Time for some weaving...soon

I have thought about doing some weaving for a long time.  Back in the day when I was 5 or 6 my aunt had a giant floor loom that she used to make the most godawful "artistic" wall hangings and table runners.  As an indicator of her style she used to weave her dogs' hair into many of her creations (Old English Sheepdogs).  I can't really fault her too much, though - - it was the 70s, after all, and everyone was into self-expression in those days.

I have always loved fiber arts.  My mother, the Matriarch, used to knit the most beautiful and intricate things - toys, sweaters, coats, mittens, scarves - - you name it, she's knit it.  I am lucky enough to still have a couple of her handmade sweaters and I can see and feel the love she knit into each stitch. 

Loopy Bear made by the Matriarch, 1979

From the Matriarch I picked up my love of knitting.  I never had her skill or her patience, and I am proud/ashamed to say that I never once knit a tension swatch before starting a project.  Yes, yes, I know.  I kind of like the excitement of the mystery of whether or not the garment would fit the person for whom it was intended when the project was done.  I don't know if I was living a virtuous life or not (hint: not), but I never had a problem with my garments fitting. 

Entrelac shawl made by Magniloquent, 2009

Sadly, though, along the way I managed to give myself knitting-related carpal tunnel in my left hand.  It's not usually a problem because I have switched many tasks to my right hand, but when I knit for any length of time I lose the feeling in my left hand.  That's probably not good, and knitting isn't on my dance card for the foreseeable future.

I still love crafts, though, and fiber crafts in particular.  If I can't knit, I still want to do something related - - plus, I have all this leftover wool from my knitting days. 

So I took another look at weaving as an option - - less direct stress on the hands because weaving doesn't require the same fine motor control in my left hand as does knitting. Weaving is also ideally suited for using up leftover wool stashes.

I've taken a look at a bunch of different table looms and finally settled on the Kromski Harp loom in the 32" size.

Kromski Harp table loom

The pros of the Kromski Harp are its cost (relative to other looms), its integrated warping board and ease of use for the beginner to advanced weaver.  The loom can also be folded with the project on it for transport, and the loom can be used either with or without a floor stand.  The base model comes with a single rigid heddle, but the loom can be readily adjusted to take a second heddle to permit more complex patterns.

I am very excited to see the loom and its various bits and pieces, and I will post more once I receive it.  There will need to be an unboxing / assembly video/photo set, of course.

I can't wait to play!