Tweaked Meeting Date - April 19, 2007

Because of scheduling stuff, our regular group is meeting this Thursday evening, 6:30 p.m., April 19, 2007, at my (Anita's) house.

There's some interesting stuff to look at:
A spinning exhibit for the San Bernardino County Fair
New Books -- including Spinning for Speed and Softness, plus a toe-up sock book, and socks on two circulars book (others?)

Hope to see you there!

Road Trip!

OK, our road trip was just a couple of miles, but tonight we went to see a spinning wheel. Its owner had it custom made in Brownsville, OR, in 1976 by Ben Fisher, a Mennonite man in his 80s. It's a copy of a wheel brought from Denmark to Ohio in 1854. This wheel has resided in her home in the Mojave Desert for the last 30 years.

The wheel is a double-drive although it's not exactly set up that way in the photos that the owner provided for us before we came for a visit. You can see the two sizes of the bobbin whorls in the close-up of the Kate.

The workmanship is an interesting blend: The spindle-turned pieces are very finely done, while the bobbins are more rustic, for example. Also, some of the pieces are nicely fastened together with wooden pegs (I especially like the little skewer-like pieces that hold the wheel in place and fasten the bobbins to the lazy kate), while small yet utilitarian nuts and bolts hold pieces in place elsewhere.

Quite the contrast to the Ashford Joy wheels that typically come to our gatherings!

Group Gathering Alert!!!

Gee, it's already that time again... The second Thursday of the month.

Thursday, February 8, 2006, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

We'll be gathering at Anita's place in Apple Valley. If you need instructions re: how to get there, please give a call. If you don't have my (Anita's) phone number, please go to our yahoo groups website for contact information (you can find the link in the left-hand column here on the blog, as a link).

Bring spinning, knitting, weaving, show-and-tell, questions, whatever. Our gathering will end with our more-often-than-not dessert of Breyer's French Vanilla Ice Cream, accompanied by homemade cookies and a look at some seriously weird spinning from the silent film, Phantom of the Opera (1925).

Hope to see you there!

S.I.P. (Spin in Public) Alert!

This coming Saturday, January 27, 2007, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., those of us who can gather at the Apple Valley Library will be having our monthly S.I.P. (Spin in Public) event. We'll be giving demos and free spinning lessons, plus checking out ["checking out" as in perusing, then possibly as in using library cards to borrow] the library's fiber resource books, too.

The Apple Valley Library is on Dale Evans Parkway, just north of Hwy. 18. We'll be in the Community Room (when we're not looking at books!), which is straight ahead as you enter the library.

Looking forward to it -- Hope to see you there!

Quiz time

I think it's pretty accurate, for me anyway. Try it and see what you think!

What kind of yarn are you?


You are Shetland Wool. You are a traditional sort who can sometimes be a little on the harsh side. Though you look delicate you are tough as nails and prone to intricacies. Despite your acerbic ways you are widely respected and even revered.
Take this quiz!

The Yarn Speaks

After spinning for a while, I realized that I really didn't know what to make out of my handspun yarn. Fortunately, I have been mentored by other fiber artists who have told me the answer to "What are you going to make with that yarn?" is one (or both) of the following responses:

1. I like to put it in a bowl [or basket, or other container] and look at it; it makes me happy.

2. I don't know. It hasn't told me yet.

I do truly love to look at my handspun, but it's a truly marvelous day when the yarn speaks!

My first handspun (the green and white) told me it wanted to be a winter hat. My first hand-dyed (the multi-colored) told me it wanted to be a wee sock. So here they are, feeling quite proud of themselves.