About the guild

The Duluth Fiber Handcrafters Guild was formed in 1973 to promote and support spinning, weaving, knitting, felting and other fiber arts. The guild, which has 70 members, meets on the first Monday of the month in its studio in the Depot. Annual membership costs $20, $15 for seniors and students.

In conjunction with the Duluth Art Institute, the guild offers classes in the studio. Call 733-7560 to sign up for classes:

* Beginning Weaving on a Four-Harness Floor Loom with Shelley Norden, 5-9 p.m. Feb. 1, 8 and 15 and 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 3, 10 and17. Cost: $125 for members, $150 for nonmembers plus $10 notebook fee.

* Antler Basket Weaving with Cathryn Peters, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 31. Cost: $70 for members, $84 for nonmembers plus $55 supply fee.

* Loom Warming Refresher, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 14 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 15. Cost: $20 for members, $24 for nonmembers.

* Rug Weaving Workshop with Wynne Mattilla, a three-day workshop, is in the works for April or May. Call 723-1310.

In the Duluth Fiber Handcrafters Guild, Leslie Williams White is considered a knitter's knitter.

"Most knitters, when they see my stuff, get very excited," acknowledges White of Duluth. "Where the average person might not notice I'm wearing something, knitters do and understand."

Other knitters see her skill, her combination of techniques and her creative use of color, which is a hallmark of her work.

White, 47, learned to knit as a child but became serious about it about age 20. She built upon her technique and unleashed her creativity to create striking sweaters, shawls, hats, mittens and other items.

"Mostly what I knit is my designs," White says. "I learn techniques and take off in my own direction."

The working mother of two always has three to six projects going at one time. For White, the act of knitting and feeling the natural fibers contributes to her well-being. It centers and grounds her, connecting her to the past.

"This is my spiritual discipline," White says. "This is my creative outlet, so I always have to be doing something. It's connected to my mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. For a lot of us, it's something we feel impelled to do."

Guild members' creations, intricate in design and technique, are often sensual to the touch and rich in colors, sometimes hand-dyed. Their work hearkens back to a time when people made their own household goods and women sought to make everyday items beautiful and meaningful as well as serviceable.

The guild, which has about 70 members, including several men, will show its best work at Saturday's Fabulous Fibers Fair and Sale at the Depot. Many creations -- scarves, rag rugs, hats, sweaters, holiday ornaments, linens and novelty items -- will be for sale. The free event also will feature demonstrations and opportunities for people to try some of the fiber arts.

"It's really a nice chance for the community to find out about the Fiber Guild and see what they could learn if they want to come and take classes from us," said Vanderwerp, who will demonstrate how to spin yarn.

Learning to spin or weave takes a desire and a love of working with fiber, said Guild President Rita Nimz of French River.

"It does take some patience," she said. "The learning process is different. Spinning is like learning to ride a bicycle. It takes a while to catch on, but once you get it you have it. Weaving is different. You're usually dealing with a lot of heavy threads. It involves more of a design process. It takes more patience to thread the loom and takes longer to get the knack of it. The actual weaving is the fun part."

A fair number of old Scandinavian looms are still around the Northland. Some are being used by rug weavers, Nimz says.

"A lot of the looms people have around here are the old Finnish looms that ancestors brought over with them or made here, often from logs," she said. "And every once in a while, I hear someone say that their grandmother has a spinning wheel in the attic."

Guild members have taught fiber arts in schools, in the community and at the guild's studio.

"We're trying to get people interested because they're great crafts and art," Vanderwerp said. "It would be a shame for it to die out."

CANDACE RENALLS is at (218) 723-5329 or e-mail crenalls@duluthnews.com .