Laurie Schlitter
The process of taking flax plants from the field to fibers suitable for spinning and ultimately being used to make linen fabric is an interesting one; it has its own terminology, set of tools, and sequence of unique steps. The process of retting involves bacteria and curious smells. A wicked-looking tool such as a hackle is necessary, as is other simple equipment for carrying out other steps such as rippling, breaking, and skutching. We will be talking about and examining the flax plant before and after retting, the preparation process itself, and the tools involved in preparing the stricks of flax into the ready-to-spin line flax. We’ll also talk about tow flax.
Cathy Fulton
Cathy is a global nomad. She loves connecting with knitters, spinners, and other fiber people as she travels. You can follow her adventures—knitting finger puppets with the women of Chucuito, Peru; learning from lace designers in Haapsalu, Estonia; teaching lace knitting in Roscommon, Ireland; creating a documentary about the felted carpets of Kyrgyzstan; and much more—at CathleensOdyssey.com. In 2017, Cathy Fulton embarked on a “six-month” journey to Europe to meet other spinners and knitters. She brought along a “traveling scarf” to which she invited knitters and crocheters to add rows of whatever yarn and designs they chose. The scarf quickly took on a life of its own—acquiring a masculine gender, writing his own blog from his point of view, and being christened “Hamish” in Scotland—his favorite country! In this presentation, you will have the opportunity to meet Hamish and Cathy and learn about this extraordinary journey. Cathy will talk about how Hamish became a remarkable avenue for meeting locals, some of which became great friends. She will also share some of Hamish’s favorite travel stories from his blog. This event is not just for fiber people. Many people enjoy visiting with Hamish and learning how Cathy’s method of “Thematic Traveling” can be used by anyone to plan a special trip and meet locals who share their special interests. You can see an example of the display here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=568969270318313