Weaving - Convergence

After a week of moving things from my studio to Container #3 I finally got to my big loom. I took another day to give her a bath and an oil job. I have been warping for 2 days; I had a slow start as I had to relearn how to use my AVL Warping Wheel but it's going nicely now.  Pictures tomorrow, I left my camera in the studio and I don't want to walk back out there in the rain.

Regaining my Studio

I didn't have too much time today to work as Sunday is my normal shopping day at the Farmer's market. 

Two looms, some benches and other equipment moved to Container #3.

Almost a clear shot to my Tools of the Trade Loom, if I would have moved the dress form it could be seen.  I have had this loom for many years and I love it. It's harnesses have springs at the bottom so it is very quite. I work with very fine threads so I had a 1/2 section beam build by my friend Bob Shepherd. The sections are made from thin wires, not pegs, so they take up very little room. I purchased a rolling temple from Fireside Looms but haven't had time to attach it. The next major improvement will be a worm gear. In the mean time I will weave awhile.

The next two looms that will remain in my studio are a Schacht 8 Harness, 36 inch floor loom and an old Norwood I bought new 25 or so years ago. 

Regaining my Studio

Container #3 is ready for "stuff" and do I have "stuff", I have a studio full of "stuff". This picture makes the space look small but this half of the container is 8 x 22. Hopefully all the OutPost's used looms, wheels and other equipment will fit because I am tired of my studio looking like this.

Hidden under the white cover in front of the window is my loom.   I'd really like to take the cover off tomorrow and hug it.  My luck, I'll be so tired from moving stuff I won't be able to move, let alone weave.                                                    
                                                                                
                                                                                

Weavers OutPost

Things are moving right along. Half of the floor is in and the other half is ready to go in. I am going down the hill tomorrow to bring my trencher home. It's not everyone who's husband buys them a trencher for Christmas.  I have lots of water lines to go in for the new gardens.   I'm starting with 9 holes for trees in Barbara's memorial bird garden.  I have them all started, with all the rain it's pretty easy digging.

Hopefully, we will be moving looms out of the house and studio into the #3 container Friday. Next week with any luck at all I will be weaving.

Weavers OutPost

The door is done! It stopped raining long enough to finish the outside part. The trim will be added to the inside after things dry out. The floor has not arrived which is probably a good thing as the rain is supposed to be gone for awhile.

As soon as the floor arrives we will roll it out and start moving looms in. I might be weaving by Winter Solstice.  What a great present that would be.

Weavers OutPost

The door is done, except for trim! It opens and closes very smoothly. It's raining again and the floor is supposed to be delivered tomorrow, don't know what is going to happen.  It's rubber so it can't be hurt by the rain.  I suppose I'll just have it shoved into the end of the container and wait until the rain stops.

I also started digging some holes for the tree garden.  I wanted to get them started so when the rain came there would be holes to catch the water and soak in. I will take some before pictures tomorrow.

It's been a long day.

Weavers OutPost

Work continued on the door today, it's turning into the door from hell. We finally got it in and squared when we noticed that the top had moved out about 1/2 inch.  When I was coming down the ladder, I thought I was on the last step only to find out too late I was up one.  Pushing off the ladder and landing on both feet was a good trick but couldn't back peddle fast enough to keep my balance. Down I went, I did a roll but cracked my head good.  That was the end of my manual labor work day, if I can move, we will start again in the morning. Rain is coming tomorrow night. At least I've figured out why I'm a weaver and not a carpenter.

Weavers OutPost

Well, the door is at a standstill. It has rained all day, with wind. I stayed in all day working on color cards for RedFish and watching old movies. Normally I would be weaving on days like this.
This door thing is taking a lot longer than I had planned on.   I have never put a door in, so I got a book and read up on it, didn't look like it would be hard, that was my first mistake. If it doesn't rain tomorrow, it will be done.

Weavers OutPost

The Weavers OutPost, formerly know as the Weavers' Cottage belongs to me.  I closed the Cottage because the building that housed the Cottage was falling down around us and the rent kept rising. I decided to move it home and try running it as an internet business.  I purchased a 9 foot by 40 foot container thinking this would be large enough to hold the inventory.  Big misjudgment on my part. The yarn fit in the container but that was it. The looms, wheels and most of the equipment didn't. Since I had no place else to put the "left overs", they went into my home and my studio.  Ten months later, my home is still paths through weaving equipment, my studio is still unusable.

Today, is the third day we have worked on putting a door in #3. Container #2 is a 9 foot by 15 foot container I got for a very good price so it will be my office. Container #3 is 9 foot by 48 foot and will house the equipment and a repair shop. When the door is finished and the flooring is put down, the looms can be moved in. The time frame for this is a week.

The little building I took pictures of coming up the drive will be a show room to show samples. The Weavers OutPost is getting very close, getting my home and studio back is very close.

Why I'm not weaving 8(

Wow! Lots happening this week to keep me from weaving. We cut a hole in the #3 container for a door that will be easier to open. This process took a couple days, now that it's finally done, it's supposed to rain. The flooring has been ordered and should be here next Friday, it will probably be pouring rain by that time. It's getting so close to being done I can almost see it.  I will be able to get to my looms again. I'll be able to weave.

The Little Dog has been adopted by weaver Joyce Hinton. Her name has been changed from Little Dog to Heddle.  She moved to her new home and has a Pug to play with.  My dogs are settling down, I thought Sunshine would be neurotic before Little Dog left. I don't think neurotic is the work I was looking for, she has always been neurotic, maybe she was heading for a complete breakdown.  Bunker kinda liked her but didn't want to admit it. They ran and played together but Bunker would keep growling to keep up appearances. I caught her licking the Little Dog from head to toe. Little Dog seemed to enjoy it.

We also said, "screw it", and went to a movie, then to the new Shusi joint in Palmdale. Saw "A Christmas Carol" in 3D. I don't know why I enjoy going to the movies so much. I can't hear a word that is being said, one day they will have close captions. Sherlock Holmes will be next.  I do like movies that have really great sets.

I also mastered a fabulous Gluten Free English Muffin. I was buying a fairly good one at Whole Foods, then they stopped carrying them.  I actually think mine are better.

We also had to say goodbye to weaver friend Barbara Gawronski, who passed away last Monday. Barbara was Polish and had a very thick accent, she also laughed a lot when she talked. A conversation between us would take hours as I couldn't understand most of what she was talking about. Never stopped us from having a good time though.

Braiding & Goldwork

Some of the members of THAT Guild have started a Study Group on Goldwork. Since I love to embroider I figured I needed a new hobby, so I jumped right in. While doing research  on Goldwork, I can never truly just jump right in, I came across photographs of Chinese Emperor robes that had both Chinese Braid Embroidery and Goldwork.  Now I have 2 new hobbies.
I purchased the book "Chinese Braid Embroidery" by Jacqui Carey and promptly got started with a make-shift stand made from a old rag shuttle, a piece of pvc, a wooden dowel, a small board and an old stool. I'm using pirns for bobbins and tami for weights. The first braid was too tight, the second too loose, tomorrow I will find some weights a little lighter and hopefully get a braid that is just right.
Most of the people in the Study Group are almost finished with their first project - I'm still working on my materials. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.