What brought you here? Are you a gardener or a spinner already, or are you new to it? Where are you going to grow your flax?

Turns out that we’re a mix of growers and makers, and will be growing our flax at sites all over Coast Salish Territory and beyond; we’ll have a tremendous diversity of stricks to add to the linen reference library at the end of the season. Flax is easy to grow and very forgiving of a range of conditions; but the colour, length, and qualities of the fibre are all affected.

Many folks in the class were new to the practice of spinning; we started off with brand-new drop spindles and beautifully prepared linen tow sliver from Taproot Fibre Lab in Nova Scotia. Sharon taught the basic ‘park and draft’ technique, and we owe thanks to Penny and Billy for volunteering to join us in our large group to work with folks individually as needed. Rebecca, who started spinning three years ago, brought her spinning sample collection to prove that practice does indeed pay off over time.