Boot Camp graduation…

I think this week was probably up there with the most fun I’ve had teaching.  And to think it was close to home, which sometimes isn’t such a great thing since being close to home means coming home, dealing with things at home, but I really can’t complain this time, I chose to have my house painted and as exhausted as I was, it was kind of fun to come home and see the progress.  Larry and his son Andy are doing a wonderful job, and the house is looking fresh and alive, and welcoming.  I’m not even so stressed that everything is moved around and in a disarray.  This too shall pass.

Day three and day four of the Fiber Boot Camp at the Newark Museum was just as much fun as the first two days, watching the students interact so well, spend so much time laughing, and just bubble with ideas and possibilities.  I loved being able to say when asked if this or that was possible, “Try it and find out…”  Give creative spirits a little information and some fun raw materials and watch the fireworks!

What I also loved was how the students would come back the next day, eagerly showing me what they did when they got home the night before, not wanting the magic to end, some continued well into the night, dyeing additional materials they had laying around, embellishing things they did in class, like this amulet bag from Stephanie.  And Audrey was so excited by all the fleece we were using, turns out she owns 10 Shetland sheep and she brought in a couple of fleeces, dark and light, and shared them with all of us.

Day three the students warped inkle looms and made simple bands.  This was the first loom experience for most of the students, and one of the women, who had taken a weaving class previously, hadn’t had a good experience, so I think she felt a little more encouraged and actually bought an inkle loom.

In the afternoon, we all sat around solving life’s mysteries, and made braids on a kumihimo disk.  I had premeasured the yarn and made little kits, so it was very leisurely,  since everyone was showing signs of overload!  Still one more day to go.

Yesterday was the finale.  I brought in pre-warped tapestry frame looms, and they brought back some of their spun yarn and Kool-aid dyed roving.  It was fascinating seeing how each one selected a palette and materials and dove in covering the warp in a personal way.  I learned this method of “speed” weaving long ago, it works well with kids with short attention spans, covering the warp with roving, and then pushing it aside in places to add elements, textures and color.  I heard murmurs while they were working about how much they all wanted to return for a repeat class, maybe a Boot Camp II?  This was a particularly special group of women, two of them, after chatting next to each other for awhile, actually found out they were related.  Fiber does that.  It brings people together, much like our ancestors would spin together, or knit together, sharing life stories, kid raising, cooking and recipes, and hopes and dreams.  Someone even asked me where I saw myself five years from now.  I’m still thinking about how to answer that, and how special it is for someone to have asked.

I’m finished my packing for Convergence, except for the clothing. I’ve shipped what I could.  I got my final numbers last night, and went back to the printer and added more handouts.  I’m very tired, and also getting sick.  I do have to be grateful, I stayed healthy through all of my spring teaching events, and pushed myself really really hard, and I’m not surprised my body is saying, “Enough”, and if I have to be sick, with a  summer cold, I can’t complain that it is on the eve of my vacation, and that I will be able to relax and sleep some of it off.  My husband arrived home yesterday afternoon from Saudi Arabia, and we will be heading out to Albuquerque Monday morning.  My son and his army buddies, and of course the painters, will be holding down the fort while we are gone.  I’m looking forward to coming home and seeing a freshly painted house.

Albuquerque, here we come…