I’ve spent the last two weeks making friends with the AVL. \u00a0And when I say “making friends”, I mean putting serious effort into getting to know what works, what doesn’t, where things go wonky and how this lovely loom and I can find a way to work together. \u00a0It’s made me think differently about warping (more planning leads to a swifter execution), about threading (it’s slower – texsolv doesn’t fly across the heddle bars with a little flick) and about finding a rhythm in the weaving (treadling each shed is a TWO PEDAL operation rather than one). \u00a0All of this is different from the other two looms, but the reward is that once it’s set up, it’s much more conducive to just weaving. \u00a0While I can’t completely turn off my brain, it certainly becomes a much lower-level activity. \u00a0Almost like spinning.<\/p>\n
The other big difference is that there’s a different level of flexibility. \u00a0On the other looms, I can just start randomly trying things – treadling patterns in particular. \u00a0I can do spontaneous network twill curves<\/a> (ala Bonnie Inouye) and reverse treadling orders whenever I want. \u00a0Pattern generation on a whim is easy. \u00a0With the AVL, I need to plan ahead – including reprogramming the loom – before I can make changes. \u00a0Less wear and tear on my back and knees, but definitely not as spontaneous. \u00a0There’s likely another way to do this but I’ve not yet discovered it. \u00a0Time will tell.<\/p>\n All that said, am I happy with this loom? \u00a0Yes. \u00a0Absolutely. \u00a0Having the constraints of planning is good for me – and being able to execute my ideas quickly is also good. \u00a0I also appreciate the obvious effort and thought that have gone into the design and manufacture of the loom. \u00a0The engineer in me is kept happy. \u00a0I do have a few bones to pick (why, oh WHY can’t I *SEE* what the dobby is picking when I’m seated at the loom?) but that’ll just lead to me making modifications at some point. \u00a0It’s a tool, so why not?<\/p>\n I also owe an answer to “what’s next”. \u00a0Given that the power is going out soon, I may defer answering that question until I can get a little more time with power. \u00a0This also may be an opportunity for me to sit down and get some quiet time to work out my thoughts on the subject. \u00a0There is much to do, you see, to turn the notion into a workable plan. \u00a0While I would normally do this as part of a run, my legs ache in that “marathon training” way and it takes concentration to not get lazy and trip. \u00a0So a quiet few hours spent planning wouldn’t go amiss.<\/p>\n All righty then. \u00a0There’s coffee to drink, a shower to take, and then some planning\/writing to do. \u00a0Maybe I can work in a stop at IKEA and Office Depot, too. \u00a0:-)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’ve spent the last two weeks making friends with the AVL. \u00a0And when I say “making friends”, I mean putting serious effort into getting to know what works, what doesn’t, where things go wonky and how this lovely loom and … Continue reading