Well, hello there. I have had the pleasure of meeting some of you lovely weavers already, but not everybody. So, I thought I’d give myself a little intro.
I landed the dream job of working with Jane in her studio about 4 months ago. She told the universe that she needed someone who had office experience, was willing to cook retreat lunches, wash dishes, weed brassicas and climb the ladder up into the storage space. The universe came through, for both of us. I was looking to continue my newfound profession of ‘fibre/textile worker of some sort’ and wanted an employer who knew what they were doing. And you all know that Jane knows what she’s doing.
I have always been a yarn person. I started knitting 28(!) years ago, spinning and dyeing 2 years ago and my weaving education has just begun! I made my first warp and dressed my first loom ever last week! So, I’m a total newbie weaver. But just you wait, with one of the best teachers around, I bet I’ll knock my own hand spun/dyed/knitted socks off. There’s something about the textures and colours of yarn, all the different fibres and textile techniques that I just can’t get enough of.
I spent 10 years working as a corporate legal assistant on the 55th floor at King and Bay in the heart of Toronto’s financial district. The view was great, the people and pay were great, but there was always something missing. In 2008 I moved from an apartment in Yorkville to a tent on Salt Spring spending the next year or so working in various gardening and fibre related jobs.
My growth in this position will mean that Jane gets more time at the drawing board, on the loom, in the garden, in the kitchen and with the fam. For me it means I spend my days in a creative and beautiful workplace, learn to weave from Jane who is so passionate, fun and knowledgeable and get to participate in a business that excites, challenges and inspires me.
Hooray! I hope to have the pleasure of meeting all of you over the coming years and shake you warmly by the hand.
Nice to MeetYa, Charlotte
