Playing with Handtools!

Tonight I was doing a little searching on the internet about how to set up Pierre, my loom. I emailed Leclerc and they were nice enough to tell me that my loom is a Nilus 36" built in 1955 (just like I thought!). He said I should be able to use the online info to set up the loom. There are a few, I think, key differences between mine and the ones they have the .PDF files on, but I was able to figure out the brake treadle set up and use a huge staplers to attach the apron.

Now I just have to determine how you get the cloth beam "strung," or whatever its called.

I sat down and came up with the warp measurements for my first project. I even went to Goodwill and found some jeans to cut up. Oh, and I needed lease sticks--these flat sticks that you use in the threading process** and when you are weaving to even the tension on the warp beam so I went to a local hardware store and got them to cut me some. I spent $6 and felt so good about it. Who knows how much "official" Leclerc lease sticks would cost!!!

Again, messing about on the internet and I thought I would look up any blogs from weavers....found one and it had this little sidebar thing where you ask it a question and tap on the tea cup and it "read your tea leaves." So I asked it if this weaving thing was going to work out. This was the reply:

-your reading-
New Orleans
Description: While no coffee is grown in this part of the world, locals blend dark, rich coffee beans with chicory root, creating a distinct regional trademark.

Interpretation: Now is the time to take all that you have and make it work. While your resources may at first seem limited, by trying surprising combinations you may find a solution that is, in the end, better than any easy answer.
another reading?visit café nation

Freaky!

**for anyone familiar with weaving terminology, I apologize for any mistakes I might be making. I'm a little new at this!