Last weekend I had the pleasure of travelling to Haida Gwaii to deliver two full-day spinning workshops. I had visited there for fibre arts teaching in 2010 and again in 2012. It is a magical place with creative, generous, big-spirited people. I can’t wait to go back again.

I landed in Sandspit and then traveled by bus/ferry to Queen Charlotte. Here’s the view from the ferry as we head south.

A week earlier I received my new Navajo spindle from Dave, my spindle guy. I spent the week learning how to use it so I could teach the people in my spinning class how to use this amazing tool. It is quite similar to the kind of spindles their ancestors used. Two days before departure it dawned on me that I had to somehow get this on the plane. At 31″ long and 6″ in circumference, it wasn’t fitting into my large suitcase. After calling Air Canada and getting assurance that I could take it onto the plane, I set out to package it up.

And here I am, past security waiting for the flight. I carried it to the plane and gave it to the “sky-check” guy who promised that it was going to sit at the very top of the pile, and not be crushed. And the picture below is all the equipment and materials I needed for the full-day workshops. In these bags are several pound and varieties of fibre, several top-whorl spindles bottom-whorl spindles, supported spindles and even a Turkish one. Also inside are three pairs of hand carders, wool combs, knitting needles, resources books and handouts.

And to top it all off, here is the view from our workshop. The weather was grand – full sun and medium heat. The participants made skeins of yarn, stretched their skills and had a lot of fun. I’d go back there in a heartbeat. Thanks Haida Gwaii.