Hello spinners! The cold weather has kept me indoors working on a variety of fibery projects. I know a lot of you like snow. I think it's pretty but my affection for it ends there! It's some consolation that a typical Memphis January did grant a warm enough Sunday two weeks ago for me to spend a a few hours on the back porch with my spinning wheel - part of a new year's resolution at work. Andrea has provided an update on activities from her resolution. I'll be looking for updates from our other ambitious spinners in the upcoming months.
Roc Day was certainly a busy meeting. We saw some new faces and missed a few others that weren't able to make it. I hope you all can come in February as another of our fairly new members tells us all about how the qualities of wool vary in different sections of a fleece. We don't have a March program scheduled yet, so I encourage all members to consider giving a program on something you've recently learned. Teaching is actually a great way to learn and if you find a topic interesting, chances are the other guild members will, too.
Meanwhile, I've got a project calling me...
Happy Spinning,
Present: Sherri, Sandy, Sylvia, Marie, Joann, Patricia, Dana, Angela,
Mary, Maxine, and Kaaren.
Visitors present: Adriene and Robert Logan and Margaret Zavodney.
Mary opened the meeting with a list of opportunities available to the guild.
January was the deadline to sign up for the gift swap. The final count is 10.
We introduced ourselves to the new people.
Activities and food followed as we celebrated Roc Day.
Several people brought different brands and styles of spinning wheels and we took turns trying them out.
The mystery memory box game was challenging, and contained some interesting items.
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The drum carders were kept busy and transformed the fleece into batts of fiber ready to be spun.
The board game Spinnium was played and the team of Dana, Sylvia, and Maxine finished the game in first place.
Those who brought wrapped gifts for the "white elephant" gift exchange drew numbers and opened their gifts. Many useful items were exchanged.
Dana showed her flower hair ornament, made on the small hand weavette
looms. She had dyed and spun the yarn that she used.
Joann's pictures of the Mongolian clothing and tree ornaments, written
about in the January newsletter, were on display.
Thanks to all who brought the food that we enjoyed throughout the meeting.
| Dana and Angela have been inspiring each other from head to toe. | |
 Angela got Dana's "Big Bird" yellow fiber in the Roc Day white elephant swap. Dana commented that she'd thought of making a sunflower version of her loom bloom barrette with it. So Angela did. |
 Meanwhile, Dana got interested in a handspun sock competition, but has just learned to knit. "Too bad we can't weave socks" said Angela. So Dana had to try and produced these on her weave easy loom. |
So my resolution was to spend one day a week on fiber. And some weeks I have, others not. Tonight I am sitting waiting for a birth, trying to do a baby hat using one of Brigitte's patterns, but I think I brought a longer needle than I needed and I always cast on TOO TIGHT, so I am mostly playing or practicing casting on. Visualizing my grandmothers needles rapping not so lightly across my knuckles and she tells me it is TOO TIGHT :-)
I have been working on washing and prepping my various breed samples for the spinning class Mary, Angela and I are doing. Lucky for me doing homework with them has many advantages. And they get an opportunity to answer my questions which I am told are often many. I have decided that working with small samples is a great way to get a sense of the fiber. Even though individual fleeces will vary in many ways, least of all how "dirty" they may be, I think I have decided that I am not a fan of prepping Navajo Churro. I can understand how the varied fibers make for interesting weaving and it may be that some time in the future I may want to try some on a loom, but for now it was a lot more work than I like, especially following a lovely Cheviot that was like butter when it was washed and easy to prep. Little fiber mini steps and I am having a ball, even if not accumulating lots to show and tell yet.
This also makes me think about more toys I need. I have one set of combs, big ones and after trying Mary's mini combs I want a set of my own, so I am going to be watching the net to see if a pair shows up in my future.
Not really fiber, but last night I went into Memphis to the St Olaf College Choir concert. They are one of the best college choral groups in the nation, and my alma mater! (well and they are also from the town where I first joined a spinning guild so ...) It was a wonderful concert, and with the beautiful snow today I am missing Minnesota. I came early to the labor because I hoped to miss the snow, or the drivers. Heck, I know it doesn't happen much here, so you all have a good reason not to know how to drive in it, but watching a plow truck pass me on a muck covered highway with a full load of sand and a blade and using neither, made me wonder a bit about the news report last night that the street crews were "ready" for the snow. It is beautiful though, so I won't complain,a gift from Frosty, and maybe it will all melt before I am done here and am ready to drive home.
Happy belated birthday to our wonderful web mistress and talented multi-tasker!
Spinning has hit the Big Time! It was the topic of a January 19th article in the New York Times. The article is no longer available for free online. A copy will be brought to the February meeting.
Northwest Ms Community College exhibit “As Time Passes By” March 5th - March 27th, opening Sunday March 5th 2-4pm. This exhibit will be of work inspired by different months of the year. Work will be picked up at the February 2006 meeting. Spinning on the River members are invited to participate.
Spindlicity, a new online magazine, is holding a handspun shawl contest. The shawl must be made by the entrant of at least 75% spindle-spun yarn. The grand prize is a scholarship to SOAR. See details at Spindlicity, www.spindlicity.com.
An ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher is seeking a spinner to demonstrate the drop spindle to a group of 3rd and 4th grade ESL students at Bruce Elementary school (Bellevue St., midtown). She has wool and spindles available for the kids to try. The demo is Thursday, February 18th, 9 or 9:30 am and should last 10-15 minutes. Contact Angela or use the SotR email for more info.
The Memphis Guild of Handloom Weavers is hosting a "Techniques of Rug Weaving" workshop with Jason Collingwood, March 25, 26 & 27 at Cordova Cellars Winery. As of 2/10/06, there are 4 spaces left. Registration opens to non-members of MGHW on Feb. 15th. More information and registration form: www.memphisfiberarts.org/weave/collingwood_reg.html
You may notice the calendar doesn't have a program for next month. April will be the gift swap. The September meeting this year falls within the Mid-South Fair and will probably be the day of the fleece judging. October and December are anniversary and holiday parties. That leaves 5 months for programs: March, June, July, August and November. Many of our members travel during June and July. How about covering spinning basics for our newer members then?
Mary has the idea of theme months, as in:
Have you learned any new fiber tricks that you'd like to share? Is there anything
in particular you'd like to learn or try? Bring your ideas to the February meeting
or email to Spinning on the River at 
.
Meeting - Sunday, February 19, 1:30-5pm
Program: Parts of a Sheep/Fleece
Maxine will lead us in laying out a fresh, whole fleece to determine how it
grew on the sheep and discuss the different sections of a fleece and how the
wool characteristics vary with each section.
Refreshments: Sylvia S., Andrea C.
Meeting - Sunday, March 19, 2006 1:30-5pm
Program: To be determined - bring ideas to the February meeting
Refreshments: Angela S., Betsy C.
Weavettes are here! All sizes - 2x2, 4x4, 6x6, 2x4, 2x6, 4x6 and the pattern
book. These are the looms used in the Loom Bloom featured in Spin-Off. 16 colors
of solid Merino. Anniversary Sale - 25% and 50% off selected yarns.
Brigitte Lang
www.rainbowfibres.com
1980 Exeter Road 753-9835