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New Year Looms, 2014

Every year Meg over at Unravelling asks weavers to post photos of their looms on New Year’s Day. In all their glory — or not. No glamming things up for the shots. Here are my looms, now numbering four (gasp!) as is and where they sit.

First in my home and my heart, my beloved little 4H counterbalance loom.
counterbalance loom

I took my cityscape scarf off this loom on Monday night. I’ll post about that soon. So the loom is waiting for my next project, which I’ll be starting today.

Next up is my 8H Macomber.
8H Macomber loom
Mac and I took a good long time to become friends; I had to experience other looms to realize the benefits of the Mac. Here it sits with enough warp for a baby wrap; I’m awaiting feedback from my testing mamas on sample wrap #2 before I tie it up and weave it off.

Third is my LeClerc rigid heddle.
rigid heddle loom

I really only use this loom to demonstrate at shows. I warped it up with white mohair, planning to weave it at the Roycroft winter show, which I had to miss due to my nasty stomach bug, so it sits in its spot on top of my bookshelf just waiting for me. It’ll likely wait a good long time.

Last, and least I’m afraid, is my 4H Missouri.
4H Missouri loom

In fact, this loom is so far from top-of-mind for me that I had started this post when I realized I hadn’t taken a picture of the Missouri. You can see it’s sitting between a table and a dresser, as out of the way as I can make it. The warp on it is from the pick-up workshop I did with Su Butler last spring.

I’m sure I won’t finish this sample warp. I should just cut it off so I can fold up the loom and at least be able to get into that dresser. Why haven’t I?? Maybe doing this post will inspire me to do that. I could even carry it upstairs and cover it from dust — that’d really be out of the way. I’m gonna go do that, right now.

Wishing you all health & happiness in 2014.

13 comments to New Year Looms, 2014

  • Paul Sireci

    Hey, Peg. I just wanted to thank you so much for the information you’ve shared. I really appreciate it. There’s a weaving school here in Brooklyn called the Weaving Hand, and I’m going to take it in to get checked out by them and maybe take a class there. It’s exciting to me to have found this loom for that price. Even if it needs a couple hundred bucks worth of tuning up (which doesn’t seem like it’s the case), it’d still be a screaming deal at $250. I agree that it doesn’t seem like there’s that much room for weaving given the distance between the castle and the breast-beam, but I just want to weave the occasional scarf, placemat, or table runner. Nothing too fancy. Again, thanks so much for your help.

  • Paul

    Thanks. I did wind up purchasing it. It’s my first multi-shaft loom. This didn’t come with stand and treadles, but thats fine because I want to store it atop my wardrobe. I’m interested in replacing the cords running from the shafts to the handles on the side. Any recommendations on where to purchase from? There are enough heddles, but in case I want more, do you know who makes heddles that fit? Much thanks. -Paul

    • Peg Cherre

      Good luck, Paul. FYI, with the stand & treadles the Missouri can still be used and stored as a table loom; the stand & treadles fold very flat.

      Ok, now for the cords – I had to replace all the cords on mine, too. I tried a few different options that we not acceptable – either the cord was too thick to work in the loom, the cord stretched to an unacceptable degree, or the knots slipped. I ended up using Texsolv. It certainly does not and never will look anything like the original cord, but that aspect wasn’t important to me.

      I didn’t need to even think about heddles, given the number on my loom and my planned usage. I just did a quick measurement of my heddles, and I THINK they’re 10.5.” If that’s true, it’s a standard size for wire heddles, so there are lots of places you can buy them – most weaving supply companies would have them. Although flat steel heddles, which is what mine are, can’t be had anywhere anymore – they stopped being made some years ago. You may find some used by following Weavolution and/or the weaving section of Ravelry, or buy insert eye heddles in the length you need.

      Hope this helps!

  • Paul

    I might be purchasing a Missouri loom today. The seller selling it for only $50. Do you not like yours?

    • Peg Cherre

      Hi, Paul. I paid just a bit more than that for mine. Will yours come with the stand & treadles? I don’t dislike my Missouri. I bought it specifically for a travel loom – workshops and/or when I need to be somewhere else for a period of time, and it functions just fine for that. I wouldn’t use it at home, though – the treadles are close together, the distance from front beam to back beam short so the shed is small and the work therefore needs to be advanced very frequently. But it was still a good purchase for me.

      Good luck with yours!

  • Betsey

    Do you happen to have a manual/pamplet/book for the Missouri Loom that you would be willing to share?
    Did you Missouri loom come with metal spools?
    I have an ‘orphan loom’ that I’m attempting to clean/restore and gift to a young beginning weaver.
    Thanks.
    Betsey, in the lovely (slushy-frozen) LP of MI

    • Peg Cherre

      Betsy – My Missouri didn’t come with metal spools – I assume they’re bobbins for a shuttle. I searched and searched and found a source for a Missouri manual, which was completely unhelpful in how to set the loom up or fold it – it was basically a how to weave manual. But if you click on my Missouri loom tag, you’ll see all my posts about it. One in particular, Missouri loom setup, might be helpful to you. Good luck!

  • Julienne

    Hi Peg!! Happy new year! I just wrote you an email about tester #2 but my email bounced back for some reason.. I’ll try again 🙂

  • Happy 2014 and happy weaving.

  • Love the look of your warp on the Macomber. Beautiful. Have a lovely 2013.

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