2015 CATCHING UP-- THE NEW YEAR IS REALLY LOOMING!

Starting out here with a phrase I've read on many other blogs: "I can't believe how long it has been since I've written in my blog" 

( disclaimer here; apologies for typos- my fingers get ahead of me and these old stiff fingers really do hit the shift key for capitalizing letters, but just with the wrong timing to result in "i" becoming an "I" --i will have to learn to get over it along with my grammarian / editor friends. When is some tech person going to program a button that will automatically change all instances of the single letter "i" into its capital?? I'll never get any blogging finished if I have to go back and fix all the red underlined items one by one)  

After participating in three shows last fall I continued to weave for several special requests during the holidays.  My sales went well at the shows and I sold about ( I've really lost count) 20 scarves and more were sold directly. Resulting in somewhat offsetting all the yarn and loom purchases during the year. 

My eyes are bigger than my time I have to weave. There were so many new things to try and my yarn stash has grown rather than shrunk.  Instead of using up yarns on hand, I gave in to the idea of using hand dyed yarns to weave colorpooled ( faux ikat) scarves. So first I found and bought two different rigid heddle looms and tried them out. I didn't like the tension nor the time it took with fine yarns so they are sitting waiting for some of that thicker stash. 

Next I  located a Louet W70 loom, which can be a table loom but this one has 4 treadles for a direct tie up. i wasn't too happy with its operation until i met the nice lady selling the Schacht flip rigid heddle and she showed me the ins and outs of the same Louet she has. so I've been using it for the ikat scarves with better results. 

Then up popped a 12 shaft Bergman for sale locally and we had to round up a team with strong arms and a truck to go get it in north Seattle one rainy day. They were rewarded with a home cooked meal and a Seahawk scarf.  that loom is in the living room and awaits a learning curve for countermarch tie up--My goal for January. 

all the while my grandson is trying to finish his little seahawk saori style scarf on the little juryrigged table loom but wanting so badly to use one of my floor looms. (The elf from the shelf even had to come by a couple times to help get it finished) 
Result--A nationwide search for a used small floor loom that did not cost an arm and a leg. Found one locally that is wider than i wanted, but it is nice and lower than my others so he can reach the treadles on it. The week before Christmas off i went into the wilds of Sedro Wooley to pick it up, It needed major cleaning and Frank polished up the rusty metal parts and it was presented with a big red bow Christmas morning. 
So what happens this week? A nice woman in Ontario Canada wants to give us a nice small loom like i was hoping for-- just for the cost of shipping. so yet another loom is on its way. 

After they all get a trial run or two, some of these will have to go!! 

...........and i better not come across a yarn sale anytime soon.