Mischievous Monkeys

Having some internet issues tonight.....but thought I would just tease you all a bit more.
I know, I'm a horrible person.
But I can't stand it, I am so smitten with these darn monkeys.

 It's going to be hard to give them names, in fact, it may be downright impossible.
They will be as different as the rugs we weave here at Crazy as a Loom.

Do you love their little hats???

Sometimes in life, something will come along, that just makes you smile.
The reason may mystify you, but there it is.

We don't always have to know why.  We don't always need the answers to what makes us happy.

We just need to learn to let it happen.
Sometimes, I think, we don't do that.

Monkey see, monkey do.

Just for today, I am going to let it happen.

Being ok with what is.
Smiling at the incongruity of it all.

The monkeys made me do it.

Monkey biz

It's been a crazy busy day.  I've been flying from one place to another.
But I just had to pop in and give you a heads up.

The MONKEYS are coming.
I'm serious.
They'll be here soon.
And they are MARVELOUS.

Now for a name.  You KNOW they have to have a name.  It has to be good.  It has to connect them somehow to Crazy as a Loom (I think).  I am going to give you all two weeks to come up with a great one.  I will choose on June 14th, and of course the winner will get their very own MONKEY.

The internet, and my blog, have found the perfect, crafty person to help make it happen.   I can't believe how well it is working out.
More on that later.
Here are the pictures I just got.

Look at their little butts????  Are they too adorable??

They are getting ready to make the trip to New Yawwwwk.

And from here, they will be ready to meet the world.
Oh, my.

Weather for sundresses.

Tornado warning...


where?   HERE.
when?    NOW

The sky is very dark.

So I think I will just do my blog post , and not think about it.  If it gets serious, I will take my lap top to the basement.
Good grief, this is the northeast.

We had company at the studio......our favorite company.

When O came in the door, she made a beeline for Sydney, and did some twirling on her way.
Little sun dresses are for twirling, after all.

Then she went looking for her 'cucharacha' toy.

 
And then she did a little dancing.

And did a little shaking.

Then it was time for a little weaving.

We were very serious today.

No kisses.  She made that very clear.

I said, "Well, how about a hug?"
She said, "Not neither."
She is not quite TWO.
I think she is getting her boundaries straight.
Good girl.

It was cool in the studio, even though it was brutally hot outside......and no, there is no A/C.  We just kept the windows closed, and it stayed quite nice pretty much all day.

When O left, I worked on this rug.   These double binding rugs are wicked fun to make, and also very time consuming.  This one has hemmed edges.

All in all, a pretty quiet day at Crazy as a Loom, and that was ok with me.

A little reflection.

I just finished this 8 harness waffle weave blanket.
I went a little wild on the colors.
Don't be shocked.

I finished mowing the lawn at the studio.   Consuela couldn't keep the lawn mower going.

Imagine my surprise, when I realized the spark plug wire wasn't connected.

Her response:   "Who took it off???"
Duh.
Her:  "Well, I'm not a mechanic."

So after mowing, and then weed whacking in the heat, I decided to take a break.

I am followed wherever I go outside.

Just far enough from the house, we were all alone.

I am not much into parades.
But it is a day to remember.  A day to be pensive.

My Dad was in WWII.  He spent most of it in the north sea on a small boat .
It sounded pretty frightening.

So today, I am grateful for the life I have.

Sitting quietly, this cardinal swooped over my head.

And then, I think he MOONED me.
How rude.

My little buddy was content to lie in the grass, since I was nearby.

Cats and dogs need so little.  Food, shelter, and love.
That's it.
Makes me wonder sometimes, why we humans need so very much.

If you look close, you can see his little paws 'kneading'.  Guess he's a happy camper.

I bought two chairs, this lavender one, and a turquoise one.  $19.99 at Ace Hardware.
Big spender, yup, that's me.

I didn't realize that I had caught this butterfly in the frame, until I saw the shot on the computer.
He was enjoying the back yard quiet, as well.

I hope your holiday was a good one.   I hope you found a few minutes to just be still.

There's really nothing quite like it, you know.

A blast from the past.

And you knew it had to do with weaving, right???

Well, even if you don't weave, these old looms are very cool, just to look at, even if you don't understand them.

They are huge looms.  The original was made in Scotland, and the other two were copied here, from that one.
They have flying shuttles, which for you non-weavers means that you do LESS work for the same result.  And you are FASTER.

They were used to make woolen blankets, 60" wide.

But the owners went out of business several years ago.

Now these three lovely old girls sit alone, waiting for someone to come and weave.

Waiting for someone to wind a warp on this sectional warping mill.
It looks like some kind of torture device.

They are very high, due to the dobby system that sits on top of them, and allows you to set up your pattern, without having to tie up multiple treadles.

It has an automatic cloth advance, and the warp on the back is weighted, you can see the weights hanging off the back.

The weights are attached to a leather strap that is wound around the wheel on either side.

This mechanism off the back of the loom is attached to the dobby system at the top, and the treadle at the bottom.

They are equipped with 4 shafts, but there is room for MORE.

 See the cord across the front, that is the one that you snap to the right or left to dispense the shuttle across from one side to the other.

This is the dobby mechanism.

 There are multiple warp beams with these looms, and they are easily lifted up and out, and exchanged.

 Here is the dobby from the other side.

 And here it is up close.

Seeing someone standing next to the loom, you can see how big it is.

Here is the spool rack.
See the hooks on the 'ceiling' of it???

  The dobby here is attached to the shafts.

The bench is different.....because it only has one treadle, the bench is at an angle.  You treadle with your right foot, and your left foot rests on the board next to the treadle, kind of keeping you on the bench.

Here are the dobbys.

These looms need a weaver, or two, or three.

They need a home, and someone who wants to preserve them for generations to come.
They are so unique.

 I googled the loom-maker, and this is what I found.  Arrol Young

Believe or not, I cannot bring one of these looms home.  Not because DH would kill me.  Nah, he is way over that.
But because I have NO ROOM.
These looms need 12' x 8' x 8' 5" H.

They are not for the faint of heart.
There is also a pretty impressive winder that goes with them, so there is NO pirn in the shuttle when you weave.

The thread actually feeds from the center, and the flat metal piece holds the wound thread in the shuttle.

So if anyone has any ideas about a new home for these pieces of functional history, please let me know.

In the meantime, I will try to figure out if I can cut a hole in the ceiling to make it tall enough.

Eek.