[Ek_fiber] Intro from Caid

[Jan Ward]

Hello, all,
My name is Edwinna, and I am a fiber addict. I will
probably only lurk on this list (where I can quietly
pick your brains). I reside in the Barony of
Dreiburgen (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) in
the Kingdom of Caid (Southern California). My chief
interest is in learning to weave archaeological
textiles. 
I learned to weave in 1975, before I found the SCA,
and I learned to spin the same year I joined, 1982. I
bought my teacher's wheel, a tiny parlor wheel which
she brought with her from Germany about 45 years ago.
It spun way too fast for me while I was learning, so I
borrowed a friends Ashford, then bought a Wee Peggy. 
My apprentice is now learning on the Wee Peggy, and
the poor little parlor wheel is gathering dust because
I've been too busy to spin for the last year or so.
My loom is also gathering dust, for the same reason.
Too busy, too much traveling. I'm learning fingerloop
braiding now, so I can indulge my addiction while I
travel or sit in meetings and things.
Before I joined the SCA I wove mostly blankets and
towels and rugs for members of my family. After I
joined the SCA, I found out that SCA people like
blankets too, so I've supplied several friends with
warm cuddly things too. My proudest achievement was a
double wide 2/1 twill  with a wide stripe at top and
bottom in which the twill was reversed. The blanket is
red with white on one side, and white with red on the
other. I really wish I'd kept a picture. Just doing
the fabric in two layers taxed my poor brain, but
being able to get the stripe woven correctly made me
feel like I was finally a real weaver. I used six of
the looms four harnesses, and I think I had to re-tie
the treadles for the stripe. Not enough treadles to
have the whole sequence tied from the beginning.
My current project is a tunic for a friend, dyed with
madder and woven in a broken lozenge twill. I'm
supposed to be here for the next three weeks, so I'm
hoping I can manage to get the loom warped up and the
fabric woven without too many distractions.
I have wool and tools stashed in every room of my
house. I have more dye-pots than cook pots (and more
dye books than cook books), and the fact that I'm
joining a guild on the opposite side of the country
should tell you that my addiction is long term and
serious;-)
Oh, and someday, I plan to come to Pennsic and meet
you all.
Edwinna of Hawk's Bluff