MAINE VILLAGE WEAVER

 Article by James Goldsmith

Hi everyone! Well we maybe snowed in a lot but folks from Cushing just a few peninsulas up the coast north of here came by on a nice sunny day . They ordered shelf brackets custom made for their kitchen and a set if anirons for their fireplace.

Full of sunlight today and ready to thread the loom ! I have got my three layers of clothing on two pair of socks and of course my long Johns, Ha ! The yarn going on the loom is hand dyed merino two ply , it glows in the sunlight . Icy cold green blue color

A look at the weaving industry in England at the time when our country was young . The Weavers there wanted  us here in America to trade goods , as a British colony . I know here in Maine there was plenty of white oak for ships masts and building of wooden boats. Anyway this video takes you through the stages of weaving into the industrial revolution . A good explanation from over the pond. Watch it . https://youtu.be/CHxnVNZAZXQ Industrial Revelation

Floorsweeper keeps the hand woven rugs fresh and it is quieter than a vacuum cleaner !  Vacuum cleaners are harsh and rough on a hand woven rugs These little sweepers pick up lint and small bits easily  My husband appreciates it first thing in the morning as I scurry around picking up from the day before activities . He is usually reading or writing or best yet doing a puzzle while he contemplates his next Iron project . If I want to light a fire under him and move him out to his shop ( ha,ha) I use the shop vac to clean with . The noise gets him outside quickly ? Motivational ? Maybe I do use it !

Lovely warm wishes to all of you ! A winters day here and happy that I have a loom in a heated shed . It is connected by a mud room to my kitchen so no going outside if I don't want to . My husband has to walk through snow to get to his shop but can skip through a gallery building if he wants to avoid snowy feet . Extension cord is for plugging in our diesel truck to keep the engine warm before starting  Window behind my loom 

We were not always working as artists but have created this lifestyle for ourselves . We made the decision 30 yrs ago to create and live off of what we make with our hands. Andy was away fishing King Crab in Alaska for 5 years and we had two little boys that wanted to know " where's daddy" . It was hard "yes " but we knew not forever. We sold our piece of land on Orcas Island ,San Juan Islands in Washington state and moved back east to the Maine coast. Now we live in a 200 yr old house on the Pemaquid Pennisula after raising our three children and can look back now and say "yeah " that was a great decision! Our basic theme here is " build it and they will come" . We have stress at times but you know it is different kind of stress. When we decide on our own deadlines is different than deadlines imposed on you. We are free to make decisions for our selves . Long hours you bet , but who working for himself doesn't want to go the extra mi...