Jack Loom

Day 301: The rag rug project is proving to be a bit more labour-intensive than I'd anticipated, but that's not actually a Bad Thing. It keeps me entertained. The floor loom is currently occupied by a summer-and-winter piece (halfway done!), so I brought my small Schacht loom out of hiding and set it up on a card table. Due to issues with a repaired shoulder, I find it easiest to operate the jacks while standing at the table rather than sitting, not that I'd get much "sitting" done for as frequently as the weaving space is taken up by the heavy twisted weft. At most, I can squeeze in eight throws before I have to advance the warp, but this is also a Good Thing because the rag rope is so thick that it is almost impossible to pass a shuttle through the shed. Instead, I twist 8-12 feet, weave it, wind it onto the front roller, and then settle into my chair to twist another dozen feet or so. The weft must be packed tightly, and in lieu of the traditional wooden beater, I'm using a 4" afro pick, working my way across the weft after each pass. Suffice to say I'm getting a variety of physical exercise out of this weaving, and the quilting leftovers make for a bright and cheery rug.