My Story

When I was a young girl I loved going into the town to the Bancroft Woolen Mill in Ontario, Canada with my mom. It was a very old building; in fact it still had a hitching post out front. When you stepped inside you could see the basement below between the cracks in the floorboards. The tables were piled high with hanks and skeins of yarn. The yarns weren't fancy but they were filled with promise to make something to keep you warm. of course the shop is long gone but that's where the fiber-love started. Rarely a day goes by where I'm not either knitting, crocheting, spinning, or weaving.

You might remember me from when I worked at Birds of a Feather in Avon, Ohio. Now I live in Gator Country, Gainesville, Florida. As a weaver at Malgorzata's you may have seen my many woven scares. I promote the love of fiber ats through the Gathering of FIber Artists events that are periodically held around town where we meet to share and learn.

Photo of Linda Nickel in a field wearing a hand-woven scarf.
Photo of Linda Nickel in a field wearing a hand-woven scarf.

Sharing the fiber arts in unique venues

Harn Museum of Art

Silk and weaving talk, Gainesville, Florida, January 2020.

I love to talk about art which is why I am a docent at the Harn Museum of Art. This talk focused on the creation of several different fabrics from choosing the fiber through the finished piece.

Photo from inside the Harn Museum of Art with a display of weavings and weaving tools.
Photo from inside the Harn Museum of Art with a display of weavings and weaving tools.

John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

Pulling a silk hanky. Home school event, Sarasota, Florida, August and September 2019.

I was invited by the education department to participate in a program for home-schooled students to coincide with the museum's The Fabric of India exhibition. It wasn't just the students who had fun learning at this event, the parents really got into it too!

Closeup of children's hands pulling roving while attending the RIngling event.
Closeup of children's hands pulling roving while attending the RIngling event.

Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention

Artist in Residence, Gainesville, Florida, May 2019.

I was invited to participate in a 6 week exhibit on computer programming to show the similarities of weaving with computer coding.

Linda at the Cade Museum showing her loom and a weaving pattern.
Linda at the Cade Museum showing her loom and a weaving pattern.
A close-up of someone spinning thread on a spinning wheel while attending First Magnitude Brewery.
A close-up of someone spinning thread on a spinning wheel while attending First Magnitude Brewery.

First Magnitude Brewery

Hosting the Gathering of the Fiber Artists, Gainesville, Florida, January 2019.

I started the Gathering of the Fiber Artists as a way to seek out others who enjoy the fiber arts. We gather in various public locations to socialize and educate those who are curious about what we are making and how they too can learn. I bring drop spindles and min-weavers for people to try out.

Sign at the entrance to the Fiber Arts Gathering at the Harn Museum of Art.
Sign at the entrance to the Fiber Arts Gathering at the Harn Museum of Art.

Harn Museum of Art, Gathering of the Fiber Artists

Hosting the Gathering of the Fiber Artists, Gainesville, Florida, July 2019.

Since starting the Gathering of the Fiber Artists in 2017 we have had several events at the Harn. A good place to learn and share.

I want to share the fiber arts with you!