Volume 23, Number 1 - Spring 2016 Spinzilla Spinning Week in Bolivia

Involves Many WARP Members Creating A Connected Dorinda Dutcher Spinzilla, a global event where teams with a phuska (drop-spindle) so that the CreatingCreatingTextile Community Aa Connected and individuals compete in a friendly hours spent pasturing sheep were pro- TextileTextile Community Community challenge to see who can spin the most ductive. Through the years their spinning in a week, is sponsored by the Na- and skills became an intrinsic To foster a global network of tional NeedleArts Association’s Spinning part of their self-identity. They never To foster a global network of enthusiasts and Weaving Group (spinweave.org). dreamed that those skills, honed over a enthusiasts who value the whoimportance value the of importance to ofgrassroots textiles to lifetime, would be recognized. grassroots economies The team’s participation exempli- economies fies how WARP members connect to transform ideas into action. During the 2014 WARP Conference Irene Schmoller, founder of Clouds, suggested that Exchange information a Bolivian team be organized. She intro- RaiseRaise awareness awareness of of the the importance importance of duced Dorinda to Spinzilla organizer Liz textiletextile traditions traditions to grassroots to grassroots economies Gipson who found the team a sponsor. economies Mobilize enthusiasts Mobilize textile enthusiasts Create conversations that result in action Spinzilla Spinning Week has become Create conversations that result in an annual highlight for the Bolivian team action

Textiles are an important component of Textilesthe are human an important experience. component Networkingof the humanand sharing experience. information Networkingcreates andan environment sharing information for createsconstructive an environment action. for Thanks to Marilyn Murphy, ClothRoads Making connectionsconstructive between action. textile Warmis Phuskadoras (Women Spinners). co-founder and WARP member, the team artisansMaking worldwide Connections promotes between positive The spinners are members of PAZA (Proj- will be sponsored for their 3rd competi- textile artisanssocial worldwide change. promotes ect Artesania Zona Andina), a group of tion this year. positive social change. Andean weavers who are trying to revive Team Captain Doña Máxima worried Interacting with people who have similar their textile heritage The median age of up until the deadline about filling the Interactingvalues enricheswith people our wholives. have the 2015 team was 59, and they spun similar values enriches our lives. 68,511 yards. They learned as girls to spin continued on page 10 1 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2016 From Love of Textiles to Shipping Containers: Scarves Inspire Syrian Aid Susan Shaefer Davis, plus excerpts from article by Mark Matza in Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/19/2015 What began as a small group of women In 2013, they began their own charitable who loved textiles, in this case the heads- group, The Narenj Tree Foundation http:// WARP Newsletter carves they wore for hijab (a modest head narenjtree.org/. Although sparked by what published quarterly by covering), grew into something much is happening in Syria and across the Middle Weave A Real Peace East, Narenj's supporters are not exclusively Volume 23, Number 1 Arab or Muslim. A Jewish donor brought in Spring 2016 a box of coats, said Renata. Christian sup- Editor: Linda Temple porters in Upper Darby collected donations

through their YMCA. Send address "There is a Chinese couple so old they corrections to: [email protected] can barely walk, and they come here to pack or mail to boxes," she said. "Donations are coming like Weave a Real Peace waves at us." c/o 6182 Pollard Avenue At last count they have sent 31 contain- East Lansing, MI 48823 ers to Syria. Estimating each shipment's Renata Alkurdi value at $100,000, the nonprofit charity has provided about $2 million in aid since 2013. bigger. Renata Alkurdi’s husband is Syrian, The deadline for "We would never have been able to send and four years ago, she wanted to do contributions to the 20 containers in two years," said Renata, "if something to help the refugees. Summer issue of the WARP people were just sitting and crying." She had the idea of suggesting to her newsletter is May 13, 2016 While sending old clothes might not Muslim friends in their reading group that seem to be of much value, said Renata, Send articles and each bring a scarf she wasn’t using to their correspondence for next meeting. There, the newsletter to: the scarves were put Linda Temple in a colorful on 1230 NE 70 a table, and each Oklahoma City, OK 73111 woman chose one she [email protected] would like to have— 405/478-4936 (phone) and donated however much she wanted for

Information about an the textile value of the organization or service in goods is significant, es- this newsletter does not pecially given the ex- constitute an endorsement tra-large sizes worn by by WARP. many Americans. An en- terprising Syrian tailor, Submissions may be she said, can repurpose it, which could be $2, $10, or $20—any edited or shortened at the a double-X garment into two, she said. And amount. The money was sent to an orga- discretion of the editor. given that so many Syrian families had to nization that was buying heaters for Syrian leave everything behind, and "the biblical refugee families. proportions of this catastrophe," there is a The idea spread to groups of women substantial need. from many mosques, and then people You can donate online at the gofundme started to donate used clothing. At first it site of the Narenj Tree Foundation at https:// was stored at Renata’s home, but there was www.gofundme.com/narenjtree or you can so much that she and her husband