Saturday,June 2.
Hours: 10am to 4pm
Retzlaff Winery, Livermore
Find full information in one of the previous blogs below. Treadles members, have you signed up to help? At the last meeting, there was still a need for parking attendants. This is our one big event for the year where everyone's help is needed. Contact Linnie for sign ups.
Have something to donate for the drawing? This is always a fun event that really helps out the Guild treasury. At last weekend's conference, the Guild purchased a pair of cotton cards for our equipment store. If you came to hear Judith's great talk on May 17th, you heard her say they are not only great for cotton, but also short, finer fibers such as cashmere. I will post an updated list of equipment and CD's that the Guild owns for the use of its members in the next blog. We do try to put our treasury to good use.
2012 CONFERENCE
A great big THANK YOU to those in our Guild who helped out with the on-site registration area! I know it was grueling work for those of us who were there for much of the three days, but it was well worth it. We were part of a dedicated committee that achieved a fun and well organized conference. The blogs of some of the instructors such as Sara Lamb and Daryl Lancaster have been most favorable. I encourage you all to read Sara's comments: saralamb.blogspot.com "Excess, or spoiled for choices"
More about July Dye Day on the next blog
May 27, 2012
April 24, 2012
NEXT MEETING: May 1, 2012 7 pm
The library has a conflict again with our usual meeting date, so you should have on your calendar by now that the "April" meeting is on May 1st.
Part of this meeting will be devoted to coming up with a slate of officers for next year. We could also brainstorm what we want to do for our annual "July Dye Day". One suggestion has been to hold off on dyeing this year and have a one day workshop on "Pine Needle Basketry". Its always fun to try new things.
Also, Laura asks if any one has program ideas for next year. She would like someone to step up and help her out in arranging programs for the coming year. Unless someone has a burning desire to do programs, she has said she will continue for at least the coming year.
MAY MEETING: Date: May 17th. Judith MacKenzie on "What to Look For in a Raw Fleece"
Again, another change in dates because we are lucky enough to have Judith come and speak to us just before Conference.
CNCH CONFERENCE: May 18, 19, 20 "Tradition/Innovation"
Oakland Convention Center
The Market Place will be open to the public Saturday, May 19: 10 am - 6 pm. Sunday, May 20th: 10 am - 4 pm
Registration is still open, check out the class list at cnch.org and click on the 2012 Conference info.
Registration is still open, check out the class list at cnch.org and click on the 2012 Conference info.
Sign-ups will be ongoing at this meeting to help with On-Site Registration during the conference. Lots of empty spaces so far. Work begins on Friday at noon and continues on till the close of conference at 4 pm on Sunday. Treadles to Threads has the job of On-Site Registration for this conference. Other guilds [and some of our own members] have been involved for the past two years in planning this event. Its been a lot of work and a lot of meetings to go to. So we are lucky to have this job which will be intense for the days of conference, but hasn't been a huge commitment for most of the guild. So now is the time to step up.
"Return to Sender" and "Return of Return" Galleries
You still have a few days to get your finished "Return to Sender" skein to Wendy - Deadline is April 30th. "Return of Return" deadline for entries is already past! Plan better next conference in 2014!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Retzlaff Winery, Livermore
Read all about it in the March newsletter below.
Guild members - this is a super important event for us, not to mention the really big fund raiser for our guild treasury. There will be lots of little jobs to do on that day, both in preparation in the morning, take down at 4 pm, and all the other duties during the day. Please set this day aside, if at all possible, on your calendar, because your help will really be needed. Sign-ups will begin at this next meeting.
Ever check out the sites listed under "Resources" in the right hand column of this blog? Both "KNITTY" and "TWIST COLLECTIVE" have their spring issues out with some very nice articles and patterns for spinners and knitters.
Knitty has an interesting article by our workshop leader coming next September, Donna Druchunas, about "Lace".
Twist Collective has several beautiful lace patterns [one of the really hot things to be knitting right now], some great sock patterns and a very well written and photographed article about " how to do decreases" for knitters.
March 18, 2012
NEXT MEETING: March 29, 2012, 7 PM
Note that the meeting is on Thursday evening this month, not the usual Wed.
