As many of you may know, our beloved Joni is now helping her dear friend Deborah (new owner) run the Main Street Yarn shop in Mill Creek. Thankfully, we have been able to pick up where Joni left off with the spinning classes by welcoming back one of our past instructors - Kim Myhre - and by introducing a new instructor to our area - Barbara Seeler. Here is a little bit about Barbara:
Barbara Seeler is a life long fiber addict. She began her love affair with color and texture when as a 5 year old, her Russian piano teacher suggested she learn to knit as a way of increasing finger dexterity. In 1993 Barbara's adult daughter gave her a spinning wheel and spinning lessons as20a holiday gift. On the advice of her spinning teacher, she joined her local guild, The Greater Los Angeles Spinning Guild. As a member of the Greater Los Angeles Spinning Guild, she held a variety of elected positions, Co-President, Events Chair, Secretary and Editor of the newsletter.
In 1998 when Barbara retired she and her husband moved to the Atlanta area to be nearer to her daughter. She joined the Chatahoochee Handweavers Guild where she was a board member, serving as Properties Chair and Public Relations committee chair. She also served on the Education Committee and was for several years the editor of the quarterly education brochure. She also taught knitting, fiber preparation, beginning and advanced spinning for the Guild.
In 2000 Barbara was appointed to the Board of Directors of HGA as a Fundraising Chair, first filling the unexpired term of a board member that resigned and then elected starting in 2003 to the board for 2 consecutive 3 year terms. She has served as Fundraising Chair, second and first vice-president and co-chair of the Certificate of Excellence program.
Barbara is a graduate of San Jose State University and UCLA. She was a Senior Research Associate in UCLA's Biology Department for twenty years where she actively published in the field of Endocrinology. She then was a member of the administration for an additional ten years where she served as a Facilities Co-Manager,=2 0Emergency Management Team Co-ordinator, Vivarium Manager and finished her academic career as the Executive Officer of the Life Sciences South Administrative Unit.
Barbara feels the partially completed tapestry that represents her life journey is composed of many different threads, seemingly from divergent sources but woven together create a unique and functional design.
Kim has scheduled her first Drop Spindle 101 class for May 31st, 12:30 - 3:30 pm.
Barbara will teach her first Beginning Wheel Spinning class May 27; Jun 3 6:30-8:30 pm.
Come meet Barbara at this month's Spinning Night - Thursday, May 14th!
Woolgatherings began over 25 years ago when Sandy Sitzman started selling the brightly dyed wool from her small flock of sheep, llamas, and alpacas at local craft and fiber shows. Her work as been featured in many publications including “The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook.” Today, Woolgatherings is still a family business, owned and operated by Kate Sitzman, and recently relocated to Duvall, Washington. Kate shares Sandy’s love of fiber and color and draws a lot of inspiration from her travels and from the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
