Post-Edinburgh Yarn Fest......and Go Louet!

Well then, Edinburgh Yarn Festival has been and gone and was indeed a lot of fun. There was also a declaration at the very end of the last blog post that promised a follow up blog post on how it all went.  Well Ange is far too busy weaving like a demon at the moment so the honour has passed to me - Mr Weft Blown - this time for my inaugural blog post.  I cannot argue really since I did volunteer to get involved with helping run some of the bits and pieces at Weft Blown HQ!

This is me! - Rob aka Mr Weft Blown aka Weft Beard

So, if you will excuse me, I will start by sketching out how I have arrived at this point. Firstly, being married to a yarn fanatic eventually resulted in me giving in and I did a bit of table loom weaving last year.  I have to say I "got" weaving almost straight away; the delight in seeing your changes in to the shaft configuration magically transformed into the pattern of the fabric slowly emerging.  I like the rhythm and flow of the process. Next, when Ange mentioned that she was looking into stocking Louet products the wannabe entrepreneur in me thought this sounded exciting stuff and was keen to get involved.

This then all led to EYF, where I assisted Ange on the Weft Blown stand. In preparation for EYF I got busy spinning on our new Louet wheels.  Now, I have had a go at spinning in the dim and distant past but quite frankly I was more than rusty.  Good job I live with an excellent spinning tutor then!   It is a steep learning curve but I am hopefully moving into the "vaguely competent spinner" category. This of course allows me to understand our products in detail and therefore be of some use to Ange other than just a simple bearded weaving roadie! 

EYF was a fantastic experience.  Totally energising and great to be immersed with all these people following their passion.  I came away just wanting more.  Plus, the Weft Blown boss also rewarded me for my efforts with some very nice socks from the Buffalo Wool Company.

Spinners busy on our stand at EYF

So, after a little time recovering it has been back to work and we are now very pleased to be able to announce that the Weft Blown online store is now officially up and running selling Louet spinning wheels, table looms, hand and drum carders and all the associated spinning, weaving and carding bits and bobs you would expect.  We can also supply the range of Louet floor looms but hopefully you will understand that we can't hold these in stock and will need these looms to be ordered from the Louet factory on an individual basis.

The Louet wheel family getting settled into their new home!

So why has Weft Blown become a Louet supplier? Well, a pretty major reason is because we were so impressed by the build quality, craftmanship and general loveliness of Ange's Delta floor loom which was bought last Autumn.  We think that Louet equipment is not only well built but elegantly designed in both appearance and also function.  We also think that they represent very good value products for the weavers and spinners out there. 

Ange's Louët Delta Floor Loom and Louët weaving bench

Basically, we want Weft Blown to be your one-stop-shop for all Louet products. We believe we have very competitive prices and are endeavouring to keep as much of the range in stock as is possible at any one time.  If anything is out of stock it can be pre-ordered through the site and will then be on that week's factory order.  Shipping rates are based on package volumetric weight and are clearly displayed on your order as you proceed to the Check Out. You can of course also opt to collect in person from our studio if you live in or are passing through the area.  

Floor looms, being the more unique and hefty beasts that they are, can be ordered through our online contact form prior to confirmation of specific shipping rates, payment method and delivery timescales. Floor loom prices shown on our website are the actual sale price and not just an indicative guide price as some other websites display them. 

As a working teaching and production weaving studio we will usually have numerous Louet wheels and looms built up and available for you to try out.  So if you are in our part of the world and interested in a Louet product then please do get in touch with us to come and give the wheels or table looms a test-drive. You can also use Louët wheels and table looms at Ange's classes too.

Now, Weft Blown will be at both the Royal Highland Show and Galloway Country Fair this coming summer where Ange will be selling her weather-inspired handwoven range. And we are very excited to also announce that in September we will be off to Yarndale in Skipton.  More on Yarndale to come closer to the time, but if you are going too we will be happy to take advance orders on any Louet items so that you can collect from our stand.  We will also be happy to take payments in installments in advance if you prefer to spread out the cost - please contact us if you would like to place an order in this way.

Now, I should really get off this computer and back to upping my spinning skills. Before doing that I have to say that although still a bit clumsy and inconsistent in my spinning, I have really taken to our demonstration S80 Olivia wheel to work with. The more traditional-style turned wood appearance is a bit different from the other contemporary-looking wheels in the Louet range, but whatever your tastes in wheel style the Olivia is just totally effortless to treadle!  Perhaps worth a look if you are thinking about a new wheel?.........

The very lovely S80 Olivia wheel