I’ve been playing with candles lately. It all began with a quote I found on Laura Fry’s blog (which I highly recommend, by the way). The quote originates from James Keller and reads as such:
“A Candle loses nothing, by lighting another candle.”
As I thought about it, I seemed to remember that when you light the candles at a holiday table something even more exciting happens. When the second candle alights, there is an enlargement of flame. Curiosity led me to try to capture that image here. So, if I was James Keller, I might have written:
“If you want a bigger flame, share your light.”
This, it seems to me, is the life principle of ANWG 2025 Keynote speaker and instructor Robyn Spady.
I readily confess that I’m a great admirer of Robyn’s work. I’ve taken classes with her, and I’m always struck by her remarkable weaving enthusiasm backed by an almost limitless knowledge of her subjects. No matter the class, I always come away with more than I signed up for. More about using Fiberworks. More about color. More about structure. She has a remarkable ability to take a class with diverse experience levels, and escort each of us down the same pathway. Like herding cats, she keeps everyone together, providing something for every learning journey.
So, recently, when I asked Robyn what drives her determination to share her knowledge, I wasn’t terribly surprised by her answer:
“I suppose [what drives me] is the desire to leave ‘footprints’ of my life and leave the world a better place because I was part of it. I feel I can do that through my enthusiasm for life and my weaving, teaching, and writing.”
That enthusiasm leads Robyn into deep and surprising studies. At the 2023 ANWG conference, her research into Couture fabrics became the basis of a seminar to help weavers create Chanel-type fabrics. This summer, she traveled to Ireland in search of information about linen, its origins, its use and its Irish Heritage. I have no doubt that trip will morph into a delightful class soon.
In the meantime, you’ll be able to share Robyn’s expertise in a wide range of classes at the 2025 ANWG conference. And, at our Saturday evening dinner, as Robyn speaks on the topic of “The Webs We Weave,” I have no doubt you’ll laugh as you are challenged and inspired by this prolific and generous weaver. We are so lucky to have Robyn among our “web” here in the Pacific Northwest. I can’t wait!