rented send a to : Narenj Tree Foundation a warehouse in Norristown, PA, near where at 214 Drakes Drum Drive, Bryn Mawr, PA they live. 19010 2 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2016 2016 WARP Annual Meeting: Visions of Change in Santa Fe - July 8-12 Our program goal for the 2016 annual by Eric, who has worked with the people Weave A Real Peace meeting is to have an amazing group of of southern Mexico since 1990. His work Membership researchers, scientists, anthropologists, ar- and that of Traditions Mexico is driven by tisans, and textile partners help us think a respect and admiration of deeply rooted Information broadly and deeply about what is it we people and the quiet wisdom of their www.weavearealpeace.org are doing as an organization in order to ways. 2016 Annual Dues help us increase our support of artisans And don’t forget, Mary Littrell, author * $35 - Individual, U.S. and Canada through advocacy and collaboration. of Artisans and Fair Trade: Crafting De- * $40 - Individual, Keynote speakers, Christine Eber and velopment is giving us an introduction to international and sister Jeanne Simonelli, will be discussing their the International Folk Art Market when we memberships work with artisans in the global market. arrive on Friday. She will describe the rig- * Simple living - Choose an amount Christine and Jeanne are both authors orously juried selection process, possibly you can live with included in the new book, Artisans and introduce some of the new textile artisans, * $50 - Group/supporting * $100+ - Patron/donor Advocacy in the Global Market: Walking and help those of us who are first time the Heart Path. Jeanne is also one of the visitors avoid being overwhelmed by the All memberships are based on the editors of this volume which presents the market experience. calendar year and expire on latest social science research on interac- The registration form for the meeting will December 31. Members receive tive ethnographic encounters and how be available on WARP’s website, www. access to all publications for the year joined. this work evolves into advocacy. One of weavearealpeace.org, on April 27. the remarkable features of this book is Members have access to each chapter offers advice on ways to do Tickets to the Market will be available for annual Membership politically engaged ethnography built on purchase on May 1. Don’t wait until the Directory through a secure collaborative partnerships. last minute—last year the Market sold out members only section of the web These two women will present an over- and tickets were not available at the gate. site, a quarterly newsletter, and can view of work with artisans in varying and What’s in this Newsletter... participate in the WARP Google difficult situations and discuss specific Discussion Group. projects. Christine will tell the story of her Spinzilla Spinning Week in Bolivia...... 1 Scarves Inspire Syrian Aid...... 2 Dues are used for printing, mailing, work with weaving cooperatives in high- and office expenses. Weave A Real land Chiapas, Mexico, as well as Weaving Visions of Change: Annual Meeting...3 From the Office...... 4 Peace (WARP) is designated a 501(c) for Justice, a volunteer, non-profit organi- (3) nonprofit organization by the Facebook & Google Group...... 4 zation based in Las Cruses, NM that works Internal Revenue Service. in solidarity with Maya women’s weaving Member Profile: Virginia Davis...... 5 All donations to WARP cooperatives in Chiapas. Camphill Village Volunteer wanted....5 are tax deductible in the A Sunday afternoon book signing will 2016 Newsletter Deadlines...... 4 United States. allow members to purchase Artisans and Annual Meeting Agenda...... 6 Advocacy in the Global Market and talk IFAM Info...... 6 For membership or additional with the authors at leisure. Textile Techniques: Shweshwe information, please send your name, WARP member Marilyn Murphy will fabric...... 7 address, telephone number, and email address with appropriate check, present an overview of the work she does Sheep is Life Festival...... 7 money order, or Paypal information in as a partner in ClothRoads, particularly Proposed Bylaws Revisions...... 8 US funds payable to WARP to: the collaboration with the Center for Tra- Project Update: Njabina ditional Textiles of Cusco (CTTC). She will Crafters...... 8 Weave a Real Peace facilitate a special presentation by Nilda WARP on the Web...... 8 c/o 6182 Pollard Avenue Callañuapa Alvarez, founder of CTTC and Board Nominees...... 9 East Lansing, MI 48823 a participant in the International Folk Art Travel Opportunities...... 9 Market. WARP Raffle...... 10 or join online at Eric Mindling will present his photo Thanks to donors...... 10 http://www.weavearealpeace.org documentary work on traditional fashion Walking in Her Shoes...... 11 in Oaxaca. Traditions Mexico was founded WARP Inspired Collaboration...... 12 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2016 3 From the WARP Office Rita Chapman It’s been busy in the WARP Home using our usual website for everything Office! It’s membership renewal season, else, go to http://weavearealpeace.org. WARP Governing plus I’ve been finding new ways to use Board our website. Most of you have visited our WARP’s Facebook Page and Google Jackie Abrams member services web- Group - WARP members have a number Brattleboro, VT site, hosted by Wild Apri- of ways to network and communicate 802/257-2688 cot. The online member- with each other, critical to how we are [email protected] ship system offers many able to achieve our mission. If you have Term expires 2016 advantages. You can visit not yet been part of the WARP Google Philis Alvic the website, update your Group, you’re missing a great conversa- Lexington, KY profile, and pay for your tion! In February, I sent a message asking 