Northwest Regional Spinners' Association Conference 2012!

Sorry so late getting this post up, but better late than never! Several of us from Spindrifters attended NwRSA Conference last month. Conference was in Tacoma at University of Puget Sound. I always love attending, not only because spinners are among my favorite of people & I enjoy “walking among my own”, but also because there are so many classes & learning opportunities available, aimed at refining & expanding skills. Okay, and the shopping. . . there are lots of vendors, from shepherds selling fleeces, to large weaving organizations & shops. As for the classes, it’s always a challenge deciding which ones to take. Even registering early, I missed out on a couple that I had listed as my first choices. But I was not disappointed, even with my second options. FYI, in order to attend NwRSA conference, you do need to be a member of the organization. Here is the website: http://www.nwregionalspinners.org/ at which you will find membership forms. (There is an annual fee for membership to NwRSA.) Registration & classes at conference are priced reasonably, and because the event is usually held at a university (rotating Eastern Washington/Idaho, Tacoma WA & Salem OR campuses), with housing & food included, it’s a pretty good deal. (As you probably know, Spindrifters is a daughter organization, and our local group has no dues.) Here is part of our contingency - Nancy Bjerke, Vicki James, Margaret Magic & me. I thoroughly enjoyed their company.

My class from Judith MacKenzie was on plying. I know that illustrations for handling singles & plying evenly are in her books, but having the actual demonstration & experience was very helpful to me. We made three-ply, four-strand cable (2 2-ply strands twisted together) & six-strand cable yarn (2 3-ply strands), and a few novelty yarns.

The fashion show is always a hit. Projects from some of the classes were modeled by their creators. There were many nuno-felted pieces from the “It’s a Wrap” class - all stunning in color, texture & shape. And of course a gorgeous array of handspun hand knit shawls & sweaters.

I can hardly wait til next year!

Our February 2011 meeting

Gloria shares an heirloom blanket made by her mom.

This sampler blanket was knitted in squares and sewn together.  One of the squares is a really cute cat, but I couldn't seem to get a picture of it.

 Everyone had a great visit

Pretty colors - for Easter maybe?










This basket of loveliness was the raffle prize of the day.  Remember to bring those dollars guys and gals.

Lovely little things for show and tell

THE CUTEST BABY SOCKS EVER! 

Vikki's newest creation -

Christmas ornament project

Tina S. showed off a sweater that she had made a few years ago - a timeless creation. 

December 2010

Anne Marie Fjeld won the raffle for the 2010 Sheep to Shawl shawl.  Looks pretty nice on her doesn't it? 

Some show and tell

Essie the wonder dog!

A pair of twinned mittens

There are more pictures to come - check back again soon!

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! 

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!)