Demonstrating spinning at the Trout Lake Farmers’ Market in early August with 4 other guild members is probably the most satisfying session I have ever had. There were many people interested in learning how to spin. Those who knew how to spin or had spun years ago, were interested in the latest wheels and the different fibers that could be purchased. Some of the highlights were a young man who was growing flax in his East Vancouver back yard and wanted to know how to process it into linen. A woman from Russia had not spun since she was 14 years old. (She looked about 45). When she tried my wheel, she was spinning very smoothly right away as if she had been spinning every day for years! Another woman was an outpost nurse that wanted a portable wheel to take to remote areas. She had learned to spin in Nelson, but knew nothing about the various people in the lower mainland that sold fiber and wheels, or the fact that a guild was so close to where she lived. Another woman had “always wanted to try spinning”. She was thrilled to be able to try my wheel. At first I would do the treadling until each person trying for the first time could draw the roving smoothly.
The children are always fun when spinning is being demonstrated. I always switch to a new colour so that they can watch the yarn progress from my hand to the bobbin on the wheel. Because they are not tall enough to treadle (and it would be too frustrating anyways), I usually get them to hang onto the roving and guide their hands to spin a little and feel the twist going up the yarn. There is always a child in every crowd that is more interested in treadling than spinning. I get them to sit on the ground to push the treadles with their hands. It is always rewarding to see a youngster that is very shy and unsure come away with a bit of spun wool and proudly show it to their parents. No matter if they have a death grip on the wool or if they are a natural at drawing the roving out, my hands next to theirs can compensate for their deficiencies and they don’t seem to notice. They think they are doing it themselves.
Demonstrating in East Vancouver has to be one of the best places to let people know about our guild and the joy that spinning and weaving brings us. I hope we can go there again many times.
submitted by Anita Jamieson
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