Updating and preparations

It is a dark day in New Zealand, instead of celebrations as my home town hosted 40+ emerging Fashion Designers for the 20th anniversary iD Dunedin Emerging Fashion Design competition - the country grieved 50 dead, and many more injured. I wont go into details but Friday someone with hate - took a gun and killed innocents at worship in a Mosque in Christchurch. Friday with contenstants from over 30 countries and hundreds of tickets sold, the iD emerging show went on, and repeated on Saturday - but with much less celebration and much more security than ever before. Things here in New Zealand are changed, they are different, if you are able to help please do, the family and communities will have immediate needs and ongoing needs, I have taken stock of what I can do without this month and donated - I will probably top this up again, there will be so much more to take care of in the community.

Sunday was understandably quiet, I worked on my loom, replacing the nylon cords and knots with Texsolv and pegs. I hope it will be easier to adjust, in short better. I used a soldering iron to simultaneously cut and seal the cuts in the Texsolv. One just has to watch out of accidents of a thermal nature, like when the soldering iron begins to roll away - and is grabbed by naked fingers. One burnt index finger - which will heal.
This is midway through the restring, under the treadles I am going with a modified Vestuga tie up system, instead of straight knitting needles I am using the metal shaft spacer bars - of which I have 8.



I had to do a little adjusting as I worked, seems that even with a regular increment system like Texsolv the shafts didn't quite hang even. I had read some where you could get smaller adjustments by running double Texsolv - as adjusting one hole would halve the amount things shifted. I didn't want to go that far (at this point I wasn't sure how much I would have left over), but I did realize I could 'pad' the loops with pegs or even folded paper to make micro adjustments. This is something I will have to remember - it might be washers between the peg and the bars will provide micro adjustments if needed. You may notice my very special threading tool,  an extra long hair pin - the sole remainder from smallest cubs Ballet days - it is perfect for threading this stuff through holes - I may even need to buy my Loom a whole packet for itself.

I love the little Texsolve Pegs, so neat, so tidy so EAST TO MOVE AND ADJUST!.

So here is my wee Loman Loom,  a compact loom, and in some ways only a minor step away from a table loom - with some of the same shortcomings All connected and waiting for a warp. The next stage is to make a decision - it will be Tea Towels - but the four shaft pattern or even a three shaft one is yet to be decided.

And in other news ... the Tall Ones sweater is nearing done, only one sleeve to go. and I am being monogamous on this till it is done. I have so many other things I want to begin - and I know if I do then this will languish and languish for a long long time. I suffer from Brown Second Sleeve Syndrome - but will push through. 

Take care
be safe, 
Stella