Adult Learners

I will be taking a cardweaving class at CNCH this coming Spring at Asilomar. I admire the work of the instructor, Gudrun Polack, and have taken a brief class from her before. Gudrun has lots of samples of her work, one of my criteria for choosing a teacher. I look for people who are *doing* the work, not just talking about it. I look for people who have examples of their work to show, and whose work I admire.

I was asked by a friend *why* I was taking a class in cardweaving, because I have been doing it for almost 30 years myself. Well, there's always something new to learn, and Gudrun approaches things quite differently than I do. She has a mathematical mind and approach to cardweaving, and I could use a little of that to balance out my (kindly put) intuitive approach to making bands.

I took short session from both Linda Malan and Linda Hendrickson at Convergence in Denver last summer, and picked up some very useful tips. I also got to see into the process of other weavers, and it has helped me refine mine.

I really began to delve into the adult learning process 6 years ago when I began to weave knotted pile. It has been interesting, engaging, challenging and exciting to learn this weaving technique. It is so different from weaving fabric, throwing a shuttle, painting warps and making clothing. I found myself intensely focused once again, and that is a wonderful feeling.



I have devoted most of the past six years to knotted pile, and the related techniques, including cardweaving, that go into making small bags from the pile fabric. These are more *hands-on* techniques than throwing a shuttle. My fingers are actively engaged, I handle the yarn more, and I manipulate the warps by hand. It has brought back the excitement I first felt when I began weaving 28 years ago. What a gift!

Not all of the work I have done in knotted pile has been successful. It has been a learning process, but I strive to finish each piece, even when it's not going well. If nothing else, it can be used as a cautionary tale for others. But really it's for me too: the process of finishing is important. The *body* of work is important, not just the individual piece.

I think this excitement that I feel is translated to other people, and as they learn this weaving, a new community of knotters has grown. As a technique, it is not unlike knitting: each knot is tied by hand, and then rows of knots build into a fabric. It is a meditative process, and once the fingers learn, the mind is free to imagine, as the work builds.