So I was just feeling really good about finishing off the fine linen – that is all that’s left – a full bobbin, a bit on a second bobbin, and hardly anything on the spool – and editing the treadling for the next towel when the monitor went BLACK!
GAH!
So I turned the monitor off and on a couple of times with nothing but blackness, and shut the system down, heading to the phone to Dial-A-Computer-Guru.
Allan thinks it’s the cpu fan, causing the video card to over heat which shuts the system down. Doug will try to look at the fan tonight, but in the meantime I let the puter cool and had dinner, watching CSI and Grey’s Anatomy (I have satellite tv so I time shift a lot.) 🙂
After dinner I turned the system on (I’d tested it earlier and it worked) and wove two more towels using the 30/5 cotton. (Shown in the photo above.)
In the meantime I’d also emailed Ingrid Boesel (I use PCW Fiberworks to drive the loom) and bless her heart, she got back to me within the hour with the news that she believes that my ancient laptop would run the Compu-Dobby if I can find the proper USB to serial cable. So I’m on a mission tomorrow to try to find the cable in town.
I’m heading for the Computer Spa in April, but that’s 5 weeks away. Now it looks like every computer I own will go on a road trip – again. Allan will make sure the laptop has the proper upgrades for PCW Silver, build me a ‘new’ system for the loom, and make sure the main system is running smoothly while I’m teaching in Grand Forks. 🙂
The 30/5 cotton is weaving up nicely. It’s so nice to have a co-operative weft after weaving with the fine, fine linen!