Unlike Snow White, the women of Woolie Wednesdays never prick their fingers on a spinning wheel, and they for sure have never fallen asleep during class. There’s way too much sharing, caring, laughing and smiling going on at The Colony Community Center.
The Woolie Wednesdays spinning group meets from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday at The Colony Community Center, 5151 North Colony Blvd. Originally known as Texas Twisters, they recently adopted the name of Woolie Wednesdays for their group meeting. The members of the group bring their own spinning wheels to make yarn out of all natural fibers: wool, alpaca, silk, cotton and more. One member even had four sheep and a llama that her husband sheared for the fleece.
But whether they raise the animals themselves or purchase the fleece, the next steps require that the fibers are skirted and washed, then combed or carded to align the fibers into usable, spin-able roving. Finally, the roving can be spun into yarn. But the spinners don’t view this as work. They prefer to think of it as fun and therapy. All of the steps require a repetitive, rhythmical motion that induces calmness. But while it may be calm for a while, there also is laughter and giggling frequently escaping from the room.
After the yarn is spun, they can begin to turn it into beautiful handmade items by knitting, crocheting, weaving, needle felting and rug hooking. The group has taken what centuries ago was the only way to make clothing and reintroduced it to their modern world. The spinners’ extremely creative take on fiber is not only relaxing, but also satisfying. They are producing items that are not only useful, but beautiful, wearable art.
For more information, contact the Community Center at 972-624-2246.