PROGRAM: All About Hand-held Spindles
Noun
spindle (plural spindles)
- (spinning) A rod used for spinning and then winding natural fibres (especially wool), usually consisting of a shaft and a circular whorl positioned at either the upper or lower end of the shaft when suspended vertically from the forming thread.
- A rod which turns, or on which something turns.
- A rotary axis of a machine tool or power tool.
- A worldwide tree of the genus Euonymus, originally used for making the spindles used for spinning wool.
- An upright spike for holding paper documents by skewering.
Nice to know that the dictionary lists spinning as the number one meaning for "spindle", and interesting to note that there is actually a tree genus known for its use for making spindles. Bring your spindles and share your experiences with spinning on them.
This will primarily be a show and tell format. Let us know how you came into spindle spinning. If you have never tried this most ancient way to make usable yarns/threads, there will be plenty of us on hand to give you pointers. Its a very portable way to get some spinning done almost anywhere you go.
APRIL MEETING: Date: May 1st. Take note of this date also, the library has a conflict again with our usual meeting date. Part of this meeting will be devoted to coming up with a slate of officers for next year. We could also brainstorm what we want to do for our annual "July Dye Day". One suggestion has been to hold off on dyeing this year and have a one day workshop on "Pine Needle Basketry". Its always fun to try new things.
Also, Laura asks if any one has program ideas for next year. She would like someone to step up and help her out in arranging programs for the coming year. Unless someone has a burning desire to do programs, she has said she will continue for at least the coming year.
MAY MEETING: Date: May 17th. Judith MacKenzie on "What to Look For in a Raw Fleece"
Again, another change in dates because we are lucky enough to have Judith come and speak to us just before Conference.
CNCH CONFERENCE: May 18, 19, 20 "Tradition/Innovation"
Oakland Convention Center
The Market Place will be open to the public Saturday, May 19: 10 am - 6 pm. Sunday, May 20th: 10 am - 4 pm
Registration is still open, check out the class list at cnch.org and click on the 2012 Conference info.
Registration is still open, check out the class list at cnch.org and click on the 2012 Conference info.
Sign-ups will begin at this meeting to help with On-Site Registration during the conference. Work begins on Friday at noon and continues on till the close of conference at 4 pm on Sunday. Treadles to Threads has the job of On-Site Registration for this conference. Other guilds [and some of our own members] have been involved for the past two years in planning this event. Its been a lot of work and a lot of meetings to go to. So we are lucky to have this job which will be intense for the days of conference, but hasn't been a huge commitment for most of the guild. So now is the time to step up.
If you are not going to be a registered participant in the conference, you will get a one day pass when you come to work a shift at Registration. If you drive, parking at the hotel/convention center is quite expensive - about $23 per day. But Bart is very convenient, just a block walk to the Center.
Its important that we sign-up to volunteer. Carol C. and Carol G. are heading up "Angel Volunteers and General Volunteers". Consider helping out with that also. Angels help the instructors in the classes [you have to be a registered conference participant] and General Volunteers help on the Market Place floor and any where else where needed. This is our Area's conference and we all need to participate.
OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS:
SHEEP SHEARING DAY
Upcoming Workshop:
Its amazing how a small piece of cloth wrapped around your wrists can help keep all of you warm. Beads add a fabulous touch! Knowing just the basics of knitting, you can easily create colorful designs with beads. Using only garter stitch and knowing how to read and work from beading charts, you can make beautiful jeweled wrist warmer cuffs.
"Wristers" provide just the right amount of warmth in chilly situations and are perfect for gift-knitting. You can whip up a pair in a week end, and the beads turn a simple, small knitting project into a decadent present.
The beaded designs can be simple, as the wristers above are, or downright fancy as are the "tulip" themed ones on the right. They use fingering or sock yarn and could be a good way to use up a single skein of yarn.
OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS:
SHEEP SHEARING DAY
at Forest Home Farms Historic Park
Saturday, April 21, 11am
Come celebrate Spring and watch the sheep get their annual haircuts! There will be live music and demonstrations of old-time traditions such as lace-making, quilting, woodcarving and spinning.
