Since joining the Tuesday Weavers group at the Appalacian Arts and Crafts Center in Norris, TN, I have been given the wonderful opportunity to take home on loan a beautiful AVL loom.  This is the loom I have dreamed of getting ever since I first started learning how to weave and learned of the different kinds of looms there are for us to use.  So exciting!  We've had the loom in parts in our family room now for several weeks, but this past weekend, she got put together.

She came home in pieces loaded in our truck.

Once we got started, she really went up quickly.

Engineers on the job!

Once we got the harnesses (Oops, shafts!) on, my brother and Gary started trying to figure out the dobby mechanism.  They found some issues with it's functioning properly.  This may be the reason why the loom hasn't worked well for others in the past.

Next up, I'm going to get the shafts better organized.  Lots of the heddles had fallen off.  I need to decide how I want them to be arranged on each shaft. Gary's going to work on the dobby some more.  Hopefully, he'll be able to figure out what's not working correctly.  Then, I'll be weaving.

The loom has been calling to me.  I'm going to name her Ava.  Seems to fit.  I think she's happy to be here.

Having a problem with a new warp

I wound the prettiest 7 yard warp for my Louet table loom.  It has Tan, Grey, Burgundy and a variegated blue.  Together the colors just melted.  Beautiful. 

Now, the beautiful warp is on my Louet loom ready to start weaving.  But, now it's dull and rather dark. I had planned to use the tan thread as the weft on the first scarf.  It doesn't work.  There's no punch.  Shee! Frustrating!  So, I'm stash diving!  Trying several colors at a time trying to find the color that will make the first scarf shine!  I've just put a totally different thread on it now in a 3/1 twill.  The top's interesting, but the bottom isn't at all.  Hmm.  I'm going to go to bed and try again tomorrow.  Maybe I'll try a 2/2 twill instead using that new thread.  Some days, I feel so confident about my color combination selections.  Then, there are days like today when I have problems with basic colors!  Great way to start a new warp!