Each One, Teach One

Interest in weaving as a craft waxes and wanes.  I started weaving in the mid-70s when weaving was in an upsurge.  I found myself in the midst of a group of (mostly) women who were intrigued by the craft and the unexpected nuances that could be discovered in the exploration of the craft.

I quickly got to know several of these women who became role models and mentors.  (I was 25 when I started - they were in their mid-30s to mid-40s)

Four of them dove into the Guild of Canadian Weavers master weaver certificate and with the excitement of discovery and challenge the program provided I was inspired to begin the program myself a few years later.

Three of the four continued on to achieve the final level and certificate and all were supportive of me as I started the program myself.  When I flagged they encouraged me to get back at it.  They wanted to see my explorations and when I passed a level, they oo'd and ah'd.  When I finally(!) passed, they gifted me with a lovely book by Jack Lenor Larson "Material Wealth".

I always taught, right from the beginning.  Weavers who had kept the craft alive during the down part encouraged me and others to pass the knowledge of the craft along.  For those too shy to teach classes, the encouraging phrase was 'each one, teach one'.

Today I spent another couple of hours at a local high school.  The teacher said she had 6 or 8 students on her list but only three showed up.  Two could only stay for one hour and then had to leave.  The third one?  I left her with the guild table loom and a warp she had wound for a scarf.  In the two hours we talked a bit about tapestry, then I showed #3 how to wind her warp, then we beamed the warp together and I showed her how to thread.

There weren't enough heddles on the first four shafts so instead of just using four shafts, I showed her how to thread a straight draw over all eight.  When you are new, there are no preconceptions that 8 shafts are any more difficult than 4.  It's all just a mysterious blur no matter how many shafts are there!  So I don't tell beginning weavers that they shouldn't use 8, I just get the loom set up and get them started.

There wasn't time for her to finish threading before next class, so we talked about when she would be available and it turned out that Friday morning she didn't have any classes so her homework is to finish threading the 200 ends by 10 am Friday.

She says she likes the detail of the process and we talked about weaving being a working meditation.   That frequently I go to the loom precisely because I'm frustrated with the way Life is Happening and I go to the loom to centre myself.

If we can get her equipment, I think we may have found one more.  Maybe she will teach one, too.