Upstairs Studio expanded

This is probably not news to a lot of you in the area, but I'm so overscheduled that I don't get to visit our local yarn or weaving shops very often. Yesterday I drove down to Upstairs Studio in La Porte, Texas to take a template to Earl so he could make me some new leather bearings for Rapunzel. Wow! US has always been a good source for weaving equipment and materials, but now they are carrying a lot of nice knitting yarn too. Silky Tweed was on sale, so I bought enough for a nice summer sweater; and I also got some silk hankies to dye for a spinning project I have in mind. Don't hold your breath for details. Who knows when it will actually happen. Especially now!

I was catching up on all my list mail last night since I was woefully behind. And what should I find but an Ashford loom for sale in Austin. I swear it must be fate! I was just telling Clarice yesterday that I have really had the weaving bug lately, but have so far managed to keep it in check. Well, no more. I'm going to pick it up on the 19th! Thank God it's small and portable. It will be the perfect thing for me to get my feet wet to see if I really want to invest in something more (i.e. a floor loom) later on when I get my retirement studio. That's the dream anyway. Here's a picture of my new-to-me loom.