stump loom

this is my stump loom. quite sophisticated! the wood is leftover pressure treated 4 x 4 that spent many years as a paper mill tool, which i repurposed into a loom. the brads are hammered in... i have long been interested in the peruvian four or more selvedge weavings that are woven as small units and then sewn together, so that's this idea's origin. it has been perfect for the rather thickly spun lokta paper i started messing around with. why lokta? after taking tom leach's class at p.b.i. years ago, i've loved lokta, the long fiber strength and wonderful hand of the paper is perfect to work with. it soaks up pigmant, and i've printed, dyed, drawn, sewn, painted on the stuff. these little weavings are the pages in some of my books, the three limp vellum bindings have them.

we have had some snow today, the first one that's had school delays and closings. this is the state of the wet, three inches at 4 p.m. not nearly enough for skiing, but my skis aren't waxed yet. early days for skiing. about 20 years ago every day in december stayed below 10 degrees. i skied then to fend off the cold. and despair. it was a lesson in north country living.