Ripsmatta, Krokbragd, and Overshot are words that sound niche to most, but here in the sunlit basement of the Michael Nivison Public Library, they are exchanged as often as the term howdy at a rodeo.
They are types of weaves that Joan Nussbaum, owner and head instructor at High Valley Weaving School, teaches her growing flock of students.
From Walmart bags to the finest silk, Nussbaum and her guild of weavers use raw and recycled materials to create rugs, placemats, shawls, hats, socks, kimonos; the options are endless.
Nussbaum began weaving in 1975. She has mastered the craft since then, designed blankets for Ol’ Sonora Trading Company, and ran weaving schools in Houston, El Paso and Clint, Texas. She and her husband, a retired pilot with El Paso Natural Gas, later moved to Cloudcroft and Nussbaum opened High Valley Weaving School in 2019.
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“We’ve accumulated about 100 weavers and spinners in the area,” says Nussbaum. She estimates there are 25 members of the guild, and she manages a revolving door of students, each of which is taught individually.
Looms and yarn litter the large room under the library. The weaving contraptions range from simple table-top peg looms to antique, feet-long wooden floor looms that cost thousands of dollars. Crafters may rent looms on a per-project basis and Joan is on-hand to lend instruction.
She teaches everything from basic to advanced weaving techniques. Crochet and knitting are also in the curriculum. “And if I can’t teach it, I bring in people that can,” says Nussbaum.
Students and guild members sell their wares out of the basement. They travel to county fairs and craft shows locally and throughout New Mexico. The guild will venture to Las Cruces this summer to learn how to dye fiber with indigo.
“The biggest thing is show-and-tell, what everyone’s been doing over the month. Sometimes we’ll have a little class or workshop, just a fun thing to do,” says Nussbaum.
Most of the raw materials come from New Mexico, be it sheep or alpaca wool. Spinners turn the fluffy fiber into yarn to be used or sold for weaving projects. Yarn mixed with a bit of shiny metallic fiber is called “bling.”
“I like to do things original. The patterns that you can use are unlimited and so picking a pattern that maybe has been used one way, I’ll take it and use it a whole different way,” says Nussbaum.
The basic class is forty hours and students learn the fundamentals of weaving and using a loom. Felting, rag rug, tapestry techniques and spinning (making yarn) are just some of the courses offered at the school.
“I’ve had people come in from Patagonia, Japan, England, Germany, just all over the world have popped in,” says Nussbaum.
To learn more about the school and guild, pop in or visit the High Valley Weaving School website.
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Do You Want to Make a Difference in the Village?
Cloudcroft is run by volunteer leaders, for better or worse.
Leadership Cloudcroft is a new initiative designed to address an old problem in Cloudcroft: developing volunteer leaders who are prepared to take charge.
Leadership Cloudcroft aims to help cultivate the next generation of community champions to address our mountain village's unique challenges by identifying and preparing community leaders who are prepared to take charge in volunteer, civic, business, and community roles.
Now, with at least one Trustee position with no incumbent running for re-election, is a good time to run for office. If that is something you are considering doing, the Leadership Cloudcroft program is a great way to help prepare you to serve and let voters know you are committed.
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