Patience, Grasshopper

So, this was a bit harder than I thought. I managed to thread the 8 shaft Macomber but then a few issues I'd noticed with the loom reared their heads. Firstly, the loom only came with 8 treadle hooks. The woman who had used it prior, used a skeleton tie up for 4 shafts, which only uses 8 hooks. Boy do I wish I'd asked her about more hooks, but I was just so excited I didn't realize until I got the loom home. The design I wanted to try needs 32. I decided to actually tie the treadles with twine. 

This was not fun.

Issue #2, is the fact that there are no cloth aprons. The front and rear bars are attached to the beams with nylon cord and as I try to wind the back beam, the cord doesn't roll onto it, but just slips and slides around. I figured out that if I wind the warp with sticks instead of paper, the cords don't slide. 

In the middle of writing this, I got a call back from Macomber. My loom was made in 1953. The woman was sooooooo nice and answered every one of my rookie questions :) These looms are so well made. I'm so happy with mine. I ordered treadle hooks & some heddles

A few days later than I had hoped, but I'm weaving on 8 shafts!!!!! My beat & tension need some work, but I LOVE it!!!!!!!!

Happy Weaving!