For the first time in my (three?) years of blogging, I'm going to have to post things after they're done. Either that, or I'll have to write two or three posts today. So, here's what I was doing two days ago...

After tying on for more than a year, I'm having to exercise an old skill again - threading a beam.

It's laborious and error-prone, and that's why I do my best to avoid having to do it. These 1200-thread widths of cloth give many chances for errors.

But here's how I do it...

First each section to be threaded needs to be unwound from the beam, straightened out and taped to a place that I can reach from the bench.

Then, I move enough heddles for one section and tape that section to the left of them. I peel back the masking tape to carefully maintain the order of the threads from my winding.

I do that 30 times and voilá! All threaded and ready to sley.

I've noticed some of my favorite blogs regularly answer questions from their readers. Maybe it's because my format is more storytelling than how-to, but people don't ask me that many questions. So I thought I'd initiate the conversation.

What do you want to read about?

Are there areas of my community life, weaving or business that you'd like to hear more about? Can I offer you a different perspective on your weaving or your crafts business? Are there things that I've posted cell phone pictures of that you'd like to see photographed more clearly?

If you don't mind people seeing who you are, you can leave a comment on this (or any other) post. Otherwise, send an email to blossom (at) blossommerz (dot) com and I'll answer your question anonymously.

I've finished the measurements for the sleeves that I'll use to hide my cables on the new lighting rig. This won't be important for all shows, but is very important for this next one since the rig will serve as my entire booth.

I'll be making them a bit longer than required so that there's extra to wrap around at the corners. Compared to cables ziptied onto the tubing, this has many advantages:
- quicker
- tidier
- less "industrial" looking

Of course, they'll be ziptied in a few spots as well, but the cables don't have to be gathered up and hidden on the back side of the tubes. Now I've got make something like 60' of this stuff and figure out how to get it on the rig when I'm putting it together, but before the lights have gone onto it.

Here it is, ready to thread, sley and start weaving. I expect to weave and finish the sample blanket on Saturday, giving me just 10 days to weave and sew some garments before I leave for California. I'd better get to it!