Board

Saskatoon Spinners & Weavers Guild
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Malcolm Benson-Dyke lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and is a member of the Saskatoon Spinners & Weavers Guild.  He has previously held board positions with his guild and prior to moving to Saskatchewan, he belonged to the Telarana guild in Mesa, AZ.  Malcolm’s working career spanned 38 years with a Canadian Bank and he attended the 2019 Prince George Conference.  He is an officer in two Canadian Airstream Clubs and his fiber interests are multi-shaft weaving and dyeing.

Malcolm began his weaving journey in 2014. He always wanted to weave, but it didn’t happen until he retired. He found a willing and enthusiastic teacher in Mesa, AZ and took his first “Introduction to Weaving” class. The rest as they say is history!

Malcolm’s first real project was a set of huck-lace placemats in three colours. What was he thinking? One of his mottos in life has been “go big or go home”. He certainly has proved that over the years. His first loom (and still his favourite) was a 48” – 12 shaft LeClerc Model M. He subsequently found out it was manufactured the year he was born!

Malcolm has taken many courses from a variety of well-known instructors including Tom Knisley, Rosalie Neilson and Laura Fry. He is currently enrolled in the Olds College Master Weavers program.

Malcolm joined the SSWG in the spring of 2014 and has been actively involved ever since. He has served as Vice-Chair, Chair and now Past-Chair of the Guild. One of Malcolm’s other life mottos is “you get out of an organization what you put into it.” Malcolm and a dedicated group of volunteers were successful in finding the guild a permanent home – their first in 40 years.

Malcolm looks forward to working with ANWG and its member Guilds to promote fibre arts throughout the Region.

Alpine Meadows Spinners and Weavers
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Patty Huffer has been weaving since 1981. After graduating from Central Washington University, with a dual education degree in Home Economics and Physical Education, she took a summer weaving class. This began her love of weaving and teaching others to weave and spin, for almost 40 years.

The love of fibers and teaching others has been a life-long inspiration for her. There are new ideas coming from students and other weavers all the time. She looks forward to the moment when each student, for the first time, understands how a woven piece is constructed resulting in a beautiful finished product.

Patty’s experience and use of many varieties of looms and threading complexities has contributed to her ongoing passion for weaving. It is always amazing what can be achieved with different yarns (natural and synthetic) and woven structures.

Arachne Weavers Guild
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Deborah has been an active member of the Arachne Weavers Guild since 2008. She joined the guild to learn how to weave. She has served as Program Chair two years, and presently is the Treasurer for the guild. Deborah also participated on the last two Grant Application Committees for her Guild – Weaving Boot Camp, and Sheep 2 Shawl. This past year Deborah was Arachne’s Weaver for the Washington State Fair Sheep2Shawl Competition. Other Fiber Art interests include: Spinning, Rigid Heddle Weaving, 4/8 Shaft Weaving, and knitting. She attended her first ANWG Conference held in Victoria BC 2017, and could not wait until the next one held in Prince George 2019, and is looking forward to 2023.
Responsibility:  The president is the moderator of board meetings and the Annual Membership Meeting (AMM) each year and helps to coordinate the work of the various board members.
Position held until 2023.

Seattle Guild
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I started knitting with gusto back in Hawaii in 2012, following in the footsteps of my Dutch grandmother who was a prolific knitter, crocheter, and embroiderer. After moving to Washington in 2014, I attended the Spring Fair in 2017 and saw all these women spinning in the Sheep barn. I was entranced! So I bought myself a used Ashford traditional and after watching YouTube videos spun and spun. At the 2019 Spring Fair I finally worked up the nerve to talk to one of the ladies spinning and I joined the Northwest Regional Spinners Association. Joining the fine group of Area 2050 spinners, I learned a great deal about slowing down, changing my tension and spinning more intentional yarn. Last year, while stuck working and playing at home, I decided to give weaving a try on a borrowed rigid heddle loom, and I was hooked! So now, as part of the Seattle Weaver’s Guild, I hope to continue on my fiber arts journey. Eventually, I also want to attend the Master Spinner program at Olds College, and now that I know about the Master Weaver program, perhaps that too! I have 3 growing children (2 young adult boys and a 13-year-old daughter), a loving and supportive husband and two cutie pie dogs. Besides being crafty, I love to bake, read and can’t wait for my vegetable gardening every year.
Responsibility:  To deposit and disburse ANWG funds, provide financial reports to the board, develop an annual budget and work with a team for periodic audits.
Position held until 2023.