859/276-0356 membership and make donations with our Google Group members to introduce [email protected] PayPal. PayPal allows you to pay with themselves. So far, 30 of you have done, Term expires 2018 your credit card, so you don’t need to and it’s been fun reading about who you Teena Jennings have a PayPal account. We’ll also be using are, and what you do. The neat thing is Granville, OH the new system to register for the WARP that we have an online archive, so you 740/587-4058 Annual Meeting this year. can go back to read past messages. With [email protected] To access your profile: Simply go to our future plans to find new ways to Term expires 2017 http://weavearealpeace.wildapricot.org work together, the introductions help lay Cindy Lair and click on Login. Your user name is your the groundwork. I urge you to join in! If Boulder, CO email address, which is already in the da- you haven’t yet done so, let me know at 303/443-4013 tabase. If it’s your first time using the site, [email protected]. There are [email protected] Term expires 2017 enter your email and then click on “Forgot advantages if you use a Google account Password”. Then close that webpage tab. or a Gmail address, however any email Judy Newland Next you will receive an email with a link address will work to participate. Longmont, CO to be able to set up your own unique WARP is on Facebook, too! Just go 480/280-2185 password that you can use to login. I find to your Facebook page, and search on [email protected] Term expires 2018 the website very easy to use, but let me Weave a Real Peace. With so many inter- know at [email protected] if esting posts and photos, it’s easy to keep Karen Searle you have problems. Note that we are still up with everything going on. St. Paul, MN 651/338-1698 [email protected] Term expires 2018 Alice Brown Memorial Scholarship Katie Simmons Cleveland, OH Applications Available Online 330/289-8218 Kelsey Wiskirchen [email protected] Alice Brown was a generous WARP the annual meeting that year affected Term expires 2016 member who donated the funds to es- the course of my career. I was a graduate Kelsey Wiskirchen tablish an ongoing scholarship program. student in at the time, and the ex- Kirksville, MO Each year, WARP offers scholarships for perience of meeting WARP members and 660/626-3154 students and artists 35 years or engaging in the critical discussions at the kelsey.viola.wiskirchen@ younger to attend our annual meeting. meeting had a great influence on the work gmail.com This is a great opportunity for early career I have done since. That first meeting drew Term expires 2016 individuals to be impacted by what WARP me into the fold and I now plan to be a life- Rita Chapman has to offer. time WARP member. Administrative Coordinator I was an Alice Brown Memorial Schol- Offering the scholarship each year is a [email protected] arship recipient in 2010, and I am con- way for WARP to expand the membership fident that having the chance to attend continued on page 6 4 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2016 Member Profile Virginia Davis: Weaving is Essential Gloria Miller One of my earliest WARP memories is essential for basic needs for clothing was meeting Virginia Davis at the 2006 and functional cloth. Cloth also can be WARP meeting outside Minneapolis/St. sacred and can have spiritual significance. Paul. At that meeting Virginia invited this The role is variable, complex and deserves new weaver to visit her at her home studio consideration and study. Contemporarily, in Berkeley, CA, which I did shortly after. It weaving can be a source of income and was quite impressive to be exposed to her personal satisfaction. This is important.” Mary B. Kelly, a longtime amazing work when I was still stumbling She continues to pursue new ideas WARP member, passed away my way through basic techniques, and I and hopes to contribute more to the field on March 17. In her own was so grateful. Around that time she also by lecturing and giving workshops. Vir- words, “I am a textile artist, had an exhibit at the San Jose Museum of ginia has been working with Hillary Steel teacher of textile arts and Quilts and Textiles, so I was able to see her documenting the art of Don Evaristo writer of articles and books art in that context as well. Casas, a Master Weaver in Mexico who about textiles. I create pieces Virginia became interested in the fiber weaves jaspe (ikat) rebozos in the tradi- made from sheep wool, arts in 1972, after seeing work by Neda tional manner on a backstrap loom. For which I spin, , and weave. alHilali at the Museum of Craft in New more information on this project: https:// I lecture and demonstrate York City. Her studies in fiber arts were rjohnhowe.wordpress.com/2013/11/19/ textile arts. Books include Goddess Embroideries for very self-driven leading her to take many hillary-steel-on-the-endangered-mexican- Eastern Europe, Goddess workshops and to read extensively. She rebozo/ Embroideries of the Balkan first learned spinning and from Do pay a visit to Virginia’s website Lands and Greek Islands, Mary Chesterfield at Riverside School of www.virginiadavis.us. She says it is not Making and Using Ritual Craft in NY then found herself with so up to date but there is a rich variety of Cloths, Goddess Embroider- much yarn that she became interested in her art to explore using a range of tech- ies of the Northlands, and weaving, which she studied with Sandra niques, primarily ikat. Goddess Women Cloth.” Harner at Riverside. Sandra also got Vir- She is happy to connect with mem- http://m.legacy.com/ ginia started with ikat which has become bers to share interests, discuss techniques obituaries/islandpacket/ a hallmark of her work and which she and share information at 510/848-8475 obituary.aspx?n=Mary-B- Kelly&pid=178107094&ref