 Finished! And beginning again…
Finished. Towels, napkins, scarves, and even a vest for my husband, out of my own handwoven yardage! Wrapped, given, unwrapped. Ok, the vest turned out a little too big, and has to be altered. And a pair of pajamas was a little late getting hemmed, but those are now done too. The last chocolate truffle in our house has been consumed. Soup is simmering on the stove. The plan for this afternoon is to spend some time with the 2022 Big Seed catalog and finish off the stollen. After all, somebody has to do it. In between these important tasks, I’ve cleaned ice off the inside of the windows! Not going anywhere until it thaws a bit. The last week of December and the first week of January are traditionally when I look back, assess the year’s accomplishments and think about the year to come. 2021 was a year of learning, through online workshops. My first and overall goal for 2022 is to review and put what I have learned into practice, dyeing and weaving. The second – to move past the considering stage and get going on my piece for the annual Guild Challenge! Another annual goal, ever since I can remember, has been to get organized. I reach an age this year, where I probably need to re-think that goal, and accept what is. It is just possible that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing, in the way I am meant to be doing it. This may be as good as it gets. And, looking around, I see friends, color and fiber. It’s a good life! Thanks so much to all of you for being a part of it. According to the Almanac, Winter ends on March 20, 2022. From January 1, that’s just 79 days until Spring begins on March 20! Outside, though it’s frosty frozen right now, according to the ten-day forecast, the snow will be gone by the time you read this. I hope you are all comfy, cozy and content. All the Best, Carol Berry WWG President To read the entire newsletter please click here. To see details about our upcoming meetings and events please click here. To see who our board members are please click here. To browse through our "Resources" page please click here.
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 (Fiber) Community Connections
Last week, three awesome and lovely Whatcom Weavers Guild members spent the morning sorting magazines upstairs in the Maple Street Studio. The Guild has an extensive collection of Handwoven Magazines, dating from 1981 through 2019. Moving them from the church had upset the chronological order quite a bit. We now know fully what we have, have a list of which issues are missing, and the collection is shelved in order by year! We have a printed index for every article published between 1980 and 2000. Online indexes are available for the years since then. Of course, the four of us did take short breaks to look at an issue when a cover caught our eye! Tapestry, twill, music as inspiration for weaving. Variations on the infinite themes of fiber, color, structure, surface design and embellishment. Even though we have the internet as a resource now, many of us prefer to look at the printed copies. As a Guild, we can support and share this resource! A question of what to do about the older magazines, preceding Handwoven, came up. We have Handweaver & Craftsman Magazine from 1960 through 1970. The photos are in black and white, and the articles rather different from the mostly project-based publications we are used to. Are they of any interest to our generation(s) of contemporary handweavers? Flipping open a random issue, an article on designing double weave advanced both my understanding of the weave structure and our connection with mid-20th century handweavers weavers, quite serious about advancing and sharing their craft. It’s fun to look at the historic advertisements too and think that these publications were the weavers’ information network of their day. Another member dropped by to donate three cones of weaving yarn for our monthly giveaway “goodie Bags” and left with a book from the library. She also recommended a book to me, which we have in the library, that I was not familiar with, and promised to write a review for the newsletter! After almost two years of caution and restrictions, I am so proud that our Guild has not withered but grown! Thank you all for sharing your skills, your questions, your enthusiasm and photos of your work. Our December program will feature what we all have been doing, and I can’t wait to see it! Warmly, Carol Berry WWG President To read the entire newsletter please click here. To see details about our upcoming meetings and events please click here. To see who our board members are please click here. To browse through our "Resources" page please click here.  Sharing the Warmth
Eighteen half-pints of applesauce, stored in the pantry. Thanks to a guild member with an orchard, who gifted me with apples! Two towels and four napkins, off the loom, washed, and ready for hemming! This particular red, orange, and green striped warp went on the loom at the beginning of summer … in my favorite weave structure, turned twill. It waited patiently through the summer, but had to come off, to clear my 8-shaft loom for a new project, in my other favorite weave structure, deflected double weave. The study groups I’m a part of are keeping me motivated. Planning my next weave means, I gotta finish the one on the loom; finishing a set of towels means I gotta finish the band that matches them; and working on a group project means when I get stuck, there are five other people working with that same weave structure to ask for advice. I love seeing what everyone else is doing. Our October program with Tapestry Artist Rowen Schussheim-Anderson is inspiring me to use paint, markers and colored paper collage to design in a playful and intentional way. Color play, the warmth of fiber, creativity and the satisfaction of making our own things is comforting and healing. We can see progress in one row of knitting, one spindle full of yarn, every inch of weaving. Weaving, sewing, knitting and embroidery, even mending are all therapeutic for me, especially when times are uncertain, weather is wet, windstorms, Monday happens… We are fortunate to have our crafts to share and community to support us. Most Guild outreach has been curtailed for safety reasons during the pandemic, but we can still share resources. One of our members is a High School teacher and leads a weekly Fiber Arts Club at her school. Knitting, crochet and weaving supplies would really help, as many of the students don’t have money for supplies. I hope you will read her request below, and perhaps you can help out. The Snow Hat and Scarf project is underway again, providing a way to move some of our extra yarn out in wearable form to littles and adults who need the warmth. Having a small project to pick up and knit or crochet is a pleasant retreat from worries and bigger projects too, a win-win! Warmly, Carol Berry WWG President To read the entire newsletter please click here. To see details about our upcoming meetings and events please click here. To see who our board members are please click here. To browse through our "Resources" page please click here.  Which way does the wind blow?
