Tea and Weaving
Weaving Workshops
At Rooted Archipelago, we offer textile art workshops including weaving, spinning, dyeing, and knitting. These workshops are born through collaboration, and vary in skillset, duration and inspiration within the group that is present.
It is my honor to walk people through the creative process and to continue in the lineage of passing on these crafts to others through community workshops. Each workshop is unique and there are opportunities to deepen in your craft, learn new skills, and create in community.
If you are interested in hosting or collaborating on a weaving, dyeing, or spinning workshop, please reach out.
Community and Collaborators
This work is not done alone! I am always honored to work with wonderful humans to bring ceremonies and events to life.
To learn more about me, visit About Me
Learn about my community, mentors, collaborators, and co-teachers below.
Maria Nutt
Maria, with her husband Bob, moved to Orcas over 30 years ago. Between teaching science at the local school, they established Warm Valley Orchard, a working sheep farm, orchard, and textile studio. To keep up with the endless supply of wool from their sheep, Maria learned to spin yarn from another long time islander, and neighbor, Barbara Humes. She later joined the San Juan Textile Guild and learned to weave, eventually participating in the "sheep to shall" competition at the County Fair for many years.
Maria brings a depth knowledge and experience with processing wool from raising lambs, sheering, processing fleece, spinning yarn, dyeing, knitting, and weaving. She considers herself a lifelong learner and has a fun philosophy combining knowledge and experimentation she calls "happy school of textile accidents".
Keeping with the traditions of spinning and weaving and her passion for teaching, Maria enjoys passing on her knowledge and skills to those interested in the craft. You can find her in her studio or on the farm at Warm Valley Orchard.
Cathy Vierthaler
Cathy has been involved with textiles since she was a child. Her mother, grandmother, and a great-grandmother taught her "the needle-arts" at age 6 and she was hooked ever since. Once a seamstress, quilter and fabric store owner on Orcas Island, she now focuses on spinning, dyeing, and knitting. She works exclusively in natural fibers, primarily wool, mohair, and silk.
With her two grown children out of the nest, she devotes much of her time to her craft, and she is passing on her knowledge to her grandchildren now.
As a child, Cathy spent summers and vacations with family on Orcas. The Island made it’s way into her heart, and her textile design. She is very well known on the Island for her famous "Cathy Hats".
Check out her work on her instagram Island.knitwear and on ravelry