About Dorothy Tuthill

I learned to weave a long time ago from one of the greats—Barbara Liebler of Fort Collins, Colorado. I didn’t know what I was getting into—I was 21 years old, a fresh college graduate, and waiting for my boyfriend to arrive so we could start our lives. It turns out that really I was waiting for weaving and me to start our lives together, and I just didn’t know it!

For forty-plus years weaving has been my avocation, through family and career. During that time, I earned a PhD studying soil microfungi, and took up public outreach as a way to express my fascination with the natural world, especially the plants, lichens, and other overlooked groups. I suspect that as a trained scientist, I think more linearly than I would like to admit, yet weaving requires a certain amount of linear thinking, as perpendicular yarns are made to interact in ways that bring new ideas to light. My vocation and avocation have always meshed well! Color, often inspired by the natural world, plus the infinite ways that yarns can interleave on a loom, means there is always more to discover through weaving, just as there is with a microscope.

As I share my love of the natural world, so I share my enthusiasm for weaving through teaching. I had the honor of being an artist-in-residence in the local public schools for nearly 20 years, where I taught third or fourth graders how to spin and weave. I have been teaching adults for decades as well. I am proudly associated with Cowgirl Yarn, of Laramie, WY, where I teach multiple classes during the year.

Dorothy is currently available for weaving classes and events (including virtual), pattern collaborations, and podcast appearances at windywarp@gmail.com.

See a list of her weaving classes on the Classes & Workshops page.