The Southern California Handweavers' Guild presents
Ravenstail Weavingwith Anna Zinsmeister
Ravenstail WeavingOur very own Anna Zinsmeister will demonstrate the techniques used to create the Ravenstail Robes made by the Native people of the Pacific North for this month's program. These elegant robes are not truly woven, but are made using variations on twining technique, using thigh-spun wool. These same people used twining to create beautiful baskets and hats.
Anna will also demonstrate how to thigh spin. This type of spinning uses no tools other than your hands, thigh, small amount of water, and wool ( mountain goat hair traditionally ). Thigh-spun yarn was used for the warp in the robes. It is "S" spun and "Z" plied, opposite to how our yarn is usually made today commercially.
Anna has been a weaver since 1972. She learned to weave at Immaculate Heart College in Hollywood, not far from the church where the Southern California Handweavers Guild used to hold its meetings for many years. She learned the Ravenstail technique from Cheryl Samuel during a workshop given at that church by the Guild one rainy week in 1993.
Credit where credit is due: The photograph above is of a Ravenstail robe woven by Clarissa Hudson, who usually does only Chilkat robes. It's her second Ravenstail robe. It's 5' x 6' and is inspired by a similar robe that's at the Museum of Mankind in London. "A robe like this would take a weaver about six months, working full-time. You have to enjoy sitting still for long periods." The picture and quote are from Clarissa's website http://clarissahudson.com/diamonds.htm.
Workshop: Using thigh-spun yarns and the Ravenstail kit from Cheryl Samuels, Anna will introduce participants to the Ravenstail twining technique to make medicine bags with either the lightning, box of daylight, or mouthtrack of the woodworm design.
General program questions can be directed to the Program Committee. We hope to see you at the May meeting!