Guild members have been participating in monthly virtual meetings and our March meeting featured our resident silk expert Coleen. She has used opportunities and experiences to enrich her learning over the years including Olds College, conferences and teaching engagements. Coleen joined the guild when she moved to the Cowichan Valley and we are so happy she found us.
Coleen shared her experiences and photos of her travels to Laos where she learned about silk production. She was able to stay and work at the Mulberries Organic Silk Farm learning about silk production from the baby silk worms to the spinning of silk yarn. The photos of baby silk worms being fed multiple times a day reminded us of when we had newborns. Coleen told us that she was responsible for the daytime feeds of delicate mulberry leaves picked fresh from the fields.
Coleen now raises her own silk worms here on Vancouver Island, taking special care of them like precious creatures they are. She spins silk from their cocoons for amazing knitwear and tapestry miniatures.
Coleen shares that the more we learn the more we realize there is to learn. We agree and believe that fibre creates a community and everyone’s participation enriches all our learning and deepens our appreciation and love for all things fibre.