Just got back home from purchasing a loom. My children say that I have "enough" looms, and they are quite likely right. But I have a dream... (more on that some other time, perhaps)
My first loom was my husband's grandmother's loom. When The Farmer and I married, I found out about Grandma's weaving, and asked her to teach me to weave. She answered that she didn't weave anymore and couldn't teach me. She had terrible rheumatoid arthritis, and her hands were all bent up and crippled. Years later, when she and Grandpa moved to a nursing home, she remembered that there had been one of the grandchildren who was interested in weaving. (See how wonderfully I was assimilated into the family? I was one of the grandchildren, NOT just "M's wife.") The Sears and Roebuck 6-harness loom came home to live with me.
After checking out books from the library, doing research on the internet and some trial and error, I was ready for someone to show me. I was doing okay on my own, but there's nothing like watching someone weave and being able to ask them questions in person. So I called Mrs. T. from our church. She invited me over, and spent a good hour or more with me.
Between then and now I have accumulated a few more looms--a Cromaine Crafts loom from Hartland, MI (do some history sleuthing and find out about the weaving mecca near Detroit in the 1930s), a Union loom (in the picture below), 3/4 of a huge old barn loom that The Farmer is restoring, and, tonight, Mrs. T's Union loom.
Mrs. T's granddaughter had wanted her grandmother's loom. But in the 8 or 9 years that it's been hers, she's come to realize that weaving was her grandmother's "thing". And while she loved her grandma deeply and cherished the memories of helping her grandma weave, it was time to let the loom go. So she called me. And tonight Mrs. T's loom found a new home.
My first loom was my husband's grandmother's loom. When The Farmer and I married, I found out about Grandma's weaving, and asked her to teach me to weave. She answered that she didn't weave anymore and couldn't teach me. She had terrible rheumatoid arthritis, and her hands were all bent up and crippled. Years later, when she and Grandpa moved to a nursing home, she remembered that there had been one of the grandchildren who was interested in weaving. (See how wonderfully I was assimilated into the family? I was one of the grandchildren, NOT just "M's wife.") The Sears and Roebuck 6-harness loom came home to live with me.
After checking out books from the library, doing research on the internet and some trial and error, I was ready for someone to show me. I was doing okay on my own, but there's nothing like watching someone weave and being able to ask them questions in person. So I called Mrs. T. from our church. She invited me over, and spent a good hour or more with me.
Between then and now I have accumulated a few more looms--a Cromaine Crafts loom from Hartland, MI (do some history sleuthing and find out about the weaving mecca near Detroit in the 1930s), a Union loom (in the picture below), 3/4 of a huge old barn loom that The Farmer is restoring, and, tonight, Mrs. T's Union loom.
Mrs. T's granddaughter had wanted her grandmother's loom. But in the 8 or 9 years that it's been hers, she's come to realize that weaving was her grandmother's "thing". And while she loved her grandma deeply and cherished the memories of helping her grandma weave, it was time to let the loom go. So she called me. And tonight Mrs. T's loom found a new home.
Just saw your post and had to comment - I live in the Cromaine Crafts building. Sadly, it is in dire need of major renovation, most of which we cannot afford to do yet. But, we bought it because we wanted to preserve the rich history of the building, dating back to its days as a stagecoach stop in the 1800's.
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