NEXT MEETING: May 7th, 2025

Our Guild meets in the Art Studio room on the first floor as you enter from the parking lot.  Please remember to arrive between 6:15 and 6:30 p.m., as AF building doors will be watched to open for you during this time, and after that time, the doors are locked. Call Diana if you arrive after that time. 

Meeting topic: 

Open spin! Bring your projects and show-and-tells.

 

NEXT MEETING: Apr. 2, 2025

Our Guild meets in the Art Studio room on the first floor as you enter from the parking lot.  Please remember to arrive between 6:15 and 6:30 p.m., as AF building doors will be watched to open for you during this time, and after that time, the doors are locked. Call Diana if you arrive after that time. 

*** Text below is copied from the monthly email. Please reply to that email for items requiring responses.***

Meeting topic: 

Breed Study: Gotland Sheep (presented by Amanda B.)

(Potential Additional Program Demonstration – Wool Combs and Hackle (Diana H.))

Agenda for the Meeting: 

Item # 1.  Upcoming Fiber Events in March

• Greencastle Wool Show, April 11, 10am - 5pm, April 12, 9am - 4pm, Greencastle, IN https://greencastlewoolshow.org/ 

• Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, May 3 & 4, West Friendship, MD, (near Baltimore) sheepandwool.org

 (Item #2.  Requests for Spinning Demonstrators in April -- None) 

 Item # 3.  Items Requiring Responses

• Feast of the Hunter’s Moon.  Applications for attending the Feast have received by our guild and always must be returned far in advance of the Feast (Sat-Sun, Oct 11-12). Please respond if you plan to demonstrate for at least one shift at the Feast this year. (Reminder: those who are receiving free spinning lessons – this is your “cost” – demonstrating spinning at public events.)

• Interest in Pine Needle Weaving.  Although not a spinning topic, this activity is tentatively planned for the July meeting. We need to confirm interest and need a count of how many people would like to participate in making a pine needle bowl or trivet to plan for the quantity of materials needed.  Please respond if you would like to participate in this activity so that we can adequately plan ahead for materials.

Item # 4.  Odds and Ends

• 
  Spinning Wheel.  Vilija D. forwarded the following e-mail message for our guild members: 
• "I found your Facebook page for weavers in Lafayette, Indiana. I was wondering if anyone in your group, or if you know of a group near/around Lafayette Indiana that does spinning. I have a spinning wheel that my father made and my mother used to spin with for years, that I'm trying to find a new loving home for."

We are assuming the wheel is free (but not confirmed).  Two pictures are attached.  Let me know if you want the contact info for this wheel.

•  Honey.  Not a “spinning” topic, but an opportunity from one of our guild members.  Ella's partner is selling local honey for $15/quart. (Quart size only.  Cash or check only.) If interested, please contact Ella directly, or let me know and I will forward the request to her. If you would like to receive the honey at the Wed meeting, they need to know no later than Friday / Saturday, so that they can prepare the quart containers over the weekend.
  
  

 Item #5.  Topic for May Meeting --> Open Spin

 Item #6.  Show & Tells

Please share your show and tells -- (purchased or prepared) fibers, yarns you've spun, finished items you've made, etc. etc.

MEETING RECAP: February & March

Didn't make it to the meeting? No problem, catch up here! We are trying something new with the blog and will be adding meeting recaps with photos from each month's activities. 

February:

In February, one of our new members brought in her German Angora rabbit for a breed study and shearing demonstration. Angora is a luxury fiber known for its softness, warmth, and lightness. German Angoras are a breed that must be shorn rather than plucked (unlike some other Angora breeds). Her German angora, Jaskier, was very well-behaved for the shearing demonstration. 

Jaskier pre-shearing

Mid-shearing

Jaskier with his new haircut

Members were able to take some of the fiber with them to practice blending and spinning Angora. It is recommended to blend with fine wool to add some memory. Even just 30% Angora is enough to produce an incredibly soft yarn!

March:

In March, we learned about cable yarns. These are a type of art yarn created by plying together multiple 2-ply yarns. Starting with a small sample of wool (two colors), we spun up some cable yarn on a single bobbin, which included a refresher on Andean plying. Then, we practiced spinning Muga silk over the fold and made some beautiful cable yarns that looked just like gold chains.

Silk-spinning in action

Spinning silk & completed wool cable

Completed wool and silk cable yarns

NEXT MEETING: Mar. 5, 2025

Our Guild meets in the Art Studio room on the first floor as you enter from the parking lot.  Please remember to arrive between 6:15 and 6:30 p.m., as AF building doors will be watched to open for you during this time, and after that time, the doors are locked.  Call Diana if you arrive after that time. 

Agenda for the Meeting: 

  Interest in Pine Needle Weaving

This topic is tentatively planned for the July meeting.  We need to confirm interest and need a count of how many people would like to participate in making a pine needle bowl or trivet to plan for the quantity of materials needed.  (And, yes, we recognize that this is not "spinning," but it received a lot of popular votes on the interest list.)

