wheels...

here's a little eye candy for spinning wheel fans...

 this is the weaver's cabin herd of 'working wheels'.   all of these are in working condition and are used by volunteers for demonstration, as well as for teaching.   left to right: a lendrum, a louet, the big one in the middle is a 'pinch nose tilt tension' antique paradis canadian production wheel,  and the dark wheel is a knockoff of an older ashford traditional (not sure who built it or when).

these two beauties are VERY antique saxonies, probably made in pennsylvania.  i'm not sure of the makers or the dates of birth, but one is a family heirloom of a cabin volunteer.    unfortunately both are missing pieces and are not in usable condition.    our 'wheel whisperer' has been seen taking measurements,  so maybe they'll get some replacement parts in the future.  :-)

onward :-)

now that the larger of the details of cabin operations have been worked out,  it feels like we're getting back to the basics of why we are there...our real mission.     without the stress of having to make sure we have enough product and enough variety of product, we can get back to the business of just demonstrating (and enjoying) weaving.   we can focus on working on projects we love rather than worrying about whether it appeals to customers.          :-)

so here is a little of what's going on at the cabin right now:

warp for a set of tea towels in a huck lace pattern.   the color as seen on the warping reel is more accurate.

 warp for a rug, ready for a new volunteer to start weaving.  :-)

 another huck lace project being threaded.     sounds like huck lace is the weave structure of the moment :-)

New Year

the new year will be bringing some changes to the weaver's cabin.   we will still be demonstrating weaving, spinning and a variety of other fiber arts,  and we will still be offering  classes and lessons, but we will no longer be selling items at the cabin.    we will be designing some exclusive items to be sold from the museum gift shop, so keep a look out.  :-)

there will be a vendor booth at the cabin during harmony events where you can buy items made by the cabin volunteers,  so if you are a fan of the awesome items we make,  don't panic.  you'll just have to wait for one of the many local events here in town.  

barn loom

for the last several decades there has been a barn loom (c. 1850) in the Ziegler cabin on main street in harmony.    this cabin is generally only open during special events, and while there was a warp on the loom (with one finished rag rug wound onto the cloth beam and a second in process), no weaving had been done in 20 years or more.

several museum volunteers are in the process of renovating the 'decor' in the cabin, with the goal of making it more 'period correct' to the timeline of this particular dwelling.   they have decided that the loom doesn't fit into their vision.      there has been discussion regarding where this loom should go, and the hope was that it could be moved to the weaver's cabin.     unfortunatly there is no room on the first floor,  and we feared that the floor of the second floor might not be able to support the weight of this heavy loom.     it was finally decided to clean out the basement (which has been used for storage) and put the loom there.  

yesterday several of us embarked upon disassembly of this old beauty, and moved parts of it to the cabin.   the larger, more cumbersome parts will be moved by other volunteers.

looms of this type are called 'barn looms' because they are built using similar construction techniques to what would have been used to build barns during this time period.    often built by husbands, brothers or sweethearts of the intended weaver, the mortise and tenon joints are secured with removable pegs and wedges, allowing the loom to be easily disassembled for storage when not in use.  since space would have been at a premium in those days,   and household weaving was often done in a spurt rather than throughout the year, it was good to be able to take the loom apart and store the pieces flat when not in use.

i took a few pictures, pre-disassembly, for reference. in this one you can see the simple counterbalance mechanism.   this loom has 2 shafts and 2 treadles,  allowing for weaving of tabby (plain weave) cloth.   it would be relatively simple to add more shafts and more treadles if we want to do more complicated weaving.     the rope draped across the upper side controls the simple brake mechanism.

here we can see the warp beam with 20+ year old rug warp still in place.

close up of the brake mechanism on the warp beam (back of the loom.
also visibile is the hanging beater, complete with antique wooden reed.

slightly better view of the brake release.

view from the back, after removal of the warp, and hanging beater.

the plan is to clean her up, get her into good working order,  and weave on her.    when in use, the basement will be open to the public (when volunteers are availble).

my plan is to photograph the restoration process and post progress here.

fiber people are notorious enablers.   it's a well known fact.
last winter,  several of us, at the cabin,  got each other excited about wool combing.   soon,  combs were purchased and techniques were learned and much oooohing and ahhhhing was occurring.    and soon after that,  mountains of combing waste started to pile up.

now,  combing 'waste' is a bit of a misleading term.     combing aligns the longer fibers from the fleece,  and removes the shorter fibers and noils.   the long fibers are a dream to spin into what is known as a 'worsted yarn'.    worsted yarn has a very smooth hand and when knitted shows stitch definition very well.   it is also excellent for weaving a smooth fabric which shows pattern definition well.      but the waste,  the shorter fibers and noils,  are able to be spun into a lofty and textured (at least more textured than worsted yarn) yarn known as 'woolen yarn'.   because of its loft,  it's excellent for knitting or weaving where you want to trap lots of air, making for a warmer garment.

so, we took a small mountain of accumulated combing waste out to Stramba Farms Fiber Mill where we picked it, carded it and made it into roving.

this batch was a blend of two diffeernt black finn fleeces from Lisel's flock of rare breed black finnsheep,  and a little white from a local border leicester.   the variation of  color is gorgeous--from a distance it's a medium gray, but close up there is streaking and swirling of the different grays and white.

we have around a pound of this batch.   it's been listed on etsy (see link in the sidebar),  and we'll have some at the cabin in the next week or so.

students!

I had a spinning student a week and a half ago, or so, here at the cabin.  i am a bit tardy,  but i wanted to share photos so she can snag them for herself,  and just because.  :-)

she'd had a lesson a while back,  and wanted to brush up on her skills.   her drafting was beautiful.  not much to brush up there.

the yarn is even and consistent.  she's doing a great job.  :-)

keeping that pesky treadle going....the bane of most every new spinner....





whether you are a beginning spinner or more experience but wanting to learn new spinning skills and techniques,  we have volunteers who would be happy to work with you.   we have several different types of wheels available for learning, or bring your own,  and drop spindles are an option too.    we have a variety of spinning fiber available for purchase,  or you can bring your own.  :-)

to contact us,  leave a comment here,  or email us at weaversofharmony @ gmail.com (without the spaces).

more overshot :-)

gorgeous white on white with a little sparkle.....

red and green for the holidays,  also with a little sparkle...

another finished table runner/dresser scarf.   :-)