Nature lovers will enjoy garden tasting and sheep-dog demonstrations. Children will be entertained with a maypole, 4-H animals, crafts, games and tractor rides. Come take a tour of the property and visit the old-fashioned Gift Shoppe. Food will be available for purchase.
Entrance fee: $5 [ages 3-12: $3] Fee will be $2 more at the gate on the day of the event. Pre-register and save the extra $2.
Call 925-973-3200 or visit www.sanramonrecguide.com to register.
Fifteenth Annual
SPINNING AT THE WINERY
June 2, 2012
10am to 4pm
Retzlaff Winery
1356 S. Livermore Ave, Livermore
$5 entry per person
[on the left, just past City Hall & the Police Station]
From Will and Kate's humble idea for a day of spinning and "picnicing" fourteen years ago, to today's wonderful, day-long extravaganza, our event has really grown.
For any new members, this is a day of fun with lots of other fiber people from around the Bay Area. Everyone is invited to bring their wheel or knitting, and a pot-luck dish to share for a delicious big lunch. The weather can be warm or cool, be prepared for either. There are big pepperwood trees and lots of lawn space to spread out with your group. Chairs are available, but you can bring a favorite fold-up chair if you like. Paper plates, silverware and napkins are supplied by the guild.
One of the most looked-forward-to doings of the day are the drawings held at about 2 pm. Every vendor, along with our own members, are encouraged to donate a nice item for the drawings. Quite a few wonderful things have been donated in the past.
Knitted & Beaded Wrist Warmers with Donna Druchunas
Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012
Meeting and talk 10:30 am, Workshop 1pm - 5 pm: $40
Its amazing how a small piece of cloth wrapped around your wrists can help keep all of you warm. Beads add a fabulous touch! Knowing just the basics of knitting, you can easily create colorful designs with beads. Using only garter stitch and knowing how to read and work from beading charts, you can make beautiful jeweled wrist warmer cuffs.
"Wristers" provide just the right amount of warmth in chilly situations and are perfect for gift-knitting. You can whip up a pair in a week end, and the beads turn a simple, small knitting project into a decadent present.
The September Meeting will be another change in dates. The meeting will be Saturday morning at 10:30 [possibly at the Library] with a talk by Donna, "The History of Knitting in Lithuania". The 4 hour workshop will follow at 1 pm - 5 pm. [Again, possibly at the Library] Sign-ups will be at the next few meetings.
February 27, 2012
Next Meeting: February 29, at 7 PM
Speaker: Stephanie Gaustad
"Here Comes the Judge"
All the in's and out's of judging fiber, both spinning and weaving. Judging may be a controversial subject for some, but there is no one better to explain all the intricacies than Stephanie. Come and be educated.
"Here Comes the Judge"
All the in's and out's of judging fiber, both spinning and weaving. Judging may be a controversial subject for some, but there is no one better to explain all the intricacies than Stephanie. Come and be educated.
January 11, 2012
Next Meeting: Jan. 26, 2012, 7 PM
NOTE: The Library has a conflict with our usual Wednesday night, so this month's meeting is Thursday evening, Jan. 26.
Program: Bente Petersen speaking on Ergonomics
Bente is the owner of Piedmont Yarn & Apparel. Her talk will focus on what we can do to help reduce pain from repetitive motion like spinning and knitting. Bente's background is Chinese Medicine, massage and acupuncture. Any repetitive motion can cause problems and since most of us just have one way or one range of motion to our spinning, this should be a very helpful talk to hear.
Coming up:
February 29 [yes, its Leap Year] Stephanie Gausted "Here Comes the Judge"
Stephanie will come and share her thoughts on how a judge sees your work. Stephanie has done lots of that over her career in the fiber arts and will be a good thing to hear to get your work ready for the upcoming Conference. We want to see some exquisite hand-spun pieces in there!
March 29 All About Spindles [Tentative so far]
Come share your spindles and spindling techniques. Whatever type of spindle you have, whether it is a traditional top or bottom whorl, or an exotic Russian, Tibetan, Turkish or whatever, please bring it and share what you know.
Photos from this year at Lambtown
Sultana and Laura participated in the spinning contests while Carolyn took photos and Marianne cheered them on!
