Now that the Great Sock Mountain is Conquered.. Maybe I should learn to weave!

Weaving! What a lovely ancient thing to do! Weaving! Tapestrys! Cloth! Rugs!!!!! What could you not accomplish with a loom, a bit of yarn, and some time? Everyone should weave. Especially ones who own an insane amount of yarn, and a spinning wheel. And a loom.



Oh yes, I own a loom. Sitting there, in all her glory, taking up as much space as a loveseat, she proudly provides a place to..

Hang laundry. Or yarn. Sometimes roving.



Originally she was made for many other things. She is a 4 harness (read complex, with lots of moving parts), Cromaine Crafts loom. She is old, solid and beautiful. Before living here, she belonged to a Textile masters student. Her life changed, Loomy went on Craigslist, and through a bit of fate ended up here.

I cleaned her up more, and here she sits. Waiting patiently to be a productive member of society again. 200 years ago, this beautiful loom, or one very like her, would have been a huge part of her life. She would have woven broadcloth, linen, she would have clothed the family, and been the difference between life and death. We take all of this for granted today. Our ability to quickly run to the mall, Walmart, or Target has taken away the reality that for thousands of years, spinning, weaving, and knitting were a daily task that everyone shared in.

I wonder if the weavers and spinners 1000 years ago found it a challenge or a chore? Did they love it, or hate it? Maybe a little bit of both.

All I know, is when I look at Loomy, I picture the hands who made the garments to clothe the family. I can hear the thunk of the working loom and see the cloth appear like magic. Someday she'll weave again. For art's sake, not out of necessity. Until then, despite the floor space she takes up, she has a cherished place here, in her retirement home, even if sometimes she's covered by roving.