The Loom in Action

OK. This is your last viewing of the loom before the big unveiling which will happen on Monday, November 16. I am so excited! I can hardly wait to see how it looks!

This is the back of the loom all tightened to the proper tension and ready to be woven into something that will be a work of art, but something grandma and great grandpa did as a matter of course. Men were actually employed in the weaving profession a long time before us women settled on it as an outlet for our creativity.

This loom is 60" wide, which is a little wider than a lot of looms, but when I bought this from the lady who taught me to weave I had in mind that I would weave carpet for the whole house. That little projuect did not last long.


I would like to take a moment here to thank the lady who taught me to weave for doing such a good job. I think she retired from teaching after me. I don't know if she quit cause I was such a pain, she was just tired of teaching, or if it just worked out that way and my paranoia is kicking in here.

Any way, I would like to send a big thank you out to Marilyn H. here in Pueblo, Colorado for taking me under her wing. She is a true artist in every sense of the word and I have learned much at her knee. Well, not actually her knee, but you get the picture!

Now, here we come to the first few rows of the blanket. You should know that Joanne told me the pattern I was working on would need to be altered if I wanted this woven with the right side up, but I, in my haste blew that off and forged right ahead. So what you see here is actually the back side of the blanket! I really do need to learn to slow down and listen once in a while.

Now what you see here will be the right side of the blankie. I had to get in a very uncomfortable position to take this picture! Yes, I think I will start listening and taking that extra 2 or 3 minutes to do it right.

The problem with this overshot is sometimes you will end up with a "floating" thread and it would be nice if you knew it when it was happening rather then when you have spent weeks weaving and take it off the loom and discover it. So your alternative is to stand on your head and check the underside. This is all well and good except I have 2 of the lickingest dogs in the world.

Here is a picture of the pattern. The name of this is Lee's Surrender and there will be 4 of these in my creation. The blanket is all done and I am so anxious for you to see it. I don't remember when I started this, but I think it took me about 2 weeks.

So there you have it! I think the lesson I learned from this, or the words of wisdom I give you are ones my mother told me many times..."A stitch in time, saves nine." Which means had I taken the couple minutes to translate the tie up I would not have had to stand on my head!