Other interesting things going on:
February 17, At the Diablo Weavers Guild meeting:
Cameron Taylor-Brown,
"Color in Cloth: The Weaves You Want and Why"
Guests are welcome at the Friday morning meeting at Thurman Casey Library in Walnut Creek. Meeting begins at 10 am. Cameron's presentation will be from 11 to 12:30 More info for Diablo thru the link on the right side of this blog.
"My artwork reflects a passion to shape order out of chaos - to start with bits of thread and create something complex and satisfying where nothing existed before. As I weave, I embrace and celebrate the ancient heritage and language of woven cloth. The rhythms and interplay of pattern, color and texture fascinate me, and the tactile quality of the actual fiber is extremely satisfying. I thrive on the challenges and opportunities presented to me as I move forward to explore new and interesting possibilities."
Cameron's artwork is widely exhibited and has been published in American Craft, Fiberarts, Shuttle, Spindle and Dyepot and the Fiberarts Design Books Four, Five, Six and Seven . She travels Southern California and Arizona as the regional representative for several top yarn companies, including Rowan, Filatura de Crosa and Manos del Uruguay. An experienced teacher and facilitator, she conducts workshops throughout the country exploring design, color, creativity and the collaborative process.
Program: Bente Petersen speaking on Ergonomics
Bente is the owner of Piedmont Yarn & Apparel. Her talk will focus on what we can do to help reduce pain from repetitive motion like spinning and knitting. Bente's background is Chinese Medicine, massage and acupuncture. Any repetitive motion can cause problems and since most of us just have one way or one range of motion to our spinning, this should be a very helpful talk to hear.
Coming up:
February 29 [yes, its Leap Year] Stephanie Gausted "Here Comes the Judge"
Stephanie will come and share her thoughts on how a judge sees your work. Stephanie has done lots of that over her career in the fiber arts and will be a good thing to hear to get your work ready for the upcoming Conference. We want to see some exquisite hand-spun pieces in there!
March 29 All About Spindles [Tentative so far]
Come share your spindles and spindling techniques. Whatever type of spindle you have, whether it is a traditional top or bottom whorl, or an exotic Russian, Tibetan, Turkish or whatever, please bring it and share what you know.
Photos from this year at Lambtown
Sultana and Laura participated in the spinning contests while Carolyn took photos and Marianne cheered them on!
 |
| Laura having fun, but concentrating hard |
 |
| Spinning "blindfolded" Try THAT sometime |
 |
| Sultana drop spindling blind! And doing better than most did without their blindfolds. |
February 17, At the Diablo Weavers Guild meeting:
Cameron Taylor-Brown,
"Color in Cloth: The Weaves You Want and Why"
Guests are welcome at the Friday morning meeting at Thurman Casey Library in Walnut Creek. Meeting begins at 10 am. Cameron's presentation will be from 11 to 12:30 More info for Diablo thru the link on the right side of this blog.
Cameron's artwork is widely exhibited and has been published in American Craft, Fiberarts, Shuttle, Spindle and Dyepot and the Fiberarts Design Books Four, Five, Six and Seven . She travels Southern California and Arizona as the regional representative for several top yarn companies, including Rowan, Filatura de Crosa and Manos del Uruguay. An experienced teacher and facilitator, she conducts workshops throughout the country exploring design, color, creativity and the collaborative process.
November 10, 2011
Next Meeting: Nov. 30, 2011 at 7 PM
Program: Carding
This month we will have an informal evening of experimenting with carding. We will have several carders, including the Guild's electric carder. There will be some colored fiber to experiment with color blending and striping on the carder. This will be a time to learn new things and/or share your expertise with others. Feel free to bring your own fiber to experiment with. If you have a carder you'd like to bring, it will give us more tools to use.
December Get Together
Our annual Christmas Luncheon will be on Dec. 17th, a Saturday, at Noon at Vilija's, email me if you need directions: vilijad@me.com. Bring a salad or other dish, or dessert to share. Also, are you working on your Sheep Ornament yet? The idea is to have a sheep Christmas tree ornament for a gift exchange. Hand made is wonderful, but store bought is o.k. too!
