stool is not the correct height so I need to go look for a new one that is adjustable since my back started hurting with very short weaving time.