Common Threads Spinning Guild - October 2025 Meeting Date Change

 Our October 2025 guild meeting has been changed to Saturday October 18, 2025

Meeting location:

West Seneca Senior Center

4620 Seneca St.

West Seneca, NY 14224

9am to 12pm

Our program will be Drafting Techniques

Our usual meeting date is the second Saturday of each month. Unfortunately we had to change our October date because the senior center will be closed on October 11th. 

All further meetings will be on the usual second Saturday. 

Our November meeting will be on November 8th at the West Seneca Senior Center. Our program will be Non-Traditional Spinning. 

• Using paper

• Milk week

• Cassette tapes

• Fabric

• Anything else odd that we can think of.

• What to do with what we spin

This should be so much fun. Bring whatever you can think of that 'maybe' can be spun. I'll probably bring my Navajo spindle because it can hold a lot of funky handspun. 

Our December meeting will be on December 13th at the West Seneca Senior Center. It will be an open spin. 

Common Threads Spinning Guild - November 2024 meeting

Our next meeting will be on Saturday morning, November 9, 2024 at the West Seneca Senior Center from 9am to 12pm.

Our program will be "Core Wrapping with Yarn". I'll demonstrate how to make a coaster by wrapping a cotton core with yarn. This was traditionally a coiling technique using pine needles or raffia for making baskets. But the same technique can also be done by using a cotton core wrapped with yarn or fabric. A perfect project for using hand spun yarn.

   

Common Threads Spinning Guild September 2024 Meeting

 Our September 2024 Spinning Guild meeting will be held on September 21, 2024. Not our usual second Saturday of the month date because it coincides with the WNY Fiber Arts Festival, so it will be one week later. The meeting will be held at Doreen Kelly's home in West Seneca.

Our program will be Needle Felting a Landscape, led by Mary Fisher. See your member emails for more information.

 

Common Threads Spinning Guild August 2024 Dye Day

 Our August 2024 program is Dyeing Wool And Protein Fibers With Natural Dyes

It was held at Stitch Buffalo in Buffalo NY. on August 10th. 

Stitch Buffalo 

284 Plymouth Ave.

Buffalo NY 14213

Their facility is first rate, with a fantastic room dedicated to dyeing fibers. Our workshop was taught by Dawne Hoeg from Stitch Buffalo, who is extremely knowledgeable about using natural dyes. Here are a few pictures from our fun day.

       

Common Threads Spinning Guild May 2024 Meeting

Happy May and early Mother's Day,

Our next meeting will be on Saturday morning, May 11, 2024 at the West Seneca Senior Center from 9am to 12pm.

This will be an open spin meeting to socialize and create. In the past during our Mother's Day meetings, we've talked about our favorite books. Not necessarily fiber related books, (although that's fine too), but novels or any subject that you found interesting and entertaining. So please put together a list of good book titles to share.

Common Threads Spinning Guild January 2024

Happy New Year,

Our next meeting will be on Saturday, January 13, 2024 at the West Seneca Senior Center from 9am to 12pm.

Our program will be "Pass the Batt" in celebration of Roc Day which is on January 7th.

We did this a few years ago with great results.

Pass the Batt

Perhaps something once looked good to you, now you realize you will probably never use it as hoped. You will need to bring 2 oz. of prepared, easily spun wool or wool blend, (or a protein fiber) in a color way of your choice, to pass.

Start spinning with your fiber, after a few minutes, we will all pass that fiber to the next person, and so on. (You will always be using your own spinning wheel. Just the fiber is passed) As a challenge we will suggest trying different ways to spin it, thick, thin, etc. There is the possibility of getting some very colorful yarn. 

To pull things together, you may decide to spin a single prior to the program to ply your program yarn with. Neutrals were suggested, and you may also want to incorporate this fiber into the program yarn.  Drum carder and combs will be available. 

We will offer small project suggestions for what to do with the final yarn. After you take your yarn home and ply it, if it's a light worsted weight, it will be perfect to use for our Zoom Loom program in February. We'll talk about it during the meeting.

What is Roc Day (or Saint Distaff's Day)?

Saint Distaff’s Day (also known as Distaff Day, Roc Day, or Rock Day) is the day when spinners go back to work after the holidays. Most of what we know about Saint Distaff’s Day comes from a poem called “Saint Distaff’s Day, or the Morrow After Twelfth Day,” by Robert Herrick from his 1648 book Hesperides.

