Got a beater?

Recently a knitting friend invited me to join her and two other knitters on a trip to A Wool Gathering. We had a good time but we all agreed that A Wool Gathering wasn't as plentiful as our trip in May to Great Lakes Fiber Show. There was a fair amount of roving to be had yesterday but the yarn selection was less than desirable. 
I have been considering/reflecting/dreaming about weaving for many months now. I have always been fascinated with the way thread/yarn can be manipulated to make lovely fabric. I knew I wanted to start out small to try it out to see if it is something I really would stick with so I purchased a couple looms yesterday. At the fest I purchased a small table top tapestry loom. I was disappointed last evening when I unpacked it to find the directions were not included in the bag as the selling vendor promised. I have asked another friend attending the fest today to stop by the booth to ask for a copy of the directions. 

The picture above is the loom pieces as well as some weaving notions I picked up. I was in another booth looking at the weaving notions when the seller asked me "do you have a beater"? My mind immediatly kicked in thinking ~ no he doesn't beat me but I didn't say it out loud thankfully. The paddle with teeth thingies, on the bottom left, is called a beater. It is used to push the woven yarn down tight against the woven yarn below. Or filling the gaps to create the woven fabric. I am currently in the process of learning weaving vocabulary. Like knitting there are many terms and I am finding I might be more successful if I learn them now rather than later. Next to the beater are five tapestry weaving needles and some yarn bobbins. 



True to form when I start a new craft I picked up a couple tapestry books. One is for techniques and the other is directions for projects. The first picture is of the books and the second shows a couple project ideas. WOW look at the detail! I think tapestry weaving is more of a free form weaving. 

 

I did pick up about 1,500 yards of some Knitting Notions Classic Merino Sport weight yarn on clearance for 50% off. The colorway is Maple.

On the way back from the fest we decided to stop into A Tangled Tale in Powell. I just love this shop. Dorren and her mom Elaine are fantastic, good people. Very helpful and totally enabling. I picked up a ball of Ty-Dy sock yarn. Very pretty pink, green and brown colorway.

Elaine is a weaver and stocks some small weaving Weavettes in the shop. I picked one up yesterday and have already made 7 pieces from left over wool in my stash. I can see where weaving will be great at stash busting.