The Tilsons

So last week, I decided to start wishing for a loom.  This all started with my friend Heather of Loonsong CSA on Manitoulin Island who is a weaving teacher and possesses several looms.  She showed me a few of them and I was instantly enamoured by her 24″ table loom.  Then, as I said, last week I decided that I would try to manifest one for christmas.

Sure enough, my mom and I are boutiquing in Surrey on Saturday, and WHAM a used loom for sale, $29.99! ( Keep in mind that I know next to nothing about weaving or looms.)  I know that there are thingies (shafts or harnesses) that move up and down, and a squisher (beater bars and reed) that moves forward and back and a little zoomy thing (shuttle) that goes in between the strings, back and forth.  I didn’t see the squisher, but the little rods (swords) were there to hold it in place.  The cloth (aprons) was all ripped and there was only one rod (warp rod).  Other than that, it looked like a loom, and had a manufacturers sticker on it, so I bought it, hoping that I could find the dude who made it and get parts!

My mom and I got it home and looked the dude up on the web - Harvey Darnel of Mainland Cottage Crafts and found, not surprisingly, that his company no longer exists.  So, I found a Leclerc dealer on Orangeville, Ontario - Camilla Valley Farm Weavers’ Supply.  She was super helpful, and is sending me parts in the mail so that I can try and repair it.  The beater bars probably wouldn’t fit, so I am going to attempt to build that piece myself.

I know that things outside of oneself cannot impart happiness… but wow, this loom comes darn close!

Last week I was sitting and writing my morning pages and tasks for my Artist’s Way book, and got to thinking about trying new things, stretching the walls of my box beyond its current configuration.  Interestingly, the first thing that came to mind was a unicycle and I thought “Justin knows how to build bikes… maybe he could build me a unicycle!”

The answer is no.  A unicycle is pretty special because there is no chain on a basic one, which means that the pedals directly drive the wheel.  “But,” he said “Norco makes them, which means that Chris can order one through the shop at cost”.  At cost!  That’s like… $100!

Shortly after, we left on our little tour to Toronto, and went to the Norco warehouse there and picked on up!  I put it together myself when we got home, and am working on figuring out how to get on… not as easy as it looks! (Notice that my foot is still on the ground and that I have my concentration face on)

Unfortunately, thought this unicycle looks slightly more burly that regular skinny tyred unis, it is not meant for dangerous stunts like Chris Holm (click for cool video) pulls (dropping of cliffs and such)  Not that I think I would get much further than bunny hopping… okay maybe picnic tables?

This summer we are fortunate to be spending a couple of months in the Northern Ontario, on Manitoulin Island, the pretty little land where from Justin was birthed.  We took the train again, and wow is Canada ever beautiful during the summer!

On the train we met a formidable gentleman from the US who suffered a horendous mountain bike crash on his bike in Whistler.

He took some pictures of me spinning yarn on the train (there is nothing more romantic than spinning yarn on a train across Canada, people!)

Overall, the trip was pretty uneventful (a good thing for all): the engines worked, the staff was great, the beds were comfy. In fact, I had even more fun than I have had in the past because of the simultaneous occurrence of week three of The Artist’s Way - Reading Deprivation.  Who would have thought a reading deprivation could be so interesting and informative?  I spent a lot of time chatting, knitting, spinning, playing with tarot cards, playing chess and cuddling with JT.  As a result, I found my dreams to be more vivid, my creativity through the roof and my will to be stronger…. maybe The Artist’s Way is onto something?

We will post some photos soon of Manitoulin Island! Bye for now.