"Spring"-ing into Action

The day before yesterday my husband went down to to my studio in the morning and found this:

It's all the tie cords and such for my warps. Normally they are all in a tidy basket by the warping board. So he followed the strings to this:

Connor has a new toy and part of dog psychology is that once you have licked it all over and made it a soggy mess, then you must hide it from 'other dogs' ( we have no other dogs!) He went looking for a good place to stash it and then decided it wasn't the right spot....and took all the strings with it. Thankfully, nothing serious! Years ago when he was a puppy he buried a whole sock in one of my indoor plant pots. Now that was a mess....

I started once more into assembling the new Louet Spring loom. The instructions call for tie up cords to be done later when the front and back beam are in place but since my arthritis doesn't like being crouched and bent like that, I decided to add the tie cords now over later. I had cords to do half the possible placements from Louet, some additional cord I had bought and my old tie up cords from the Woolhouse loom. I have managed to get a cord in place for all but approx 20 upper lamm spots and I'll get those filled in time with more cord when I can. I don't want to have to move tie cords if I can help it and this way it makes a tie up faster for me.

So I'm tying away and something isn't quite right...... oh geesh, I'm on film. No hair, make-up, all curled up on the floor in my 'comfy' clothes.... so I grabbed my camera and got this:

He decided to beat a retreat... wise man! {note to self: learn where the delete key is on the handy cam}

I got the back beam on and secure next. Not difficult and although I could have used a second pair of hands at one point, I managed it by myself.

Then I assembled the treadles (I had already added the screws while comfortably seated the day before!) Flipped it over and attached the foot beam to the sides. The left middle side beam is next. It would have gone on sooner but the instruction notes gave confusing information about the size of the cloth beam holes and which side they were placed on. Turns out I had it right.

The next picture is where she was at at the end of the day when it was quitting time. Apron cords are on, heddles are on all but the back two shafts ( 200 more heddles are in the mail to me... I ordered more so it's 100 heddles per shaft), breast beam in place, beater assembly together and on the loom. Just the brake system to attach. I came downstairs at least twice more to look at my new baby that night....

Yesterday, I attached the brake assembly, cut some non-skid matting for the tool/ accessory tray on the castle, slipped the upper lamm cords down through their proper placements and then slid my bench up to the front to check the height. It's right just where it is! I must wind a warp *soon* and plan a 'get to know you' warp of kitchen towels, and I'm thinking a plaited twill. But I have a weaving commitment going on my other loom that has a deadline clock ticking!

So no warp on Spring until I have the other warp done. She looks nice huh? :)

I like to give my looms names but I'm stuck this time round. I have a feeling she'll just be known as Spring. Years ago I went searching for smaller cushions or pillows to use on my benches. I found two pillows, both the same, and bought them. Back then I had no idea of how prophetic they would be someday. So this last picture is of the bench pillow I will be using.... and since my friend Lynnette and I bought Spring looms together at the same time, I took her my second pillow to her as a gift when we were there last month so she can 'dance' as well.

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers! Our turkey is in the oven and the house smells great! I'm off to weave....