How do we learn the textile arts?
reflections on methods and means
After a great time at the Mountain and Valley Wool Festival in Santa Fe1 I have some thoughts on learning. This is not new, I am sure I have commented before on teaching and learning a new skill.
On October 5th, I was a student in a Naalbinding Workshop2 with Laura Ninnemann.3 My first time as a student in a long while. I met Laura last year at the Wool Festival and she generously gave me a two-minute tutorial on Naalbinding. This needle-stitch fabric precedes knitting by decades, and crochet by centuries, but has something in common with both. The finished row of stitches look a lot like the cordage made with a lucet.4
From the lucet page (link in footnotes) come this perfect quote: “The technique is extremely easy to demonstrate, not so clear to describe...” that is so true of all the ancient crafts. Even some newer ones.
After the Naalbinding workshop, I taught two spinning workshops and did two demonstrations. I also hosted a kid’s art table, but that is not related to this post. Here are some photos of the fun. In the background is a sheep to shawl and other fiber demos presented by Las Tejedoras of Santa Fe.
.
Back to the main topic
Folks come to my classes with a variety of personal goals. Because I offer my spinning workshop as an exploration of history, I sometimes get anthropologists, archivists and historians in the mix. They signed up because they want to know more about the operation of the textile tools they have studied. I try to read the room and tailor my presentation to the interests of my fellow-learners. Not everyone who signs up is planning to join the crazy world of Textile Arts, no need to scare them off!
Once I have everyone’s hands busy making yarn I make it a point to keep a conversation going. Because spinning is in our DNA, our hands know what to do. If we can distract our brain with lively conversation we should be5 able to make yarn. I lean on the scholars because they all have insights, knowledge, and experiences to share.
In just one afternoon, we create a little community. The long (pre-industrial, pre-guild) history of textile production was always in the community and (for the most part) managed by women. Children, and newcomers, learned the skills by sitting next to some one and mimicking their actions, eventually developing the muscle memory that makes spinning seem effortless.
my experience as a learner
I really had a hard time with Naalbinding. Simply starting the first two loops completely eluded me. I watched Laura patiently repeat the steps for the group and then for each of the participants. She would pull up a chair and touch our hands to line them up properly (like a good yoga instructor) always gentle and encouraging. Once we were creating some sort of stitches, she complimented each one of us. She led us in a merry chat about yarn and history. And, I realized that being a student was exactly what I needed to do that day.
Mountain and Valley Wool Festival my second year, and lordy, is it fun!
The Coppergate Stocking, pictured above (my photo!) from York, UK.
I used the modifier “should” in honor of Pat Walters, sho insists that she cannot spin. I think she would be a wiz at Naalbinding.
What a wonderful experience to learn Naalbinding. I always wondered if it would be difficult to learn? It was interesting to read your reflections on being a student, when you mostly are the teacher.