A review of CHG’s 2011 Fiber Retreat, contributed by Terri Bryson

Camp Mikell, Toccoa, GA
The last week of October 2011 found me talking to myself as I packed clothes, fiber, and looms. I had ambitious plans. The weekend loomed ahead with no meals to plan or cook. No expectations other than relax, hang out with friends, and practice weaving and other fiber arts. Sounds ideal, doesn’t it? Well, I wondered, will my attention span tolerate this? There were no formal classes planned. Participants could work or not. Why on earth was I making all the effort to pack up my weaving toys and other things? I could work here at home. The lure of not cooking had proven too much.
With hindsight, I am now able to answer my own questions. The best part of the weekend was the friends and sharing. Everyone worked on different things: floor loom weaving, rigid heddle weaving, knitting, spinning, photography, tapestry weaving, and, best of all, lots of laughing and talking. If by some chance you needed a break there were hiking trails and other places to walk and stretch your legs. The weather was perfect.
In addition to helping each other with project questions, the learning opportunities were ample. We were offered an impromptu class on weaving a beaded tapestry bracelet. We explored Zentangle and drop spindle. We had some rather unusual offerings as well. From “Olympic Rosary Toss” to “advanced needle click” knitting to the “gluteal slide” hiking technique, everyone earned something new.
- CHG’s Education Committee’s next Retreat! is scheduled for October 4-7, 2012. More information is in the Fiber Focus newsletter.