Saint Distaff’s Day may also be called Rock Day or Roc Day. In several Northern European languages, “roc” or “rok” means “distaff.” To be confusing, Saint Distaff’s Day may also fall on Old Rock Day, January 7, which celebrates fossils.

Common Threads Spinning Guild December 2023

Happy Holidays Everyone

 As we enter a new year, this a our tentative 2024 spinning guild program list:

January - "Pass the Fiber". We had a lot of fun when we did this a few years ago and went home with some very interesting yarn. More about this soon.

February - Pin Loom Weaving

March - Our Annual Auction

April - TBD

May - Mother's Day Open Spin (it's the day before Mother's Day)

June - Our Annual One Day Retreat in Orchard Park

July - Fiber Carding and Blending at Laurel's home in Holland NY

August - Natural Dyeing with Stitch Buffalo at their studio in Buffalo

September - Needle Felted Picture at Doreen Kelly's home in West Seneca

October - Program with Marcia Weinert (more info soon)

November - Wrapped Core Yarn Bowl.

December - Holiday Open Spin.

Please check back for more details

Anyone who is interested in spinning or is curious to see what our guild is like, is welcome to join us. 

An Open Spin Meeting means that our members bring their spinning wheels, knitting, felting, weaving, or what ever project they're currently working on, and we have a relaxing morning socializing and enjoying each others company. If anyone is having trouble spinning, our experienced members are always willing to help. We have a very wonderful, friendly and welcoming membership. Please join us!!

All of us at Common Threads wish you a very Happy and Safe Holiday!!

Common Threads Spinning Guild May 2023 Meeting

Our next meeting will be on Saturday morning, May 13, 2023 at the West Seneca Senior Center from 9am to 12pm.

This will be an open spin meeting to socialize and create. In the past during our Mother's Day meetings, we've talked about our favorite books. Not necessarily fiber related books, (although that's fine too), but novels or any subject that you found interesting and entertaining. So please put together a list of good book titles to share.

We will not have a regular Saturday June meeting, instead our Annual One Day Retreat will be on Sunday June 11, 2023. This will be in place of our regular meeting. It will again take place at The Meadows of Highland Clubhouse in Orchard Park where Ellie lives. She has the room reserved for our retreat day. I'll send out all of the information soon. This is for our guild members only. 

Don't forget the Southtown Spinners will meet on Tuesday May 9th at the East Aurora Senior Center from 10am to 2pm. It's free and all are welcome.

Common Threads Spinning Guild April 2023 Meeting

 Our next guild meeting will be on Saturday April 8, 2023 at the West Seneca Senior Center, 4620 Seneca St., West Seneca NY 14224 from 9am to 12pm. 

This will be an Open Spin Meeting and we will have a few cute Easter and Spring themed project patterns to share, perfect for using small amounts of yarn or your precious handspun stash. 

A small knitted bunny made from a 4"-6" square.

A Chicken Egg Cozy to be placed over a hard boiled egg or a plastic, decorative egg.

Anyone who is interested in spinning or is curious to see what our guild is like, is welcome to join us. 

An Open Spin Meeting means that our members bring their spinning wheels, knitting, felting, weaving, or what ever project they're currently working on, and we have a relaxing morning socializing and enjoying each others company. If anyone is having trouble spinning, our experienced members are always willing to help. We have a very wonderful, friendly and welcoming membership. Please join us!!

IMPORTANT - Common Threads Spinning Guild New Meeting Day and Time

 Our Common Threads Guild meeting day has changed to: 

The Second Saturday on Each Month from 9 am to 12 pm

We still meet at the West Seneca Senior Center at 4620 Seneca St, West Seneca NY 14224

Occasionally our meetings are at a different location and possibly on a different day. For or example, our One Day Retreat, Our Farm Visit, and our Dye Day. 

Check this site for a change in day and location.

Our April 2023 meeting will be on Saturday April 8th at the West Seneca Senior Center. It will be an open spin meeting. There will be patterns for cute Easter themed projects for small amounts of hand spun yarn.

Doreen's bunny, hand spun from her English Angora rabbit yarn. 

Common Threads Spinning Guild March 11, 2023 Meeting

Our meeting dates have changed to the second Saturday of each month. A few pictures from our March meeting. Our program was Plying Techniques. 

 Laurel is demonstrating a unique way to Navajo ply without using your wheel. The 3 ply is made and wound into a ball, then the twist is applied on the wheel at any time in the future. 

