Like a Hole in my Head

So, for those of you who I didn't already blab to, my newest toy is an Ashford 16" Rigid Heddle loom. I always said I had no interest in weaving, but in the last 4-5 months I've had a little nagging voice in my head telling me I should try. Then I made the fatal mistake of doing a Ravelry Project search for things tagged with "weaving". I warn you - do not click that link if you don't want to see some seriously gorgeous pieces that will make you end up with a loom in your house - I speak from experience. I did a bit of research, mostly on some Ravelry weaving groups, and found an awesome price on the 16" Ashford. In a fit of fiscal responsibility, I did make myself wait until I could fund the entire purchase by destashing yarn (I still have some listed, though with the loom's arrival, I've already swiped some back for myself, and will probably continue to do so).

As luck would have it, my inter-library loan request of 3 weaving books was fulfilled yesterday morning, hours before the loom's arrival. I read up (the best for this wee baby weaver so far as been "Hands on Rigid Heddle Weaving" by Betty Davenport) a bit before it came.

It was super easy to assemble, and I managed to warp it (direct method) in about one hour once the kiddos were in bed. My primary mistake was setting it up on a toddler sized table for warping, which meant I was bent at the waist, intently warping and winding for one full hour. Not until I attempted to stand upright again and my back muscles wouldn't do it did I realize my error. So, I had to wait a bit and walk around and stretch before I could get to the weaving.



I'll tell you more about the project and my overall experience when I'm done, but so far I'm loving it and my brain is already plotting and planning my next project.