After a move to the Central Coast in the early 70's, I finally found that I could use some of my craft teacher training. To increase my scant knowledge on weaving, I enrolled at The Entrance High School, for a course by Larry Beeston, who was teaching us what he was learning at Strathfield the week before. I envied the beautiful, creative threads that many of the others in the class were weaving into their fabric, (I wasn't the only one!) and Larry saw the need for a Beginner Spinning Class, which his dear wife, Mary did, over one weekend, several months later. That was the beginning of my lifelong, passionate, love affair with spinning. Weaving was put aside while I taught Craft for 17 years until the subject was deleted from the curriculum with the advent of computer technology.

Library Science was always a second option, and I completed a Post Graduate Diploma in that field, in order to have a teaching position, which I hold, and enjoy, to this day.

Joining the Guild
In the late 80's Jim the Driver and I travelled to Griffith for a Wine Festival, and having time to spare, I sat in the main street, doing hairpin lace, which I had just been taught. A Griffith resident, Yvonne Brennan, who had a very colourful felting stall on the main street, sat beside me and asked me to teach her, and we became good friends. Liz Calnan lived at Griffith at that time, and had taught Yvonne dyeing techniques, which she, in turn, passed on to me. Yvonne encouraged me to join the Guild. Jim, the Driver, said that I joined simply to give him a rest!

The Guild has given me the opportunity to regularly meet like-minded people and exchange ideas. It's a fantastic network! The Guild Library has introduced me to inspiring and motivating books and magazines, many of which I later buy and take out subscriptions.

Later and Now
Colour and fibres do something to my psyche! I love the sensation! I spin all kinds of fibres, whenever I can, and make up garments, mainly for my extended family, from the results. The Beginner Weaving Course with Margaret Small, last year was the beginning of my return to weaving, and next year, I hope to do Liz Calnan's course at the Guild.

When Ailsa Trainer began teaching Weaving and Spinning at the Guild several years ago, I offered to help her, and we had a wonderful, memorable time together. She passed on many of her skills to me, which I hope I am passing on to other Beginner Spinners at the Guild Classes, and at school, where I teach the primary children at lunchtime.

Each year, I particularly enjoy my weekends away at Canberra, Nowra, Tamworth and Gulgong. I am continually humbled by the generosity of the country people, who give freely of their time and expertise to pass on their skills. Every time I return, I realise that I have taken far more than I have given.

Trip of a Lifetime Courtesy of Visy
Visy offered a Trip of a Lifetime to Amsterdam as encouragement to teachers who taught children about recycling, and I was fortunate to be chosen as the winner. Jim was lucky enough to be chosen as the driver of a leased VW campervan, which he drove for fourteen weeks through the Netherlands, France, Italy, Switzerland, Luxembourgh and Germany, after our prize four days at The Rembrandt, a gorgeous hotel on the Herengracht canal in Amsterdam.

In Knitter's Magazine, I had read Perri Klass's article about knitting while travelling, and how you associate the article forever with the exciting places, and accordingly, I prepared alpaca I'd purchased at Crafty Camp Keepit '04, for a continuous square rug, in colours I felt looked like an Australian opal. Navigating unexpectedly took an inordinate amount of time, especially considering the many misdirections and errors in mapreading. Much of the 8,500 kms travelled was spent in reverse gear, or in navigating small rural villages that we had not initially intended to visit. Consequently, I have to report that the rug is only 1/3 finished. Other spare time, was used spinning colourful silk caps on my handspindle, which regularly left Europeans open-mouthed!

To be in Amsterdam in spring, means that you can visit the Keukenhof, the most amazing display of flowering tulips and other bulbs, in the world. In one of the pavilions, there was a textile competition, and the only piece worth mentioning, in my opinion, was some nuno felting. It was there that I realised that Jenny Hopper's work is world class!

The absolute highlight of my trip was being able to sit and appreciate the visual sensation of the 15th century tapestries of The Lady and the Unicorn, at the Cluny Museum, in Paris. I had been introduced to Tracey Chevalier's fictional story of the tapestries, in Bookclub with a Twist, (thank you, Gina!) I've brought back some postcards for you to see!

Returning to the Netherlands before our trip home, we took a trip from Arnhem to a very beautiful part of Holland, called Lochem. It was here that I visited Mr Louet and his factory showroom, and tried out his new little spinning wheel, the S24. Every product, including every loom, and spinning wheel, manufactured by Louet, was on working display, and I wished that I knew more about looms, so that I could try them all! They were there for the weaving! Mr Louet introduced himself to me, and explained his products and philosophy, and I was taken on a tour of his factory, which was very impressive. I watched as one workman made superb handcarders; I found that I needn't have been concerned that Clemes and Clemes stopped making handcarders. The Louet products are better! I've brought the most up to date catalogue back for you to browse, at the Guild, if you are interested in Louet Products.

Caroline Baker