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Saturday, October 2, 2010

September meeting - what 's on your bobbin?

 Things were in full swing when I arrived Saturday morning to our guild meeting - Lots of happy voices, laughter and filtered sunshine streaming through into the big airy room at the church where we were meeting. 


It's been a while since I took some "bobbin shots"  


Keisha has been practicing her Navajo plying for this sock yarn. 


 The thing I like about taking bobbin shots is that there are all colors of the rainbow
 This was from a bump of Kathy Green's Potluck Roving.  It is so easy to spin and she has such nice colors. 



Blue & green - ocean colors seemed to be the colors of the day - 



But this brave soul was actually spinning some autumn colors


This is the roving that she was using.












  You may remember this "pile" of yarn from our December 2009 meeting.

It was to be woven into cloth to make a coat.











And here is the beautiful finished product!


I'm sorry the color in this picture is so funky but I wanted you to see the style of the coat -   It turned out so nicely.


And this yarn (called "Bubblegum") was destined for a fundraiser auction for a school. 

Hmmm - Do you remember the old bumper sticker - something about having to have a bake sale to fund a war...

And that's all there is - two dead batteries do not a camera run - but this gives you an idea of what everyone is working on.

Our next meeting is Saturday October 9 at Nancy's Farm, 2030 E Smith Rd.  Make sure you stop by! 

Saturday, August 28, 2010

NW Washington Fair Wool Show Review

The Wool Show had another successful exhibit this year with a whopping 157 entries along with 30 volunteer spinners and weavers providing a nearly continuous demonstration of the fiber processes we love to share.

Ferndale resident Kitty Drew provided fair goers with five sessions of spinning stories and demonstration, each day sporting a different ethnic or period costume. I hope you saw her picture on the front page of the B"ham Herald Saturday morning.



Janice Hartwell gave a Thursday evening rug hooking demo. to fair attendees, and Nora Weisenhorn fascinated many with her 1920's sock making machine Saturday morning.
Blue ribbon winners among the WWG and Spindrifter members (to the best of my knowledge) include: Louise Bayma, Oksana Brown (3), Chris Conrad (2), Debra Carpenter, Richard Harvey, Meg Jobe, Melissa Johnson, Yvonne Madsen (3), Cecilia Morales, April Muegge, Chris Paul, Heather Seevers (3), Sheri Ward, and Nora Weisenhorn (2).












Chris Conrad won Best of Class honors for both a mohair fleece and a handspun skein. Best of Show went to Chris Paul for her fine handspun saddle blanket. Heather Seevers was awarded both Judges Choice and Best of Division for her two fanciful boas.





Debra Carpenter won Best of Class for a handspun, handknitted shrug. Best Design and Best of Class were awarded to Pat Walker, a resident of The Willows assisted living apartments, for her beautiful pictorial hooked rug. Thanks to Chris Conrad, several residents there entered their work this year.










 





Many thanks to our volunteer spinners: Kathy Green Donna Starr, John Munroe, Gabette Andres, Tina Swanson, Joan Dudley, Jenni Jimmerson, Ann Marie Fjeld, Tamerron Underwood, Tina Thomsen-Park, Yvonne Madsen,



 Louise Bayma, Lynda Bylsma, Maryann Kelly, and Anna & Ella Robbins (teen spinners).....
and to our "administrative assistants" Margaret Magic, Oksana Brown, Chris Conrad, Gabette Andres, Sheri Ward. Joan Cunningham, and Kathy Hutchinson.












Many thanks to our volunteer weavers: Pat Fisher, Kathy Sano, Gina Saettone, Barbara Snow, Rosalie Nast (2 sessions), Maggie Weyers (2 sessions), and Sondra Rose......









Submitted by Marcia Ford, Wool Show Superintendent  (Thank you Marcia - you provided the perfect narration to my pictures!)

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Dye Day

Thank you to Nancy Hanson for hosting Dye Day this year - more info will be posted when I receive it. 

Thursday, July 1, 2010


Here we are at the Bellingham Highland games. the first weekend in June. The first half of our "Sheep to Shawl"

Our intrepid leader Yvonne spent most of the day at the drum carder - organizing the lovely CVM fleece that she donated for spinning, and telling people what we were doing, and keeping us all in line.

Our little band of spinners was spinning singles that would later be randomly plied to come up with the warp for our latest Sheep to Shawl project.








It was great to see Oksana. She knitted the beautiful sweater that she is wearing!















This is the clan tartan from Yvonne's family. She wove it on her loom (from commercial yarn). Isn't it beautiful?














This is Lea's mom - she was having a great time watching the games and listening to the music.













We had a new spinner, Keisha, joining us that day. She was a lot of fun be with. I hope that she will be able to join us at a meeting sometime.













This little fellow just had to know how I was making string. He climbed right up into my lap to watch.












It was a great day, to sit in the early summer sun and spin to our hearts content.
















