At the end of the day yesterday, I had a post already in my mind and was looking forward to posting.  This morning, I've been trying to figure out what that was.  Now that I remember, it is pretty exciting!

I did get to spinning!  

I really do wish that I could card it again, but it wouldn't help a lot on the old carder.  It needs the new machine to really change anything. Had it not been for the virus, the new machine would be in my hot little hands by now.  Still, spinning is going well and that is enough for me. 

And then, the other big thing!  I am so excited about this big thing.

I finished weaving the first dishcloths.  I started this in July two full years ago, so it was time!  I learned tons and sorted out how to think about weaving with respect to yarn consumption and 'gauge' and a whole lot else along the way.  Even hemming the ends was a learning experience!  I thought I had measured so carefully but it wasn't till I had them off and laying side by side, I could see how different the sizes were.  I was not keeping count and it shows.  I will do better next time to get at a square.

And there are some things I am going to do.

Number one:  I think the loom is going to come into my room. My original plan was to have the loom in the living room in my bay window.  That sucked the life out of the living room though so I put it into the spare room with the intention of being able to tuck it behind closed doors when guests came.  The loom folds so easily, even with a warp on it, but the stand does not fold at all.  I neeeded a stand in the living room but  in the spare room, the Compact Loom, which folds and could have tucked into the closet would have been a better loom choice.  Oh well.  

 I get way more company now than I ever did before and I am always working around loom stuff, tucking it under cover, and tidying my tools.  I really would like to keep all the tools at hand.  I need to be able to access the back of the loom easily and sitting where it is in the spare room, it becomes a hassle.  Having it in my room should help address all these things.  And that one final thing.  The loom is also much to easy to avoid in the spare room.  If I walk past it a hundred times a day maybe I will use it more?  We shall see.

I am taking this warp off the loom and will tie it up for when I need more dishcloths.  I learned so much with these, and would like to try something else.  My goal with this warp was towels but the warping problems and fear of the thing were keeping me from playing with some of the other things I wanted to do.  I have some lovely silver grey and a crisp navy Zephyr that I would love to try on the loom and I would love to see what it feels like to weave a nice wool.  I have tons of fine cotton for towel weaving and I just would really love to do them. Plus, part of my reason for wanting a loom was to play, play with colour, play with texture, to play with fabrics, to play a little with history.  

Taking the warp off the loom will also give me a chance to sort out a small issue on the shafts.  Between shaft 2 and three there is something that catches and causes one to pull up when it ought to be down.  I know what it is, and it isn't a difficult repair, but it does mean that the loom has to come off the stand and be laid on it's back to get at it.  It is doable alone, but not with a warp on it.  

And now it is time for me to stop.  There is more I could say, but I have some small people from my family cohort coming for a sleepover.  Because 'you know it is summer holidays, grandma'.  I have been tidying the corner where all my knitting stuff sits while I was waiting for my hand to feel better.  That job needs to be done before they arrive.