Sprang Forward, Fall's Back

The Peace Country Spinners and Weavers Fall Conference held at the Fine Arts Centre in Fairview AB, in the fourth week of September 2013, was a great success. We held the annual meeting and elected a new slate of officers and began the planning for workshops for next year.

Sprang was the topic of this workshop which is a technique of interlinking, interlacing and intertwining. It makes a fabric that is stretchy one way but not stretchy the other. It can be used to make scarves, shawls, socks, leggings, hats, tunics, sweaters and bags, etc. Lace and intricate patterns are the end result of learning this technique. This is an ancient technique of making fabric which was essentially lost to the world with the Industrial Revolution.

The instructor was Carol James with her daughter Claire assisting, from Winnipeg. Carol is an excellent teacher. Her videos on line are excellent too. See Sashweaver on YouTube. Carol is trying to revive the use of the Sprang technique. She has learned how to do it from observing existing pieces of work found in museums. Her book Sprang Unsprung shows the techniques and pictures of the historic pieces.

We made cell phone bags and learned how to warp the loom and attempted to make hats. Some people made hats, some of the hats turned into small bags. We also learned how to make and weave on a circular warp and we learned the very basics of making lace. 

The PCSW hopes to hold an Intermediate Sprang Workshop in the spring of 2015. The challenge is to become proficient enough in using our newly acquired Sprang techniques to be able to attend the intermediate workshop. We will learn the techniques of making lace and more intricate patterns.
This workshop was challenging in that we were learning a completely new technique. We heard stories of our history which connected us all to the past, which somehow enriches the experience. Some of us imagined hearing whispers of our ancestors over our shoulders, encouraging us to help to revive this technique. We worked hard. Imagine 18 women in one room working silently for noticeable lengths of time. And we all, at least once during the weekend, said to our neighbours, "Don't talk to me," as we struggled to remember exactly where we were in the row. It became the joke of the conference. "Don't talk to me!" We are all excited to learn how to perfect this newly acquired skill.
 
Check out your local weavers' guild in the Peace Region if you are interested in learning Sprang. The North Peace Spinners and Weavers are holding a workshop on learning about Sprang at their regular monthly meeting on October 12 in Fort St. John at Artspost, 10320 94^th Ave from 10:00-4:00. This includes a short business meeting. For more information on attending the workshop please contact us at 1358@telus.net.