A Farewell to B

Linda works on B during my hiatus

I've been a member of the Tuesday Weavers since 2005, since that fateful day that I met Carol at the Foothills Craft Guild's Fall Show back in 2004, shortly after I moved to east Tennessee.  After my first project on a table loom, I was moved to one of the Big Girl Looms (sorry, Lanny! I know men weave, too!).  I became acquainted with B.

B's nifty tie-up system

  B is a Norwood loom.  He's lovely to look at, sturdy and strong.  We've been partners for almost seven years now, and if he could speak, I think he'd agree that we've had our ups and downs.  Ours has not been a perfect partnership.  I hate his braking system, and he simply doesn't care.  In fact, it's his braking system that gave him his name.  My favorite curse word is one that reflects badly on the parentage of the recipient of the word.  B is short for that word.  I didn't always mean it as affectionately as I do now.

B's current project

  But we've struggled through, making many beautiful projects, none of which I can now find photos of!  I know I took lots of them, but can only find our current  project, the lovely New Mexico Sunset warp.  I finished our last placemat yesterday, but only because Carol told me I had to!  I had already hemstitched the beginning, so she was right in making me finish it.  And it gave me time to say goodbye.  Yes, he'll be in the same room, but soon, he'll be someone else's loom, with someone else's project.  Someone else will learn the intricacies of advancing the warp on dear B:  loosen the front, stand on the brake release, hope it doesn't BANG and release too much so that she/he will have to get up, walk around the side and wind it back, hoping no threads caught on the sectional beam's spikes.  Ah, yes, dear B! I know you well!

  Next Tuesday, I will move to another loom with a B-word name, Big Bertha.  She is very big.  She has twelve shafts, 60 inches weaving width and a sliding bench.  I'm a little frightened!  But she's beautiful, and I'm sure we'll make many lovely things together.
  Our first project will be dinner napkins, in fine cotton thread, using a huck lace pattern from my new book, Weaver's Huck Lace.  It'll be my first 8-shaft project, and I'm excited to get started.  I picked out my thread before I left the Center yesterday, and I'll pick out my pattern this week.  Then, we'll order the thread for the Lee's Surrender I've committed to making.  I'm excited/scared about that one, but I'm sure it will be an adventure.
  So, farewell, dear B!  I won't be far away!  Big Bertha and I are ready to begin our partnership, but I will come around to visit you!
Until then, Happy Weaving, everyone!
Maggie