Mary is showing her wool rug that was knit by using various colors of green, yellow, brown, and blue yarns, randomly plied to create a kaleidoscope of landscape colors. 

Members spinning at our March meeting at the West Seneca Senior Center. 

January 2020 Spinning Guild Meeting

 Our first guild meeting of the year was a Needle Felting program. It was so much fun to create a critter of our choice with the help of member Mary Fisher. Some weren't quite finished, but had a great start and just needed some finishing touches. 

Annual Auction!

Sunday March 8, 2020 at 1 - 4 pm at West Seneca Senior Center.

Don't forget to change your clock...Spring ahead!

We will celebrate in style with our annual Auction. Not only is it fun time, it is also our major and only fundraiser of the year. Money we raise are used to pay for the wonderful programs we have and also to update our outstanding library. The auction is for members only. 

We need donations for the items to be auctioned. We are looking for fiber, as well as non-fiber related items. Items that are in perfect working order but you don't need them any more. Items and projects you have no time to work on. Things you love and you would like to spread the love to the others. Things you make. And we don't shy away from bottles of adult drinks or food items!

What to bring to the auction:

Cash for auction tickets: The tickets are $10 for sheet of 25 + 1 door price. 

Donation items

Please, bring your donations no later than 1:15pm to give us time to organize.

Approximate timeline

Doors open at 12:30

12:30 - 1:30pm  Arrival, open spin

1:30 pm  Business meeting

2 pm       Auction

We’ll continue the theme of Alpaca throughout the year. Our February meeting with Anne Richter from Woodside Farm Alpacas was very educational. Anne is a wealth of information regarding many subjects like types of alpacas, the difference in fleeces, how to choose a fleece, the best way to spin and blend them, and so much more!! Thank you Anne for a wonderful presentation! If any members didn’t receive the donated suri alpaca that we distributed last year, we’ll have some at the March meeting for you to take home. We’ll briefly talk about it during the March meeting and help those who haven't played with it yet, or unsure how to proceed. 

All About Alluring Alpaca!

Our next meeting is this Sunday, February 9, 2020, 1 - 4pm at the West Seneca Senior Center. To start off our 2020 Alpaca Theme, this month we will have a presentation by Anne Richter, owner of Woodside Farm Alpacas in Lawtons, NY. Anne will give an overview of a variety of topics like choosing an alpaca fleece, cleaning, carding, blending, and the difference Suri and Huacaya alpaca. There will also be time for question and answers.

Anne has a mini-fiber processing area on the farm which includes a carding machine (cottage carder), needle felting machine, roller felter and a full dye kitchen as she offers classes to fiber enthusiasts who want to learn about how to use fiber they grow or acquire (or maybe they just have a ton in their stash!!) She also carries a full line of blending fiber including all of the specialty fibers (pearl, rose, milk, seacell, firestar, Angelina, etc.)

Anne will be bringing fiber and spinning boxes for sale to the meeting as well.

January 2020 Meeting

We had a great New Year start in 2020. Our January meeting was so much fun and a great learning experience. Thank you Nancy Tepas for the concept for Pass the Batt. We also celebrated our guilds 10 year anniversary with a delicious cake. I can't wait to see what creative ideas everyone has for our very interesting yarn.

Pass the Batt

Roc Day: Sunday, January 12 

Perhaps something once looked good to you, now you realize you will probably never use it as hoped. You will need to bring 2 oz. of prepared, easily spun wool or wool blend, in a color way of your choice, to pass.

Start spinning with your fiber, after a few minutes, we will all pass that fiber to the next person, and so on. As a challenge we will suggest trying different ways to spin it, thick, thin, etc. There is the possibility of getting some very colorful yarn. To pull things together, you may decide to spin a single prior to the program to ply your program yarn with. Neutrals were suggested, and you may also want to incorporate this fiber into the program yarn.  Drum carder and combs will be available. 

We will offer small project suggestions for what to do with the final yarn. 

Drop that Spindle!

This is a day of explore and more.  DK will demo how to spin on a traditional Navajo Drop Spindle, and you have a chance to try that. 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.

Also, I've recently came across this blog: https://botanicalcolors.com. She's also on pinterest. If your interested it straight forward how-to's I think this may be a good place to start. Pages on mordants, dyes, eco-printing, etc. And includes how to dispose of leftover indigo, CHM.