For Barbara Scott, it is a hobby with a positive spin to it.
Scott, along with numerous members of the Guelph Guild of Handweavers and Spinners, was at the Wellington County Museum and Archives recently demonstrating the craft.
Handspinning is the art of twisting fiber into a continuous thread by hand or by using a spinning wheel.
The thread can be spun thick or thin, plyed or unplyed, and can later be dyed or left natural.
Handspun yarn can be used for knitting, and weaving projects. The artisan can also use unspun fiber for knitting, weaving, and felting.
Spinning is an ancient textile art in which plant, animal, or synthetic fibers are twisted together to form yarn.
For thousands of years, fiber was spun by hand using simple tools, the spindle, and distaff.
Only in the High Middle Ages did the spinning wheel increase the output of individual spinners, and mass-production arose only in the 18th century, with the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. Hand-spinning remains a popular handicraft.
Characteristics of spun yarn vary according to the material used, fiber length and alignment, quantity of fiber used, and degree of twist.
Scott explained that it has been part of her life now for the past 30 years.
In 1973-74, her husband was a faculty member of the University of Guelph and his students’ wives went out to a farm in Puslinch, near Aberfoyle, for weekend classes on spinning, weaving, and dyeing.
“That got me hooked.”
Her craft now includes spinning, and weaving small items – and more.
“I tend to make flat things such as tea towels and items that allow me to experiment – rather than becoming involved in large complex projects. I like to play.”
Over the years, the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners, which is a provincial organization, offers a Master Spinners program.
In 1978, she was one of the first participants in that program which lasted six semesters – over weekends.
She explained that it was not a full-time class.
That was followed by an in-depth study on spinning yards for Shetland Lace.
“That got me into more teaching.”
So, as a result of her hobby, it furthered her in teaching on her craft.
She explained that a lot of those programs are run in affiliation with local community colleges.
“I’ve taught at Niagara, Haliburton, Loyalist College, in Kingston, Humber. The program is run in a variety of venues.”
She has also been involved in the running of the Ontario Handspinning seminars – an annual conference just for handspinners.
The seminar was founded in 1964, and has taken place in a variety of locations in the province, including Hamilton, Toronto, London, Kingston, and Guelph. The seminar moves to the different venues to provide easy access for spinners throughout the province.
For some conferences, the weekend’s activities have focused on a single textile fibre; for others, organizers have explored elements such as colour or using sources of inspiration.
In 2011, the Ontario Handspinning Seminar is set for at the University of Guelph from June 10 to 12.
“The theme for that conference is going to be ‘silk’, Scott said.
The Ontario Handweavers and Spinners organized in 1956 to promote high standards in the fibre arts and arouse public interest in the craft. Today, the organization has members from all parts of Ontario, in other parts of Canada, and beyond its borders. It welcomes all those interested in spinning, weaving, dyeing, basketry, and other related fibre arts.
The OHS connects its members by providing networking opportunities through conferences, seminars, workshops, its magazine, Fibre Focus, and the website.
It educates through its certificate and masters programs, and by encouraging learning in the fibre arts.
Finally it advocates and shares the passion for weaving and spinning, by raising the profile of handweaving, spinning and related fibre arts throughout Ontario and beyond.
Members of the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners range from beginners to masters, joined by an interest in fibre arts – particularly weaving and spinning. Within the community, there are bead workers, basket makers, dyers, paper makers, and many others with expertise.
The organization supports a number of awards for excellence, a quarterly magazine, educational opportunities, and information about local guilds.
For more information about the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners visit http://www.ohs.on.ca/.
Membership in the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners is open to all who are interested in weaving, spinning, dyeing, basketry and other fibre arts. The membership year is Jan. 1 to Dec. 31.
