2011-2012 AGWSD Guild Calendar

Oct 12 2011 7.0 – 9.0 EVNG
Rag Rugging, Christine Birch

Oct 19 2.0 – 4.
Oct 26 2.0 – 4.0
Nov 2 2.0 – 4.0

Nov 13 10.0 – 4.0 SUNDAY

Nov 16 2.0 – 4.0
Nov 23 2.0 – 4.0
Nov 30 2.0 – 4.0

Dec 11 10.0 – 4.0 SUNDAY
Bring a plate to share buffet lunch

Dec 14 2.0 – 4.0

Jan 8 2012 10.0 – 4.0 SUNDAY
Olympic Woolsack Cushion Stuffing Day

Jan 11th. no meeting
Jan 18 2.0 - 4.0
Jan 25 2.0 - 4.0

Feb 1 2.0 – 4.0
Feb 12 10.0 – 4.0 SUNDAY
Feb 15 2.0 – 4.0
Feb 22 2.0 – 4.0
Feb 29 2.0 – 4.0

Mar 11 10.0 – 4.0 SUNDAY
Art Yarn Spinning
Workshop with Anne Campbell

Mar 14 7.0 – 9.0 EVNG.

Mar 21 2.0 – 4.0
Mandy Coates workshop: 
Willow pot stand/rush basket

Mar 27 2.0 – 4.0

Apr 4 2.0 – 4.0
Apr 11 7.0 – 9.0 EVNG

Apr 14 10.30 – 12.30 SAT
Spinning Wheels and their Heritage – Val and David Bryant

Apr 18 2.0 – 4.0
Apr 25 2.0 – 4.0
Apr 28-29 Wonderwool Wales

May 2 2.0 – 4.0
May 9 7.0 – 9.0 EVNG.
May 16 2.0 – 4.0

May 19 10.0 – 4.0 SAT
Abergele Guild Friendship Day

May 23 2.0 – 4.0
May 30 2.0 – 4.0

Jun 2,3,4,5 Woodfest Wales, Kinmel Est.
Jun 6 2.0 – 4.0
Jun 9 Knit in Public Day
Jun 13 7.0 – 9.0 EVNG.
Jun 20 2.0 – 4.0
Jun 22-23 Woolfest Cockermouth
Jun 27 2.0 – 4.0

Jul 4 2.0 – 4.0
Jul 11 7.0 – 9.0 EVNG.
Drop Spindling

Jul 18 2.0 – 4.0
Jul 25 2.0 – 4.0

Aug 1 2.0 – 4.0

Aug 8 7.0 – 9.0 EVNG.
(Venue to be confirmed) Kool Aid Dyeing

Aug 15 2.0 – 4.0
Aug 22 2.0 – 4.0
Aug 29 2.0 – 4.0

Sep 5 2.0 – 4.0

Sep 12 7.0 – 9.0 EVNG
AGM and Supper

Oct 10 7.0 – 9.0 EVNG
Weaving Corn Dollies
with Jenny Pritchard

Meetings held in Community Hall, Llanfair Talhaiarn

New Page added

May I draw everyone's attention to our new Page, which will focus on the activities of The Woolsack - British Wool cushions for the London Olympic Games, 2012:  http://abergelewsd.blogspot.com/p/woolsack-for-london-olympic-games.html

All Wales Meeting of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers, 2011

Another great day in Llanidloes, thanks to Hilary Miller and the Team.  Representatives from all the Welsh Guilds of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers attended the meeting; contributed to the displays and the raffle; browsed and bought at the trade stands and were fascinated by Laura Thomas' talk about her work as a professional weaver, designer and curator.  (More about Laura on her website http://www.laurathomas.co.uk )
The Guild Challenge was a real highlight - with the Gwynedd Guild's orchids the stand-out contribution.  They truly deserved their "prize" of a presentation shield.

Our contribution to the Guild Challenge.

The Gwynedd Guild's "Orchids" can be seen in the middle of the bottom row - of course, they do meet in a Botanic Garden!

Worldwide Spin in Public Day, 17th. September

Annie from the Lleyn Guild kindly invited Rosie to this event, held at Caernarfon Castle on Saturday.

Evening Meeting, August 10th.

Everyone worked very hard, and went away from the evening with a fully functional, fully warped-up, scaled-down, warp-weighted loom.  The basic design is loosely based on reconstructed Iron Age looms, and is open to modification.  The beauty of this sort of loom is that it can be adjusted even when the weaving is in progress, and absolute precision is not necessary.  We didn't have quite enough time to add the top and bottom ties to keep the warp in place, but these can be added later.

Making the basic frame

Warped up

Weaving!

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"