KEEPING THE ART ALIVE
A series of stories profiling traditional artisans in our community
Helene Bindsei, left, and Barb Dares hold yarn as it is fed through a loom at the Kitchener-Waterloo Weavers’ and Spinners’ Guild, which is the first topic in a new series of columns profiling traditional artisans in our community.
KITCHENER — A group of women work deftly and with sharp focus as they feed long strands of teal, blue and green yarn into a large loom to prepare it for weaving.
These artisans use age-old techniques to practise an ancient textile tradition that still thrives today. Although commercial weaving has declined over the years, hand weaving continues to be popular among fibre enthusiasts.
“It’s a fun hobby for mathematically inclined people as well as artistically inclined people,” said Susan Neff, a member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Weavers’ and Spinners’ Guild.
The process of weaving creates cloth by interlacing threads together using a wooden loom. Even before the loom was invented sometime in the 17th century, weavers made cloth with sticks and yarn.
Spinning and weaving are among the oldest textile traditions and at one time were essential skills for women to have to create fabric for clothing.
As a modern hobby, artisans continue to use the same skills, terminology and patterns that have been used for centuries.
Most modern artisans don’t practise this ancient craft to turn a profit. They want to preserve it.
The Kitchener-Waterloo guild’s goal today is the same as it was when it was formed 70 years ago.
“This is a great way to connect with history. We’re trying to keep these skills alive,” Neff said.
The guild was founded by a group of local women who wanted to share their knowledge of this traditional art form.
The founding group would get together at members’ homes to weave, share looms and learn from each other. Neff said the last surviving founding member passed away just a few weeks ago.
Now the group runs a studio in Kitchener inside a former elementary school turned synagogue. The main studio space is full of looms and has an extensive lending library with vintage pattern books that can be quite difficult to find.
Looms range in size from large floor looms that require multiple people to operate to smaller individual looms and tabletop looms.
Linda Cain sits at a small floor loom weaving a scarf, her foot pumping the treadle rhythmically as she sweeps a shuttle — a hand-held wooden tool that holds thread — across the loom to create the interlacing effect of woven fabric. The repetitive motions are soothing for Cain.
“I really love doing it. It’s a full-body thing,” she said. “I get lost in it.”
The relaxing, meditative qualities of both spinning and weaving are a big draw for many of its members.
“This is a hobby for a lot of different types of people,” Neff said. Members in the local guild range from bookkeepers to visual artists.
She watches her peers meticulously thread 12 yard-long strands of yarn through a loom to prepare it to weave a dozen tea towels. Setting up the loom is cumbersome process that can take hours.
“We don’t do this to make money,” said Judy Ginsler, a member of the guild. She stands on one side of the loom and carefully wraps the yarn over a wooden roller. The yarn is wrapped between sheets of paper so it doesn’t get tangled during the weaving process.
“It’s not a hard thing to do, but it’s a lot to learn how to do. The learning curve is also much steeper, which makes it more rewarding,” Ginsler said.
It makes the result — a beautiful, soft and durable handwoven piece of fabric — worth the time and effort.
Like many of the guild’s older members, Ginsler didn’t start weaving regularly until after she retired because of how timeconsuming it can be.
Neff said she thinks that is one of the reasons why it is difficult for the guild to attract younger members. She also thinks many people are turning to the internet to learn how to weave and spin.
Unlike more common textile crafts like knitting that are easier to pick up, weaving and spinning require lots of time and equipment that can be quite intricate and expensive.
A dozen tea towels for example could take up to three weeks to complete even with a group of 10 people working at their leisure.
Like most fibre art forms, weaving and spinning also rise and fall in popularity. Neff remembers when weaving tapestries for wall hangings was hip in the ’70s. It went out of style over the years and is now resurfacing on Pinterest feeds and in online weaving tutorials.
“It just seems silly to me,” Neff added with a laugh. “But it seems to be making a comeback.”
The guild now offers a tapestry workshop for beginners and Neff said it’s quite popular. She hopes more young people will consider taking up the craft and joining the guild.
“We’re really trying to emphasize the sense of community we have here,” she said.
“Weaving alone at home can be very lonely. Being at the guild means you can team up with someone who has experience and learn from them. We’re always learning from each other.”
The Kitchener-Waterloo Weavers’ and Spinners’ Guild’s fall show and sale is at RIM Park, 2001 University Ave. E., Waterloo, on Friday, Nov. 16 from 1 to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information about the guild, go to www.kwws.org.