Saturday, March 27, 2010

Getting to Know All About You


Well, it took a week and some waiting and adjusting but weaving has commenced on the Glimakra Julia.

As with any new thing, there are some things you love, some things that you don't and somethings you just need to get use to.

The love column includes, size, getting good tight tension, easy to warp and treadle tie-ups, lack of noise and so far, shed and weaving. The getting used to column includes, shafts that don't lock in quite the way any of my other looms do, best place to tie the lease sticks on, adjusting the horses and shafts. Things in the don't like column are the lack of a cross bar/foot rest at the front of the loom. None of the benches I have left offer a cross bar either since the looms they go with have generous foot rest bars on the front of the loom. And being a light loom, she does walk. Heck I can make a loom four times her weight walk, and this is an easy fix.


I was wishing I had not sold the bench with the Murphy, but it too had no cross support in front for resting a foot, so no tears shed on that front.

In other weaving news, the blanket is just about done. I am at the second plaid part at the far end and hopefully will finish it up tomorrow. I was to involved into getting Julia weaving to leave for town yesterday. I have been pitifully slow on the pillowcase warp with a little less than half of the 736 ends wound and chained.

In knitting news, the Deadliest Crab has been started 3 times and finally seems to be moving along. I screwed up the count on the short rows the first time and twisted my stitches the second. Sheesh! He's a complicated little crab.

In farm news, Dennett did indeed make it out of surgery just fine. He lost one molar and had a thorough cleaning job. The vet was amazed at just how good his back teeth are. They did the liver biopsy and he has a very shaved tummy and two little stitches
at the actual biopsy site. He did not bounce back like the dog of old though. It took a good 48-72 hours before he was feeling himself and a lot of my time over the last couple of days was just spent keeping an eye on him, trying to anticipate what or where he might want to go. His tummy has been a bit upset and with both a long course of antibiotics and the anesthesia it's no surprise. The biopsy did not show cancer but beyond that I haven't had a chance to go completely over the results. It sounded like a hoppin' day at the vets yesterday and I have no qualms with waiting while true emergencies are handled. I'll give a ring today if I haven't received one. In the end, this fine old dog is at the end of his life, but today, he's eaten a grand breakfast which he was jumping up in the air to receive, snarled at Smoochie for being a pest and is having his after breakfast nap (complete with snoring) at my feet. I'll take it.

11 comments:

LA said...

Dennett is very lucky to have you as his family! I'm sending lots of hugs his way! The weaving on your Julia is beautiful. New looms take awhile to get used to!

Cindie said...

So glad Dennett is doing well after his dental work and biopsy. So scary when our pets need things like this done or get ill.

Long Ridge Farm said...

Oh Dennett...these are the itmes that try pet owners souls. But you are right, he is snoring and full bellied and with those he loves. That is all we can do and ask for.

You have been busy at Julia! I just love the look of her so that has to be in the plus column!

charlotte said...

I have the same problem with my loom - it walks. My husband screwed a hook in to the wall, I tied the loom with a cord to the hook, and this really helped! I like the fabric you weave on the Glimåkra, is it going to be towels?

Jennifer said...

I'm glad Dennett has you and you him! I'm sorry the crab is being crabby - but what can you expect from him??? Sounds like the loom is working out nicely and the dislikes can be fixed rather well...

Life Looms Large said...

Glad to hear the Dennett report. Our pups are so precious!

Have you ever blogged about how the treadles lock on any of your looms? Does that mean you can press them down and they stay down? If so, I'd love to see how that works. It would be super handy for adjusting the shed on my Toika. (Right now I just shove a stick between the treadles when I need to hold one down and check things out, but it's not exactly elegant.)

Great work on the blanket & the towels look great!

Sue

Sharon said...

Dennett is showing his tougher side - it's just plain hard when our animals ail. They're part of our family and there are repercussions. I wish him and you a speedy recovery. ps - that Julia loom looks hot.

Theresa said...

I've passed on all your well wishes to the Big D and we both thank you so much. Report back from the vet yesterday indicates we might even manage another year with the old boy, assuming his health holds as it is now.
The warp is actually a prayer flag warp, not towels. More blogging on that to come.
Sue, I don't have a way to lock treadles, just the holder that keeps the shafts even while threading,sleying and doing the tie-ups. None of my looms offers anyway to lock treadles.
Sharon, oh yes, Julia is a hottie! ;-) You do know you weave faster on a red loom...right?
Jennifer we're working on those fixes. They are easy.

Susan said...

Dennett is a fine elder in the household and I'm pleased to hear that he's over the worse effects of his biopsy and dental work.

Our Connor has had several dental procedures ( root canals, crowded teeth removed, cleanings and even fillings) He's had a scope done on his tummy and bowels (Diagnosis: ulcerative bowel disease. Treatment: cortesteriods and special diet and no deviation from the plan ...that means no human treats.) He's survived this condition 12 years and is about to become an elder of 13 in May.

They sure worm their way into your hearts and lives don't they?

Susan

Leigh said...

Whew, that's good news about Dennett.

Interesting analysis of your new Julia. It's funny, but it took me longer to learn my Glimakra than it did my Mighty Wolf. I like the Glimakra better, but I was slow to relearn some things. Your weaving on it looks great!

kitkatknit said...

Hugs to you and Dennett. I've always wondered if I'd like a Julia. How large of a shed do you get?