Vävstuga Days (April 17-21st) was bustling and we enjoyed great folks attending, including two youngsters. The excitement of these two contemporaries stepping into the fold was such a pleasure to witness.

2012 Vävstuga Days

Many people have asked us about Alumni Week and what it entails. The week of May 1-5 we hosted such a gathering. Alumni of Vävstuga Basics are invited to spend one day and up to five in the studio. Attendees may wind warps, use the mangle, explore the library and of course weave beautiful warps already on the looms (without a length limit). There is the option to stay in the dorm as well. The November 27-December 1st Alumni Week is now 65% full. We are planning some beautiful warps including some gorgeous yardage.

2012 May Alumni Week

Our 2013 schedule is currently in the works and will be published mid-September. We are constantly torn with the fact that there aren’t more than 24 hours in a day. Drats!

The months of February and March, and the first week of April, have been filled with a multitude of wonderful classes and participants!

Basics class, February 13-17

Basics class, February 27 - March 2

Classics class, March 12-16

Treasures class, March 19-23

Basics class, April 2-6

As you can see, we’ve been busy. We couldn’t have been able to accomplish all that we do without the addition of our current apprentice, Mary Beebee, and our new employee Kim Sebrey. Kim joined the Vävstuga team in January as chief cook and gardener.

Kim Sebrey, Vävstuga's new chief cook and gardener

We’ve been tracking the number of warps we wind on a monthly basis and thought you’d like to know our statistics for February and March 2012. There were 236,808 meters of warp wound in 8/2 and 16/2 cottons, 16/2 and 20/2 line linens, 22/2 cottolin and Tuna wool. That equates to 258,976 yards or 147 miles. Any day now our warping mills will be reaching warp speed!

The adjustable and padded weaving benches that are so coveted in our studio are back in stock.

We’ve had two authors donate their books to benefit the Vävstuga Scholarship Fund: Kati Reeder Meek, who wrote Reflections of a Flaxen Past, and Barbara Michelson, who authored Leave Nothing on the Back Burner. You can find both titles in the new Scholarship Fund Benefit section of our Bookstore.

The response to Vävstuga Days has been overwhelming. There are just a few slots left on Friday, April 20th.

If one of your goals for the New Year is to attend Vävstuga Basics, we only have the following spaces remaining for the calendar year:

• February 13-17th, 1 spot with Room & Board available
• February 27-March 2nd, 2 spots with Room & Board, 2 spots without Room & Board
• April 2-6th, 2 spots with Room & Board
• June 18-22nd, 1 spot without Room & Board
• Jul 30-Aug 3rd, 3 spots with Room & Board

Our newly revised Swedish Classics in January was a grand success! Check out the beautiful work from last week’s students. Peacham (a stuffed frog) from the Peacham, VT library system visited us for the class — see his photo essay about his adventures.

Swedish Classics projects, January 2012

Vävstuga Treasures participants are at work this week doing equally amazing things!

This week's Treasures class

The Vävstuga apprentice program is picking up steam. Sarah Easton finished her six-month stint on January 13th. She spent two weeks training incoming apprentice, Mary Beebee. Mary has been initiated into the Vävstuga family, and is working/playing hard and has already done lots of weaving. Our next opening for this incredible opportunity will be mid-January 2013.

The latest Borgs order just arrived and is unpacked and on the shelves. Now is a good time to order Borgs wool yarns and string yarn, as most of our colors are currently in stock.

Book preview of the month: Väv Som Vi! (Weave Like Us!), by Mariana Eriksson & Kerstin Lovallius (available in our Store).

Mini movie of the month: Making choke ties