Holding pattern

Life is funny. Things unfold as they are supposed to, if only you can relax and let it be. Being rather obsessive-compulsive, I have to remind myself of that – less now than when I was younger, but still…

I got that black & white shawl warp planned, measured, hand painted, cured, dried, beamed, and threaded. Then I started weaving. Hmm. I wasn’t as happy with the weave structure on the loom as I was when it was in my weaving software.

“Just go with it,” the little voice in my head said. Repeatedly. Despite the fact that I was having problems with some of the threads on the left side of the warp. “Just go with it.” Go back to the computer and play a bit more with different treadlings, different tie ups. Decide to use them after shawl #1. Add some tension on the left side of the loom. Weave now.

Hmm. That additional tension didn’t make a whit of difference. Better do some sleuthing to find the cause of the problem.

O.M.G! Look at this!

The hole in that heavy brass jack is supposed to be small and round, not long and jagged! Definitely not reaching almost through to the bottom of the brass!!

Contact the local Loom Magician immediately. (Seriously, that’s what he calls himself, and that’s what he is. A remarkably skilled man who’s been fixing all kinds of looms for many years.) Does Charlie have a jack in stock, or do I need to order from Macomber?

Well, not only does Charlie not have one in stock, he’s never seen this happen before in all his years of repairs! Plus he’s leaving town for a time (not sure how long) so can’t help me till he returns. I carefully examine all 16 jacks, and see that I better order 3…wow!

So while I’m working on reaching Macomber to order, and then for Charlie to return to town, I’ve decided to cut out the 10 or so inches I’ve already woven. Even if the repairs can be made with the warp on, I can’t believe that my tension will be right after all this mess. I may or may not decide to re-thread the loom while I’m at it.

But all the while this loom will be most definitely out of commission. I’ll work on my little counterbalance. Which calls to me for towels. But while I’m deciding specifically what towels to weave, I planned, measured, and hand painted a tencel warp for scarves in blue-violet and periwinkle. At least that’s what colors I hope they’ll be after they’ve dried. I used the formulas I used for that silk recently, and we saw how that turned out. But they’re also the formulas I’d successfully used on tencel a few months ago. We’ll all just have to wait and see.