Windrush Farm Fest
Several Treadles members enjoyed visiting Windrush Farm in Chileno Valley, just outside Petaluma on Sunday, October 16th, for the farm's Third Annual Fiber Fest. Artisans were selling local wool, hand spun yarns, roving in natural colors, and dyed, hand-painted yarn on cones.
Mimi Luebbermann, the owner of the farm, was baking tasty, gourmet pizzas in a brick oven in the courtyard. It was a wonderful day filled with natural dyeing, felting, and carding demonstrations, plus a pasture walk to meet the sheep. The Festival was a great way to visit a small farm, meet fiber animals, and enjoy a day in the country.
Thanks to Wendy for the article and her son, Michael, who made the wonderful photo collage below.
Possible Workshop: Knitted Wrist Warmers
Its amazing how a small piece of cloth wrapped around your wrists can help keep all of you warm. Beads add a fabulous touch! Knowing just the basics of knitting, you can easily create colorful designs with beads. Using only garter stitch and knowing how to read and work from beading charts, you can make beautiful jeweled wrist warmer cuffs.
"Wristers" provide just the right amount of warmth in chilly situations and are perfect for gift-knitting. You can whip up a pair in a week end, and the beads turn a simple, small knitting project into a decadent present.
The beaded designs can be simple, as the wristers above are, or downright fancy as are the "tulip" themed ones on the right. They use fingering or sock yarn and could be a good way to use up a single skein of yarn.
Think about Treadles hosting the teacher for this one-day workshop some time in 2012. We could share her with Diablo to cut the cost a bit. She is from Colorado and I don't yet know her schedule, but if we are interested, I will contact her to see if we can get on a Fall 2012 schedule.
Bonnie Wells at Diablo Weavers
Diablo Weavers once again invites Treadles members to another interesting fiber artisan speaker. Diablo's meeting will be Friday, Nov. 18th at 10 am, with the speaker beginning at 11 am, at the Thurman Casey Library, the same place that Treadles meets. Bonnie is a local fiber artist who works with felting and surface design on cloth. Her work is exquisite and this talk will be about her creative journey into manipulating cloth. Bonnie's website: www.materialgrace.com
This month we will have an informal evening of experimenting with carding. We will have several carders, including the Guild's electric carder. There will be some colored fiber to experiment with color blending and striping on the carder. This will be a time to learn new things and/or share your expertise with others. Feel free to bring your own fiber to experiment with. If you have a carder you'd like to bring, it will give us more tools to use.
December Get Together
Our annual Christmas Luncheon will be on Dec. 17th, a Saturday, at Noon at Vilija's, email me if you need directions: vilijad@me.com. Bring a salad or other dish, or dessert to share. Also, are you working on your Sheep Ornament yet? The idea is to have a sheep Christmas tree ornament for a gift exchange. Hand made is wonderful, but store bought is o.k. too!
Windrush Farm Fest
Several Treadles members enjoyed visiting Windrush Farm in Chileno Valley, just outside Petaluma on Sunday, October 16th, for the farm's Third Annual Fiber Fest. Artisans were selling local wool, hand spun yarns, roving in natural colors, and dyed, hand-painted yarn on cones.
Mimi Luebbermann, the owner of the farm, was baking tasty, gourmet pizzas in a brick oven in the courtyard. It was a wonderful day filled with natural dyeing, felting, and carding demonstrations, plus a pasture walk to meet the sheep. The Festival was a great way to visit a small farm, meet fiber animals, and enjoy a day in the country.
Thanks to Wendy for the article and her son, Michael, who made the wonderful photo collage below.
Possible Workshop: Knitted Wrist Warmers
Its amazing how a small piece of cloth wrapped around your wrists can help keep all of you warm. Beads add a fabulous touch! Knowing just the basics of knitting, you can easily create colorful designs with beads. Using only garter stitch and knowing how to read and work from beading charts, you can make beautiful jeweled wrist warmer cuffs.
"Wristers" provide just the right amount of warmth in chilly situations and are perfect for gift-knitting. You can whip up a pair in a week end, and the beads turn a simple, small knitting project into a decadent present.
