My new best friend!

When I posted last week, I had no idea that I would be getting reacquainted with a product I had used very little in the past.  Linda had told me about  the Howards Feed-N-Wax before and had even given me some to try on my Great wheel.  I really liked using it and I thought it really did a great job cleaning that old wheel.

As I was saying, I had no idea I would be using it so much this week.  Craigslist can be a so enabling, I could also blame Linda, who sent me the original link.  Anyway, if the truth be known, it really is the old   fiber sickness many of us suffer from.

Here are the Inkle looms that were listed on Craigslist.  My first thought when I saw the add was, "Do we really need more Inkle looms?"  You see we have at least 12 at the center!  Then however I began to think about how nice it would be to use the looms in our upcoming Weaving Weekend, and then I though, you know I don't own an Inkle.  There it was, I was a goner.  (There were actually 3 of them, I sold the third one to Lou Ann.)

While I was on Craigslist, I thought  I would check out the looms, and what do you know, there was a Leclerc Artistat on there.  Now, I  had just bought that spinning wheel, so I was hesitant to continue, but we were able to come to an agreement, that worked for both of us.

Lou Ann consented  to help me get the loom home.  It was raining so hard as we came back we decided to make a stop by the hospital to see Linda before we delivered it to my place.  We thought she might get a kick out of the thought of that loom in my car in the parking garage!  We also, had lunch together with Lou Anns daughter.

It took some strength and a few pauses to get the loom upstairs in the studio.  I had her cleaned up in no time (I really do like the Feed-n-Wax) and here she is, below, getting dressed, with a warp for overshot pillows.  There are a few parts I will be ordering today to make the treadle assembly complete, but besides that she is in good shape and I look forward to many years of working with her.

 I found out that the previous owner bought her from an instructor at the John C. Campbell folk school,  I wish I could find out who that was!  It was more than 20 years ago though, and even though I have the serial number, Leclerc doesn't keep track of ownership for this loom,   they just tells me that she was made in April of 1973.  So she is a 37 year old loom, coming out of retirement and getting a new lease on life.

It has been a busy week for me, new looms are always so encouraging, they hold the promise of many hours of enjoyment.  Now that I have 5 floor looms, (one is on loan from the center) I should have enough to keep all the projects in my head in production, instead of having to wait until a loom empties, to try out something.

Now I really don't need anymore LOOMS, really I don't!  Do you hear me Linda?!!

Happy Weaving, Tina