empty looms & new forks

I arrived home from the ATA celebration to find my new weaving forks awaiting & empty looms staring at me. I cannot wait to get warped up so I can try them out!

I saw these forks for the first time when I took the Inspiration workshop-- they belonged to DY Begay & I immediately experienced a surge of "fork lust". I love my wooden weaving forks, but I usually weave at 9 - 10 epi & the wooden fork tines tend to push the warp around & distort the weaving, especially in small areas. DY generously shared her source with me, so now I must share it with all who might like to have forks like these. The tines are tapered, hardened stainless steel taken from pet combs & embedded in the hand shaped handles using epoxy resin. You may specify the tpi (tines per inch) you would like & what type of wood (from what is available). Here is the artisan's contact info:

John Jenkins

Magpie WoodWorks, LLC

316 Parkwood Drive

Grand Junction, CO 81503

970-256-1257

magpiwdwks@aol.com

The larger fork is the Begay fork (2 1/4 " across at its widest area & 8 1/2 " long including tines) & the smaller fork is the Mini (6/8" across its widest & 9" long). If these dimensions don't suit you, I think John will make them to your specifications. You must also check the pricing with John because I believe he is in the process of re-pricing.

A double-edged sword.... I cannot wait to start weaving my next tapestry, but construction to convert the garage into my new studio space starts on Monday, which will first involve using a jack hammer to chip away the 9" concrete apron in front of the old garage door. Plus, the boss of the concrete crew is as hyper as a ping pong ball in a tile bathroom, so I think he bears watching. Well, it will all pass soon & I will be left with a new studio space to show for the interrupted serenity.