How to Split a Rainbow

Fractal Spun Yarn from The Painted Tiger

According to Benjamin Krudwig, fractal yarns are not truly fractal in a mathematical or scientifice sense, but rather "a pattern that is self-similar, and repeats itself in different scales."

Regardless of how you want to define it, you are sure to love it.  In the traditional fractal spun yarn, you take a braid of fiber, split it in half lengthwise, spin one half of it as is, then split the second half into 2, 3, or 4 sections and spin those end to end onto another bobbin. Then you ply those bobbins together for a 2-ply yarn. 

Nancy Tepas will be walking us through braid selection, splitting of the braid and spinning to achieve the perfect gradient. 

The guild has also purchased Yarnitecture by Jillian Moreno to accompany this month's program. It will be available for loan at the November meeting.  Jillian has written two articles on the topic in Knitty.  Take a look here and here.  

Sun, Summer & Samples...

Time for our annual summer picnic.  Join us this Sunday, August 14th at 1:00 at the BNAC (our usual spot) for some great conversation, open spin time and a bit of show & tell.  Just bring a dish to pass and your personal set of cutlery and a plate.  If the weather continues to cooperate, we shall stay outside,

Any one spinning like an Olympian this month? We hope you have been keeping track of your estimated yardage and are ready to update your monthly totals for July.  I wonder if the new cupping trend, as evidenced on the swimmers, could be used for any of our spinning pains?

Enjoy the rest of your week and don't forget the sun screen !

Felting Embellishments & Open Spin

For those interested, we will have a self-guided program on further embellishing and finishing our felted pieces. Suggestions would be beading, needle felting, embroidery, and/or adding a strap or closure to your piece. Think about what you want to make, a purse, book cover, pillow cover, are some possibilities. We need to bring our own embellishments, as everyone did different colors. Try to keep ideas simple.

Possibilities:

Threads: metallic, plain sewing and multicolored, embroidery floss, crochet cotton-hand dyed if you have it, silk, any fine or slippery yarns you might have.

Equipment: appropriate sewing and beading needles, needles for needle felting, scissors, towel or dish/plate to put beads on

Roving for needle felting, hopefully you have a little left over.

Embellishments: seed beads, beads, buttons, sequins, feathers, tassels, cording

Liz will give a brief talk, but most of this is learn as we go. Anyone who didn't participate in the felting program is welcome to bring something else and join in. It would probably be a good idea to familiarize yourself with some basic embroidery stitches: running, chain and blanket stitches.

Of course, for anyone not interested in participating, we will have open spin.

No, Not Crazy - Zanie!

Have you ever wondered what felted squares grow up to be?  Well, take a look at this - 

Suzanne is a fiber artist, a horticulturalist, and a mother of three. Throughout her lifetime she has  loved crafting, giving and receiving handmade gifts. She is attracted to the highly versatile properties of wool.   The art of felting brings her many hours of pleasure and relaxation and we know it certainly brings joy to the countless fans she has throughout the region.  

Join us on Sunday, June 12 as ZanieCrafts owner and designer, Suzanne,  shares her expertise in felting.  Check your guild e-mail for your RSVP information and kit fee.  We need an accurate count ASAP.

Nobody Move! I Just Dropped my Spindle!

Ben so inspired us that we must have more! So join us in April for Drop Spindle Part II.

This is a day of explore and more.  Have a spindle you are willing to let others demo for the day?  Bring it on down. Looking at some bits and bobs of roving that have have no real purpose in life?  Bring it on down!

Have a burning desire to take your little addiction with you wherever you go?  Then stop in for the afternoon and work on several different styles.  Hey, you never know when this little post apocalyptic skill will make you look even cooler than you already are.

Herding Sheep

Cathy S., a member of the WGB posts some great things. Here's a recent video she posted.

Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?

• Are you ready for some buttons? Lots of buttons? Lynn O'Conner from A Kid'll Eat Ivy Designs will demo her polymer clay button techniques. Yeah! Petra and her kids spent unhealthy amount of time (and money) at the her booth at Emery Park last year. Lynn will be selling her buttons and asked if people who have bought and used her buttons to bring in the pieces they were used on. Her website, A Kid'll Eat Ivy Designs showcases her work  Do you have projects that miss buttons? Are you starting a project that will require buttons? Bring them along. It makes picking buttons much easier.

New DVD's for 2016

The Common Threads library has recently received two new titles for your use.


The first is Color Magic: Color Families with Deb Menz.  Deb Menz has a wonderful way of explaining color that even I can understand!  Let's take a look at a sample of what is to be found in this engaging DVD.


The second is The Spinner's Color Toolbox: How to Spin Colorful Textured Yarns with Judith MacKenzie.

Here's a little preview:

2016 Roc Day! Drop Spindles.

Many thanks to Ben for a fantastic presentation on different types of Drop Spindles and how to use them.

Ben demoing a supported spindle

An array of Ben's 20+ spindles and fibers–antique Russian supported spindles on the left, a variety of top and bottom whorl spindles in the center, the one center right in front is a Turkish spindle.

Members spinning on a variety of spindles.

Ben demoing the Russian supported spindle.

Antique Russian supported spindles (sorry for the poor quality of the pictures.)

You Spin Me Round ...like a drop spindle!

Ok, I could NOT resist:)

Ben will be joining us this Sunday and I know he will have all of us dancing, um, I mean spinning right round on those drop spindles!

Please join us for social time at 1:00 and our program starting shortly after our 2:00 business meeting.

You know you want to!

Please forward any questions you may have concerning the drop spindle to commonthreadsspinningguild.com so that Ben may be prepared with an answer.

We would also ask our more experienced drop spindlers to be prepared to share their tips and tricks after Ben is finished with his end of the session.  I know many of you have a great deal to share.

In addition, Liz would really love for you to complete the program sheets if you did not have a chance to do so last month.

See you Sunday!