Here is the fruit of our labors. Yvonne, Meg & I plied it up the next Thursday at the county spinner evening. Meg has wound the warp and the loom will be warped and the weft will be spun at the Skagit Highland Games On the 10 & 11th of July. Hope you can join us there!




Monday, May 3, 2010

Our Abundant Library

Our guild has a great library. These books are available for loan to members in good standing. If you are interested, leave a comment and I will have our "Librarian" get hold of you.

21 Yr. Handwoven Index Interweave Press
220 Aran Stitches&Patterns Harmony
4H spinning and Weaving book county Extension
8-harness table loom one
900 Stitch Patterns
A Medieval Arts Afternoon Twitchell, Linda SCA
Adventures in Stitches Mariska, Kara
Alternatives to the Figleaf Wittenberg, B.
Art of Weaving Regensteiner
Ashford Book of Dyeing Milner, Ann
At Knits End, Meditations for Women that Knit Too Much McPhee, S.Pearl
Australian Locker Hooking Rough, Joan
backpack with Sheep to Shawl equipment
Big Needle Knitting
Box of Natural Dyes from Denise Guren
Braids Owen, Roderick
British Sheep Breeds
Card Weaving Crockett, Candace (2)
Card Weaving or Tablet Weaving Groff, Russell
Clothing from Hands that Weave Mayer, Anita
Color in Spinning Menz, Deb
Combs,Combs,Combs McFarland, Susan
Compendium of Finishing Touches Harvey?
Complete Book of Drafting VanderHoog, M.
Complete How-to Book of Indian Craft Hunt, W. Ben
Craft of hand Weaving Plath
Crafty Containers Walpole, Lois
Creative Spinning Weaving and Dyeing Anderson, B
Designers Guide to Color 1&2 Stockton
Designs of Chinese Indigo Batik Lu Pu
Double Knits Mellor, Zoe
drum carder one
Dye and Discharge King, Sara
Dyers Companion Klos, Dagman
Dyers Garden Buchanan, Rita (2)
Dyes from Lichens&Plants McGrath
Dyes from Plants Robertson
Essentials of Yarn Design Ross, Mabel
Farmer Brown Shears his Sheep Sloat, Teri
Fashions from the Loom Beard, Betty
Felted Knits Galeskas, Bev
Finishing Touches for the Handweaver West, V.
Fleece in Your Hands Home, Beverly
Folk Vests Oberle, Cheryl
Footpower Loom Weaving Worst (2)
Gentle Dyes Bracks & Higgins
Gossamer Webs,History of Orenburg Lace Shawl Khmeleva, Galina
Great Knitting in Vogue Probert
Guy Knits Interweave
Hand Cards 1 pr.
Hand Knitting Techniques Threads
Hand Woolcombing&Spinning Teal, Peter
Handspinners Book Hochberg, Bette (2)
Handspinners Guide to Selling Simmons, P.
Handspinning Fannin (2)
Handspinning Cotton Lindner, O. & H.
Handspun Treasures from Rare Wools Robson, Deborah
Handsweavers Pattern Book Davidson, M.
Handweavers Book Thorpe, Heather
Handwovens Design Collection, Gifts, outerwear, Dishtoles, Not for Beginners only Interweave Press
Harmony Guide to Knitted Stitches Harmony
Hip to Crochet Swartz, Judith
History of HandKnitting
Instuctiro Para Tenir con Grana Cochinilla Duemes
Key to Weaving Black
Knit Baby Head & Toes
Knit Emporium Sharp, Jo
Knit Literature Roghaar&Wolf
Knitted Embellishents Epstein,Nicky
Knitters Companion Interweave
Knitters Almanac Zimmerman
Knitters Book of Finishing Techni Wiseman, Nancie
Knitting Sunset Mag
Knitting and Crocher Hands, Gurien
Knitting Emporium Sharp, Jo
Knitting for Your Home Epstein, N
Knitting Goddess
Knitting in Plain English Righetti, Maggie
Knitting in the Old Way Roberts, P. Gibson
Knitting Lessons Nargi
Knitting Plus Stanley Montse
Knitting Rules McPhee, S. Pearl
Knitting Sutra Lydon
Knitting Without Tears Zimmerman, E
Latvian Mittens
Learning to Weave Redding, Chandler Debbie (3)
Legacy of the Great Wheel Turner, Katy
Linen Handspinning&Weaving Baines, Patricia
Loomette King Pattern Weaves Loomette
Loomette Weaves Loomete Studioa
Loop-d-Loop Durham
Louet Wheel one
Magic of Spinning Charming, M.
Maine Wool Woolies Rush
Mary Thomas; Knitting Book Mary Thomas
Merino Stove, Margaret
Mexican Tapestry Weaving Hall, Joanne
Mostly Mittens, Patterns from Russian's Kome People
Mushrooms for Color
Natural Dyeing Thresh
Natural Dyes Fereday
Natural Dyes&Home Dyeing Adrosko, Rita J.
Natural Plant dyeing Botanical Gardens
Naughty Needles Lohr, Nikol
Navajo Hope Weaving Pendleton
Needleweaving Dendel, Esther
New Pathways for SockKnitters Bordhi, Cat
No Idle Hands, Social History of Knitting in America McDonald, Anne L.
North American Dyes Bliss
Nuvisauik,Place Where We Weave Finkenstein
On Loom Card Weaving Gray, Herbi
Opening a Door to 2-Harness Tech Francisco, Irene
Passion for Knitting Thomas&Rubinowiz
Pictoral Weaving from Viking Age
Poems of Color, Bohus Tradition Keele, Wendy
Rigid Heddle Weaving Davenport
Rowan Knits Rowan
Rugs Johnson, M>E>
Sally Melville Styles Melville
Shawls and Scarves Thomas, Nancy
Simple Weaving Chetwood, Hillary
Simply Socks,45 Trad.Turkish Patterns Zilboorg, Anna
SnowFlakes Libbrecht, Kenneth
Songs from the Loom,Navajo Roessel, Monty
Spin Off Index Interweave
Spindle spinning Delaney, Connie
Spinformation Ronin, Colonel James
Spinners Companion Irwin
Spinning Designer Yarns Varney, Diane
Spinning for Softness and Speed Simmons, P.
Spinning&Weaving at Upper Canadian Village Spencer, Audrey
Step by Step Weaving Znamierowski (2)
Stitchery Marein, S.
Stitchery Idea Book Rush
Story Rugs Gottlieb, Dale
Sunset Leather Craft Book Allen, Davis
Sweaters from the Seaton Collection Seaton
Swedish Weaving Nye, Thelma
Tablet Weaving Golden Press
Techniques of Rug Weaving Collingwood, Peter
Textiles of Ancient Peru D'Harcourt, Raoul
The Magic Loop Hauschka, Sara
The Volor Star Itten, Johannes
Thrums from Weavers Kitchens Seattle Weavers Guild
Traditional Knitting Interweave
Turning Wool into a Cottage Industry Simmons, P.
Twisted sisters Sock Workbook Vogel, Lynn
Twisted Sisters, Knit Sweater Vogel, Lynn
Vegetable Dyeing Lesch
Warping on a Shoestring Sanders, Nadine (2)
Weavers Book Tidball, Harriet
Weavers Companion Interweave Press
Weaving Sunset Mag. (2)
Weaving Arts of N.Am Indian Dockstader
Weaving on a Frame Loom Skoy
WeavingSpinning Dyeing Beg Manual Hower
What Sheep Is That? Warmar, Mike
Wool Away (shearing) Bowen, F.
Wool Combs 2 pair
Yoga Knitters local knitter
Your Hand Spinning Davenport, Elsie
Zen&Art of Knitting

