what was I thinking?

I'm happy weaving away on my Megado. I put on about 6m long warp of cottoline so that I can get to know the loom by weaving towels.
I want them all to be different so I choose a different pattern and weft yarn for each one.
So far I have woven 4 towels but with the start of number 4 it went wrong. I did not like what I was doing and after 15cm I unpicked all and started again. But I run out of weft yarn (I used the yarn that I cut away from the warp because it was the wrong colour in the warp but ok as weft), so it is smaller than the others. Width of the warp is 50cm and I make them about 70cm long.
For the 5th one I went back to a pattern I have woven already, but I liked it. This time with other weft yarn.
I thought I could use an old black yarn that I used for a warp several years ago, but had to abandon as it was breaking very badly. I thought it would be ok as weft. What a mistake. It was just integrating and for a towel you don't want yarn that is fluffing all the time.... it was so bad it even effected my breathing.

So, I unpicked about 38cm that I had woven already and tomorrow I will start with a different weft and this black will be thrown away, as it should have been done in the first place after I used it unsuccessfully as warp.

I love my loom though

megado

Oh, such a happy bunny with my new loom!
Last Wednesday we sett it up and on Thursday I added the sectional warping to it and sorted out yarn for my first warp on the loom. I've gone for cottolin as I have a bit of a stash and it would be a good warp to continue with the All Tied Up workshop AND get to know my loom.
So I put on a 6m warp with grey and blue cottolin stripes and made it 50cm wide.

This photo was taken Saturday, after I had changed the first section on the right already. It was like the blue on the left. I did not like it together when it was on. The blue was sticking out to much, will be ok as weft. So the left side blue last 2 sections were also changed to the 1st one on the right.

Today I was ready to start weaving, but before that I also added some lighting to the loom

 

They are led lights that you can stick on with tape. They are only 80cm long and the loom is 130 wide but I think it will be enough.

Not sure if the warp is on correctly, it seems strange that the warp does not follow the flat beam at the back

 

But it works, so not to worried at this stage. But will investigate further.
The weaving goes very well, I really like the loom.

I'm weaving a plaited twill at the moment.

I'm also finding that the space around the loom is enough to move about and beam up a warp. I was worried that it might not be but I can place the warping wheel at an angle and that still works ok.

magic dobby

I have mentioned the problems I have with sticking shafts on my Magic Dobby.
Last week Jan Louët came to see my Magic Dobby and find out why some shafts keep sticking.
First, he oiled the grooves on both sides where the knife goes up and down.

He also oiled the solenoids that kept sticking

and lastly he oiled here. Best would be to use a brush here and oil the inside when they are up

He used sewing machine oil (tiny drops) but I heard later that Teflon oil would be better. Advantage of Teflon oil would be that it does not dry out so quickly and also the dust will not stick to it so much. So, I will get some from the bicycle shop to have on hand as I'm sure it will happen again.

magazines

This week 3 quarterly magazines dropped through the letterbox :) lots to read here!

But I was lucky to receive one of them at all as the envelope had torn and it looks like may be coffee/tea was spilled on it, but the postmen have done their job and delivered the post by sealing the envelope in a plastic cover.

I'm still busy clearing my late husbands study but next Wednesday I will have to be ready! I have arranged for the seller of my new to me Megado to come and help me set up the loom :)
Just hoping that the space available will be enough to have enough space to move around the loom, specially for warping the loom. Time will tell.
Also hoping to have my Magic Dobby sorted soon, waiting for Louet to contact me next week.

Getting used to a house without my cat. Realizing what a support I have had from both cats over the last 4+ years.