• Collecting White Pine needles
• Use of own previously spun flax (or hemp?) as the thread for the bowls (Potential topic for June meeting) 

  Topic for April Meeting --> Breed Study: Gotland Sheep

  Show & Tells

Please share your show and tells -- (purchased or prepared) fibers, yarns you've spun, finished items you've made, etc. etc.   

Meeting Program -- Cable Yarns

Cable yarns are an "art yarn."  Our group has explored this topic previously, but are willing to take another look at creating these yarns!

If you wish to participate in this activity, be sure to bring your wheel or drop spindle (wheels are preferred if you wish to accomplish the spinning at the meeting).  Fiber will be provided.

 

NEXT MEETING:  Feb 5, 2025

Our Guild meets in the Art Studio room on the first floor as you enter from the parking lot.  Please remember to arrive between 6:15 and 6:30 p.m., as AF building doors will be watched to open for you during this time, and after that time, the doors are locked.  Call Diana if you arrive after that time. 

Activity For This Meeting -- Angora Fiber

How exciting!  One of our brand-new members has volunteered to bring (an) angora rabbit(s) and demonstrate how to clip a rabbit down for its ultra-soft, fine fiber.  In addition, we will have the chance to use some angora fiber for spinning.

If you wish to participate in this activity, be sure to bring:

• Your softest wool (for blending with angora)
• Handcards
• Wheel or drop spindle

Dues are Due.  Yes, it's that time of year again ... dues are due for 2025 and remain at $10.  

The Guild Blog   Any member interested in taking over keeping this blog up and running? Vilija would like to pass this on to someone else. Contact Vilija if you are interested. Blogs are easy, and you would be put on as an author. 

Show & Tell   As usual, we all love to see what you have been up to. Bring some thing 

you've made, or any interesting, spinning related item. 

 

NEXT MEETING:  Jan. 8, 2025

Our Guild meets in the 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. 

Activity For This Meeting -- Fractal Spinning of Dyed Braids

If you wish to participate in this activity, be sure to bring your spinning wheel or drop spindle!!!  Dyed braids to be provided.

Item #1.  Dues are Due.  Yes, it's that time of year again ... dues are due for 2025 and remain at $10.  

Item #2. --  Feast of the Hunter's Moon 2025. 

 The date for Feast 2025 is set for the weekend of October 11 & 12. 

Item #3 -- Ideas for 2025 Guild Topics

Below is a summary of the top 10 guild topics previously voted on, in order of "popularity" --

1. Fractal Spinning of Dyed Braids
2. Flax
3. Pine Needle Weaving
4. Yak, Yak & silk (luxury fibers)
5. Angora rabbit (luxury fibers)
6. Three-braid mash-up
7. Cable Yarns (art yarns)
8. Acid Dyes -- As a group (sample yarns in multiple colors)
9. Acid Dyes -- As individuals (low immersion dyeing of fiber)
10. Lichen dyes (repeat)

Notes:  Topics will not be scheduled in the guild in order of popularity (although it is a fun way to start the year with the most popular item!), and some items that didn't make the list may yet come in as a guild topic, (e.g., a breed study).    

Item #4 -- Show & Tells

Please share your show and tells  -- (purchased or prepared) fibers, yarns you've spun, finished items you've made, etc. etc. !!!

Please share your 2025 goals!

 

NEXT MEETING:  Dec 4, 2024

"We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year "

Our Guild meets in the 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. 

Come join us at our Annual Spinners Christmas Party!

Bring your holiday cheer!

Bring snacks for the snack table!!  

(Who's bringing the caviar?!)  Snacks -- sweet, savory, etc.!  Plates, cups, napkins will be provided. 

Bring lots of Show & Tell

What have you learned this year?  What are you excited about?  Where have your investigations in spinning led you?  Please share your show and tells  -- (purchased or prepared) fibers, yarns you've spun, finished items you've made, etc. etc. !!!

Fiber Gift Exchange 

YES!  We are having our Christmas party and 4 oz fiber exchange.  

If you wish to participate in the fiber exchange, it must be 4 oz of ready-to-spin fiber.  (I.e., NO raw wool, NO washed-but-not-prepared-for-spinning fiber, NO yarn, NO "white elephants").  

Be sure to label what your gift is (if it isn't already labelled) and from whom.  As we have exchanged the last couple of years, we will follow the Christmas with the Right Family story, including a "toss around" with look-alike bags. Place your gift in a plastic shopping bag. I will bring a bunch of Wal-Mart bags to double-bag all of the gifts and make them look the same before the "exchange" happens.

Next month's meeting would end up on New Year's Eve Day, so we have asked the Arts Federation if we can change to Jan. 8th.