Saturday, March 27, 2010

How fun was it? ? ?

I thought I'd take you on my little walk around SPIN-IN 2010, so if you couldn't make it this year, you'd at least see how much fun we had.

The ladies from Sunset Fibers in Olympia brought many pretty things with them.










I am looking forward to spinning this pretty fiber.  I have two baby jackets to make before next fall.











My D.H. was glad to be able to visit with the Greydown Alpaca folks.  He wanted to show them the Shetland wool we had blended with a cria fleece he bought from them last year! 


They had very nice samples of items that would work nicely with their Alpaca yarn.



















The Spincycle ladies were there with all their beautiful yarns.
















The commons at Fairhaven Middle School is a large airy room.  We had two of the classes going on the stage and one on the floor directly in front. 













Heather's boas were quite the hit.














There were LOTS of spinning circles going on.















Nancy from NW Handspun Yarn brought lots of goodies. 







Lots of touching base with old friends

and visiting with new ones.



Wild Rose Farm from Whidbey Island had some beautiful fleeces available.  Ah, the sweet smell of newly shorn fleece. 










We had 14 vendors - you can see a list of them here











One of the spinning classes going on up on the stage.














There were lots of different fibers to see and feel.










Marsha Adams came with her colorful rovings























Keep going, there's lots more to see!
















We welcomed The Bellwether - she had some beautiful spindles.










Chris Conrad had a fantastic display of her Kakishubu - persimmon dyes and yarns.






























Last, but not least on my vendors tour was Marietta Shetlands,  our farm booth with lots of beautiful Shetland Fleece - of course, I might be just a little biased about that, I suppose.  Hi Honey, smile! 












We had over 100 participants for this year's Spin-In.  I think that everyone had a really great time -







They were practically dancing in the aisles! 






We had a great team working on the spin-in - thanks especially to Mel , Deb H., Troy and Julie on the planning committee.

And thanks also to our great class leaders - Nicki, Denise, Mary Ann, Linda, Ellen, Deb S., Margaret, & Meg - The classes were a big hit! 

See ya all next time!