continues to explore. or via email at [email protected] errer=2377&preview=True Virginia’s connections to WARP grow Gloria Miller is a Sister of Mercy and has been out of her philosophy of the role of fiber working with a group in Peru for many Fabulous Volunteer arts and the fact that WARP is helping years. She became connected with WARP when various cultures enter the global culture. she started weaving in 2006 and continues to Opportunity In her words: “In many contexts weaving enjoy weaving and her weaving connections all Camphill Village Kimberton over the world. Hills, PA USA , is looking for someone interested in being a full-time resident volunteer to maintain the weaving 2016 Newsletter Copy Deadlines workshop with aproximately 12 weavers with special needs. Currently, the V23N2 - Summer 2016 – May 13 workshop is open four V23N3 - Fall 2016 – July 29 days a week. V23N4 - Winter 2016 - November 11 Food, housing and a small stipend are provided. Further Save these dates and send your contributions to the inquiries to craig@ camphillkimberton.org. Newsletter! Contact me at [email protected] VIsit the website at www. if you have questions. Thanks! camphillkimberton.org

WARP Newsletter - Spring 2016 5 Visions of Change 2016 Annual WARP Meeting Agenda Friday, July 8, 2016 Sunday, July 10, 2016 IFAM Info 1:00 pm to 4 pm - Check-in 7:30 am to 8:30 am- Breakfast From the IFAM website 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm - 8:30 am to 4 pm - Explore IFAM (https://www.folkartal- Exploring the International Folk Art 4:00 pm - Outdoor Reception liance.org/events-programs/ Market - Mary Littrell helps us under- • Share your market experiences international-folk-art-mar- stand and explore this grand market and treasures ket-santa-fe/ ): experience we are embarking on • Book signing for Christine Eber “The International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe over the next few days. She will help and Jeanne Simonelli celebrates the humanity of us find our way through the maze of 6:00 – 7:00 pm - Dinner the handmade and amazing artisans with tips and sage empowers communities advice Monday, July 11, 2016 through the opportunity to 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm - Dinner 7:30 am to 8:30 am - Breakfast develop year-round income. 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm - WARP Welcome 9:30 am - Keynote Speakers Circle & Individual Introductions – Christine Eber and Jeanne Simonelli • Enjoy international food Cindy Lair 10:15am - Break and music, artists demon- 10:30 am - Discussion Groups strations, and unique folk art Saturday, July 9, 2016 11:00 am - Regroup for sharing ideas/ from throughout the world. • In the past 12 years, artist 7:30 am to 8:30 am - themes/experiences sales have exceeded $21 Breakfast and/or Early Bird Market 11:30 pm – 1:30 pm - Lunch million and impacted over Entry 1:30 pm - Afternoon sessions (times one million lives in the com- 8:30 am to 5:00 pm - Explore IFAM pending) munities they represent. Lunch on your own Marilyn Murphy – ClothRoads • Artists take home 90% of 6:00 – 7:00 pm - Dinner Nilda Callanaupa - CTTC their earnings, giving them 7:30 pm - WARP members at light 3:00 pm - Eric Mindling the opportunity to serve as speed…(5 minutes). Sign up with Traditions Mexico catalysts for positive social Katie Simmons 4:00 pm - WARP Annual Meeting change in their communi- 8:30 pm - Scholarship Presentation(s) 6:00 – 7:00 pm - Dinner ties by improving employ- ment, healthcare, education, (15 minutes) Decompression and well-being.” Tuesday, July 12, 2016 Tickets to the Market will 7:30 am to 8:30 am - Breakfast be available for purchase Bon Voyage or Explore Santa Fe on May 1. Don’t wait until the last minute—last year the Market sold out and tickets were not Alice Brown Memorial Scholarships App[lications Available Online available at the gate. continued from page 4 while making a huge impact in a young spread the word about the scholarship to For more information about person’s life. Alice Brown’s original dona- interested young people and professors, the Market, go to https:// tion was the seed, but the fund now relies especially in the Southwest region. www.folkartalliance.org/ upon the ongoing generosity of WARP The scholarship application can be events-programs/interna- members. Please consider helping to sus- found as a PDF at weavearealpeace.org/ tional-folk-art-market-san- tain the fund by making a donation this warp_scholarship/ and the deadline to ta-fe/ This site will also year. apply is April 15. Applicants can complete be posting information This year we hope to award two schol- the form digitally, save it, and email it to about volunteering if you arships to cover the costs of attending our me at [email protected]. want to help at the event. meeting in Santa Fe, NM from July 8 to 12. Please contact me with any questions you The scholarship covers conference regis- have about our scholarship program. tration and room and board. Please help 6 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2016 By: Deborah Brandon 20th Annual Sheep is Life Festival South Africa—Shweshwe fabric A young Xhosa woman is walking its cheaper imitations—the intricate pat- June 17-19, 2016 down the street, wearing brightly printed terns, the Da Gama seal on the plain back 9 am - 5 pm dress that swishes with her every move. of the textile and the 90 cm width of the Diné College Campus Her dress is indigo blue with repeats of a bolts of fabric. Also, new pre-washed Tsaile, AZ medallion pattern. When she is mere feet shweshwe is stiff with , a tradition Hosted by Land Grant Office away, you see that the medallions are in left over from colonial times when tex- of Diné College fact images of Nelson Mandela. You iden- tiles were manufactured in Britain and tify it as a