Mentors for 2012 Retreat
Daryl Lancaster, a hand-weaver and fiber artist known for her hand-woven, pieced garments, has been sewing for more than 40 years. She gives lectures and workshops to guilds, conferences, and craft centers all over North America. The former Features Editor for Handwoven Magazine, she frequently contributes to various weaving publications. Daryl lives in northern New Jersey (Morris County) with her family. www.weaversew.com
Judith McKenzie, world renowned fiber artist, teaches throughout the United States and Canada. Her expertise ranges from the breeding of fiber animals through every related aspect, including but not limited to fiber preparation, dyeing, spinning and weaving. She is a frequent contributor to Interweave Knits, Spin-Off, Handwoven and PieceWork and has authored several books. Due to her extensive textile knowledge and expertise, Judith was called upon to repair a carpet for the king of Afghanistan.
Robin Russo lives in Bradford, Vermont where she teaches spinning, felting, dyeing and working with exotic fibers. She has been teaching since 1989 at gatherings of spinners, weavers, knitters and historical societies. She had been a fiber enthusiast for more than thirty-eight years and takes every opportunity to explore its potential.
Merike, who currently owns Liisu Yarns, says she lead a "double life" - Estonian and American. Born in the United States, she lived in a remote area and didn't learn English until she attended kindergarten. She grew up with American weekdays and Estonian weekends and summers. She learned to knit and create other needlecrafts in the Estonian style. Merike earned a degree in Studio Arts and concentrated in fibers for her last year. She raised sheep for 15 years. The owner of Liisu Yarns, her specialty is dyeing and painting yarns but after that, it's teaching, or as she prefers to call it - sharing - that she enjoys most. She shares her explorations in color, yarns, techniques, spinning, knitting, felting, lockerhooking and so much more. Her patterns have been published in national magazines and her shop, Liisu Yarns was featured in the book Handpaint Country. Merike lives in Meadows of Dan, VA with her husband Dane, her Pomeranian and two cats.
Rita Walters grew up on a farm in Hastings, Michigan. In 1984 Rita and her husband Marlin moved to a small farm and purchased a flock of Corriedale sheep. They continued to be shepherds until 2009. It wasn't long after purchasing their farm that her interest in the wool her animals produced brought her to opening the Wool Room shop on the farm. The shop offered all things wool for sale. Next, a childhood interest in art resurfaced and Rita began creating needle felted pins, 3-D pictures and more. Her creations are available at the Wool Room, at festivals and they are sold nationwide. She also has many displayed on the web. Rita achieves great pleasure and satisfaction in sharing her knowledge by teaching needle felting, knitting, spinning and braided rug making. She teaches and demonstrates at her shop, at festivals and guild events.