We're starting off the New Year right with these Member's Accomplishments.

We may have been dozing for a year but we're not asleep at the wheel.  Lots of amazing talent and beautiful work from a "Show and Tell" meeting Jan/Feb this year.

Jan's cowl in cable knit

Linda's woven wool blanket

Ann's tapestry woven cushion cover

Guild weaving project - just off the loom

Ilona's Bamboo scarves in Twill weave

Klaudia's latest in the sock department

Sandy's Shawl

Stephanie's cute girls dress based on Frozen (the movie)

More of 2014's Accomplishments...

A small sampling of Guild Members' achievements at October's Show and Tell. There were only photos available for this post (no notes on the artists or the articles).

Ann's handwoven tunic,
expertly woven in Theo Moormon weave and beautifully sewn.

and her Tea Cup Challenge mug rugs                                

Knitted caps

Tea Towels

Scarves

Raw Wool

Inspiring and Informative 'Windfall & Wanderbook' Workshop with India Flint, Spring 2014

Hard to believe it's over and we had the most fabulous five days imaginable with India Flint. Eco dyeing, botanical gatherings, hand stitching, felting, journal and string making, sharing of laughter, amazing food and a gentle camaraderie that has bonded us beyond our interest in fibre and natural colours.  The weather was perfect, the view stupendous, our hosts so welcoming and generous. Our mentor, India, facilitated a flow that wove story telling, the wisdom of both her experience and generations of eco dyers who came before, gentle encouragement to push past our comfort and teaching of a healthy respect for our environment and eco systems.  This is only a very small sampling (my offering) of the hundreds of photos that were taken by many more skilled photographers. 

Preparing the dye pot - fireplace in back

Dye pot before the fire

Admiring our handiwork - India and Hilary

Our bundles/packets out of the dye pot

Our work stations - beautiful weather, amazing workspace

Appreciative audience

Admiring our handiwork - the original nine patch

Nine patch quartered - Annie and India surveying  the resuts

Wow - nine patch quartered is amazing

Sharing one of many laughs

Our most generous and welcoming host, Hilary.

It was an amazing experience and all who were there will treasure these memories and share the teachings with like minded fibre artists.

Thank you India Flint.

                                                                                    

Spring 2014 Spinning Retreat in Osoyoos

Here are some photos of the Spinning Retreat in Osoyoos on March 21-23rd.  All participants spoke enthusiastically about their learning, the camaraderie and the fun they had. Spinners from far and wide attended.

Now this looks interesting...Are they winding or spinning?

A Brilliant Collection for December's Show and Tell

This month's Show and Tell really demonstrates the many talented, skilled members we have. There were so many fine articles for Show and Tell at our last meeting of the 2013 year. I'm sorry I don't have the names of the artists or the details of the articles.

Hilary submitted a couple more great shots of the Spin In in Linden Gardens in the summer.

Margie adds:

A couple of weeks ago our guild drop in was bustling with activity.  Klaudia was teaching a felted slipper workshop, Dianne was teaching gals how to make fingerless gloves with bell bottoms and beads, and some were learning to weave.  

Some of the beautiful slippers.  Missed getting a picture to post of Marianne sitting soaking her feet with her slippers on in a tub of hot water. 

 Quite a few of our gals went to the Ponderosa Spin in the first part of Oct.  Another great day!  I was most impressed with the blankets the Salmon Arm guild did.  They wove several blankets on their warped loom then did a process called waulking to full them.  I came home researched  this process on my internet and was most intrigued with it. It  is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing and thickening of the yardage.  In Scottish celtic tradition this process was accomplished by waulking songs which women sang to help set the pace.  Women would weave a yardage about 70 yards long, sew it into a circle and then place it on a long table and begin a very rythematic exercise of fulling the wool.  Apparently in Roman times fulling was conducted by slaves working the cloth by standing knee deep in tubs of human urine.  Urine was so important to the waulking business that it was taxed.  Stale urine, known as wash, was a source of ammonia salts & assisted in cleansing and whitening the cloth.  There are video's on-line as well.  

 

Gail & Barb enjoying the luxury of an alpaca fleece.  Won't post your comment Barb..might get you into trouble.

 

Gudie displaying her felted necklace.  When I asked her what they were she said, " Gudie's balls."  How could I not have known that was what they were called?  You are such a delightful, inspirational person Gudie.  

Teaching my daughter-in-law to knit on the knitting machine.  Little man Hunter is just waiting for an opportunity to help.  Hoping soon that knitting machines will make a revival in the fibre world.  There are so many of them under the beds waiting to be brought out and become productive once again.  They are a challenge to learn to knit on but once figured out they can create garments in a fraction of the time it takes to hand knit.  If anyone is interested in knitting machines try to get Singer models as they are still being made and parts are still available.  Every knitting machine that has been stored needs a new retainer bar, the bar that holds the needles in postition.  These are made of foam strips and after years of storage the foam becomes crunchy and falls apart.  Danielle was excited about the scarf that took her fifteen minutes to knit. 

