While we were in Solvang, last November, 2008, I stopped at my favorite fibery store- Village Spinning and Weaving- (plug for the great store, yes!). I found a Joy spinning wheel in the window (a single treadle which I wanted more than a double treadle). And I found a Schacht Flip loom. I had wanted to learn to weave and I thought a small loom would be great fun. But I don't have lots of space and a little folding one seemed like just the right thing. It came home with me and I put it in the wooly room.
I knew it was in there, but as the days went by and things piled up (and stuff piled up), it got buried. Periodically I could hear it cry out for me in muffled tones from under piles of washed fleece, but there just wasn't any time for learning something new and having fun.
The new Joy spinning wheel went right to work, though. And it snickered at the box and chided it. The wheel was the more important new toy so the box got ignored. Well, that wasn't really true. They are both important, but the wheel I already knew how to use. And I could do something with it right away. So the box gathered dust and waited patiently.
Then the wedding plans and parties, house cleaning and re-organizing, medical issues and visits to relatives- all took up the time. The box waited patiently, muffled sobs.
Today, I was cleaning the wooly room. It got to the top of the priority list, finally- my son is coming home for the wedding and will stay with me for awhile. I stuffed the fleeces under the bed, moved some things around, stacked stuff in the garage and, Lo!, there was the box. After a moments thought, I took the box into my bedroom. I didn't want to stack it in the garage or stuff it in a closet. I wanted to actually get out my Christmas present and use it. Sometime in the future, when I was not so tired.
Then, after I had vaccuumed, dusted, stuffed and reorganized- I wanted to sit down and rest. But, instead- I got the box out and opened it. I could hear the little loom squeal with happiness- finally some light and air. After staring at it for bit, and reading the instructions a couple of times, I decided on a project and started to assemble the loom. The first part was easy enough, but then I needed to "warp" it.
It took a couple of times, but I did get it warped, and I have woven the first inch on it. I like the little fellow and am still thinking of a name for him- definitely a boy name like "Flip Wilson" or "Flipper". And I can see many wonderful projects coming down the path. I want to make a bag for him to match the one I made for the Joy. I have enough fabric left. And I think he would like something more comfortable than a box.
So that is the story of my Christmas present. It has taken almost a year to open the box. I am really glad I did. I will take it to the wedding with me so that I can weave in the evening after dinner at the lodge. I think he will like that, too.
