More Retreat

We called this a retreat, but it really was an independent study opportunity. Each of us brought multiple projects we wanted to focus on, so many fiber projects were in progress all the time.

Knitting was a given.

There were two floor looms, two tapestry looms, three inkle looms and oh-so-many spinning wheels, mostly Lendrum for whatever reason. This room was the surgery when St. Mary's was a hospital. It's on the top floor and the windows face south so the room has a lot of natural light.

We were responsible for our own breakfast and lunch. Dinner was cooked and served by the retreat sponsors, all accomplished cooks. We ate at one very large table in the dining room and enjoyed lively conversation, lots of wine and stunning meals.


Jen, one of the retreat sponsors, was making good progress on her cut-pile rug. This is Sara's teaching specialty and a favorite of several of our group and also at the retreat.

Hazel also had a cut-pile rug in progress on an upright tapestry loom. She is a genuine master weaver and is becoming an accomplished cut-pile rug weaver as well. Well into her 70s, this loom is so much more portable.


Sara had a couple of projects going. This is her inkle loom and on the left of the table, you can see the PVC knitty-knoddies holding her triple-ply rug warp for - you guessed it - cut-pile rugs. She says it's for two rugs, 36"x 90" and at that point, my eyes glazed over at the stunning endeavor. Can you tell that I haven't yet been bitten by the cut-pile rug?

Sara is preparing fiber that she will spin into weft. She had a superfast flier on her Lendrum and she spins so fast that it sounded like an airplane getting ready to take off. Between the beating of floor looms and spinning wheels, this was not a quiet environment. The colorful bobbin on the bottom right was my humble foray into spinning silk. With a little coaching from Sara - more twist! - I was pleased with my work. She explained that silk is soft and will pill without enough twist, so twist it I did. However, the Toni Awards have just started and I must stop at this point - to be continued.