Loom up!

After a year of trying to figure out options that will keep me with two working looms for my shop, I finally decided on an Oxaback Lilla.  I knew I needed something versatile, but I wanted a small footprint so it could go along with us when we RV or settle in a skoolie as the kids get older.  Ultimately the option of a drawloom upgrade later sold me, although the aesthetics didn't hurt!  I was able to stop at the Woolgatherers in Fond du Lac on my way home from Rhinebeck this year, and got to weave on one of the Lillas set up in the store.  They're so traditionally beautiful!

Of course a snowstorm hit right after we got back, and we've had snow basically every day since.  After almost 2 weeks of this nonsense, I emailed them back and asked them to ship the loom.  It arrived Wednesday, and the next 24 hours were utter torture as we let the wood warm up, to prevent any odd expansion or contraction after assembly.

At any rate, Thursday brought us this!

The directions were unfortunately pretty difficult to understand, there are two pages of swedish instructions with a diagram, a page that is meant to be a translation, but only summarizes and refers back to the swedish.  It reminds me a bit of early English Lit classes, having to translate Beowulf and interpret at the same time, different bit of work for my weaving brain.  The slideshow is pictures after a bit is done, rather than how to do each step, but ultimately helped more than either set of written directions.  And we ended the day with the frame together, leaving me to do the pulleys and tie ups. This part is unfortunately more of a struggle, without clear instructions.  But I have a draft chosen, for the first piece, so I can set it up and configure it for my first weave in one step!