Hello spinners!
Fesitval season is upon us. Last week I went over to Mary's with my wheel as I finished my cotton skein for the fair. The wheel is very conspicuous sitting in the back seat of a convertible. It attracted some attention on the road. One "Does that really work?" and a "Did you get that from Rumplestiltskin?" Visitors at goat days had a chance to see for themselves that yes, it really does work. Several stopped for an explanation. A few even asked where we got the wheels and were a little suprised to learn that Sylvia and I are indeed using contemporary wheels. I even had four people sit for a drop spindling lesson. for two it was a curiosity; I have my fingers crossed that we'll see the other two at a guild meeting in the near future.
Fair entries are in and Goat Days has passed. The Mid-South Fair, Arlington Harvest Festival, Pink Palace Crafts Fair, and numerous others events are packing the calendar. The Fair is a big one for spinning on the River we demonstrate for three different departments and run the fleece sale. We'll be preparing materials for the fair at our September meeting. This includes making CD spindles, carding and measuring wool samples, adding tags to bookmarks and making up the fleece sale forms. If you have small bits of handspun yarn needing a use, bring them to adorn bookmarks. Oh, bring your latest work-in-progress too for the usual spinning and visiting time.
Happy Spinning,
Spinning On The River Guild members present: Mary, Eleanor, Sylvia, Patricia, Sherri, Kimberly, Joann, Marie, Kaaren, Dana, and Angela.
We will have a booth at the International Goat Days festival September 9 & 10. Eleanor passed around a sign up sheet for demonstrating spinners.
The judging at the Mid-South Fair fleece show in Sunday, September 24 at 1 pm. We spin in the fleece tent before & after. We also demonstrate spinning in the children's barn Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning. Mary passed around sign up sheets for these events so she could get fair tickets for participants.
Angela passed out Mid-South Fair entry forms and gave everyone the information for the spinning classes, reminding them the entry deadline in August 24.
Eleanor provided copies of a treasurer's report through June:
| Month | Deposits | Checks | Balance |
| April | 0.00 | 0.00 | $ 274.65 |
| May | $ 140.00 | $ 19.95 | $ 394.70 |
| June | $ 30.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 424.70 |
Program: We sampled unusual spinning "fibers" - steel wool, polyester fiberfill, vitamin bottle stuffling (rayon?), cotton batting, raffia, moss, paper & mylar shreds, and artificial hair.
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| Sylvia has been busy! She spun her multi-color mystery fiber from a recent trip to Michgan and some solid green to make a striped sweater. | Dana's handwoven face cloths presented two challenges: working with smooth and textured yarns in one project and a new structure, waffle weave. She's found the cloths work very well. |
| Spinners - please send pictures of your handspun projects for future issues. Your work just might inspire someone else. | |
Mary and Angela will be demonstrating in the Creative Arts building Friday, September 22, 10-4.
The fleece judging is 1pm, Sunday September 24. We take our wheels and demonstrate spinning before and after.
Fleeces are put up for sale in the silent auction starting Saturday 9/23. All fleeces must be in the show by judging time. Bid for fleeces are accepted until noon Tuesday the 26th.
Demonstrations in the children's barn are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday,
9am-2pm.
The US sattellite program of the Olds College Master Spinner course now has its own home on the web. Mary's and my offer to create a site and host it alongside the guild site was gladly accepted by the college and the US coordinator. We spent a very busy two weeks putting it together and now US Master Spinners is online: www.memphisfiberarts.org/masterspinner
You can learn more about the program, the participants, and the extra fun we have planned for class week.
- Angela
Note - all meeting refreshments are now Pot Luck
Meeting - Sunday, September 17, 1:30-5pm
Program: Fair preparations
Come prepared to card & measure wool, make CD spindles, assemble learn-to-spin
kits and finish bookmarks.
Mid-South Fair - Sept 21- Oct 1, 2006
Friday, 10-4 - demonstration in Creative Arts building
Sunday - Fleece judging and spinning demo by the fleece show
Sunday - Noon Tuesday - fleece sale silent auction
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - demonstrations in the children's barn
Meeting - Sunday, October 15, 1:30-5pm
Program: Guild Birthday
Olds College Master Spinners Course - October 16-20
Levels 1 & 2 in Davis, Oklahoma
Arlington Harvest Festival - Sunday, October 21
Arlington, TN
Meeting - Sunday, November 19, 1:30-5pm
Program: TBA
Meeting - Sunday, December 17, 1:30-5pm
Program: Holiday Party
Coming soon: "One Skein Wonders" 101 Designs from Knit Shops all over the Country, published by Storey books. Among others, my design got accepted for publication. It will be fun to see one of my patterns in a book. Signed copies will be available at the store (18.95). Available by the end of September/early October.
Brigitte Lang
www.rainbowfibres.com
1980 Exeter Road 753-9835
