What brought you here?

I came across some beautiful woven textiles while attending the Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck in 2014.  At the time I was working as a web developer and I wanted to do something that did not involve staring at a screen, and weaving seemed like the ideal activity to work with  my hands and do something that had a meditative quality.  I signed up for a weaving class as soon as I got home and was hooked.  A year later, I contacted the woman I met at the Festival, Mary Underwood, to thank her for inspiring me and she strongly encouraged me to take a class at Vavstuga.  I finally managed to take the Basics class this past February, and I loved the whole experience.

I really wanted to learn more about foundational techniques and build up my weaving skills, and the Vavstuga Immersion program seems like the only program in the US that provides this structure.

How are you liking it?

It’s been amazing.  It’s great to wake up in the morning and know that your only task for the day is to learn more about the craft you love, and for me it’s been just the right mix of hands-on technique and classroom learning.  Being surrounded by people with similar levels of excitement and appreciation for the craft has also been rewarding — I feel like we are like a little family with an unspoken understanding of each other.

I am also grateful for this opportunity to be immersed not only in weaving, but in Becky’s way of life.  She has such a wonderful positive, uplifting energy and has taught me a lot about the elements of a truly good life–a regular practice of good food, making things with your hands, music, dancing, community.

What do you think of farm life?

I grew up in a rural area in upstate NY, so this is the landscape I grew up in and it feels like home.  I love the rolling hills with the trees and expansive grassy fields, and autumn is my favorite time of the year so I’m glad I have this opportunity to spend it in the Northeast.  The sky is also darker and you can see more of the Milky Way at night, which is stunning.  This is a nice change of pace from life in the city, where I spent the last 10+ years.  You can pay more attention to your quality of life when you’re not running around just trying to keep up.

How might you take this with you?

I don’t quite know yet what will happen after the program – I want to keep practicing the craft and build up my skills to the point where I can be more exploratory in my weaving, and perhaps teach and inspire others in the future.  But first I have to find a loom and space to weave!