17 Years and 10 Days

The last warp on Emmatrude

....and with 6 yards still to go.... I cut this part off.

This multi coloured warp has been on the Woolhouse loom for quite a long time. My information on the digital pictures say they were taken February 14th, 2014.  So long on the loom, that I told weaver friend Wayne that he'd have to come back from Michigan for several consecutive annual visits to complete his towel!   Well, the cloth section is off the loom now but not enough to be a full fledged useful towel.  Its now a nice stack of samples.

The draft is one of my favourites "Breaks and Recesses" or number 47 from A Weaver's Book of 8 Shaft Patterns by Carol Strickler. Nice tidy little boxes and fully reversible.   I used up all sorts of small 8/2 cones of various colours with black bands to bind it all together and make the colours pop.   Great warp to sample a loom for sale..... or weave away on to get acquainted with the loom's personality. 

I loved to treadle away and listen to a book on my iPod or a podcast..... or my favourite playlists. Its a simple treadling.

So new friend and weaver Jill came one day last week to view the loom and after trying her out and spending time with me in the studio for the afternoon, she decided to buy her.  There would be a delay of two days before she could take her home though...

The night before the loom was due to leave I spent time unpegging all 384 clips on the 20+ tie up assist cords and labeling all major beams and parts. I also put the cross back into the warp and secured the lease sticks to the  sectional beam. There's enough warp to weave at least 5 towels so Jill will be off to a flying start. 

I couldn't take the 20+ cords off as they are attached to the upper and lower lamms and I needed help with that. I thought to bundle the heddles together but pulling them together in the centre of the shaft sticks makes the shafts sticks unstable and collapse. So the balance of work had to wait until the morning.

10 am the next morning: once the heddles were bundled and secured top and bottom and off the loom, things progressed quickly!  Off came the shafts sticks and next thing, the lower, then  upper lamms were off in neat piles.  A decision was made to leave the treadles attached to the lower rail and so Jill secured the treadles so they wouldn't be an entirely swinging mess. There were four of us working and so things moved along smartly. With the sliding patio door right there, every newly released part started to be stacked out side on the deck prior to loading in their truck.

Everyone was busy!

Suddenly all the outer 'peripherals' were off the loom and it was down to the basic frame structure. This frame is what needs to be in place to rebuild her up again in her new home.  There is also a very detailed manual to help Jill from when the loom was brand new and also my many pictures, and my little green labels!

The main action shifted to the deck and loading up their vehicle and I was left with an empty spot and a herd of free roaming dust bunnies. (Actually more like buffaloes!)  So out came the vacuum and I gave the carpet a good going over! I didn't want any of them to get away, and besides I was of no use for the loading phase. 

Soon a quick scout around produced no more 'body parts' to go to the deck for loading and it was all over and done. Just the foot prints were left behind. 

  Then a group effort had the Megado shifted down to the spot where the Woolhouse had sat for seven years in this home. I was so grateful to have the loom moved into the spot so quickly.  No staring at an empty carpet!   There is a light fixture and fan assembly above the loom and two sets of windows so lots of light.

The Spring was sitting mid room and it was also shifted left to be under the other light and fan fixture at the opposite end of the space. There is all kinds of room now and it feels very open and airy.  The dog, Calli, went and got some of her toys and left them around the room!

Here's another looks at the Spring in her new spot where the Megado used to sit.  The studio ended up with a very thorough vacuuming in the next few days. I pulled things out and dug deep into corners. 

Today I just sat and enjoyed the space and puttered at odd jobs and continued with clearing things away.  I even just sat and wove on the Spring for a time!

Here's myself with Jill the new owner. 

Jill already has her new loom together and is now working on the slower process of setting the 20+ up and the fine tuning it requires.  The loom stayed local on Vancouver Island which I really like, and the sale and move was done quickly and painlessly.  Its hard to be sad when you see how loved the loom is.  I'm looking forward to seeing all the great weaving to come off her in the near future!

My name and the date she came to me was on the top of the jack frame for seventeen years and ten days before I wrote the final end date in.  I see Jill has carried on the tradition and added her name too.  As one friend said "we are simply their stewards for a time".  It was simply wonderful making beautiful cloth on her.