Preparing for our evening meeting on Wednesday, August 10th.

Alison is going to demonstrate a warp weighted loom of the type used for weaving in the Iron Age.  This will be the "bushcraft" version - scaled down and made with sticks lashed together.  The loom consists of a simple frame with the warp suspended from the top cross-piece.  Bunches of warp threads are tensioned with loom weights - stones will do - and the shed is changed in the same manner as on an inkle loom.  The frame is easy to make, and warping up is dead simple.  The difficult bit (which will sort the weaving sheep from the non-weaving goats) is threading up the warp to the weaving beam.
Advice:  use a smooth warp, and use a different coloured thread to attach the back warp threads to the beam.
Some photographs of what to expect.  Note that this loom has come out "H" shaped, whereas "A" shaped might be more stable - easy to adjust.

A suitable stick for a small loom

The basic frame - refinements would include some corner stays to prevent it twisting

Warped up and almost ready to weave

detail of the "shed"

Success from the jaws of Disaster - Woodfest 2011

We have had a really successful Woodfest, despite the terrible weather.
JM and Alison put the tent up on Friday, arranged the display and went home with the satisfaction of a job well done.  Jenny and Pauline arrived on Saturday morning to find.....no tent.  The northwesterly gales overnight had funnelled straight onto the Woodfest site, and 20-odd tents had been blown down despite the best efforts of the organisers and exhibitors.  Our flimsy gazebo was reduced to a tangle of twisted struts and torn fabric, even with the heroic efforts of our next-door neighbours, who were up most of the night rescuing stuff from the field.  They kindly looked after our display items, and kept them from harm.  The following night saw further wind damage, but didn't appear to put off the punters who flocked into the site for three days.

Thanks to the sterling work of Jenny & Tom, and Pauline and Fred, the Abergele Guild was accommodated in the Woodcraft marquee, where we were pleased to make lots of new friends among the local woodturners and carvers.  They were interested to see working spinning wheels and drop spindles, and we were grateful to be out of the wind and rain, and to have so many visitors of all ages.  I don't think we've ever had so much interest in our stand.  It truly is an ill wind which blows nobody any good.
Of course, we never have enough time to spend on the field itself (probably just as well, as you can also spend some serious money on gorgeous stuff if you're not careful).  There was more wood related stuff than you can possibly imagine; wildlife information & displays; basket making; brilliant local food and cider; mountain biking, chain-sawing, pole climbing; and the usual amazing variety of people and their dogs.  Yvonne and Betty even managed a really good deal on some Romney fleece from the SheepShow man.
So thank you to all involved - Guild members and families, our jewellery neighbours, the Owl people, the Woodcarvers & Turners, and the show organisers.  Here's to next year.

AC

Woodfest Wales 2011

We will be at Woodfest Wales over the next Bank Holiday weekend (May 28th, 29th and 30th.) and look forward to meeting friends and visitors. Last year we had a good time, and reasonable weather although it was a bit cold when the sun went in.  Whether we will be as lucky this year remains to be seen:  after an unseasonably hot and dry April, May has been unseasonably cold and wet.
For more details about Woodfest, click on the link above.
A.C.

Guild Day, Sunday 8th. May

This was to be another of our weaving days, but since few of us are weaving at the moment, it turned into a Guild meeting day with the emphasis on spinning.  However, two table looms and a peg loom made an appearance and were in use, and the guild inkle loom has found a new home for a while.  Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera, so there are no pictures to prove that we did any work at all.
As usual, guild members brought a variety of fibres to spin - dyed and undyed; wool and alpaca.  The weaving projects consisted of a warp-faced woollen rug (on the peg loom), a paper-based piece for a printmakers' project and a gorgeous space-dyed bouclé yarn project, which might turn out to be a stole or a scarf.
Our shared lunch went down very well, and we are hoping to have more full day meetings in the future.
AC

Silk Spinning with Sue Hiley Harris

We had an amazing day yesterday with Sue Hiley Harris, weaver-sculptor extraordinaire and an excellent teacher. ( http://www.suehileyharris.co.uk )Patiently and clearly she explained the entire process of silk yarn manufacture from silkworm to the finished product.  Now we all understand the differences between reeled, thrown and spun silk, and know why tussah silk is coloured (it's the oak leaves the caterpillars feed on, rather than the white mulberry leaves eaten by Bombyx caterpillars) and understand why noil silk is full of bits (the last shed skin of the caterpillar).
Sue showed us how to spin silk fibre in all its' variety - and she even examined our spinning wheels, and advised on how to optimise their performance for fine spinning.  Although there were no real beginners in the group, I think we all valued the chance to get back to basics and revisit the mechanics of "double drive", "Scotch tension", bobbin or flyer brakes.
And then spinning the silk itself!  Sue taught us how to produce a smooth yarn, analagous to the worsted woolen yarn, slub yarns, and the wonderful noil yarn spun by the long draw technique.  She also taught us how to use carders properly, and produce beautiful silk rolags.  A world of spinning in one day.
Our very grateful thanks to Sue for a wonderful day - we learnt such a lot and are determined to practise until we get it right and can produce perfectly spun silk yarn.

Bombyx mori cocoons

Poised for the long draw.....

Beautiful rolags!

Even the rubbishy bits look great!

We were also very pleased to welcome members of the Cheshire and North Cheshire Guilds, and hope to see them again in the future.

Nearly there?

At our evening meeting this week, the Ty Hafan blanket was spread out on the floor - and it's almost finished.  At least, only a couple more squares are required, and quite a lot of the ones we have are sewn together.  Perhaps we will complete it before the All Wales Meeting in Llanidloes in October, two years after we started?
AC