Tissart Tapestry Loom

In October, my daughter and I drove to Toronto, Canada to pick up a 60" Tissart tapestry loom I had found on Craigs List.  We drove my son-in-law's Honda Pilot.  My daughter was pregnant and we  enjoyed a fun 3 day trip together before the baby was born.  We did a little sight seeing along the way and met up with a friend in Toronto that I knew through the German Shepherd Lovers forum on Ravelry.com.

Getting into Canada proved much more difficult than getting back into the USA.  We were detained at the immigration office before we were allowed to enter Canada.  My daughter and I  were interviewed separately and I had to provide evidence that our mission was a short trip to buy a weaving loom.   I guess two women in a car full of blankets going to Canada for a day to meet people we knew from the internet was suspicious?  Perhaps the fact that I can't remember things like names of people or places when I feel on the spot and had to consult my notes for information?  Perhaps we were just a random car selected from the line of people entering the country?  I'm not sure, but the experience nearly gave me a panic attack and that didn't help matters much.  Once the border officers decided that I was in fact just daft enough to drive 9 hours into another country to pick up a weaving loom, that something like Ravelry did exist (an onlne knitting group?  What is THAT?)  they accepted that I didn't pose a real threat to anyone, and we were allowed to get back into our vehicle and given entry into Canada.

Once inside Canada our visit was quite enjoyable - not counting the bumble bee that we found in my daughter's french fries in the restaurant we had dinner at.   We found the location of the loom owner's home and spent a little time with her before loading up the Pilot.  We visited the Shoe Museum in Toronto and went to a cute yarn shop called Lettuce Knit where we met my Ravelry friend and purchased yarn for a baby sweater.  On our way home we visited Niagara Falls and took a horse and carriage ride through the Canadian Botanical Gardens.   While at the Botanical Gardens, we visited the butterfly Conservatory.   It was a fun trip.

Once home, my husband and I put the loom together.  I thought I'd post a few pictures of the assembly process.  The Tissart Loom is no longer made, but an old owner's guide was available on line.  We were confused at a few points along the way, but thankfully my husband was capable of figuring everything out.

I have the loom warped and the first project started.  I have restarted the project three times as I fiddled with things and tried to remedy issues along the way.  I replaced the warp apron rods and tie on rods in an effort to minimize the bowing that occurs when the warp is under tension.

I am looking forward to many future hours weaving at my new loom.