Wish you were closer to me....I've put several together and have taken apart, moved and reassembled others. Looks like a great loom and you already have what looks like cotton rug warp on the back beam. Once you get it up and sleyed you could learn to weave by doing some rag rugs or placemats. They are fairly easy and you are not going to "waste" wool. Cotton is easier to work with at first and more forgiving than wool IMHO. Check with local high schools, colleges, nursing/rehab centers to see if they have looms or weavers who could help you. Check with your library for basic weaving books/videos. Are you near Rhinebeck NY? There is a huge fiber festival there every year and there have to be some weavers in the mix. Sorry I don't have contact info but google could probably help. Good luck, weaving is great and very creative. Try
www.eglfc.com They run a fiber conference every two years and may have a contact near you.
Ever seen an Alpaca after its sheared?
I'm not sure alpacas make good eating. But their fleece is so superior to sheep I'm not sure I wouldn't just get alpaca and meat sheep. The alpaca will protect the sheep in the herd from predators, too.
