Sunday January 13, 2013

Roc Day! 

Happy New Year all! 

We will be making (hopefully a giant) Roc Soup Batt for Roc Day this year.

Anyone wishing to participate needs to bring in at least 4 oz. of decent, spinnable fiber, any color. In theory, once the giant batt is made in horizontal layers, we divide it vertically through the layers. The fiber going in should be well enough prepared that you can spin from it coming out (although you ultimately decide final prep.)

The way it works is you put 4 oz. in, you get 4 out. If you would like more, please add in 4 oz. increments. We will not weigh incoming fiber unless you want us to, or someone donates extra and we can take more home than we brought.

NO alpaca, mohair or angora!!!

Some of our members have serious allergies to these fibers. If you are unsure of your fiber content, please bring in something else!!! If someone has a problem with any other fiber, please let us know.

Acceptable fibers include wools, llama, silk, tencel, bamboo, firestar, angelina, locks (not mohair), noils.

We will need some scales to weigh the smaller batts once the soup is made. I'm bringing a small electronic kitchen scale that weighs in ounces and grams, it is more than adequate for our purposes. If 3-4 people could bring one in things should go quickly. Put your name down in the Ravelry group if you are bringing one, once we have 4 people, we should be set.

The resulting fiber will be the new spinners' challenge. You can do any project you like using any technique you like: knit, crochet, felt, weave, etc. The February meeting will be working with hand cards as a follow-up for a prepping technique you can use for this. 

If any of you have completed the last spinning challenge, please bring it in to show us.

Hope to see you all there!

Don’t forget, all guild members are invited to Patsy’s lecture on Thursday Jan. 24th!

“Using your Yarns: A Look at the Creative Process”

Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village (former Amherst Museum) 
Thursday Jan. 24th 6:30 pm Free!

3755 Tonawanda Creek Road 
Amherst, NY 14228 Phone: 716-689-1440

Sunday December 9

Holiday Pot Luck

Time to kick off the holiday season! Bring a finger food to share, sweet or savory. You still have a little bit of time to finish something for the Spinners' Challenge. We haven't had a show-and-tell in a while, so bring in any projects you would like us to see. Open spin.

Elections: We are looking for someone to serve as secretary, this is a two-year term, as are other positions. Responsibilities include recording minutes at the Board meetings (3-4 per year for a couple of hours). As a Board member, the secretary has a vote, the occasional card may need to be sent out, although the president has been doing some of this.

Election takes place at the December meeting. If you might be interested, please let Doreen or myself (Liz) know.

Also, Mary F. will be providing us with some entertainment!

Sunday November 11

Spinning on Great Wheels 

with Theresa and Sara

This is your chance to learn more about Great Wheels. Theresa and Sara will give us some general history and what history they have of their own wheels. We will also see how to adjust them and spin on them. We will also have a chance to try them out, one with the minor's head (an accelerator), one without. If you have room and can master the great wheel, it does seem like a really cool way to spin!

FYI: Weavers' Guild has come close to filling minimum for the Patsy Z. workshops. I will keep you posted on any openings.

Knitters’ Guild Annual Sale will be held Thursday Nov. 1, from 6:30 -9 pm. You are all welcome to join us. Approx. 20 vendors from WNY, CNY and PA with yarn, fiber and more. More info here: http://www.buffaloknittingguild.org

They currently meet at Congregation Shir Shalom at 4660 Sheridan Drive in Williamsville, NY.

Congregation Shir Shalom is located just east of North Forest Road on Sheridan Drive. Look for the one-way sign when you turn into the parking lot. Enter at the double doors at the back.

Some of our favorite vendors will be there, The Critter Ranch, Inspiration Fibers, Longmeadow Farms, and Raveloe Fibers, as well as some of your favorite yarn stores. There will be plenty of yarn, fiber and related items. This is quite a nice sale.

Also coming up:

November 3 & 4, 2012 

Alpaca Fiber and Harvest Festival 

Learn the fine craft of fibers, enjoy a fashion show and browse beautiful bounties and crafts from local artisans and farms, in conjunction with the Alpaca Breeders of WNY. Don't miss the Fiber Fashion Show!

Vendors: Dun Roving Farm, Alpacas of Niagara, Thistle Creek Alpaca Farm, Ruebarb Alpacas, Sugartown Farms, Alpaca Play Pen, LLC,East Valley Alpacas, Triple B Alpacas, Lawrence Corp., Subtle Shuttle, Enchanted Forest Alpacas, JB’s Alpacas, Alpine Made Goat Milk Soap from Beiter and Sons’ Farm, Hy-Haven Criations, Red Clover Soap, Victorian Elegance by Cathy Lee Thomas, 5 Wolves Alpacas, Baldwin Hill Farms, LLC, Kindred Kreek Alpaca Farm, Clip Clocks, Camille – Leather works.

Food by Iris Restaurant. Harvest Beer and Wine.

10:30 AM to 4:30 PM both days. Admission is $5 for adults; children 12 and under are FREE. You can also purchase a two-day pass for just $8.

Click here if you are interested in becoming a vendor at this event. You can also purchase ad space in our program.

Sunday, October 14th from 1-4:00

Ontario Handspinners  (OHS) Certificate Program with Margaret  

Burchfield in West Seneca. 

Each summer, for eight crazy days, for six consecutive years, students gather in the Haliburton Highlands to complete the OHS Certificate Program. The course covers all manners of spinning, all materials of spinning, and lots of homework to carry us through the year. Margaret just completed her fourth year and fifth summer, and will share what they've done so far. A new rotation begins every three years, so if you're curious or interested in the program, this will be an opportunity to see what's involved. 

                                         Color Blending: Citron Shawl

                                          Exotic Breeds Fleece Study

                                          Natural Dyes

Drop Spindle Class starting

Sue Phillips is starting a beginner Drop Spindle class  at her store.  On Wednesday October 10th from 6pm-8pm. Come at 6 to 7, or 7 to 8. Stay one or two hours, but please register with her by email sue@critterranch.com or call 532-0246 by Friday October 5th. Let her know if you have a drop spindle or you need one.  She'll try to get some reasonable ones for the class. Fee will be $20.00 per person & includes 2oz. of fiber.  

 
Sue Phillips 
The Critter Ranch Llama Farm 
& WNY Llama & Alpaca Rescue Group 
ALSA Halter & ROM Champions 
  Angel's Baby Doll & BHLF Erick Liddell 
National Top 10 POD 2004 ALSA Champion & ROM POD  Payton's Angel 
Rescue ,Shearing, Boarding, Breeding, 
Visit our online stores & Blog at 
http://TheCritterRanch.etsy.com   http://TheCritterRanchStuff.etsy.com 
http://thecritterranch.blogspot.com       www.critterranch.com 
 www.wnyllama.org 
  

WNY Fiber Fest 2012

Just a reminder that this Saturday, September 29th is the WNY Fiber Fest at the Emery Park Ski Lodge, Emery Rd., in South Wales from 10-5:00. Please come and support our local Fiber Fest by of course shopping, volunteering where Michaele and Victoria need help, spinning for the Sheep to Scarf, or by just spinning your own fiber with our guild group. We’re inside the beautiful Ski Lodge, and it’s a wonderful relaxing atmosphere. Because this is local, it’s so much fun to see familiar faces from all of our WNY fiber friends. If you have an extra floor lamp and extension cord it would be nice to bring it. We try to sit by the big windows, but if it’s a cloudy day it can be a little dark. 

I hope we have a great turnout, and if you have any questions please contact Victoria locusthill@yahoo.com, or Michaele michaelewe@roadrunner.com, or me .