In Canada, the school year generally begins in September. It was one reason why I chose September as the start for the seminar series – get the kids back in school (those that were going) and begin a ‘class’ along with others.
It has been a tumultuous year, all in all. Lots of changes, globally, nationally, personally. But we are still here, and because we are, it is time to move. Forward, if at all possible.
It has been interesting, being involved in this craft for 50+ years. The interest in weaving appears to cycle. Interest will die down, then come back again. The latest spur to interest appears to have been rigid heddle looms becoming more available. They are an ‘easier’ entry into the craft. The loom itself is smaller, less complex looking. Easier to begin. Cheaper to invest in.
But that doesn’t make the craft itself ‘easier’. All the ‘hidden’ dynamics involved in weaving are still there. Still as puzzling, still as complex, still as frustrating, as those involved in weaving with a bigger, more mechanical loom.
And I still see people who don’t quite grasp the complexity, want instant answers, being disappointed because things do not go the way they would like.
I see beginners choosing thick yarns, trying to make cloth that functions ‘better’ if they used thinner yarn, right from the get go. But again, they don’t have the physical skills, or the theoretical knowledge, and they wind up with a result – just not the result they were hoping for.
They don’t want to ‘waste’ time, they want instant ‘good’ results, without regard for the degree of learning that is required, first to build a solid foundation of knowledge, and then the experience to know which facets of the process need to be applied, and when.
Right now we have the opportunity to learn in a way that was never available to preceding generations – there are on-line classes. There are a variety of them. I have my personal ‘favourites’ and am happy to recommend the ones I feel will provide the student with solid information. Partly it depends on whether the student wants a ‘quick’ workshop, or if they want to take a deeper, more concentrated look at the craft.
Jane Stafford has, perhaps, the best on-line class for complete beginners to really *learn* the craft. She presents the information in an organized fashion, building on previous lessons to enlarge the student’s foundational knowledge. If someone is a complete beginner, I recommend Jane Stafford.
For smaller ‘bites’ of information, there are a variety of other options. My first two were with Long Thread Media – workshops in wet finishing and ways to weave that would, perhaps, help people who knew how to weave but wanted to refine their approach.
From there I did four workshops with School of Sweet Georgia. I expanded somewhat on what I did for Long Thread with The Intentional Weaver – the class for Sweet Georgia is longer and there was time to include more details. Then Magic in the Water – again, longer, able to include more details. Then we did a workshop on lace weaves, and most recently on beaming sectionally, where I covered ways to beam sectionally apart from a single solid colour warp, or rigid stripes.
Since then I added the seminars, first as an aid to my Olds students, now offering them publicly.
The reaction has been surprisingly strong, and I have agreed to run them again in the new year. I expect they will be in the same format – 30 registrants, 12 weeks of 2 hour seminars, recorded with the recordings available for 4 weeks after the live event.
Beyond that, I may continue to write. The older I get, the less energy I have. So, I try to manage the energy I do have in order to keep doing what I love to do. But the season is changing, the northern hemisphere is preparing for winter. Time to prioritize what it is I want to do, then concentrate on that…
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