by David Flint
Kay was the glue that held this group together,” said Laurie Kimmelstiel. Apparently the glue was strong enough that the group, the Heritage Spinners and Knitters, is still thriving after the tragic death of Kay ten Kraft last June.
[private]The group was formed about ten years ago at the instigation of local wool spinners and weavers Marty Pulver, Isabel Krebs and Laurie Perrin. Krebs said they initially met at the Stephentown Heritage Center, hence the name “Heritage Spinners.” Later they moved to Fred Cashmere’s Roaster’s Whim coffee house in West Stephentown where food and good coffee made the gatherings more cozy. With the closing of that establishment last year, the Spinners were invited to use the Community Room of the Stephentown Library where they now meet every Friday afternoon.
Eventually the group grew to about 30 talented people interested in various aspects of fiber and textiles. It’s very informal and casual, Krebs said, “You show up and you do your thing.” There are no officers or bylaws. Each meeting is more of a show and tell where members share their knowledge and skills and equipment, and it’s open to anyone who wants to drop in. Many of the group keep animals for wool such as sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas and rabbits, so talk may often verge into the proper care and tending of these creatures as well as harvesting their wool. Members share fleeces, dye colors – whatever they are in to at the moment.
Krebs agrees about Kay ten Kraft’s role in the group. “She was the spark plug, the one with the wealth of knowledge about new products, yarn collections, colors. She was an inspiration to the group, and we have really missed her,” she said. Kraft was widely known in the world of fiber arts as an accomplished spinner, weaver, felter, dyer, knitter and crocheter. She was a mainstay on the craft show circuit in the northeastern U.S. buying and selling wool and fiber rovings. She was proprietor of Sliver Moon Farm in Cherry Plain where she raised Angora goats and bunnies and sold fiber, yarns and batts. Kay’s husband and partner, Nick Adams is now continuing operation of the business, assisted by Kay’s daughter Becca. Their website is Slivermoonfarm.com.
A Book Memorial
The day after the accident that killed Kraft, the Spinners, not knowing what to do, came together as usual that Friday at the Library. There they cried together, shared their grief and decided to set up a book memorial to carry on Kraft’s legacy and perpetuate her interest in and love of the fiber arts. The Library agreed to set aside a special section on textiles to be dedicated to her memory.
Library Director Laurenne Teachout said that donations to this collection are still coming in. The collection is quite extensive, now numbering close to 200 books, and it is still growing. Each book includes a page showing that it has been dedicated in honor of Kraft.
Teachout said that eventually there will be a plaque affixed to the bookcase and signage to indicate the special section, along with a picture of Kay. The group’s goal, Teachout said, was to establish the best collection of books on textiles and the fiber arts in the area. These books are now readily available to readers in the 29 libraries throughout the Upper Hudson Library System so they are well on their way toward meeting that goal.
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