Meanderings of a Mermaid

Both sides of this completed rug are displayed here. And both sides can be used. It is about 6 feet long with a linen warp and wool weft. The linen is only visible at the ends where I tied fringe. We drove to the San Saba River where I took these pictures. Normally by now the land is greening up, but due to drought conditions all is still grey and beige, I think you can see where I got my inspiration for the colours of this winter rug. I am not sure yet where I will use this rug. Maybe it will travel to Canada. I made it on my Harrisville Rug Loom with the shaft switching device.

 This is the second small rug piece I wove on my new-to-me Harrisville rug loom. It measures 15 by 28 inches and uses a variety of materials. The warp was linen and the light grey weft is cotton. The four other colours are churro wool. I believe I will use this as a table topper, like an oversize hotpad or even on a coffeetable.  And here is the third piece completed. I had wanted to use this as a rug, but because I was trying to cram a lot of weaving in a short warp, I could not use normal binding off techniques. So I do not think the edges would have held up to heavy traffic. It graces my office wall right now. It is 26.25 X 33 inches. Both of these rugs utilize shaft switching techniques and equipment.

Since the end of September my loom acquisition hormone is in overdrive. On the last day of September I purchased a used Leclerc Colonial loom. I named the loom Cecile, after the previous owner. It is a counterbalance type. It resides at Home North.   In the three images above you are seeing different views of the same loom. Introducing "Bright", my Harrisville Rug Loom. I also purchased this used ( in November 2016)  and it is a vertical countermarche type. It can weave up to 45 inch width of cloth. This loom is ideally designed to produce rugs, being very heavy duty: heavy beater bar and the warp extender tensioning system. The bags hanging there are the remains of a warp that the seller kindly left on for me. So at least for this first project I will not have to fight with the trickier threading.   And so I currently own three large floor looms and they are one of each type:  jack, counterbalance and vertical countermarche. I am pleased to think that...