Repeat the lesson

Repetition has been a foundation of my life and a cornerstone of my work for decades. Repeating an activity (physical or mental) allows me to get better at it, to work towards perfecting it, to revisit it from an new angle.

Thread by thread.

Repetition is part and parcel in the territory of weaving. One of my mottoes is "thread by thread"...by thread, by thread, by thread. You get the idea.... by repeating threads I create/build a better weaving.

I also love a daily practice which for me is the repetition of a morning routine. I try to get up at the same time every day. I feed to dog, let her out/in, make tea, then meditate and do some yoga for an hour. This morning pattern sets up a grounding for my day. With the repetition of some form of daily exercise I keep my body healthy. So through repetition, I gain strength, skill and insight.

My trusty tool, my right hand.

But with all good things, there is a dark side. Repetition does have draw backs. As some of you may have read in a past blog,  I had a disc problem in my back about 23 years ago from the repetitive motion of weaving.   Last week, after years of symptoms, I had surgery on my right hand for carpal tunnel syndrome, mostly likely caused by the repetitive motion of spinning, weaving, knitting, stitching, gardening. The good news is that I am healthy, will heal quickly and the surgery has a 90% success rate. So before long I'll be back to all my old repetitive habits, but with new insight and no pain or numbness!

An old sign found in the Macomber shop recently.

The title of this post is "Repeat the Lesson"...which is to say, that like many creatures, I need to revisit old lessons. Lessons from the loom, lessons from the yoga mat and lessons from Mother Nature.The lesson here is that here is that my hands are a valuable tool. They can work hard, but I need to be aware of the potential for over work, for wear and tear. And ....that they can heal, renew and be good for many more years of faithful service. Thank you hands.

Meanwhile, at the Macomber shop, Eddie has been building looms for well over 35 years. His hands are well worn, missing part of one digit and physical evidence of his repeated good work. I stopped by the shop today, got a big bear hug from him and news that all is well with his loom building hands!

 I hope that all you weavers out there take good care of yourselves. As someone who has been weaving for over 40 years, I can attest that this profession can take its toll on one's body. But I can also attest that with respect and care, one's physical body can be of good service to our passion for decades and decades.

Happy weaving my friends ~ Sarah

Name that part!

With the help of two generous weavers I finally have good images of  the loom with many parts labeled. Thanks to Sue Jensen and Morgan Clifford for assisting in this effort! These images are now part of my PDF Manual. And here they are for you too!
Enjoy ~ Sarah

CP from the front

CP side view

CP treadle detail

CP cloth beam brake system

B Model back view

B Model side view

Measuring up

What a LONG winter/spring it has been! I have had an extremely busy season with lots of fantastic opportunities to teach weaving to all ages and abilities. My oldest student this year was 102! Here is a photo of her weaving, notice the careful pattern and symmetry.  She carefully cut each piece of weft and wove it in place. Simply inspiring! I'll include a couple of other photos, just 'cause I am so proud of the hard work my weaving friends have done! I'll be posting more photos on my own website soon!

At the Macomber shop Eddie has been SUPER busy working on all your looms and parts orders. But he always seems to have time to answer your questions that have me stumped. Recently I had his help in unraveling the mystery of tie up hooks and all the various sizes.

Here are the 5 sizes of different tie up hooks with labels and on a ruled cutting pad. I hope this helps unravel the mystery. Basically the Regular size hooks only come in 2 sizes - CP and B model. The newer Super hooks have 3 sizes - CP, B4 and B5. It is important that you use the correct hook for your loom....it really does make a difference in your shed.

3 sizes/Super hooks, 2 sizes/regular hooks

20" 10 H CP with blocks on outer treadles

 I learned something new this month. A weaver contacted me with a question about the small blocks that were on her 20" CP. On the outer right and left treadles there are thes small blocks of wood.You can see them here. So the reason that the 10H 20" CP has thees blocks is that the treadles on the outer edges are too close to the loom frame to use easily. Eddie says they have no other function and so you can remove them if you like. Thanks Gay for this great question!

And finally I have some great images of looms with with parts labeled, so those of you who want to know the terms for your loom parts will have something to study! Thanks Sue Jensen and Morgan Clifford for all your help! I will create a whole separate post so that these images get the spotlight they deserve.

And lastly I want to remind you that YES.....the eye of the heddle is lower than the front/back beams. This design feature creates the amazing shed that Macomber Looms are known for.

Note how warp dips down in loom center.

"Good Grief" Mandala Morristown, NJ

Happy weaving to all of you ~ Sarah

Bigger Questions

Words of wisdom from a 9 year old.

March is certainly roaring in like a lion today...snow swirling around, 40 MPH winds, grey skies and a penetrating dampness has seeped into my bones. Let's hope that March stays true to character, mellows out and leaves like a lamb!

Three Mandalas woven at Harvard MA Elementary

Last month I was artist in residence in two New England schools. In one of them I worked with 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders to create three amazing Community Mandalas. In addition to the weaving, they made clothes pin people that represent different aspects of MA history (Shakers, early settlers, immigrants, explorers). These will be added at a later time to the completed Mandalas.They also wrote inspirational words on ribbons that will hang down from the Mandala like fringe. The three completed Mandalas will be presented to the Harvard, MA community on March 22nd at the school's "Festival of Cultures."