shweshwe dress, though this starched for protection from exposure Sponsored by Xhosa woman would probably refer to it to the elements on the voyage to South Diné Be’ Iiná, Inc. as ujamani. Africa. Shweshwe is a discharge-printed Apparently, the fabric is named after Diné be’ iiná means the way cotton fabric made in South Africa. Origi- King Moshoeshoe I of Basotho (1786- that we, the people, live. nally, it was made of all natural indigo- 1870), who received a gift of indigo We promote a dyed cotton fabric, but in time, the natu- printed fabric from French missionaries in sustainable livelihood through the Navajo Way ral dye was replaced with synthetic, and the 1840s, after which the fabric gained of Life. Traditionally, this later still, chocolate-brown and vivid red popularity. It became a symbol of African has been sheep, wool, and dyed fabrics were added to the collec- pride, especially among the Xhosa and weaving and whatever tion. Nowadays, a wide variety of colors the . comes from that. is available. Da Gama Textiles is continually intro- To this day, authentic shweshwe is ducing new designs for their shweshwe Sheep is Life, Dibé bé Iiná, factory-made using a discharge tech- line. The patterns include florals and is a celebration of nique as it was done back in 18th century simple geometric shapes such as zig- traditional Navajo Europe. Unlike modern printing methods zags, waves, diamonds, squares, or circles. shepherding and weaving where dye is added to the surface of a Some of the patterns are made for special culture. Enjoy educational workshops, Navajo cuisine, white fabric, in shweshwe printing, the occasions like royal births and weddings. vendors booths, Navajo- process begins with a pre-dyed cotton The image of Nelson Mandela is not the Churro sheep and wool fabric. The fabric passes between rollers, only figurative motif available, though I shows, and much more. the one etched with designs, the other to suspect it is one of the more popular. apply pressure. More more inforamtion, The large variety of repeated designs Resources: go to are etched onto the surface of the roll- Private communication with Coralee www.navajolifeway.org, ers with tiny pin sized dots, resulting in Craddock of Cowie Tarding (Da Gama or call extreme accuracy. The resulting patterns Textiles) of South Africa. 505/406-7428 or are both intricate and have depth. When (http://www.mdantsaneway.com/) 928/724-6947 the etched copper roller makes contact Today by Chris Spring, with the fabric, it imprints a bleaching Smithsonian Books, Washington DC, solution to the surface of the fabric to 2012 remove color in the shape of the designs. deVillemarette, Cynthia "Shweshwe: A The process is expensive, which is why True Blue Passion." The Country Register Da Gama Textiles of South Africa is the of Tennessee & Kentucky, July–August only known textile manufacturer in the 2010. world that still uses it. Deborah Brandon is a multi-talented math- There are several tell-tale signs that ematician and former board member. She can differentiate authentic shweshwe from be reached at 412/963-7416 or at brandon@ andrew.cmu.edu WARP Newsletter - Spring 2016 7 Bylaws Revisions to be Considered at Annual Meeting Philis Alvic Summary of Bylaws Changes The section on the Nominating Com- The changes to the Bylaws will be mittee now defines the committee as WARP on the Web - http:// voted on by the general membership at being composed of one Board member www.weavearealpeace.org our Annual Meeting this summer. Below is and two members drawn from the gen- features WARP history, a summary of the proposed changes. The eral membership. Instead of notification annual meeting information, full text can be viewed in the Members being ‘mailed,’ the wording is now ‘com- member access to the Only section of our website. If you would municated,’ which allows more flexibil- directory, and past newslet- like to comment or suggest changes to ity in methods of delivering information. ters. You can join or renew the Bylaws, please contact Philis Alvic at And this notification is now to take place your membership [email protected]. a month before the meeting. This makes online. Most of the changes and additions to more sense for an international organiza- the Bylaws are a matter of neatening to tion rather than providing only two weeks. Facebook - Find ‘Weave A In the section referring to meetings of Real Peace’ in the search bar reflect what we are actually doing. WARP on your personal Facebook recently went through a process to reword the Governing Board, there is an addition account to follow what WARP our Mission Statement and instead of stating that staff or members may be in- members share and to make goals added ‘Purpose’ and ‘Core Values.’ So, vited to attend in a non-voting capacity. posts to the page. Click ‘Invite this rethinking will be in the Bylaws. Under the Staff section wording is added Friends to Follow’ to promote The current Bylaws state that we will that staff may not serve on the Board. WARP to other Facebook have an Annual Meeting in the Spring. The Tax Exempt Status is revised to friends. We’ve added ‘Summer’ to allow more flex- state that WARP is now identified as a ibility in planning. 501(c)(3) by the IRS. The notification for WARP Blog - To subscribe to Bylaws changes has been also been in- receive an email when a new creased to one month. article has been posted, click on ‘Blog’ in the main menu at http://weavearealpeace. org. Enter your email address Project Update: Njabini Wool Crafters in Kenya where you see ‘Subscribe Janice Knausenberger to the WARP Blog Via Email.’ I want to share some very good news. the endangered bird, Sharpe’s Longclaw, To contribute an article to The Njabini Wool Crafters, at the base of which exclusively nests in these grass- the blog, please email info@ the Aberdares Mountains in Kenya, should lands in Kenya. weavearealpeace.org be moving into their new workshop this The workshop is gearing up now to in- Google - You are invited to December. They were informed three crease production. They are very much in join our new Google Group. If years ago that they needed to move from need of supplies for their work. Specifi- you are interested in joining their current facilities. Fortunately, they cally, they need carders and drum carders. please email Katie at ktd26@ were allowed to stay, during which time They also need new spinning wheels and hotmail.com or Rita at info@ they formed a cooperative, solicited help, another floor loom. I have searched in vain weavearealpeace.org and and finally, through the help of others, par- for a large sturdy tapestry loom on which you will be invited. The Yahoo ticularly one donor in the UK, they bought they could weave rugs. Group is no longer in use. land on a well-traveled road and the work- I am traveling to Kenya to work with this shop is now nearing completion. group in May. If you have any of the above Katie Simmons also main- Njabini Wool Crafters have tremen- equipment or wish to contribute funds tains a WARP presence on dous hope and understand how sacrifice towards the construction of a local floor ravelry.com, the knitting is part of moving forward. They have loom, everyone would be most grateful. networking site; and on Weavevolution, http://www. worked without running water and elec- Please feel free to contact me and to go weavolution.com. Please tricity for 11 years, earning very little but to Njabini’s Website to learn more. http:// send her information at believing in what they are doing. They www.njabiniwoolcrafts.org/ [email protected] . buy wool from sheep raised sustainably so Janice G Knausenberger can be reached at the native grasslands are not overgrazed, 240/429-2126 [email protected] thereby helping preserve the habitat of

8 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2016 Board Elections to be Held at WARP Annual Meeting WARP board terms are three years, was destined for textile work from birth, with the option for a board member to or, perhaps, a job at a meatpacking plant. be re-elected for an additional three year Fortunately, she chose the former. term. Board members cannot serve more Susan Weltman has been a member Travel Opportunities than six consecutive years. Leaving the of WARP since 2005 when she attended board this year is Jackie Abrams, whose her first meeting in South Carolina. She Morocco presence, after serving six years, will be is a retired family therapist and began There are still some spaces sorely missed. Board terms for Kelsey weaving almost thirty years ago. She lived on the May 28 - June 6 Textile Arts of Morocco trip. Wiskirchen and Katie Simmons also expire for many years in central New and Led by Dr. Susan Davis, this year, although both are eligible for a moved to Brooklyn nine years ago. Susan experience this exotic, second term. Kelsey has declined that has thoroughly enjoyed all the WARP welcoming country in these option, while Katie has accepted. In ad- meetings and the friends she’s made tours. Personal interactions dition, the WARP by-laws allow for up to through WARP. She and her husband with Susan’s friends, col- nine members, so the Board has decided love to travel, and have been fortunate to leagues, artisans. Visit major to increase the number of members from travel with Sarah Goodman in Bali, Susan sites & cities, the Sahara, eight to nine. Davis in Morocco and, most recently, visit- delicious cuisine, charming This year, the Nominating Commit- ed Dorinda Dutcher in Bolivia. Being part hotels, superb local guide. tee—Teena Jennings-Rentenaar, Kelsey of an organization whose goals Susan be- For more information, Wiskirchen, and Carole Pierce—have lieve in means a lot to her! contact Joan Noble at http:// submitted recommendations for the Judy Jetson writes that she is flat- www.noblejourneys.com/ 2016 WARP Board: Katie Simmons for a tered and amazed to be invited to serve second term, and Sara Lamb, Judi Jetson, on WARP’s board, and she hopes that her Guatemala and Susan Weltman for their first terms. 30+ years of creative economic develop- Karen Searle will be Nominations will also be accepted from ment experience in rural US regions can leading a tour in Guatemala the floor at the Annual Meeting, which add some value in carrying out WARP’s July 24-August 2. The takes place at 4:00 on Monday, July 11. inspiring mission. Judy has been a knitter itinerary includes stays in The election will also be held at that time. since she was five years old, tried lots of Antigua, a Lake Atitlan Sara Lamb has been a weaver/spinner/ other fiberarts, then learned to love weav- village, and the ikat region dyer/maker for over 40 years, currently fo- ing at the Yarn Barn in her 30s. She has of Quetzaltenango, with cusing on textile techniques from Central added some new aspect of fiberarts to visits to the largest indigenous textile market Asia: knotted pile, soumak, and twining. her playtime nearly every year since. Judy in San Francisco el Alto and She lives and works in northern California, is currently president and CEO of a small the famous market in but has taught workshops throughout 5-year-old nonprofit called Local Cloth Chichicastenango. the US, Canada, Britain, and Australia. She with a mission of growing the fiber econ- has written three textile-related books: omy in the southern Appalachian region Extras include visits with Woven Treasures, Spin To Weave, and The around western North Carolina. She was local weavers and coopera- Practical Spinner's Guide to , all pub- director of small town revitalization for tives and with experts on lished by Interweave Press, and numerous