During the last year, the women of Dancing Rabbit have been connecting with others outside of the community through the medium of fiber arts. I am pleased to find such a strong support group of women from all age groups and backgrounds who are knowledgeable, experienced, and willing to share skills with anyone interested in all aspects of using natural fibers.
Starling Ray and I first began with a spinning class taught by Gwendolyn Lohmann, a local woman who received a grant from the Kellogg Foundation to encourage the development of fiber arts throughout Scotland County. I followed up with another class on felting wool, also taught by Gwendolyn.
Spinning, felting, knitting, and using natural fibers has really cast its spell over me since I learned the basics. Dancing Rabbit now has two spinning wheels, a drum carder (used to align fibers in preparation for spinning or felting), hand carders, yarn ballers, wool fleeces, angora fibers, and much more equipment used for processing natural fibers. I have also tried my hand at natural dyeing, using plants, berries, and barks found on Dancing Rabbit land. Most of my attempts have been very successful, and I am looking forward to summer and fall, when the land will produce an abundance of dye materials.
My excitement surrounding the fiber arts is matched by many other women in our local community. There are monthly meetings of the Fiber Arts Guild, as well as monthly meetings of the Spinning Guild. There are many experienced and talented women involved in both groups who I enjoy meeting and discussing trade skills with.
Fiber arts excitement peaks during the late summer in this area with the Bethel International Sheep Festival. At the festival, anyone can find everything to be known about natural fibers and all aspects of processing. There are folks exhibiting many different sheep breeds (as well as other animals like alpacas, rabbits, goats, and llamas), spinning wheels, looms, dyeing materials, hand-spun wool, and a wealth of knowledge in books that may not be available anywhere else.
This year, I am preparing to have a Dancing Rabbit booth at the festival (along with Marcee Murray, a friend of DR), selling handmade toys, hand-spun wool yarn, felted bags, handmade knitting needles, handmade loom shuttles, felting soaps, and much more. I hope that this year will be the first of many successful years to come as fiber arts grows into a small cottage industry for Dancing Rabbit.
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