Great teachers become a part of our spinning
 Sara Lamb shares her wisdom from the wheel in her new workshop video,Spin to Weave. | |
Nothing beats watching someone do their craft, except when the craft is also yours. It is no surprise that crafts are such a communal hobby. There is so much to learn by watching someone's hand movements and seeing the ways their techniques vary from your own.
In spinning (and weaving), I have had many teachers and when I work I notice all the little adjustments I've adopted from them. It is funny how years later, I still take note of these changes, often with a fond remembrance of the teacher and when I first saw the technique. What a miracle it is to be a teacher and to be immortalized in your students.
 Examples of Sara's beautiful handspun warp faced fabric. | |
After watching Sara Lamb's new workshop video, Spin to Weave, _I am sure to see Sara cropping up in both my spinning and weaving. The video does an amazing job of letting you watch what she is doing. It seems often when I watch a video, I just start to get the rhythm of a technique and the camera shifts to something else. _In _Spin to Weave, _Sara talks as she spins (and warps her loom, and weaves) and you get to really watch how she does things. She also explains the how and why of what she is doing, and you get to see most of the techniques firsthand, not just imagine how they are done. I am really impressed with her loose drafting style and will definitely try and loosen my grip. It is also really useful to watch a more experienced weaver figuring out sett and combining warps. And then there was the way she throws her shuttle—clearly as someone with years of weaving under her belt. I definitely could emulate her simple rhythm.
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In addition to the unique invitation to watch someone at their craft, I am also fascinated by what I learned about combining spinning and weaving. (I have yet to weave with my own handspun.) There were so many factors I hadn't considered and myths that Sara debunks. It is great to learn how twist direction does (and doesn't) affect the final product. As well as how inconsistent twist is not an issue with proper finishing (a process she succinctly describes and gives you the tools to do yourself). Sara does an amazing job of sharing the samples and the thought process that has led her to her conclusions and the techniques she uses. It is also great to see her examples of how best to use color in weaving as the resulting fabric is so different than the knitting I usually do with my handspun.
I have always wanted to try warping up my loom with handspun and now I feel like I have the knowledge to make yarn that will be the best for weaving both in structure and appearance.
Spin on,
