Hello, everyone.
The last time I used my loom was about 8 years ago. So, the process of planning a project and setting up and all that is basically a giant technique review for me! I found many of the posts and articles on this site useful so I joined up.
I have a Norwood floor loom (45" weaving width, I think. 4 shaft, 6 treadle, cherry) with the "Baldwin, MI" designation. My parents shipped it to me from Michigan after I moved to California. (Mom wasn't weaving any more at that point). I don't know why they decided to dissasemble it and pack it in 7 boxes when it would have folded up rather well, with maybe an additional box or two, but I had fun following my dad's (the engineer) instructions (including 3 rolls of photos and colored sticky dots) to put it together again. I felt like I really knew the loom after that.
I have a 12 dent and 16 dent reed. I had to clean Michigan-humidity-induced rust off one of the reeds, and a wide warp of cheap acrylic yarn finished the cleaning process. Mrs Miller, a neighbor and the original owner of the loom, did sectional warping and I have her tensioning box as well as a spool rack but I have never used those. My dad made a 7.25 yard warping board so that's the longest warp I've ever done.
The first thing I ever wove by myself was a very long and wide cotton (warp) - mohair (weft) scarf. Mom had put a cotton warp for placemats on the loom and got bored, redesignating the warp for scarves (more fun). My sister, my dad, and I all made a scarf. I still have mine. My mom always had various projects going on the loom throughout my childhood (pillow covers and wall hangings) so if it was an uncomplicated section my sister and I would "help". She may have imitated Penelope every night, I don't know.
The next thing I did all by myself was a wide acrylic throw (the rust-cleaning project), then pearle cotton placemats. The acrylic throw is long gone but the placemats are still around. They are rather floppy and squishy and unsatisfying so don't get used much. Maybe I should starch them and iron them flat.
The next project (we are up to 8 years ago) was a rather insane wool twill based on some extant late medieval textile finds. It may have been 32epi? I'd have to look at my notes (and find them first). I never did make anything out of the finished cloth (probably because it was 'lost' in a box in a closet for 7 years). I warped as I usually did (front to back) and my memories of the trouble and horror of tangling warp stayed with me and I'm going to warp back to front for my next project. I need to make a raddle.
Up next is a cotolin table runner and placemats in some rose path flavor.
I'm in the middle of a big weight loss, and I'd like to try making some cloth for garments in the future. And try double weave for a bed spread.
I live in the greater Sacramento, California area.
Pictures of the above-mentioned projects now in my project area! Yay!
Liz