Sivia Harding KGGB Spring Seminar Openings

Knitting Guild of Greater Buffalo has openings on Saturday, May 16 for their spring seminars. More info can be found here: http://www.buffaloknittingguild.org/Seminars.html

From KGGB website:

We are so pleased that Sivia Harding will be presenting at our Spring Seminar.  Sivia is one of the premier designers of lace and bead accessories.  The seminar will focus on the techniques of adding beads by stringing and by crochet hook, lace pattern reading, moebius cast on and shaping, among other techniques.  The classes are all project oriented, with two magnificent pieces of jewelry offered on Saturday, and with a fabulous shawlette and moebius cowl offered on Sunday. $40 per class for non-guild members.

Saturday classes are 9am - 12n:  Galatea Neckpiece 

1pm - 4pm:  Moonrise Necklace

Knitting Guild Yarn Fest April 16

Spinning Locks with Amanda

April 12, 2015, from 1-4 pm at the Burchfield Nature Center. 

This month, we'll be spinning locks! We'll also have time for show 

and tell including any news from those participating in The Big One!

Here's an example of locks and the yarn we'll be making

From Amanda:

For our lock spinning lesson, feel free to bring along any loose 

locks you have, or purchase some from Sue Phillips or me at 

the meeting. We'll have them in one or two ounce bags ready to go. 

You'll also need a binder to ply with. I'll bring the silk bobbins I use, 

and you're free to use them for the meeting (though I have a limited 

supply--first come, first served). However, if you want to finish your 

yarn at home, or make a larger skein, you'll need to purchase 

something appropriate. 

I recommend 

     •  Coats and Clark's machine embroidery thread found in the 

        sewing thread section 

     •  Aunt Lydia's Crochet Thread Size 10 (found some that's 

        100% Viscose and looks great) in the yarn section 

     *  OR a Size 10 or 12 crochet thread, usually found in the 

        embroidery floss section.

Supplies to Bring:

     •  two bobbins--one for spinning the locks onto and one to ply onto
     •  locks (BFL, BL, Cotswold, Wensleydale, mixes, mutts, etc and 

        can be purchased at the meeting)

     •  plying thread to use as a binder (see above for explanation)

     •  optional niddy noddy

May meeting falls on Mother's Day and we'll have a nice, relaxing 

open spin!

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Annual Auction & Fiber Arts Opening

Our upcoming meeting on March 8, 2015 from 1-4 at the 

Burchfield Nature Center is our annual Chinese auction!

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS CTSG MEMBERS ONLY!

The money we raise helps off-set the costs associated 

with our building rental and program costs. It helps us 

keep our membership dues low while having some fun 

and scoring great finds!

Bring your donation items with you on Sunday. We're 

looking for anything and everything . . . if you think 

someone might enjoy it, bring it along! Of course, 

we're all very appreciative of fiber related products 

(fleece, wool, roving, yarn, needles, equipment, etc), 

but other hits in the past have included wine, bath 

products, books and candles. Heck, kitchen and 

gardening tools would be swell, too!

Also bring some cash to play along! 

Sunday is the opening reception day of the Fiber Arts 

Show at the Burchfield. A big thank you to everyone 

that let us borrow items for the display. And another 

big thank you to Doreen Kelly, Sue Philips and Karen 

Varrone for helping with the set up. I know the weather 

was pretty yucky and I appreciate those of you who 

tried to get there, but couldn't!

We've been getting some good feedback from the 

questionnaire I sent out earlier in the week. 

Your feedback really helps us with getting our 

budget in order!

Stay warm this week, and we'll see you Sunday!

Amanda

Spring Fiber Event March 7

Fiber Flurry 

Saturday, 10:00am - 8:00pm 

Wyoming Inn, Wyoming NY

Try a new technique, meet fellow fiber enthusiasts, have some great meals and shop local vendors. Please follow the link for more information.  

All About Spinning Ratios

From Margaret: 

Did you know your spinning wheel is just like a bicycle? Just like! Except a spinning wheel only has one wheel. And is pretty stationary. And a bicycle doesn't make yarn. Ok. Nevermind. Bad example.

Other than that, just like! Spinning wheel ratios, like the gears on a bicycle, control your speed. You can change the yarn you make by changing your ratio. If you want to go faster, you can switch gears. If you want to go slower, you can downshift. You don't always have to treadle faster to add more twist. 

This demo will be somewhat hands-on; if you want to play, please bring some fiber to mess with.  

We will have fiber available for those who want to participate.

Also–

Here is a brief article on silk that came in an email today: http://www.dharmatrading.com/home/silk-myths-busted.html?utm_source=2015_02_01-silkpromo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter 

March is our annual auction, please consider donating!

Roc Day: Yoga with Carolyn

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Hope you all have a happy, healthy New Year! 

Carolyn Zimmerman from Synergistic Yoga will be heading up our program this year. As gratifying and relaxing as sitting at our wheels for a few hours may be, it may not be the best thing for our bodies. Carolyn will show us some stretches and exercises to counteract this lack of momentum. Bring your wheels, exercises will be done in the chair or standing up. If you find you have particular achy spots when you spin, be sure to let her know.

Carolyn has be doing yoga since the 70's. From her website: 

Synergsitc yoga...is a blend of traditional hatha yoga stretches, deep breathing, moving meditations and relaxation techniques to quiet the mind, relax, stretch and tone the body while awakening the spirit.

We will also have open spin, and if you have something for show & tell, please bring it. Margaret N. will be doing February's program on ratios, March is our annual auction. For those of you going to the retreat in March, don't forget to bring your $50 deposit, Becky will be collecting. And remember your dues if you haven't already paid them.

January 7

St. Distaff’s Day

By Robert Herrick (1591–1674)

Called St. Distaff’s Day (or Roc Day) because after the Christmas holidays ending on Twelfth Night the women proposed to resume their distaffs. The ploughmen would make it their sport to set fire to the flax in requital for which prank the maids would souse the men from the water pails.

PARTLY work and partly play 

  You must on St. Distaff’s Day: 

From the plough soon free your team; 

  Then come home and fother them; 

If the maids a-spinning go, 

  Burn the flax and fire the tow. 

Bring in pails of water then, 

  Let the maids bewash the men. 

Give St. Distaff all the right; 

  Then bid Christmas sport good night, 

And next morrow every one 

  To his own vocation.

From: http://www.bartleby.com/297/12.html