Last summer when I was dying skeins of wool in my back yard I was throwing them onto the ground when they came steaming hot out of the microwave.  The next day when my husband was out in the yard he called me to come out and see what I'd done to the grass.  My skeins had burnt the grass but the result was the almost perfect picture of an alpaca my random tossing had created.  So glad I took the picture to prove it.  Might have to submit this unusual happening to Spin Of magazine. 

Guild News

Plans are underway for the Oliver & Community Craft Fair scheduled this year for November 15th and 16th.  The guild will have a booth showcasing the many and varied products of our talented members.

Marg H. is coordinating a Spinning Retreat in Osoyoos on March 21/22 2014.  The estimated cost for the retreat is $255.00 and will be held at Walnut Beach Resort.

Margie's visit to Tonasket, WA

Update from Margie  (my apologies for the tardiness of this post)

Last Sat. we woke up to a dull, glumy day and we decided it was a good day to leave home and do a road trip.  About 10:00 a.m we headed south and ended up in Tonaskat, Wash. for lunch.  The purpose of our trip was to find the new yarn shop Marg H. told me about at guild, Bell, Hook and Spindle.  And right on main street is the most inviting window display in one of Tonasket's old, heritage buildings. 

Lindy Weber is a very upbeat, delightful gal & within a few minutes you feel like you've known her forever.  She is a quilter, knitter and just recently has started to spin fibre.  Tea is on all the time and her sitting area beckons you to sit awhile, relax and have a cup of tea.  She is certainly an asset to the little town of Tonasket.  Her husband is into restoring old spinning wheels and a room in their little shop is set up to display them.  

So for those of you who would like to do a road trip visiting Lindy in Tonasket is well worth the short drive across the border.  

Editor: (Her shop closed as of Oct 2015; Please see Comments)

The little room with a display of restored wheels.

Margie and Lindy

Some of Lindy's spun yarn.

Welcome everyone to the 2013-14 season of knitting, spinning, weaving, felting, soup days, show & tell and lots of other interesting activities sponsored by the Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers Guild.  We've had a good turnout and some new members in the first few weeks of the season.

Margie S. updates us on news and photos of summer activities.

Summer went fast and we are back into the routine of guild every Thurs. which I look forward to.  Belonging to our guild not only inspires me to keep on knitting, weaving and spinning it gives me that much needed time to meet with other gals and have a great time of sharing and chatting.   

The cottages that our guild crafted for the ANWG conference held in Bellingham, Wash. were set up for display at the Summerland Art Gallery.  The display generated a lot of interest in our guild and the craft of felting. 

A new yarn shop has opened on Salt Spring Island.  Pat, the owner, is the mother of Carolyn who owns the Electric Tree Yarn shop in Kamloops, B.C.  They were vendors at our first Fibre Fest in Summerland.  Pat said it was the best vending experience they have ever had.  She said it was like we were having a big tea party and all the vendors were our invited guests.    Sock yarn I bought at her little store.  Colors I would only buy on S.S island and I will probably only wear when I holiday there.  Not sure what that little island does to you but I love it!

 

Pictures of our spin-in at Linden Gardens which was held on August 22nd.  We had  great turn out and a beautiful day, great company and as always a very good lunch.

 

Many of us meet at O.K Falls on July 18th for a day of spinning.  I took pictures and couldn't find them.  Searched on my lap top for days in my very unorganized picture files.  The other day I was checking my I-pad and there they were.  I didn't know how to transfer them to my Iap top and was told by Marg H, our computer consultant at guild, that if I just plugged my I-pad into my computer it would prompt me.   Well, mine didn't  prompt me but the files came up on the screen so I transferred them to my Documents and I haven't been able to find them since.  So, until a later date there will be no pictures of our O.K falls spin in and sorry girls but there might never be.

 

There is a new fibre shop called Bell, Hook and Spindle that has opened in Tonasket, Wash.  Hoping Marg H will check  it out on her next border crossing visit and report to the guild.  

 

Sounds like a few of us are going to Kelowna's spin in on Oct. 5th and quite a few are looking forward to the annual one at Chase, B.C.  I'm going to Kelowna's so will take some pics for the next blog post. 

 

submitted by Margie S.

 

Open House April 25th

We had a busy and successful Open House with lots of samples of the creativity by the guild members and lots of opportunity for our guests to observe all the techniques in action.

This is the finished purse Betty was working on in the April 10th posting.  Lovely job!

These are some examples of what was on display at the Open House.


A woven ( 2 different pieces) with  bias knitted edge woman's jacket - Gail E.

Rug weaving, inkle loom weaving bag.

Various projects.

Nell's exceptionally complex and sophisticated weaving.

Interesting sideways knitted sweater.