I offer these images and thoughts to you my fellow weavers because whenever I work with students, young or old, I learn more about myself and my relationship to the larger world. Weaving has always been my medicine, the practice that heals, affirms, balances and grounds my spirit, my heart and my body. The more I work with others, I understand that I am not unusual. Weaving is healing.

Here is a beautiful Navajo inspired poem that supports my feelings:

The loom, my child

is life itself.

The weaving-way holds beauty.

The loom, my child

is breath itself.

The weaving-way holds power.

Through weaving one can come to know

the meaning of life and breath.

Through weaving one can come to be

 strong and self sufficient.

Return to your loom.

Resume your work.

Spin your web of wool.

And as you weave

and as you work,

Life's truths will come to you.

 Navajo poem from Halo of the Sun, by Noel Bennett

Crated and ready to go.

I close with an image from the Macomber shop of a loom all crated up and ready to be shipped to its new home. To me this photo is full of potential and anticipation.

May each day hold for you a crate full of potential, the possibility of discovery and joy.

"Return to your loom.  Resume your work.

And as you weave may Life's truths come to you."

 Please note that I will be away from March 8 - 15th on a silent meditation retreat .  I will respond to email and phone messages upon my return. 

Namaste and happy, healing weaving ~ Sarah 

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

It's about time

Happy weaving hands

It's been far too long since my last post.....5 months to be exact. Not that I haven't thought about posting every week and I have multiple topics to share....but it has been a particularly busy fall for me. I've been working in schools from Connecticut to Maine.

Wise words from a young heart

So here it is November, and it is about time that I stopped procrastinating! I'll include some images from my work in schools not just because this is what keeps me from blogging, but this is what keeps me young and inspired.

This is also a season for gratitude.  As a sales person for Macomber Looms I pride myself in honest, speedy and personal attention to my customers. I do my best to answer your questions and trouble shoot your loom or weaving problems. I also enjoy distance teaching a few of you. So here is my hearty thanks for all your support and business over the past year.

Many of my past blog posts have been about maintenance tips or revealing how parts of the Macomber Loom work.  This post I'd like to share with you how to properly advance and wind your warp so as to avoid the "Bad Dog Syndrome".

"Seasons of Joy" Weston, MA Completed October 2012

This little discussed syndrome came to my attention this past year when a few weavers called in to replace a worn out dog on their warp beams. One of these replacements was for a relatively new loom (2 years old). I also saw this syndrome on looms up at Haystack when I was there to repair looms this spring.

Worn out and tired dog.

The symptoms of "Bad Dog Syndrome" are simple: a dog that is so worn down that it will not engage with the ratchet brake. This will make the ratchet brake slip and not hold your warp under high tension.Here's a photo of  "Bad Dog".

Here's how the most common way to get "Bad Dog Syndrome"

• Winding a warp with the ratchet brake engaged.

Here's the best way to prevent "Bad Dog Syndrome"

Foot on front brake release pedal while winding warp.

•  When winding on a new warp, stand at the side of the loom. 
•  Place your right hand on the crank handle which is on the ratchet brake on the warp beam. Hold the warp beam in place with a bit of pressure.
• Place your left foot on the front brake by slipping it between the beater and the castle.
• Disengage the brake at the font, while maintaining pressure on the crank to keep the warp from slipping backwards.
• Now wind the warp to the back beam.
• When you are ready to comb out your warp, re-engage the brake. 

Basically what you need to do is wind on the warp without letting the dog go click..click with the ratchet brake. Winding the warp with the dog engaged with the ratchet is what wears down the dog and creates "Bad Dog Syndrome".

 "Good dog" is disengaged while winding warp.

Although many of you might assume that having the dog engaged while winding the warp is a good safety measure, the health of your equipment says otherwise!

New woven art piece November 2012

I have plenty more topics to share, but time has run out...it's time to weave! Here is an image what I am working on now.

In closing here's a little thought from Wilferd Peterson:
 "When we become more fully aware that our success is due in large measure to the loyalty, helpfulness and encouragement we have received from others, our desire grows to pass on similar gifts. Gratitude spurs us on to prove ourselves worthy of what others have done for us. The spirit of gratitude is an energizer."

With gratitude and appreciation to each of you ~
Sarah

It's official! New price list!

The folks at Macomber Looms have just released a new price list with a 10% raise in loom prices as well as some loom parts. It's been 8 years since the last price hike, so I suspect no one will complain! I have embedded the price list here as well as put it on the side bar as a larger file.

Thanks to everyone for all you business, your kind words about my blog and most of all for your companionship in this weaving world!

Eddie and Linda Hart will be attending Convergence out in Long Beach this coming week. Macomber Looms will have a vendor booth after years of being absent. I suspect that many weavers will be quite happy to see these looms in person and to meet the famous Eddie! Please be sure to use my name if you order a loom and let me know!

As noted in my previous blog posting, I was away all last week teaching at a campground in Searsport ME. At the end of the week, I visited the accident site where my dear brother Weston was killed last August. The prayer flags that have been hanging just shy of a year are beautifully weathered by the sun, wind, rain and snow.

Happy weaving to each of you. May the warp and weft of your days reveal life's truths to you. Namaste ~ Sarah

Prayer flags