September can fool us with off-again on-again rain or sunshine and warmth. October is not fooling around. Blustery and nippy are the words for today. The everbearing strawberries have gifted me two last sweet pieces of fruit. The volunteer sunflower made it through two storms. It’s looking ragged, but I’ll leave it for the squirrels for as long as it stays standing. Fall and winter are filled with comforting activities, especially those involving fiber, friends, books, and food. The slow cooker comes out, for cooking and weaving at the same time. There is a new warp on the big loom, and it’s getting dark long before bedtime now, so weaving at home in the evening is on the agenda, and the books that have been piled up during the past few months are beckoning. One of the books I read and re-read last winter was Welcoming the Unwelcome by Pema Chodron. The book was a gift from Nancy Bjerke to many of her friends. It was so like Nancy to be thinking of the feelings of others, in the face of a nasty diagnosis. Nancy truly brought new meaning to the term “Living with cancer.” In whatever she did, Nancy Lived! May we carry that cheerful and loving spirit into and through all our pursuits. Grateful for all of you, and yarn too, Carol Berry WWG President To read the entire newsletter please click here. To see details about our upcoming meetings and events please click here. To see who our board members are please click here. To browse through our "Resources" page please click here.  Feels just like starting over…
September, to me, more than January, feels like the ending and beginning of the year’s cycle. This week, ripe plums on a neighborhood tree and a bag of spring rhubarb from the freezer resulted in 16 half-pints of garnet-red jam! Then, a bit of time in the pantry, bringing the last jars of preserves from 2020 to the front so we can be sure to eat them on yogurt or toast before we get into the freshly made stuff. Another colorful “harvest” is the completion of a full range of yarn and fabric samples from plant dyes. After the weeks of intensive dye work of this summer, it is time to measure warps, scour, mordant, and decide on colors! Time to start the planning, set-up and weaving cycle again, using what’s in the “pantry” of undyed yarns in cotton, wool and silk. Our August meet-up was a small but lively sharing of recent work and discussion of study groups. It was fun to welcome Jan Nilssen, a former Guild member now living in Eastern Washington, who brought materials and books to contribute to the Library, and shared stories of her weaving career. Several members were there who knew Jan from that time, newer members enjoyed learning about those early years as well. Not to boast, but the 2021 Wool and Weaving Entries at the NW WA Fair looked very nice this year. Sheila Atwater’s woven tapestries took home several prizes! I know more of you entered and took ribbons. I am eager to see photos. The judge provided excellent feedback on the evaluation card for each entry. A few members demonstrated weaving on a floor loom during the Fair, and next year it is hoped we can all participate more. In the cooler weather, I still must remember to water the garden between the drizzly days we are getting at last. I’m hoping for a few more ripe tomatoes and cucumbers before the season is over. Bumble bees are still visiting the blooming plants, birds are going after the seeds on the nine-bark and fennel. I have a volunteer sunflower that is over six feet tall, and, as always, plenty of weld for yellow dye. It’s time to plant some spring bulbs, spread mulch, and enjoy those intermittent sunny days in September! There is still time to get out and see the Fashion show and other exhibits at the Whatcom Museum and enjoy a treat at a sidewalk café. With the September meeting, the Guild year opens. Many exciting programs are planned for this year, starting with Kris Bruland and Handweaving.net on September 18. The meeting and program will be online, via Zoom. Look for the link in an email message the week before the meeting. I look forward to seeing you soon! Carol Berry WWG President To read the entire newsletter please click here. To see details about our upcoming meetings and events please click here. To see who our board members are please click here. To browse through our "Resources" page please click here.  The Colors of Summer
Pale yellow-green lemon cucumbers, a blush of red on a green cherry tomato, brilliant pink zinnias with tiny yellow crowns, red Canna lilies. It was a joy to come back to the colors in my home garden, after a road trip through Yakima to Boise, Idaho. This was a work trip for my husband, on a tight schedule. We were rolling with the Big Rigs! As navigator, I got a great view out the passenger window, but sadly, no yarn-related stops. Still, there was plenty of inspiration. Near Richland, we saw truckloads of onions – think of all those onion skins for dyeing. Once in Boise, we had a rest day, strolled through the Simplot Plaza – a city block of indoor and outdoor event and play space, liberally decorated with complex, brightly painted antique tractors – and visited the Boise Art Museum. Textile works by Artists Marie Watt, Lisa Kokin, Rudy Kovacs, Kathryn Spence, and prints by Gee’s Bend Quilt Artists Louisiana and Mary Lee Bendolph thrilled and inspired me. The textile-based work of Suchitra Mattai, installed in the large hall, is stunning! Visit