Adventures...

...I've had a few...

obligatory pretty textile picture

As I was writing up my latest conference blog post I thought about adventures.  I remembered how many fantastic experiences I have had since I took up weaving, all the people I've met, the textiles that have inspired me.

My first conference was 1978 Convergence in Fort Collins, CO.  (I wrote about that recently so I won't repeat that story here.)

Having dipped my toes into the biggest textile event in North America, smaller regional events such as ANWG (Pacific northwest, western Canada) were far less intimidating - and far less expensive.  They were, if nothing else, within reach - either a one or two day drive.  So my first ANWG was Spokane in 1979.

After that I attended as many conferences as I could afford - ANWG as it moved around the region (Oregon, Montana, Washington, here in 1995, Victoria 1997, Alberta)  Convergence when I could scrape the pennies together.  I even managed to get to Vav in Sweden two years ago - a dream I thought I'd never manage.

Eventually I started teaching at conferences, my first in Montana in, um, 1983?  

On the way I met so many talented people.  Some became friends and the internet makes it possible to stay in touch.

As an introvert I was nervous about attending these events, but the people are just as fascinated about textiles as I am and if nothing else there is the learning in the workshops/seminars - and smaller groups make it easier to get to know people.  Then there are the exhibits.

At Victoria's ANWG in 2017 one of the entries in the fashion show was a silk shawl made by one of our instructors - Coleen Nimetz - made from silk she had spun (may even have raised the worms and reeled it, I can't remember) and then knitted.  It was a show stopper.  

(If you want to know about silk, sign up for her workshop!  She is incredibly knowledgeable.)

One of the down sides of organizing an event like a conference is that I have no time to actually take anything.  And because I helped  choose the people and their topics, I want to take every single one!

Early bird registration ends on April 15.  If you haven't made holiday plans yet, consider coming to Prince George and join us in a fibre adventure.  Y'all come!