Spinning on the River - January 2006

Editor's Note

This is the second issue published as a web page. I'm glad you like the new format; I find it easier to produce. There are some minor changes to help those of you who like to print out a copy. Suggestions are welcome.

This issue includes pictures of a few recent projects by guild members. This will be the start of a new member gallery, where we can display our efforts for all to see. Submit pictures of your handspun projects to help the gallery grow.

January is a busy month for us. The meeting will be our annual Roc Day celebration, marking the time spinners returned to their daily chores after the Christmas holiday. Sort of a handspinners Mardi Gras! Lots of meeting activities are planned. See the Roc Day page for details of items to bring. It's also the deadline to join or drop out of the handmade gift swap to be held in April.

Happy Spinning,

- Angela

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Minutes for December 18, 2005

Submitted by Angela

Attendance:
Angela S., Andrea C., Sandy P., Patricia H., Sylvia S., Kimberly P., Marie W., and welcome back returning member Dana W.

2:30 pm Angela ran a brief business meeting in the absence of President Mary.

Patty reminded everyone about the exhibit to be at Northwest Mississippi Community College in February entitled "As Time Goes By." We are invited to submit fiber artwork for this show. more...

We decided on the activities for our Roc Day celebration in January and got volunteers to bring the necessary supplies. more...

  • Spinnium (Angela will bring)
  • Musical Spinning Wheels (everyone)
  • Fiber Blend Party (Patty will bring drum carder, Angela is her backup; everyone brings fiber)
  • Kim's Game by Touch (Patty will bring covered basket, everyone brings items for the basket)
  • White Elephant Swap (everyone brings something from their stash to re-gift)
  • Potluck snacks

Dana and Marie signed up for the gift swap (total is now 13, January is the deadline). more...

Members approved of the new newsletter format and were glad the newsletter will continue. Angela reported it was easier to compile this time. There are problems with the current layout that cause it not to print well. Angela will address this for next month.

Show & Tell:

  • Andrea showed 3 pairs of wood knitting needles made by Angela's father
  • Angela showed two new dyeing books. She was spinning some white Romney for felting.
  • Dana has been knitting. She had a bulky scarf in progress.
  • Sandy reported she has been weaving, but it’s on the loom at home.
  • Patty has been weaving a blanket on her tri-loom, also at home.
  • Sylvia showed a handspun angora blend hat she knitted for her daughter. Yummy. Her sister sent her a keychain that was a wooden cube with little sheep portraits on four sides. Very cute.
  • Kimberly had her thrums skein from last month – fun yarn, and the rest of her Kool-Aid wool in a single skein, plus another skein she did. She’s going to be working weekend days at her new job and won’t be able to come to meetings anymore, but still wants to participate at other times.
  • Marie had a pretty deep blue scarf from a wide ribbon yarn.
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Member Gallery


Patty completed her 4-panel triangle-woven afghan.

Dana spun two pounds in five days!
Angela knitted a new Romney hat and Suffolk mitts.
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Fibery New Year's Resolutions

A survey of SotR members reveals some fiber plans in member's minds:

  • Angela - Focus more time and energy working on projects instead of just thinking about them.
  • Andrea - Gift myself one day a week for fiber activities.
  • Sandy - I guess what I'd like for 2006 is more fiber time... but more of that time spent with friends. It's not only fiber but friends that makes a year special.
  • Dana - 1. Learn how to spin for tapestry, and 2. Try three new weave structures
  • Mary - Learn something fibery each day, either by reading or doing. I want it to be a minimum of 30 minutes a day.
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Christmas Holiday Treat from Mongolia

I was privileged to attend my Garden Club meeting in December. This is always a special meeting for us, but this time, the daughter of one of the members was home for the Holidays.

Mary Beth is a teacher for the English Language Institute in Mongolia. Yes, this is the same country from which comes that beautiful, expensive Cashmere fabric.

There was a small Christmas tree decorated with felted ornaments in the shapes of birds, bells, Yurts, and balls. All the ornaments were decorated with fancy stitches and designs. Circles are a favorite design and sometime the stitching inside the circle resembled a maze. There was a beautiful white table runner, which was bordered in red, featuring this design.

The fun part was getting to "dress up" in the garments and hats that she brought with her. She said these were the traditional clothes that are worn in Mongolia. Of course, the students at the Institute wear the same type of clothing that our college students wear. The hats ranged from a pillbox type which one might see in China, which featured colorful hand embroidered designs--to the traditional felted fur-lined hat with ear flaps that one might see closer to the Russian border of the country. The jackets and dresses and coats are heavy, brocade type of fabric. They were very colorful and beautifully decorated.

I will bring pictures of the tree and some of the clothing to the next guild meeting.

I really enjoyed the hands on experience of these beautiful fabrics.

Joann G.

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Spinners in Print

The Winter 2005 issue of Spin-Off magazine includes the second half of the Canine Fiber yarns from readers. SotR is well represented again with submissions from:

  • Eleanor H. and her Old English Sheepdog, Buddy
  • Sylvia S. and her Schnoodle, Nidgett
  • Angela S. and her handful of anonymous dog fur - her story of this fiber was also printed in the Letters section on pg. 7.

Our guild opened the Spinner's Connection with a description of our Roc Day fun, complete with the Spinnium game, the gift swap, and the white elephant swap. The description was a little mixed up. Our white elephant swap is a re-gift from stash, while the other is an exchange of handmade items from everyone to everyone else.

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Art Exhibit - call for entries

Northwest Ms Community College exhibit “As Time Passes By” March 5th thru March 27th

Opening Sunday March 5th 2-4pm

This exhibit will be of work inspired by different months of the year. Participants will include the Chimneyville Weavers and Spinners Guild, the North Ms. Fiber Guild and the Memphis Guild of Handloom Weavers. Work will be picked up at the February, 2006 meeting. Spinning on the River members are invited to participate.

When the exhibit comes down I would like to take it to Corinth, MS for the month of April.

Please let me know if possible the months chosen so that we will know if every month is covered.

We are will also have a “Guilded Inspiration IV” exhibit scheduled Feb, 2007. Inspiration for this exhibit has not yet been chosen.

Sharon W.

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Calendar

Meeting - Sunday, January 15, 2006 1:30-5pm
Program: Spinning on the River celebrates Roc Day
Refreshments: Potluck

Meeting - Sunday, February 19, 1:30-5pm
Program: Parts of a Sheep/Fleece
We will lay out a fresh, whole fleece and determine how it grew on the sheep. Learn to recognize the different sections of a fleece and how the wool characteristics vary with each section.
Refreshments:

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Rainbow Yarn & Fibres News

New colors of Gaywool dyes in stock. I will be placing a fiber order soon. Please call if you have any special requests. New spring yarns due to arrive starting at the end of January.

Brigitte Lang
www.rainbowfibres.com
1980 Exeter Road 753-9835

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