the Museum website to see for yourself! Back home now, catching up with my Natural Dye workshop homework. The colors of summer, indeed! I had not done iron shift before, and the changes are amazing. Next is indigo overdye, then labeling every sample for reference. By the time our August meeting rolls around there will be a complete set of color options to share for show and tell. Study Groups are the program for August, and you will not want to miss it! We will meet in person at Fairhaven Park again with the opportunity to stay after the meeting to spin, knit, weave with small looms, talk, share and plan what we might like to learn and do during the indoor days of Fall and Winter. Starting up or joining a study group is simple, and a great way to expand your options for fiber connections, learning and fun all year long. Warmly, Carol Berry WWG President To read the entire newsletter please click here. To see details about our upcoming meetings and events please click here. To see who our board members are please click here. To browse through our "Resources" page please click here.  Stepping Into Color with Both Feet
You know the saying about today being the first day of the rest of your life? It feels like I am stepping into a new life journey, in technicolor. This is a journey I have dreamed of for decades! Having carried and stored a jar of cochineal bugs for almost 40 years, I am now, with trepidation, learning how to use them. Madder, Marigold and Cochineal are the first three colors to emerge from my dye pots! When learning to weave on a table or floor loom, it can feel like it takes forever to do all the little things necessary to get the warp set up before doing the “real” weaving. And then, once truly bitten by the weaving bug, one realizes the planning, winding, warping, and of course the finishing, are all satisfying pieces of the weaving process. And so it is, I am finding, with natural dyeing. Planning and preparation make for an experience that is satisfying and successful. Upon opening the third week module in the Maiwa online Natural Dyeing workshop, I was beyond excited to start going for color! Winding, tying, scouring, mordanting, had taken two full weeks. I had examined all the yarns and fabrics, affixed un-dyed samples in a journal, scoured each and every one according to the recipes for their fiber type. What a revelation. Just as in weaving, the set-up process takes time, and taking that time makes all the difference in the success of the next steps. And what a success! The colors are rich, deep and saturated. At last, I am setting out on the journey of natural dyes with a proper map. Maybe I could dye and felt some “ruby slippers?” Carol Berry WWG President To read the entire newsletter please click here. To see details about our upcoming meetings and events please click here. To see who our board members are please click here. To browse through our "Resources" page please click here.  Each One Teach One
Yesterday I had a visitor in my studio! A close friend, also a Guild member, who understands that yarn on every surface, surrounding piles of books, topped with graph paper and colored pencils is not really a “mess.” Still, I tidied up a bit before she got here, so we could both sit down at the table for a visit. I wound sample skeins for my upcoming online Natural Dye workshop, and she looked through the stack of older VAV magazines while we had a good chat. These particular magazines from the 1980’s are written in Swedish. Even though neither of us read or speak Swedish, the photos are gorgeous, the weaving seems very contemporary, and the drafts are possible to figure out! As weavers, we know the code. Translate few key words, (i.e. bomullsgarn means cotton, varp is warp, sett is, well, sett) convert centimeters to inches, and we can do this! (Tip. divide the number of centimeters by 2.5, and you get inches. Multiply ends per CM by 2.5, and you get EPI. Round up or down to get a whole number.) This is how we keep our brains going right? And when we don’t get it, or aren’t sure, we ask another weaver. Looking back to June 2020, we were just figuring out how to connect with each other and our creativity in a pandemic that showed little real sign of slowing down. That summer, with precautions, we were able to get together in small groups outdoors, to connect, learn, share our fiber work and show off our cute masks. By that Fall, we were figuring out online Guild meetings and dialing into online workshops and classes. One year later, as a Guild we have formalized support for Study Groups, both in person and virtual, and committed to safety and inclusivity with monthly Zoom meetings and occasional outdoor gatherings. Driveway warping demos have become a thing. Inkle loom, tray table, folding chair in the car? Check, check and check. There are plans for larger outdoor meetings in the Summer! Unfinished projects and new starts. I have looms that are warped, dye pots ready, strawberries and peas are getting ripe, baby zucchini plants that need watering. I am excited for our June meeting, to share what is ahead for the Summer and Fall. See you soon, Carol Berry WWG President To read the entire newsletter please click here. To see details about our upcoming meetings and events please click here. To see who our board members are please click here. To browse through our "Resources" page please click here.  Weather to Weave?
