Changes Afoot

Since I last blogged, I've managed to get the towels off the loom, sewn, wet-finished and photographed, for the most part.  I got 12 towels from an 11.5 yard warp!  There was very little waste on either end, which suits me just fine.  Besides the five green towels, I also wove 2 bright red, two burgundy, one navy, one deep purple, and the last catch-all one.

Here is a photo of the unspoken-for towels, just added to my Etsy shop.

And a shot of the end of the warp.  I actually advanced the warp one more time after this photo was taken, so those knots really were right behind the heddles!

And a few more gratuitous shots:

I spent today putting my Glimakra Standard loom back into 8-shaft mode for the next run of towels, and projects beyond that.  It took longer than I anticipated, so no more weaving activities today, but I'll hopefully start measuring warp on Wednesday.

Another change is my attempt to have a shop connected to my blog.  If you look, you should see an option at the top to go to "store."  Check it out and see if it works for you.  Right now, I'm using an unpaid version, so I can only show 10 items, but if I get any traffic, I may upgrade it.  Part of the reason is to try to build my online identity - shops on Etsy tend to get lost, I think.  The other reason, is that my snowflake towels are going to included in the Old Port 2017 Gift Guide!  This is based in Portland, Maine's largest city, and I felt it was important to have a direct link to a shop based on my website, without people having to follow more links.  I guess we shall see whether it was a good move or not.

The final change is that I feel I have to raise my prices by a marginal amount in the near future.  As many other weavers know, the cost of materials has steadily risen over the years, and the cost of shipping has also become more expensive.  As I add new offerings to my shop, they are being priced at the new rate.  All of the other items' prices will remain what they are until the new year, at which point most will increase, but again, only by a marginal amount.  So if you want a deal, place your orders before January!

Lastly, our unseasonably warm fall weather is coming to an end this week.  Today's temps are around 60, although it is gray and damp outside, so it doesn't feel all that warm.  An arctic front will be coming through soon, and temps are supposed to plunge to the 30's to low 40's during the day, and teens at night by the weekend.  Even the dreaded "S" word is being bandied about - say it ain't so!  We will have to get the woodstove going, and outdoor chores will have to wind down.  Hard to believe I just picked some kale and chard from my garden yesterday!

There has been a bit more painting on the garage since my last post, but I haven't taken any more photos.  That project will be put on hold with the colder weather, unless we get another surpise warm up.  At least everything is primed.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading, and see you next time!