October 17th FAD 

(or Learn to ply day)

We met to just enjoy our spinning time and to introduce the new spinners to the joys of a plied yarn.

Lis concentrated on it.

Anita Concentrated.

Having helped teach them the tips and tricks, Janice concentrated.

Anita was so happy with her plied skein.

GUILD ROAD TRIP 

(or was that a Guilt trip ?)

On September 27th, 6 of us in 2 cars had a wonderful day in Prince Edward County.

We traveled the scenic route from Cobourg (Highway #2) to Bloomfield where we stopped for coffee and a snack for some.

From there we headed to Picton, braved the construction on the demolished main street and visited Rose Haven Yarn Shop.

No pictures from the shop, since we were all too busy perusing and shopping.

Travelling through lovely countryside to Lake on the Mountain for lunch.  A kindly tourist took our picture in the parking lot.

This was the view from the restored old mill where we had lunch.

Feeling fully sated with food and  beverage, we headed east  and arrived at Waupoos winery.

After a tasting, some of us couldn't wait to get the wine home.

Others needed accessories for their home.

Next stop was the apple orchard across the road for a cider tasting, then an artisan cheese factory and finally the Oenos Gallery, where we enjoyed the outdoor sculpture garden.

This was called "The Hunt" - all metal sculptures.

Lis with a reclining nude.

It was a wonderful trip with good friends and we all returned home tired, but enthusiastic about our day.

Starting the 2016 - 2017 Season

We met in Kim's garden to make plans for our meetings this season.

We planned all kinds of interesting and fun things to do.

They'll include making wreaths with mixed media at our December meeting, teaching new spinners Lis and Anita to ply, weaving baskets from paper ribbon, mosaic fibre pictures, triaxial weaving and maybe even some fun dyeing methods in the spring.

T-shirt stripping Bee in February

Since we wanted to support the 2016 Port Hope Fair in celebrating their 185th anniversary with our guild display in September, we thought we should get to work on it.

So................ the spinners will try to spin 185 KILOMETERS of yarn

and the weavers will try to weave 185 METERS of fabric.

WHEW!!!!

We have been collecting used T-shirts to strip into fibre for the weft and members have donated cotton warp thread from their stashes.

This meeting was to get started winding warps and stripping the T-shirts.

Here's Lawrence winding one warp,

While Janice winds another

Lis kindly let us use her dining table for cutting and stripping

We really accomplished a lot with this group effort.

BASKET WEAVING WORKSHOP

October 20, 2015.

We car-pooled to Nichols Cove Studio (north of Buckhorn, ON), to attend a workshop led by basket maker, Sandi McNeil.

It was a glorious fall day - just perfect for this workshop to be held outdoors.

We were greeted by one of the owners of the property - Tundra.

After brief instruction indoors, we headed out to the firepit  area to start our "fish" baskets.

First we stripped dogwood and willow branches of their leaves. 

Then Sandi taught us how to use the grapevines collected by Kim and Mara, to make the frame for the baskets and to use the willow and dogwood branches for spokes.

Once we had completed the basics, we headed indoors for a wonderful pot-luck lunch in the studio, where we were joined by our instructor Sandi, and another of the owners of the property, Carol Nichol.

After lunch we carried on with the actual weaving of the baskets, using cedar bark, dogwood and willow "weavers", daylily and siberian iris leaves.

We finished our baskets and showed them off.

We even decided on another, rather non-traditional, use for the baskets.

All agreed that the whole day was a wonderful experience !!!!
Just look at our smiling faces !

FALL FAIR SEASON

We've been busy ......... demonstrating at local Fall Fairs.

First it was Port Hope on the 19th and 20th of September.

Here's our display table - the theme this year was "Denim"

And here is a future weaver learning from Anita

Then we were in Roseneath on the 26th of September ............ in the barn with the petting zoo and the noisy chickens.

Our display table

Spinning

And again............ Anita was very popular with the younger Fall Fair visitors.

September 2015 - Start of a New Season

Although some of us were still out and about, travelling all over........ some of us met for our first  official meeting of the new season.

We chatted and socialized, ate delicious treats, admired our hostess Anita's beautiful residence and also managed to make plans for our programmes for the year.

First and foremost will be the Port Hope Fall Fair, from September 18th to 20th. We will share a display table with the Northumberland Hooks and Needles Guild, just like every other year.

We will take turns on Saturday and Sunday with demonstrations of spinning and weaving.

Next, we will demonstrate at the Roseneath Fall Fair on the 26th of September. This will be out first experience at this Fair and we are looking forward to it. Maybe we will even get to ride on the Carousel.

In October, we hope to travel to the Buckhorn area for a basketry workshop. The date and times are still being arranged.

Here's a picture of us demonstrating at Cindy Osland's farm last season, during her hosting a farm tour.