Net Loft Fiber and Friends 2016 is brought to you by The Net Loft, a local handcraft shop in Cordova, Alaska. The Net Loft originated in an actual net loft of a commercial fishing warehouse in 1984. Net lofts traditionally are places to work on nets, but for eighteen years, this net loft housed a unique assortment of treasures. Over ten years ago, The Net Loft moved to its present location on Main Street in “Downtown” Cordova, where it continues to do business. Presently, The Net Loft carries a wide variety of yarn, needlework, scrapbook, papercraft, and handcraft supplies, as well as a selection of fine gifts, jewelry, and the absolute essentials, fine chocolates and caramels. So much of what we are at The Net Loft is entangled with the lifestyle of our rural fishing village of Cordova, Alaska. Many of our products reflect and are reminiscent of the incredible beauty of the natural setting and wildlife of this coastal town nestled in the Chugach Mountains. The Net Loft’s exclusive Snow Capped Yarns line is hand dyed in Cordova by local resident and yarn artist, Shelly Kocan. Skeins in the Stacks, another hand dyed Cordova yarn line available, dyed by our local librarian, Anna Hernandez, is also available at the shop. In addition, we also feature custom and locally inspired yarns dyed by notable yarn artists such as Phydeaux, Three Irish Girls, Hand Maiden and Zen Yarn Garden. Within the shop, there are nooks and crannies filled with hand picked treasures many layers deep; beautiful buttons, luxurious ribbons, threads for embroidery and needlework, and so much more. Most importantly, it is our hope and desire to not only provide quality materials for creativity, but to also create a welcoming environment and haven for the collective learning and sharing of creative pursuits among friends. Our online website: http://the-net-loft.myshopify.com/About Cordova It is not by accident or by passing through en route to somewhere else does one discover this little town. Like an island, the small town of Cordova has no roads leading in or out of the city. Cordova is sought out with intention, and those who do so will find what is known as “Alaska’s Hidden Treasure”. Not only is Cordova an authentic functional commercial fishing community and epicenter to a fishing fleet that boasts some of the highest quality, sustainable harvest of Alaskan Wild Salmon, but it is also an “off the beaten path” destination for outdoor adventurers and scenery seekers. With a year round population around 2200, it is a small town with a great big view. Surrounded by snow capped mountains and rainforests, atop the skihill trail, one may gaze at an expansive view in all directions as they look down into Prince William Sound and then off into the Copper River Delta in the far distance. A journey certainly worth the walking. It is important to know what to expect about our city. The town itself is unpretentious and simple. It is not a caricature or a stage setting of days gone by, but a vital and active working town. It is not fancy… it IS genuine. It is the people and the surroundings that make it so special. This is what we know and love as “Cordova”. Plan to experience this first hand, as for the week that you are here, we invite you to make this special place called Cordova your home as well. Intentionally off the beaten path and most assuredly worth the journey. Read more about Cordova http://cordovachamber.comView some more photos of Cordova and surrounding region by local photographer, David Little http://davidlittlephotography.com/?page_id=134 About me
 Net Loft Fiber & Friends 2016 is a coordinated effort of myself, Dotty Widmann, and a myriad of volunteers. As owner and shopkeeper, more than anything else, I am a facilitator, and one of my greatest pleasures is getting people started on a creative project and helping them to complete something they never believed or imagined they could do.
My husband, Bob, is a commercial fisherman and we are a migrant fishing family. My children have been raised half within the craft life of The Net Loft and half on our fishing boat, the Orion, experiencing boat life and the world of commercial fishing; an interesting combination.
I enjoy very much teaching both adult and children’s handcrafts. I actually have many loves, and The Net Loft is a reflection of my love and appreciation of all craft and needlework, which was passed down to my from my mother and her mother’s mother. I also have many soft spots… ribbon, buttons, yarn, paper, pens, bottles of ink, watercolor paints, pads of paper, beads, wool, silk fiber, and all the components that come together for creative pursuits. I was trained as a biologist, and those who know me know how much I love wildflowers, berries, birds, and the beauty and elemental designs inherent in nature.
I value friendship. I appreciate encouragement, and despite my wrestling with my own personal inabilities and shortcomings, I try to maintain an upward vision, and be willing to keep striving to grow and learn. I believe that life does not always go as expected, that there are a lot of things beyond our control, but that regardless of the circumstances, we still need a place where we can walk through the door and be loved and accepted, and experience a creative reprieve from life's challenges, and it is my hope and desire that the Net Loft be that kind of place.
Though I am the owner and primary shopkeeper, I wish I could show every face that is and has been a contributor for the past thirty years to The Net Loft, for the shop itself is not just “about me”. I have had and continue to have an amazing staff, each of which have made The Net Loft into what it is today. Their input, their ideas, their time and energy have made the shop be something I could never have accomplished on my own, and I am truly grateful for them.
If you would like to read the "Long Story" about the inklings of the event and The Net Loft history, you can read the blog story which starts HERE.
Credits: Our Fisher Lassie Header is from etching and used with permission from Nicola Slattery
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