Babies and weaving and spinning, oh my!
Months since my last blog post, many skeins of yarn and woven fabrics later, I am excited to be back with so much great news to share.
First, we welcomed preemie twins to our family! Bailey and Mabel were born just after Christmas, two months earlier than expected. Our daughter and son in law and their beautiful girls are all doing well after an extended stay in the NICU and my hubby and I are loving the grandparent life! It’s taken some time, of course, but everyone has fallen into a routine over the last couple of months as the babies have gotten bigger and it is exciting to be back to a nearly full time schedule in my studio.
Second, I got a floor loom! If you know me you know I’ve enjoyed weaving (and teaching) on rigid heddle looms for quite some time, but I’ve always felt my weaving experience would be richer if I also understood floor looms. With that in mind I took a week long class in October with the incomparable Sarah Goodman at the Sandwich League of NH Craftsmen and loved it. Sarah generously loaned me a Harrisville Designs 4 shaft loom through the winter while I waited to receive my new Schacht 8 shaft Baby Wolf. I am reading, practicing and literally dreaming of drafts and threading patterns and treadling patterns. My mind is stretched regularly and I am addicted. My spinning and weaving friends keep getting messages from me and have generously helped and answered my numerous questions and replied enthusiastically when I share my latest realization or accomplishment. Spinners and weavers are the NICEST people! I’m still weaving on my rigid heddle looms, too, but the floor loom experience has definitely added perspective that I look forward to sharing with my RHL students going forward. As a Schacht dealer I am able to order floor looms, too, so keep me in mind if you catch the weaving bug. 🙂
Third, my yarny relationship with Free People has continued this spring! Over ten years ago I designed a funky corespun, lockspun yarn that designer Tracy Radcliffe used to make gorgeous, ginormous shawls that Free People carried in their catalog. (I actually created a pattern inspired by her design that is available in my Etsy shop here). This spring I’ve been working with Andrea Kalis, a Florida based designer, who is creating hair accessories with my top selling Waste Not Want Not yarns for Free People and, whaddya know, they are selling well! It is always a thrill to see items made from “my” yarns in catalogs but knowing people are buying and enjoying those items is next level.
Lastly, spring has sprung, everyone is out of hibernation and it’s fun to have so much social activity and fresh air in the studio! Monthly spin ins here in my Gilmanton, NH studio are continuing through the summer and I hope to attend spin ins with the local guild this summer in Rollinsford and Strafford (if you’re local-ish I’d love to see you at these!). I’ve also been having a great time teaching folks to spin here in the studio – it is a thrill to meet people who want to learn to spin (again, always the NICEST people) and watch it click for them while we chat and spin. Some folks use one of my wheels & others bring a wheel of their own. It’s especially fun when folks bring an old wheel that’s been sitting in a barn unused and we have no idea if it works. We bring out the string and the oil and go at it to see if it is workable. Lately they HAVE been workable and it’s quite a thrill to restore and bring them back to life.
I’ve also started taking registrations for two rigid heddle loom weaving classes scheduled in June – a 3 hour freeform saori style weaving workshop that is going to be so much fun plus a full day beginning rigid heddle loom weaving class that will cover all the ropes from warping to weaving to finishing a woven fabric. Check out the details here. Come weave with me! We will have fun! :)