Doug has been labouring like Hercules the past month. With my impending retirement, changing big looms (AVL->Megado), shutting down my business at the end of the year, a massive studio re-organization needed to be done.
All of that had to be done while I continued to work trying to increase my inventory in order to have enough stock to do the three craft fairs I’m scheduled to do in Oct/Nov.
With my back compromised, I can no longer lift heavy boxes so Doug has really stepped up to the plate and with the assistance of a younger person, the two of them have shifted boxes from pillar to post and another pillar, only to move them again once the shelving got moved from the annex to the studio.
The top shelf has my current silk collection. I inherited silk from Ingrid Boesel, plus another friend, plus my own inventory. That’s about 10-12 boxes of silk yarn of various grists, qualities, colours. The goal is to have another set of shelves on the other side of that wall on which the contents of those boxes can be emptied so that I can actually see what I have and therefore use it. But first they needed to come here so that the shelves they were on at the annex can be moved here and set up in the other room. Pillar to post. Pillar to post…
The one thing about the annex is that we can (or they can, because I’m not doing the actual lifting and toting) move boxes and bins to the annex to get them out of the way so that the things I am ready to deal with can be brought here. At times it seems that there is more time spent moving boxes here, there and everywhere than actually seeing things organized!
The correct computer assist will be arriving on Thursday while I’m headed south. Doug will mount it and finish setting the Megado up so that I can test it as soon as I get home. Some of that silk will be used for a test warp. I was going to put a shawl warp on, but decided a shorter, narrower warp would be a good idea. I’m not entirely sure I’m going to love the Louet tension box for sectional beaming, so Doug has come up with a way to adapt the AVL tension box rail so that I can use the AVL tension box if I don’t like the Louet.
Because one thing I have learned over the years? I can get Doug to modify my tools so that they work better for me. If he drills a hole that later needs to be filled? He knows how to do that. If something isn’t working the way I want it to? He can usually figure out a way to make it better for me.
And doing the studio re-org? The biggest gift of love one partner can give to another.
He listened when I told him I needed to stop production weaving. He listened when I told him how I needed the studio arranged and is making it happen. Of course it is taking far longer than either of us hoped, but in the end, I will go into retirement and a new way of weaving being able to move without tripping over boxes (I hope) but more importantly? I will be able to see what I have so I can use it.
So a huge hell yeah to Doug and Darian. I am so grateful I have you in my life.