HandMade in America, special assistant Mayan astrology and articles have been published in SpinOff, for Rural Economic Development for the spirituality. Information: Handwoven, Weaver's, Piecework, Knit- US Small Business Administration, and www.artguat.org, ksear- [email protected] ting Traditions, Ply, and Shuttle, Spindle "matchmaker" for a couple of major uni- and Dyepot magazines. She is also cur- versities (USF and KU) seeking to improve rently learning to handstitch leather. A and increase community partnerships longtime member of WARP, she now feels throughout their regions. Judy survived a it's time to give back, and help keep the near death experience with Guillain Barre organization working to best capacity. Syndrome in 2013, and currently loves to Blessed with a memorable last name, she teach and spin just about anything. There wasn’t room in this issue for more Books You Want to Know About—which turns out to be publications in all formats by WARP members—and look forward to the continuation of this feature in the Summer issue. LT WARP Newsletter - Spring 2016 9 WARP Raffle to Feature Artwork from Board Members Keep an eye out for the official an- PayPal or at the annual meeting. (You can nouncement of the WARP Raffle. All of use PayPal even if you haven’t signed up the WARP Board Members have donated for it.) If tickets are secured before the Re-visiting Bolivia pieces of art work that they have cre- meeting, they will go into the pot for the Katie Simmons writes...It ated. In the Raffle will be items by Jackie desired item and the ticket numbers will was six years ago to the day Abrams, Philis Alvic, Teena Jennings- be e-mailed to the purchaser. that I first went to Bolivia. I Rentenaar, Cindy Lair, Judy Newland, The lucky winners will go home from am looking at my passport Karen Searle, Katie Simmons, and Kelsey the annual meeting with their original art with my expired Visa. So Wiskirchen. Photographs of the items of- work. If the winner is not in attendance, much has changed in my fered will be available on the WARP web- the item will be mailed. life in that amount of time site and through a variety of social media Proceeds from this Raffle will go to but I smile because I am sites. cover expenses of running WARP. Please still returning to Shangri-La To participate members—and friends ‘share’ the site announcing the Raffle with or, as it’s called, Indepen- dencia, Bolivia. This is not of members—can buy a raffle ticket for your social media friends. The more money Shangri-La to most people: $5.00 and select which of the pieces they we can generate for WARP the better. you can’t drink the water, would like to take a chance on winning. Remember that one is not limited in the the bus trip alone is 7-20 Five tickets can be purchased for $20.00 number of tickets that can be bought. The hours (a record), and there (note the deal). One can put all the tick- more you buy the greater the chance you isn’t reliable Internet, but to ets towards a particular item or split them have of securing the piece that you desire. those in my WARP tribe it is. among several different pieces. This is an opportunity to own exciting art Dorinda Dutcher is a won- The drawing of numbers will be at the work by a WARP Board member—some derful host and many WARP annual meeting in Santa Fe. Tickets can have international reputations and others members have visited. be purchased on the WARP website using of us are aspiring for that recognition. Just a week after I left this time, WARP member Susan Weltman was there for a Spinzilla Spinning Week in Bolivia visit, and she took naturally continued from page 1 dyed, spun, woven yoga together. The spinning and weaving skills straps back with her to help 2014 roster. Team registration in 2015 sell in the US. While I was was swift and enthusiastic. The awarding they competed in so fiercely as teens are there a friend and I danced of 1st through 6th place prizes in 2014 part of their culture they were not able for Carnival in Huancarani, led to problems and the spinners recom- to pass on to their educated daughters. a village high in the Andes. mended that all receive the same prize. Spinzilla has brought them joy by arriving I wore traditional dress and The response to the fundraising efforts of in the nick of time to honor and celebrate drank chicha (corn beer). Constance Hall, the Spinzilla Team Cap- their textile heritage. There is much to the story tain Coordinator, and to ClothRoads al- Two volunteers are needed in Inde- that will not fit on these lowed PAZA to buy sweaters as the 2015 pendencia during the October 3rd to pages. Please follow the 6th Spinzilla Spinning Week 2016. One Weave A Real Peace blog for prize. The spinners voted for frilly petti- volunteer will help with the social media the rest of this story. coats as the 2016 prize. The petticoats will be sewn in the PAZA workshop, thus pro- and filmmaking. The other will be a team viding income for the Club de Artesanas member. The Bolivian spinners extend members. the invitation to a foreign spinner be- Midway through Spinning Week the cause they want to see for themselves Team Captain, the social media volunteer, that foreigners spin. and Dorinda visited rural Huancarani to Dorinda Dutcher lives in Independencia, Bolivia, film, take photos, and check in with the continuing her grass roots volunteer work spinners. Groups of spinners had gath- (PAZA) with the weavers that began as a Peace ered at convenient locations. Age lines Corps project in 2007. Thank you PAZA support- etched into careworn faces seemed to ers! Contact Dorinda for information about the soften as they fell into the habits of their volunteer opportunities. dkdutcher@hotmail. com View past Spinzilla highlights at www. youth—spinning, chatting, and laughing pazaboliviablog.com.

