Special Announcement: The winner of the signed book BLACKMAIL AND BIBINGKA by Mia P. Manansala is...Gillian B!!!
Congratulations, Gillian! To claim your prize, you can email Mia at:
JENN McKINLAY: If you know me at all, you know that I'm a crafter. You name it, I've done it from basketweaving to scrapbooking to woodworking - been there and done that.
The only craft that seems to stick is the fiber arts. I started with crochet and then moved on to knitting. I've been very content, knitting at the end of the day as my wind down from the word smithing.
And then I was in Canada at my favorite yarn shop (it's in a barn on a sheep farm - Gaspereau Valley Fibres) and I got sidetracked by these amazing scarves and wraps and whatnot that they had draped all over the place so I spoke with the woman in the shop that day and she explained that she taught weaving and these were some of her creations. WEAVING! I was entranced.
The next thing I knew I was doing a deep dive into weaving books, videos, and debating buying a rigid heddle loom.
Screeeeeeeeech!!!!
That would be me, slamming the brakes on before I was $1K into a new hobby I wasn't even certain I'd enjoy.
Instead, when I got home I checked around and noted that my local yarn shop Tempe Yarn and Fiber also has a weaving class. So this is how I spent my morning yesterday, learning the art of warp and weft with my first run at weaving.
So, how did it go? Well...
OMG - I love it so much! It's complicated and fussy in the beginning (the warping) and then super duper cool (the weaving). I was in class with three other ladies and we encouraged each other as we went along - a newly forged sisterhood in fiber :)
So, I think II have a new hobby! But first, I'm going to baby step my way in with a book (natch) and study up before I go full on weaver immersion. But, seriously, it was the BEST!
While in class, our lovely teacher Amanda told us it was National Spin and Weave Week -- Oct 3-9.
I didn't even know there was such a thing, but it felt very appropriate for me to be in this class at this time. You can find out more info on all sorts of fiber arts here: Handweavers Guild of America.
What about you, Reds and Readers, if you could take up a hobby right now, what would it be?
