I took a few breaks from writing my next book to spend some time in my studio and shop. I’ve been working on several instruments and actually finished one.
My wife recently bought another Ashford ridgid hettle loom. Her original loom was only 12 inches wide and good for making scarves. She always wanted a wider one to make place mats and other wider weavings. Her new one is 20 inches wide and is attached to a floor stand. When we set it up, it wasn’t too stable, so I immediatly added some braceing to stablize it. She then showed me a picture of shuttles that are called ski shuttles.
I made two of the top ski shuttles and one long one like the bottom in the picture. They are 12 inches long. I have one more like the bottom one that is 8 inches long.
As for instruments, the one I completed is a miné Saxon lyre. The body is elm that came from trees removed from San José State College. The top is the remainder of some koa I purchased in Kona, Hawaii, in 1994.
Other instruments I’ve been working on are a mini hog nose psaltery and another psaltery based on the 13th century Cantigas de Santa Maria illuminated manuscript.
Well, time to get back to writing more on my next book. Onward…
Ron Cook Studios 