For Weave & Writes, the public will be invited to attend weaving workshops in Michelle Batho's studio in Newburgh. Up to six people will be able to sign up online for courses ranging from introductory weaving of basic samples to runners, placemats, rugs, and zero waste fashion yardage.

Before attending specialized weekends, participants will need to attend a beginners’ class that covers yarn calculation, warp winding, dressing the loom, plain weaves and twills. (Adult workshops will hopefully jump start youth workshops in the future.)

Workshops will open and close with a group writing exercise as a way to activate new relationships in the group. Looking at the ways in which we describe our practices and curiosities will recenter our focus on how we process information towards a certain end. We will notice in what ways our approach and thinking have changed by the close of the weekend weaving together.

Workshop participants are encouraged to grab hold of new ways of thinking that might change their approach and future path. We seem to have the habit of prioritizing the essentials of life as a way to survive. In schools we learn basic writing, mathematics, science, sometimes if we are lucky there are theater classes or we attend after school sports and music lessons.

And yet there are so many different ways of processing information and problem solving that are absent in this essentials only approach. I believe weaving is a process that stretches our use of math, science, and material study to revitalize our approach to problem solving and creativity in other areas of our lives and community.