Monday, June 25, 2012

I've Grown Accustomed to Your Shed

 LOL, that title could have a few different meanings, but no, I'm not talking about the bi-annual release of canine, equine and feline fur. I'm actually referring to the shed on my looms. I am so spoiled by the Louet sheds but really it was the old Murphy loom I sold
that started me on my assumption that all sheds should be generous. And that assumption brings me to the present day. While on vacation in MA I decided to sell the Glimakra Julia.

While there are many many things to love about her, I didn't love her. Simple as that. It's not a Glimakra thing, and it certainly wasn't that she was a bad loom, she was just little and there is no way a loom with such a short span from back beam to breast beam is going to have a shed like a larger loom.



  Right here is where either (or both) my DH ( who did BTW) or my Dad would remind me I wanted a smaller loom, but she was never going to live up to Murphy. I never should have sold him. My first loom and I loved him. The Julia ads hit a few markets and that was that. Two weeks ago she sold, the morning after she sold I was on the local Craigslist, doing my usual daily searches ( and yes, looms are one of them), and low and behold, there, right flipping THERE was my old Murphy loom. He had never been used and the buyer had decided to sell him. Well, I'm just not one to mess with the universe. When she puts a wish like that right in your face you take advantage of it and I did. While I was meeting a lovely weaver from Washington state in Ashland proper with Julia, Gene was in Rogue River with the truck picking up the Murphy loom again. Welcome home Murphy! I promise I won't be so foolish a second time.



The Stella and Robin quilt has been completed.



 It's on the bed and has been pressed into service already for afternoon reading and catnapping. I took a morning and finished up the binding by hand.



 It washed up beautifully and while I was not use to working with such a lofty batting I like how it turned out after a wash and dry.

A pair of eggplant Flax copy pants was completed too, in my one of my favorite pant weight fabrics, Brussels washer (linen and rayon).



While waiting to meet up yesterday I had a little cutting session with some lovely linen and cotton denim. Pants and a light weight jacket are in the works. The pattern for the jacket is almost a dead ringer for an Eileen Fisher one being shown this season here. For comparison the Simplicity pattern I'm using is here. No hood but I don't like hoods, so I'm good with that.

In other news, the Paragliding Nationals kind of fizzled with the heavy rains and cold weather we got at the end of the week. I'm told there were some epic flights though in the days before our unseasonable precipitation arrived. Bob the tractor has a slow leak in one of the big rear tires and will be taken out for service sometime this week for repairs.
Robin's toe is healing up nicely. So there is your toe and tire report and a few other things thrown in for good measure.

Parting shot: Cooper

10 comments:

LA said...

Isn't it nice to have an old friend home again! Congratulations on having Murphy back! The R&S quilt is truly lovely!

Valerie said...

Wow...talk about synchronicity! Glad that your Murphy has found his way home.

Love the quilt!

Cindie said...

It was obviously meant to be that you part with Julia since Murphy was waiting for you! Whoo Hoo!

Long Ridge Farm said...

sweet reunion...for sure it was supposed to be. And the quilt is lovely! Cooper has the shy face on!

Theresa said...

LA, it IS fine to have old Murphy home. He's already got a warp being threaded on. Thank you on the S&R quilt. You know that red fabric just grabbed my heart right from the get go.

Valerie, It was synchronicity and he has been welcomed back into the shed. ;)

Cindie, After all that thinking about other looms and such, I feel this is a fitting end in finding the holy grail of looms. I already own them.

Nancy, Thank you on the quilt. It's not terribly fancy at all, just a happy using kind of quilt but I do love it. Cooper almost always has his shy face on. He's a low key steady kind of guy who doesn't much car for the camera.

mrsmole said...

What an amazing story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Prodigal loom....looking forward to seeing your new jacket!!!!
Lovely calm looking horse on a sunny day just makes me smile.

Leigh said...

What a great loom story! Congratulations. I can see how the short available warp would be a problem. The quilt is stunning BTW.

Judy said...

I like your new photo for your blog-he has such an earnest, dear face. Congrats on getting your Murphy loom back. How well do I know that feeling of realizing that I shouldn't have sold a loom?? Enjoy having him back in your studio. Great quilt to snuggle under with a good book.

denise/deBRAT said...

I'm so happy for you and Murphy!
denise/deBrat currently of northern FL for a few days

Sharon said...

I have a friend who has a Murphy's loom and I'm jealous of you both. However, I'm learning to live with the looms I have and that's a huge learning curve for me.