[Ek_fiber] Introduction and realization

[Sarah Fiedler]

First off, I finally realize that I can't go to the natural color day on 
July 17.  I'll be pre-cooking breakfast items for the following weekend 
at EK War Camp in Eisental.

I have a book that outlines exactly how to run a 2 or 3 day dyeing 
workshop for 10 people   Some of us had thought of trying this out after 
Pennsic, maybe even when the weather gets cooler. We'll let you know how 
it is and, if it's good, people in other areas can run local workshops 
along the same lines.

My mom taught me to knit when I was young. I don't remember, but it was 
a single digit number. I couldn't figure out how to purl for the life of 
me.  So she taught me to crochet and I left knitting until I was past 
30. I asked my mother in law to teach me to knit and she taught me how 
to knit... left handed.  My mother - she's so cool - set me straight and 
I made an argyle vest for my husband. I'd first thought a sweater and my 
mother said scarf so I compromised by not making arms.  I duplicate 
stitched the thin row of stitches.

This very crafty mother also suggested I might like to learn to spin 
wool into yarn and took me to the studio of a woman in Croton-on-Hudson 
NY.  I liked it so much (spinning carded rolags in the grease) that I 
bought a bag of wool and a wheel.  I put my summer camp money towards it 
and my mom paid the rest.  My best calculations but this wheel, which I 
still have, at 243 years old.  I chose that wheel because my foot fit 
the impression that was worn into the treadle.

I've dabbled in counted cross stitch, needlepoint, free embroidery, 
plastic canvas, more knitting, felting, lots more spinning - I did 
eventually, get a modern wheel for production spinning - a bit of 
dyeing.  I re-taught myself to spin when I joined the SCA.

I must go to bed so I'll have to tell you more about me another time.

Pax,
Sarah