Happy New Year!

Trying to make friends with a snake, India 2008.

Happy 2013 ~ The year of the snake! I'll admit it, I am not a big fan of snakes. But when I traveled to India in 2008, there is the ever-present tourist opportunity to get your photo taken with a boa. Do I look slightly awkward? I cannot recall my exact thoughts, but I do recall trying to be "relaxed". 2013 is the Chinese year of the snake, and I will do my best to bravely step in to this new year, to face  obstacles with a smile and strive for a balanced attitude in the face of the often slippery, non-linear direction of the snake.

a page from my journal

I begin this New Year with working off-loom finishing a piece that has been in the works for months. I started with a drawing back in June, was able to weave this image in November and removed it from the loom about two weeks ago.

Weaving towards the end of the warp

Now I am working on tying the knots for the lower fringe, sewing in all the ends on the back.The finished piece is 48" wide by about 36" tall. It is woven with indigo dyed lined, rayon and metallic threads. I'll post images when it is all sewn and ready to hang.

Work in progress. Note lap top for my air dobby.

Correct position for the cloth beam ratchet brake.

Over the past couple of months I have had several requests for images and info for the CP front brake system. The dog, the wire spring and the ratchet are parts that often do not hold up over the long (up to 40 years!) life of the CP loom.

Notice in this photo that the wire spring is holding the dog in place on the ratchet. I hope this helps!

Gently squeeze top of super hook

Another question I often get is about the tie-up hooks: how to make them stay on the lamms, especially the old style lamms. Over time the top crook on the super hooks will get opened. I suggest that you give this top crook a gentle squeeze with a pair of pliers. This will make the hook grab the lamm more tightly.

Tap the super hook up to release it from the lamm.

Then when you need to remove the super hook to change the tie up, you might need to use a gentle tap with a small hammer to release it. This method should help with any pesky loose tie-up hooks, either on old style or newer lamms.

Anti-backlash cord with overly stretched spring!

CP cloth advance handle, upper one is very bent, lower one is perfect.

Lastly, often when I am over at the shop, Eddie shows me parts that he is repairing or replacing for customers. He gets a big kick out of some of these well loved parts. Here are two from this fall.

So here is a hearty wish to all of you for a peaceful, healthy 2013. Thank you for your kind words, your orders for parts and looms. Please be sure to visit my other blog ~ Gowdey Reed and my website.

May the snake inspire you to travel in creative directions, not always following a straight path.

Namaste, Sarah

Little jobs

Fall has definitely settled here in coastal Maine. What red maple leaves are left, cling to branches and we had our first frost yesterday. My studio work has been busy with the typical activities of a self employed teaching/artist/weaver.

I have been so busy that my website and blogs are crying for updates! The long-promised PDF Macomber Manual is still in the works...so hang on to your patience...it will be available soon! My public art project "Caught Between Us " that hung on the Portsmouth (NH) Public Parking Garage, came down last week. So summer must be officially over!

There are many little tricks and gizmos on the Macomber Loom. Here are two that you might now know about.

• The Anti-Backlash Cord ~ this is a piece of short cord, attached to a spring. This device is used on a warp beam with a ratchet brake and prevents the beam from a rapid release of warp.  This cord/spring winds around your back beam with on the opposite end from the ratchet brake. The cord/spring creates a small amount of drag on the beam so that it will not lurch forward and release too much warp. It comes standard with all B Model Ad-a-harness looms. If you need one, they cost $20 for the chain, hook, rope and spring. 

I LOVE this little gizmo. It saves endless amounts of frustration with the warp unrolling too quickly. If you have one, be sure that it is wound around the beam in the opposite direction that your warp winds on. Often weavers let this rope device slip down in the space between the beam and the loom upright. It won't work unless you have it properly wrapped with enough tension to hold the beam for jumping forward when you release the tension.

Instruction from the shop for installation

• Heddle Bar Clips ~ On the B Model Ad-a-harness floor looms, the harnesses have heddle bars for the heddles to slide from right to left. In the middle (top and bottom) and to the right and left side of the harness are a set of steel wire clips that hold the heddle bars in place. These clips can be un-done to slide the heddles right and left as needed for threading. Granted, this is a REAL knuckle-buster of a job. As a weaver, you know that is is important to give your warp a straight journey from the back of the loom to the front. So it is imperative that you slide the heddles right or left to allow your warps to travel in a straight line from the warp beam through the harnesses to the cloth beam. 
 

In order to slide the heddles right or left, you must unclip this gizmo. It is a hard task, agreed! My best method involves squeezing the heddle bar and using the harness top (or bottom) as a lever. 

Occasionally these things break. If you need a replacement, give me a call. Your heddle bars do need this supporting clip to work properly. 

I hope this helps you keep your warp on a straight course back to front! 

 Remember if you are nearby, please check out my one person exhibit at Maine Fiberarts in Topsham Maine (near Brunswick). Saturday November 6th at 2:30 I will be giving an artist talk. I'd be pleased to meet you if you can come! Plus I am in a  Surface Design members exhibit at the University of Southern Maine in Lewiston, "Altering Matters". Check it out!

Well that's it for today. Keep your emails and order coming! Thanks for all you support!