For the past six years the Spinning & Weaving Association has been promoting the arts of spinning and weaving (curiously enough!). The idea is certainly to increase sales for retailers and wholesalers, but trust me when I say that no one gets “rich” off these arts at any level. We do it because we love it. Ergo, we are promoting the loves of our life: spininng and weaving.
Because of the volunteer work I do with the association I have had the opportunity to teach spinning at TNNA, the summer yarn market, and last fall I taught spinning for rigid heddle weaving at SOAR (Spin Off Autumn Retreat). My group at SOAR was incredible. I have heard from several of them since and it really tickles me. One student, Susan, has opened her own shop in Texas – visit her at www.yarnorama.com. Another, Mariellen, just sent me a lovely, newsy email that she gave me permission to share with you.
“I’m updating you on what has happened since the SOAR 2007 rigid heddle weaving class. One of my spinning buddies, and multi-shaft weaver, got a rigid heddle loom for smaller projects. Freya was impressed at SOAR last year and saw the pleasure I was getting with my loom since then. She asked around to borrow a loom and was given “a no-brand someone made it rigid heddle loom” and was able to fix it via computer pictures and warp it with my instructions over the phone. She’s weaving her first project on it now and I will see it on Friday.
“Diane, my SOAR class partner, was out here and we warped her knitter’s loom with her handspun. She’s weaving a bag as I write this. The rigid heddle word is spreading – see what you started at SOAR!
“You had asked to see my Brooks bouquet valance and I’m sending pictures. There’s also a picture of my latest BIG leno scarf. The leno is BIG but the scarf will be regular size.”
- The “big leno” scarf.
I do promise to do a post about Convergence and Complex Weavers . . . soon! In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the possibilities with rigid heddle weaving. Thanks for sharing, Mariellen!