The process has finally started… as previously mentioned, the studio is now at a state where there are windows, doors, a roof and walls. The walls and ceilings are not insulated and lined but the fact that I have some room has prompted us to start moving looms in (and equally important: moving them out of the house where through ‘occupational creep’ two and sometimes three of our house rooms have been converted for fiber work – mainly weaving as the smallest room in the house, my ‘loom room’ was never big enough to use more than one loom at a time. This saw almost permanent use of the guest room for ‘Big Mac’ and a quarter of the lounge devoted to projects on ‘Gypsy’ (the HD folding loom).
We now have 4 of my 7 looms moved into the studio space and more impressively I can walk around each of them, plus have room for a table for planning, book-work, or any other work. It has identified the range of my looms. For the first time ‘Big Mac’ and ‘Gypsy’ are side by side – making it very easy to see why one is portable and the other definitely not!
‘Pete’ is the first to be pressed into use. I had a warp wound for a cotton bathroom rug, so in setting it up I have threaded and now tied on the warp. Some adjustment of the friction brake on the warp beam then ready to officially throw the first shuttle in the new studio. ‘Big Mac’ will have the Christmas Towels and ‘Gypsy’ will have a guild challenge project: 3D weaving. More on that later, but it will involve copper wire and some tricky dressing of the loom. Finally ‘Bernie’ is assembled but needs some modifications to replace the hinged beater with a sliding version (a la the Dryad upright loom). All the wood to do this will come from what was originally the hinged beater/frame. By changing to a sliding beater the back to front measurement of the loom is cut in half. All the more space for other looms.
‘George’ (4 shaft fixed tie up – replacement for the original ‘George’ that was lost in the shed fired) and ‘Senior’ the yet to be restored/cleaned 6 shaft jack loom are yet to join the studio floor. Not to mention spinning wheels and all the yarn/fiber accumulations. Early days yet.