Even after 40 years of making my home in the Pacific Northwest, I am still a fool for this time of year. I am so glad I got those bulbs in the ground in November, because I crave the spring flowers, but it is just too cold and wet to get outside in March. And then, as of now - though things will probably have changed by the time you read this - it’s been sunny for a number of days. I have actually been outside without a sweater. Snap pea starts are in the ground, and weeds are suddenly huge. And yet, I know in another week the weather will turn back to “normal” and the question of whether to garden or to weave won’t be a conflict. This season is always a new beginning, even more so this year. As a Guild, we have navigated new ways to communicate and support our common interests. Missing in-person connections, we have developed online interest groups. Small groups are meeting in settings that provide levels of safety the members are comfortable with. Wanting to learn and improve our skills, we have signed up for online workshops and classes, and redoubled our efforts to learn from books and videos. In 2021, it is the aim of the Whatcom Weavers Guild Board to ensure that each member is able to connect and continue our shared interests in the Textile Arts in settings that are safe, healthy and inclusive. How will we connect this year while protecting our own health, that of loved ones, and what about those of us that are kept apart by closed national borders? The plan is to continue monthly all-member meetings and programs via Zoom for the immediate and foreseeable future. Small groups, meeting in person, or online, as decided by the small group membership, are providing additional learning and community connections. Several groups have formed, and new groups are being asked for! Read the full newsletter to see the list of study & interest groups, and groups that are forming. Whether you want to learn to warp an inkle, borrow a rigid heddle loom, or meet up with others who share your current textile passion, let it be known. Warmly, Carol Berry WWG President To read the entire newsletter please click here. To see details about our upcoming meetings and events please click here. To see who our board members are please click here. To browse through our "Resources" page please click here.  Mood Indigo
March marks the one-year mark of Pandemic semi-isolation, uncertainty, plenty of time in the studio, a decided reduction in outside contact and no travel adventures. It’s been a long year, and here we are in March again, AKA the NW annual cold, wet, winter-into-spring slump. Then today the sun came out! For a minute. There are crocuses of three different colors in the back as well as the front garden. Tulips are poking their points up, and daffodils too. Entering the season of – okay, this isn’t spring yet, but with intermittent sunshine, daily vitamin D supplements, and indoor fiber projects, I’m going to make it. “Am I Blue…” What to do? Indigo. In the middle of the dark and wet, I am now in the middle of an online Journey into Indigo workshop! Due to Covid, this class, normally a two-day on-site workshop, limited to 20 students, has been re-created online, opened up to 60 people, joining in from all over the world, over a period of 7 weeks. This is a great time to get into blue! Banana Vat, Date Vat. White cotton yarn. The first wrapped and dyed warp is on the loom at last! It’s very basic, and it took quite a process to get to this point. I am looking forward to doing more, and planning more intricate pieces, but that’s the future. I have learned a lot so far, not the least of which is, this is a time-consuming multi-step process. There are no shortcuts. Having learned about Ikats in Uzbekistan, that each family workshop masters one step in the entire process, I am starting to get it. Any aspect of the fiber arts can be a pleasing pastime, an engaging hobby, and much more… this is a lifestyle, and it is changing my definition of Blue. To be sure, I am following safety protocols and have not turned my hands blue. I am creating organic vats, reduced with plant material, not harsh chemicals. Confident that once summer comes and we can safely meet outdoors, I look forward to sharing the process in small groups, so we can all be Blue, in the best possible way! See you soon, Carol Berry WWG President To read the entire newsletter please click here. To see details about our upcoming meetings and events please click here. To see who our board members are please click here. To browse through our "Resources" page please click here. |
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