8 March 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Wichita Weavers, Spinners, & Dyers Guild is a close-knit group that has dedicated its time to practicing traditional skills.
The group meets every week, spinning sheep’s wool into yarn, then making it into handmade items.
“It’s very satisfying to produce something from your own hands that’s something that you envisioned,” said lifelong knitter Isabel Hendry. “I knit the cardigan I’m wearing. I knit sweaters a lot.”
The task takes days to complete from start to finish.
“Just setting up a loom can take days, I mean honestly. I mean, if you’re here for a couple of hours during a class, it can take several class periods,” said new student Faith Poulos.
However, the satisfaction of making a custom item is what pushes the group to keep perfecting the skill.
“I find that things that I make last a lot longer than things that I buy, and they fit me because I’ve made them fit,” said Hendry.
“I think it’s fascinating to know how my clothing is made,” added professional fiber artist Ernie Kind.
Practicing weaving has given the guild a new respect for older civilizations.
“I’m kind of amazed at the tenacity they must’ve had. They had so many other duties because they didn’t have any of the things we have, so how did the find the time during the day to do it?” said Poulos.
“You know, you had to find an animal, get the fiber off the animal, clean it, process it, spin it … They must have done this 24/7,” said Hendry.
The guild believes it is important to find hobbies like weaving that keep communities together in today’s society, where people are more isolated.
“There’s a type of community bonding that, I think, in this day and age, is really hard,” said weaving, spinning, and dying teacher Paula Smith.
“I just think it would be kind of cool for kids to know the basics of where everything came from. And these are skills that would carry into everything in life. It’s problem-solving. It’s everything. It’s a lot more than weaving,” said Poulos.
Information on classes and events can be found on their website.