New-to-me AVL Loom, and an In-Rush of Memories.

Just received a visit from a friend who sold me a new-to-me loom.

Well.  This is an AVL loom, from the AVL Company, formerly known as the Ahrens & Violette Looms. 

The loom which I got yesterday (for a song!  And I'm still singing...) was made in 1979, has 16 harnesses, a mechanical dobby, and a compudobby as well.  And a fly-shuttle!  It is currently reposing still disassembled in our garage, waiting for the time when my 4-harness Great Cranbrook (which is even older than the AVL, and which is affectionately known as Granny Cranny) will be gently disassembled to make room for the AVL.  I wish I had room for both to be working, but that will have to wait until such time as we have more room. 

Being that it's sixteen harnesses, I've named her Millicent Sedecima (Millicent Sixteen), or 'Millie' for short.  I am in awe and anticipation about getting to be able to explore that many possibilities for structure and pattern.  Now within my reach is satin, multiple-block double-weave, and fabulous advancing twills.  Also fancy Renaissance-style silk point twills, especially my favorite, M and W.

Last time a loom came to me, it was the Year of the Horse as well.  Twelve years ago...

I had been thinking off and on about buying an AVL for several years now, but was put off by the prices (which, considering the amount of excellent engineering that went into the design of the AVL Loom, are not unreasonable...just high.).  Well, I recall, back in the summer of 1983, the summer Denise A. and I lived at that commune in Western MA, the summer between my Freshman and Sophomore years at Bennington, I had taken the bus into Amherst for a little R 'n' R.  While there I had stopped at Webs, now in nearby Northampton but back in the day just down the street from AmChi and Emily Dickinson's house.  

I had just done a mini-apprenticeship with the Vermont weaver Dee Ertell, who had a shop called Bennington West out on the West Road just outside of Old Bennington, in January-March of 1983.  At the time I was in no position to buy a loom (but contented myself with backstrap and tablet weaving...) but the purpose of my trip to Webs was mainly to get to go in there and see looms and yarn.  I was able to purchase a tiny quantity of yarn, just so that I didn't walk in and buy nothing.  Webs had a big Glimakra Standard set up in their store.  I stood there in the July morning sunshine, drinking in the sight of all that string held in Holy Order on the loom.  I seem to remember that someone had warped the loom with linen or cotton.   I was too shy to ask if I could try the loom, and since I wasn't actually able to buy a loom at that point I felt it wasn't totally honest to ask to try out the loom when I knew I wasn't going to buy one, so I didn't ask. 

The friendly proprietress asked me if I knew about the big weaving conference that was about to start at nearby UMass.  I was delighted to learn of it.  I ended up going to the conference as a guest. 

In retrospect I see now that I avoided a lot of possibly good opportunities to network and meet other fibre artisans there due to my shyness.  Instead, feeling unnecessarily alienated (by myself, in reality), pouring sweat out of nervousness, I carefully avoided any interaction with anyone there and slid around the place like a half-visible wraith.  Now as I approach 50, I can laugh at my self-limiting folly then, constantly hemmed in and tormented by, as Emerson wrote, "...evils which never arrived!"  Part of it was that I felt that because I had no money to buy anything that I ought not to waste the time of any of the vendors.  Now I would walk right up and chat, but back then that was quite beyond me.  At that age, 18, I should have recognized that as a young weaver I could only profit from networking. 

While I was there I happened upon a very interesting loom that had been set up.  A middle-aged lady was weaving on it.  I had never seen a loom quite that complex...lots of pulleys and so many harnesses (it was a 16-harness loom, which I'd never seen before!)    When there was a lull in her weaving I approached her, terrified, unable to make any eye contact, and asked her what kind of loom that was.  Unfortunately, she turned out to be the one person at the show I interacted with, and she was not friendly.   Without turning to acknowledge me she hissed "It's an AVL - what the hell did you think it was?".  I asked her what an AVL was, since I had no idea at the time, but she ignored me.   But I was so fascinated at the time that I just stood by as she resumed weaving. 

That was the first time I saw an AVL in action.  And the loom I received yesterday is *that* model of loom, from that period, when the AVLs were still new.  I don't even think that they had the Compu-dobby yet.

When I do demonstrations nowadays, I always remember the unfriendly lady at the loom.  I make it a point to be approachable and friendly, and to always be willing to share knowledge of the craft.  It's so important in order to keep the craft alive.