10 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2016 Walking in her shoes… Susie Strauss, Life Coach, Fiber Artist As we were waiting for the village managers of inns. We visited with them in women to prepare our meal of chicken, their homes, places of business, and our couscous and hotels. There were two women who make Thanks to WARP vegetables, traditional djellaba buttons into saleable Donors... and before bracelets and necklaces. One of them had Susan Abouhalkah the musical stepped out of the traditions of her family Jane Brownlee instruments and learned to drive and had access to a Deborah Brandon came out and car. There was the inn at the oasis where Rita Chapman the singing we devoured Berber Pizza sitting out- Dana Connell and dancing side under a flowered trellis enjoying the Beth Davis took place, I breeze and view of the oasis at the foot Elizabeth Hoffman wandered into the ‘kitchen’ to see what a of their road. There we met the stunning Linda Ligon Nancy Meffe Moroccan village kitchen looked like. As Judy Newland I stepped onto the wet tile floor with my Carol Pierce bare feet, one of the women preparing Sondra Rose the meal pointed at my feet as if to ask Carol Reinhold where were my shoes. Of course I had left Aimee Russillo them at the doorway with all the other Kathryn Scott street shoes—American walkers and Mo- Jacquie Vincent roccan slippers. So she slipped off her indoor shoes and presented them to me as I looked around the kitchen area. I was walking in her shoes in her kitchen. In the room was a big industrial sized woman we thought was our hostess’s pot with steaming couscous sitting on mother, only to find out she was really top of another large pot with the chicken her older sister who looked after the and vegetables cooking. The stack of pots family when the mother died. Our host- sat on a single propane burner with its ess shared that when they weave on their feeder tank standing nearby. No refrigera- upright rug loom, they weave in commu- tor, sink, or cabinets were present and the nity, sitting together, visiting, gossiping, window was open to the visiting neigh- and creating their handiwork. And how bor. Yet what enticing smells came from the threads in the weaving have special Textiles of the that clean and rudimentary kitchen. meaning. There are ‘bachelor’ and ‘mar- Banjara: This was just another stop on our mag- ried ones’ threads in the warp, and the Cloth and Culture of ical road trip through Morocco, a land of loose piece of yarn left overnight so that hospitality, spices and flavors, vibrant the loom is “fed” and ready to be worked a Wandering Tribe colors, craftsmanship and mysteries of on the next day. This land is full tradi- by Charllotte Kwon and Tim McLaughlin the unknown. tions—from the hand washing before and after meals with someone bring- Morocco is known as the country The first book on the of 1000 contrasts. I like to think it is the ing the basin and towel around, to the traditions and embroidery country of 1000 layers. On last year’s trip elaborate preparation and serving of the of the Banjara, an ethnic led by Susan Schaefer Davis http://d2ssd. minted tea made from a green tea base group composed of nomad- com/www-source/travel/travel.htm, we and poured out of silver teapots, to the ic tribes found throughout were privy to some of those layers and relationship with the traditions and be- the Indian subcontinent. mysteries as we were taken into homes in liefs of Islam. For the two weeks we were Available now for pre-order small rural villages, oases, seaside towns, there, we just got a taste of the richness, at http://www.maiwa.com/ deserts, and metropolitan cities. We met flavor, and hidden depths of this mysteri- home/books/books/Tex- tiles_of_the_Banjara.html. with women who were weavers, spinners, ous country and a desire to venture back dyers, embroiderers, writers, lawyers, and and dig below the surface for more. WARP Newsletter - Spring 2016 11 Weave a Real Peace c/o 6182 Pollard Avenue East Lansing, MI 48823

2016 Annual Meeting July 8-12 in Santa Fe!! A WARP Inspired Collaboration Bonnie Tarses When Sara Lamb and I unexpectedly met at the 2015 Sara and I decided we’d each weave a scarf using repur- WARP meeting, we were awed and humbled by the tireless posed cashmere yarn that my mother and I un-knitted from efforts of members who have devoted their lives to helping over 200 cashmere sweaters. weavers around Sara would dye yarn from the white sweaters using reds, the world. As we golds and blues of a sunset as inspiration. listened to the I sent 16 skeins to Sara, and she divided the yarn in half. inspiring presen- She wound her portion of the yarn to use as warp and left tations, I turned mine in skeins to use as weft. Dye, Dye, Dye…And then the to Sara and said exciting part for me, Weaving, Weaving, Weaving! “We should weave Sara and I are thrilled with the results! We hope you will cloth that supports be too. weavers in need so These magnificent scarves are destined for the 2016 fun- they can afford to draising auction to generate support of WARP networked reclaim their van- projects and, perhaps, inspire The un-knitting factory ishing traditions other weavers to join in next rather than encouraging them to tailor their weaving to year. keep up with fleeting fashion trends.” At that moment, there arose the perfect motivation, op- portunity, and inspiration to collaborate.

Bonnie’s cashmere scarf Sara’s cashmere scarf 12 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2016