Columbia Fibre Guild
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Nancy R. Skakel, living in The Dalles, Oregon, has been involved with fiber arts for about 40 years. Raising Romney sheep, angora rabbits, alpacas, and a silky Maltese dog all led to the lifelong question, “What do I do with all of this fur?” I tried weaving, which I enjoyed but sadly, I have no room for a loom at this point in my life. I taught myself to knit, which again I enjoy even though I know I will never be really good at it. Yarn was expensive and I had those sheep, so I learned to spin – absolutely mesmerizing. But then, one day, a friend introduced me to felting and I found my passion. Needle felting, wet felting, nuno – anything to turn fiber into objets d’art. I have added ecoprinting, natural dyeing, and some batik work to my list of things “I do not have as much time as I wish I could spend doing,” so I volunteered to take on producing the newsletter for ANWG.  I am a retired (in theory) RN, a volunteer at our community Art Center, and a member of an artists’ co-operative store front. I am the past president and vice president of the Columbia Fibres Guild here in the beautiful Columbia Gorge, and am now the ANWG representative for our guild.

Skagit Valley Weavers Guild
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I moved with my husband and dog to Skagit Valley, WA in 2014 and still think that the Pacific Northwest is magical.  We both had careers with US Forest Service, which required moving to several locations in the western states, the final being Colorado. Washington held the same environmental ethics that we both strived for in our careers and this area had some roots for Ross, so here we are surrounded by the Cascades to the east and Puget Sound to the west and nestled in a quiet green valley.  

I began weaving and spinning in the early ’90s and started teaching both subjects at Utah and Colorado State University extensions, started a sideline business of repairing looms and wheels and writing occasionally for Handwoven Magazine. I retired in 2013 and as I hear too often, ‘how did I ever have time for a career?’ I’ve taught numerous in-person workshops in UT, CO, WA, OR, MT and virtually for MAFA, HGA, and larger more distant guilds.   I was recruited to be the ANWG Membership Chair while at a membership meeting in Victoria, BC in 2016 and held that position until 2021. I’m currently a member of the Skagit Valley Weavers Guild, Seattle Weavers Guild, HGA and Complex Weavers and have been a member of the Peninsula, Whatcom, Whidbey and Montana Guilds since being here. 

I currently own three looms ranging from 8-24 shafts and have always said that Washington winters (maybe greater NW area) are made for weaving. I teach zoom seminars in most aspects of handweaving and computer drafting and maintain individual student tutoring in my small studio.  I can be found at www.aweaversway.com.

As the incoming Education Chair, I have some big ideas for virtual learning and hope to have a full roster of opportunities for learning. It would help me immensely to hear from our membership on how you would like to mold ‘your’ new program.

Whidbey Weavers Guild, Peninsula Weavers and Spinners Guild
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I grew up and lived in Northern California until my retirement.  Growing up, my mother taught me to sew, knit, and embroider and my grandmother taught me to crochet and tat.  I learned to weave and spin as a student at Humboldt State University.  When our son was born, I had the opportunity to help start Golden West Saddle Blankets as the weaver.  We produced custom saddle blankets for Western Quarter Horse riders in the show ring.  In addition I taught weaving at the UC Davis Craft Center.  I produced saddle blankets and taught for the next 15 years.  As college costs were looming for our children, I decided I needed to get a “real” job.  I had been a regular library patron consuming books on tape while a production weaver and one day, one of the librarians suggested I apply for a job at the library.  I discovered I loved working in the library and went back to school part time to earn a Library Technician Certificate.  I was an elementary school librarian for 8 years, then moved to the high school as a librarian for another 8 years.  I retired in June, 2015 and we headed North.  I became active in the Whidbey Weavers Guild and the Peninsula Weavers and Spinners Guild.  I enjoy my looms, which include 4- and 8-shaft, pin looms, Inkle looms, tapestry, and rigid heddle; am both a wheel and spindle spinner, and dabble in needle felting a bit.  When not weaving or spinning, I enjoy camping, daily walks in the woods, playing handbells with our church bell choir, and volunteering at our local Marine Science Center.

Responsibility: Collects the annual guild membership dues, keeps the list of Guild Representatives, and Presidents up-to-date, communicates with the individual guild representatives, and reports to the board and the organization on the membership status.
Position held since 2022.

Portland Handweavers Guild
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Dan weaves in Portland, Oregon, mostly on one of his three rigid heddle looms, but sometimes on a pin loom, or an inkle loom, or an 8 shaft table loom.  The big 4 shaft floor loom is still folded up while he decides where to put it.
Responsibility:  Manage the ANWG website.
Position held since 2021.