I'll be the first here to tell my story. I'm almost 58 yrs. old, live in the midwest, wife / mother / grandmother.
I am a knitter and enjoy using natural fibers only. I can crochet but don't enjoy it much. I've been sewing since I was in 5th grade. I'm also an organic gardner, raise chickens, play the Autoharp / Mtn. Dulcimer.
I am recently new to weaving, though I've had a love to do such since I was a little girl. I had a child size loom when in grade school that looked very much like a floor loom. I had it until after I was married. During this past year I've been learning to weave on a large table top J-Made loom at a Museum in town. Weaving classes became a thing of the past at the local community building. Looms were dispersed but some made it across the street to the museum. The elderly lady that has been teaching me was the former teacher at the center. She teaches / travels all over the state and to a few other states. She takes parts in many Guilds / shows / demonstration. She's a walking encyclopedia of weaving / fiber arts.
In grade school I use to watch for hours an elderly lady well into her 90's weave rag rugs from sun up to sun down every day Spring thru Fall across the ally. Winters didn't lend themselves to weaving in the unheated shed in northern Minnesota where I grew up. I believe that my dad saw my interest via watching this lady and that is how ended up with the child size loom for either a birthday or Christmas gift, forget which since they were both with in a couple weeks of each other.
I've spent hours on the internet for many many months searching for a rug loom, also a floor loom for fine weaving. Recently I went to see a rug loom listed on Craig's list. It's a 1940's Union #36 and was in very good solid condition. Some rust on heddles / heddle metal frame parts and the reed due to being stored in basement covered over, which should all clean up easily. It's a very heavy loom, 170 lbs.. Nothing is broken on it, has the original books, lots of shuttles and original wood stretcher ( Temple ). All the parts run smoothly. Put money down and heading back in a couple of weeks to pick it up. The gal selling it is the second owner. She had to give up weaving by doctors orders, due to an injury that left her with 6 vertebrae fused together.
I am so looking forward to getting her home ( think I'll need to give my loom a name LOL! Guys name their cars so why not name our looms!! ).
I'm on the look out for another loom for fine weaving, preferably 8 harness. I do have an 8 harness Schacht Baby Wolf here at home that was lent to me and the gal has never used it. Possibly may buy it from her.
SO HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN WEAVING RUGS?
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