I wove a beautiful runner on the Megado computerized loom at the Weavers Guild today. When I showed the photo to my husband and told him how much fun it was to weave on the ultra-fancy loom, he said, “How much does one of those cost?” About $15,000, I said. “That’s about the cost of a piano,” he noted. I thought it was a good analogy; you can make music on either one (of one type or another), and only a few really talented people would make either one of them pay for itself, financially.
Thank you Katherine Buenger, for guiding me through the process! It was a very instructive two-and-a-half hours of weaving. I joined the Dobby Weavers Interest Group at the Guild and they regularly warp the computerized looms for group projects. For this warp, each weaver chose among 36 different 16-harness twill patterns. The pattern I chose for a holiday-themed runner looks Scandinavian.
I never thought I would develop a great interest in computerized looms; I love my Toika. However, I am starting to realize that the computerized aspect doesn’t diminish the creative aspect in any way. Instead, it merely takes away the tedious part of following a complicated sequence of treadling. Still, a Megado won’t be on my Christmas list – this year.
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