NEXT MEETING:  September 7, 2022  6:30 - 9:00 PM

Art Studio room in the basement.  Please remember to arrive between 6:15 and 6:30 p.m., as TAF building doors will be watched to open for you during this time, and after that time, the doors are locked.    

Business Items & Overall Agenda

Hands-on For This Meeting: Making a Cable Yarn using One Bobbin

• If you plan to participate, you will need:
• Your wheel with just one bobbin  (or a drop spindle, if you're quick enough at spinning / plying on it!)
• At least two, up to four colors of fiber

• Also:
• We can help each other 1 on 1 with any random questions from a member may have about spinning or plying on their wheels.
• We can help new members with continued learning on drop spindles.

The Farm at Prophetstown State Park.

• Saturday, September 10th, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.  
• Spinners to demonstrate at their Country Fair needed -- volunteers?  
• Please arrive 15 - 30 min early for set-up
  
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Feast of the Hunter's Moon

• Saturday, October 1 (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) and Sunday, October 2 (9 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
• No other meeting prior to Feast!!!  
• Volunteer schedule sign-up sheet THIS meeting ONLY!  Half-day (4 hour) blocks required to earn a Feast entry button.
• Feast buttons for volunteer entry not available until later in September; how to distribute?
• Must arrive early before shift for set-up / place change
• Children's Days or no Children's Days?  
• Thursday, September 29 (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.) and Friday, September 30 (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.) (Need to double-check times.)
• Volunteers?
• Set up as in previous years?
• Must arrive early before shift for set-up
   
  

Beginning Spinning, Wool Washing, etc., etc.

• Amanda B., Liam B., Allison C., Carolyn F., Janet M., and any others who want a refresher on the topics of basics
• Wool washing, flicking, handcarding, beginning spinning, beginning plying
• Subgroup to agree on possible days / times and propose back to me
  

Open Discussions and Show & Tells from "Field Trip" to Wabash Woollen Works, Natural Dye Class 

Show & Tell --

• Anyone with yarn or finished project they would like to share -- an item that you are proud of, or learned from, or was a "first", or any other ...  to share with others about your spinning journey.  

Our Guild at Wabash Woolen Works and Fiber Arts Center

On August 20th, some of our members participated in a Natural Dye Workshop at the Mill. There were thirteen of us having fun with the wool and the dyestuffs. The morning began rainy but turned sunny and warm. The Mill facilities for all nine dyepots were out of the rain, protected and comfortable. This Mill is located right off downtown Wabash in a beautifully rebuilt and reconditioned [by the present owners] 150 year old limestone building - originally built as a chicken hatchery! 

Lisa and Michael, owners, have created a beautiful set of rooms inside and lovely, raised garden beds outside where they have their dye plants. Inside is a fully functioning mill to process wool and also to spin the wool into yarn. In the photo above is a big meeting room and kitchen where we are listening to Lisa give the initial directions for the day. 

Above:  Crunching up the Cochineal which needs to be pulverized prior to adding to the simmering water.

To the left:  The wool is being slowly heated up with tap water. They have their water heater set to 160 degrees, so the wool can get quite hot. The dyepot is at 180 degrees and the wool needs to be close to that temp before adding in.

 

 Vilija and Carolyn straining out the    crushed and boiled black walnut hulls  before adding in the yarn. All the other plant stuffs were left in the pots along with the yarn.

Marigolds beginning to simmer

Black Walnut well on its way with the yarn added.

Wild Grape leaves

The Avocado pot with the yarn added in

Viewing the spinning equipment while the dye pots simmer.

Washing out the yarn after it has simmered at 180 degrees for an hour. Here, many hands are helping with the wash out. Some of the dyestuffs were not easy to remove. 

Dana showing off her onion skin dyed wool. 

The final products - onion skins, hibiscus, marigold, walnut hulls (at the very right edge)

At the back of each group of yarns are the copper sulfate mordanted wool. In the foreground, are the alum mordanted wool. A few had some wool that was mordanted with rhubarb leaves. Walnut needs no mordant as it is high in tannin.

Walnut hulls, cochineal, wild grape leaves, black-eyed susan

Queen Anne's lace and avocado

All of us with our yarns. The cost of the workshop included your choice of two 55 yarn hanks of wool. Additional hanks could be purchased for $5 each.  Kneeling in front, owner Lisa, and her friend/helper for the day, Beth.

Some of the yarns that Lisa dyes and spins. She uses merino, merino/alpaca blends and a few other breed wools.

A lovely bug sighted in the garden. Amanda id'ed it as an Ailanthus Moth, unusual in that it folds up its wings when not flying. 

Mike, Amanda, Lisa, and Jo, a Wabash Weaver who joined in with us