Beth Abbott
It's been an interesting journey. When I started out with that first spindle, who would have thought that I would have traveled to Iceland, and traveled in the US to the conferences on the Icelandic sheep, or the meetings, the get-togethers, and written a book. I mean, that's kind of a long way from that first spindle when I first started.
Beth Abbott has been active in fibre arts for as long as she can remember—back to when she was dressing little dolls at the age of six or seven. In 1975, she took spinning workshops from Doreen Jeffers, another member of the Guild, and they both took the Spinning Certificate Course at Georgian College in Owen Sound in 1985, though at different times. This led her to teach in the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners (OHS) Spinning Certificate Course in 1990. She's been passionately teaching in that program in Haliburton for thirty years.
Since joining the Kingston Handloom Weavers and Spinners, she has been a dedicated volunteer—from serving on the program committee with Barbara Heins to leadership roles on the KHWS Board, including vice president, president, and past president. Her greatest contribution has been teaching workshops for the past thirty-five years.
During a sabbatical from teachingin 1990, Abbott conducted her in-depth study on Icelandic fleece. This dedication has opened many doors for her to travel, connect with people, and publish a book. She shares her exciting journey.
Beth Abbott's Icelandic Sweater Project
Abbott's passion for fibre arts explains her involvement in many other guilds other than Kingston Handloom Weavers and Spinners. As an avid quilter, she's a member of Studio Art Quilt Associates, Canadian Quilting Association, and the Limestone Guild.
She shares a memory of the thrill of having a quilting project accepted into a large international quilt show. The quilt traveled with the show to England, South Africa, and all around the US. When it was in Chicago, Beth and her sister Barb went to see it which was another exciting experience.