This past year has been a celebration of our first 50 years; from demonstrations of spinning, felting, weaving and knitting at public fairs and markets to our own Fill the Fair Bingo to informal get togethers at our homes and of course a few workshops. Now we can begin to focus on our next 50 years. Will the guild look the same or somehow different? How will we let folks know who we are and what we do? Is our purpose and focus going to be the same of change with newer fibre experiences? We do not have all the answers yet but we are working on it!
We have this new website which has brought us many new members. Our fibre expertise is varied and embraces anything one can create with wool. A few years ago we moved one of the monthly day meetings to the evening hours. This move recognized members who work or have other daytime responsibilities need to come together and talk fibre. These meetings are more casual and usually find a cluster of members gathered around talking about a special topic and helping one another through some challenge or another. At the last meeting one member introduced herself a being 4 months old (in guild years) and we are so happy to have her join us. Here is her story.
Hi I’m Stacey and I’m new… sort of. I joined the Guild shortly after returning to Vancouver Island last fall after a decade away, and I’m so glad I did.
The Guild name says “Spinners and Weavers” but welcomes knitters as well – I would even say needs knitters, because hey, if you are going to spin all that yarn, it needs somewhere to go. And knitting is in a lot of ways much more portable than weaving. I have moved around a lot in my life, worked in jobs that had presentation and especially during the pandemic. I sat through a lot of zoom meetings that would have otherwise put me to sleep if it wasn’t for having my knitting in my hands. But those projects don’t always require my full attention, or even intention.
I’m not a weaver yet, but I want to be. My dream, once I settle into my own home someday, is to have space for a floor loom so that I can make all my own home textiles and most of my non-knitted clothing. I’m sure a lot of people who love fibre have that same dream. Once I get to the point in my life where I can do that, I have dozens of experienced weavers to learn from, and who can help me procure the best loom(s!) for my space. I’m excited for the unfolding of that process in such a knowledge-rich fibre community.