Think about Treadles hosting the teacher for this one-day workshop some time in 2012. We could share her with Diablo to cut the cost a bit. She is from Colorado and I don't yet know her schedule, but if we are interested, I will contact her to see if we can get on a Fall 2012 schedule.
Bonnie Wells at Diablo Weavers
Diablo Weavers once again invites Treadles members to another interesting fiber artisan speaker. Diablo's meeting will be Friday, Nov. 18th at 10 am, with the speaker beginning at 11 am, at the Thurman Casey Library, the same place that Treadles meets. Bonnie is a local fiber artist who works with felting and surface design on cloth. Her work is exquisite and this talk will be about her creative journey into manipulating cloth. Bonnie's website: www.materialgrace.com
October 9, 2011
NEXT MEETING: Oct. 26, 2011
Program: A Field Trip to "A Verb For Keeping Warm"
6328 San Pablo Ave, [near the corner of Alcatraz], Oakland. We'll meet there about 7:00 pm. Kristine Vejar, owner of this wonderful yarn shop, will give us a talk titled "Threads of Transition, Patterns of Change, Rabari Textiles of India". This collection includes colorful textiles made by three distinct communities of semi nomadic camel herders in India known as Rabari. The items are what would be included as part of a dowry: camel covers, quits, wall hangings and bags. Using broadcloth as a canvas, Rabari women applique and embroider motifs selected from their remote desert environs of Northern Gujarat. This display is up in the shop right now and you can drop by to see it any time, but if you come to our field trip, you will hear all about it from Kristine herself. The exhibition is based on her research during a Fulbright Scholarship from 2001 - 2002 and shows how the three groups of Rabari exhibited changes to their motifs and materials throughout the prior 50 years.
Carpools can be put together. Contact Laura at Laura_Hansen@mechanicsbank.com if you would like to be part of a carpool.
Driving directions:
from HWY 24 West, take exit 2B toward I-580 West
Follow signs for Market St/San Pablo Ave.
Slight right onto 36th St.
Turn right onto San Pablo Ave, shop will be on the right
A Fun Day at Forest Home Farm, Oct. 8
A young visitor meets a really big bunny
Carolyn, Linnie and Wendy were part of the group of spinners who came to celebrate Spinning & Weaving Week and enjoy our great October weather.
Return To Sender fibers are ready and Wendy had them at the last meeting. They are a blend of 85/15 Bluefaced Leicester and tussah. The four colors of the fibers were created and dyed by Dreamy Goat Design Studio,with natural dyes, inspired by the four colors Conference 2012 is using: the denim blue from Indigo, the green is weld overdyed with indigo, the mustard yellow is fustic, and the brick red is a blend of cochineal and madder.
If you were not at the meeting and did not pick up some fiber and would like to participate in this very fun event for Conference 2012, contact Wendy to get a packet. They are so lovely, and even though Wendy ordered more than has been prepared for past conferences, not that many are left. Look online for information through CNCH [link on the right] for conference info and how to order from Wendy.
If you are not familiar with this activity, the idea is to get some of the fiber, spin it up in any way you like and send it back for display at the Conference. You can choose to have it judged or not. Ribbons are awarded with two special monetary awards this year.
Return of Return to Sender is another activity to participate in if you spun up some Return to Sender fiber from the 2010 Conference. This time you submit a finished piece using the yarn you created in 2010. Any media can be employed to use your yarns, the only real rule is that is as to be a finished item. For more info, check on line.
Upcoming Activity:
Yolo Wool Mill's Annual Mill-In
Saturday, Oct.29, 2011, 10 a.m. with a Bar-B-Que at 1 p.m.
They invite you to celebrate a Family Style Halloween with Spider Webs and Black Sheep. Featured will be, mill tours, shearing demos, kids activities, vendors, fiber animal display and petting zoo, and knitting, spinning, weaving, dyeing and felting demos.
More info and directions: www.yolowoolmill.com
Photos from Spinning at the Winery 2011
recently found on my camera!
The crowd enjoying the lovely day.
A very unique way to use a distaff, keep your wool fibers wrapped around and ready to spin. Pretty too!
Wendy's contribution to the wildly successful drawing area: a felt kit with some of her beautifully dyed batts and sample bracelets of fiber beads.
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