Our Washington state adventure started last Friday at Pike’s Place Market in downtown Seattle. It was what I remembered best from the brief time I lived here nearly 30 years ago! Inside the market, I don’t think much has really changed. The atmosphere is the same. A bustle-ness, an odd sense of community what with people from everywhere blending with Seattle-ites and vendors. A good place to shop and eat. We went to the Market twice, once when we got there on Friday, and a second time on Saturday. Lunch and breakfast. We had the “world’s best macaroni and cheese” for lunch and a spectacular view of the harbor at breakfast. Fun stuff. Saturday we went with Syne Mitchell of WeaveCast. She was as delightful in person as she is in her podcasts. It is always fun to put a face to a name (and not be disappointed). No disappointment there. Syne is a weaver, what more can we say! Pictured around the pig from L to R: Joan, Syne, Becca and Su.
Here’s a general view of the market – all the colors really are inspiring.
After breakfast we stopped in at Seattle’s Weaving Works, enjoyed poking around and getting our fiber fix. Then we headed out to Snohomish and a bezillion antique shops. The three of us love to check out old textiles for unique weave structures and ideas. Most usually these are in the form of old towels. This picture shows a fun find of an old coverlet that was put together wrong. First we thought they’d done a bad job matching things up, then Becca realized that one side of the coverlet should have been flipped 180 degrees! The arrow points to the center seam. Always learning! Sunday was rainy. We went to a community rummage/antique sale in Mt. Vernon, but we were all tired of dusty old stuff, so we headed to Whidbey Island and enjoyed a slow rest of the day. Good thing, because things started with a bang on Monday morning.
Madelyn van der Hoogt’s Weavers’ School is located in the lower level of her home in the town of Coupeville — a town so slow and relaxed that we couldn’t find a can of Red Bull anywhere! Each day is divided between weaving and lecture. I haven’t even counted the looms that are available for us to weave on – but there are 10 students in our class and you never have to sit and wait for a loom to go to next. Samples are significant samples – large enough to do something with. My first one was on a Glilmakra draw loom and was a five block double-weave sample.
Here’s Becca with Huck, our mascot.
And Madelyn demonstrating how NOT to fill a bobbin!
This is Su weaving on the new love of her life: a second Glimakra draw loom. See how she is “drawing” down the cords over her head? That is making the pattern that you see in the next picture.
More photos and story once we are done!
Seattle is a beautiful place! I have almost the exact same picture (with different people, of course!) on the Pike’s Pig. 🙂 And maybe there is a Pike’s Place colorway (or fair isle design) in your future?
Wow! You’ll come back crammed to the gills with ideas and excitement over your new knowledge. I don’t know weaving and I’m excited! Looking forward to hearing about your class, the other students and how it will affect us.