Just bought my dream loom!

Pinch me, someone!

After almost two weeks of discussion with the manufacturer, I have purchased the loom of my dreams – something I’d wanted for years but never thought I’d be able to afford. I will soon be the proud owner of a TC-2 jacquard loom!!

I’m both amazed and excited at the prospect. I’ve increased the complexity of my looms over the years – starting with eight shafts, then sixteen, twenty-four, and forty. But until Google’s acquisition of Skybox Imaging last year, I never thought I’d be able to afford the ultimate in complexity – a jacquard loom.

Even then, I hadn’t planned to get one until September, when a sizable chunk of Google cash will arrive. But about two weeks ago, I looked at the exchange rate and realized that the U.S. dollar was almost 25% stronger than last year against the Norwegian krone. I then asked Digital Weaving Norway for a quote on the TC-2, and sure enough, the cost was down about 20% from last year. Factored into the high cost of a jacquard loom, that reduction would save a lot of money if I bought now. So I asked for a formal quote, then an invoice, and finally wired payment to Digital Weaving Norway today.

The loom still needs to be manufactured, so it will not be shipped until the beginning of June. Since it is going sea freight and will have to clear customs etc., the odds are it will arrive on my doorstep in early to mid-August – just after the book goes to the publisher. Perfect timing!

Here is a photo of the TC-2, from last year at Convergence:

I’m ordering a TC-2 with 43″ weaving width, two warp beams, and 12 modules. That gives me individual control of up to 2,640 threads, which means I can weave at 60 ends per inch at the full 43″ width. I can also weave up to 90 epi at 29″ wide, or 180 epi (!) at 14.5″ wide. While I could conceivably design fabric that would require more than that, this covers the vast majority of things I would want to weave.

For a better description of the TC-2, hop on over to the page I wrote about it.

I’ve been so excited and nervous about closing the deal that I’ve had trouble sleeping the last few nights. Hopefully I’ll sleep soundly tonight!