New Title
I remember very clearly the day I was beginning to read Deborah Chandler's Learning to Weave, when she says to the reader: "You are a weaver." She said in reference as to what to call oneself when one begins to read, and she meant it to be said proudly, to not be wishy-washy about what the reader was about to become. So now, I am a weaver, 13 years later. As of yesterday, I have a new title: I am a spinner.
Every full time employee of John C. Campbell Folk School gets to take 2 classes a year for free, and I'm shocked at how many people never take advantage of it. I picked my classes out my first week! But I didn't pick spinning; those of you who know me know I have tried, failed and put it behind me. But so many of my new friends here in Brasstown spin and love it, and well, I signed up for the class and got in. The rest is now history!
June Rollins, a very talented painter who works in the JCCFS craft shop also took the class, and here she is, studiously spinning. She is taking the week long class that follows, From Sheep to Shawl, also with Martha Owen, the resident artist for spinning, knitting and all fibery things that aren't weaving. Martha is a wonderful teacher, patient and full of great stories. Her teaching methods helped me get over the problems I had the first time I tried to spin. I wish now I'd kept that first spinning wheel! But by now, it's probably loved and used by someone who didn't give up so easily!
There were ten of us in the class, and here we are carding, not my favorite part of the day. It's very hard on the hands and shoulders, but I bet when I get more practice, it'll be something nice to do on the porch on a sunny day.
Until then, I can practice more spinning from the stuff I brought home from class, on the wheel that followed me home. It's a Kromksi Minuet, previously loved by a friend of Martha's who passed away last summer. I also bought her carders and a little of her sock yarn. All her stuff, loved by her, was left to her husband to disperse. Martha is selling it to her classes to help out the husband left behind. I was going to name the wheel Susan in honor of her, but then saw that Johan, the wheel's maker, signed it on the bottom, so that will be the wheel's name.
At the end of every class term, there is show and tell, and here is our class's table of spun yarn. We all learned a lot in just a couple of days, and had a wonderful time. The kitchen did a great job in my absence, making wonderful meals for all the students, and I'm so grateful they gave me the time off to learn something new.Maggie Davidson, Spinner
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