Friendship Day, 2014.

Last Sunday dawned bright and fair, if a little chilly, and we were very pleased to welcome so many members and visitors to Llanfair T.H. for our Friendship Day.  It was lovely to see so many people, although at one point we did wonder whether we could squeeze everybody into the Community Centre.   We managed it, although some of us had to exchange spinning wheels for drop spindles.  No room for the Great Wheel, unfortunately.  As the heating still hasn't been fixed some people were a bit cold (apologies for this), but despite this there was a really good atmosphere in the hall.
The traditional "bring something to share" lunch was a raging success, with so much food we couldn't use it all.  Our thanks to everybody who contributed, and please don't take it personally if your offerings weren't eaten.  Thanks also to the relay of washers-up!
We had three great trade stands:  Mam a Mi (Annie and Kath) with their brightly dyed fibres; Fiery Felts (Helen Melvin) selling all manner of wonderful natural dyes and sundries; and Glenys of Snowdonia Wools with her top-end commercial yarns and high class knitting tackle.  Thanks to all of them and also to Ann Campbell, who brought a selection of dyed luxury fibres to tempt us, and thanks to everyone who brought stuff for the "stash stall". Some nice raffle prizes completed the range of goodies available.
Hilary Whatmough kindly gave us a talk entitled "Waste not, want not" detailing her passion for patchwork from recycled fabrics. She also gave us insights into her life and work, and had plenty of her stitched pieces for sale to help research into macular degeneration.
Unexpected extras included Helen's demonstration of her printing inks - such glorious colours - and a chance to watch SAORI weaving on a very swish portable loom.
With all this going on, and the chatting and catching up with friends from different Guilds, it's surprising that anyone got any spinning done. However, many bobbins were filled, and - as far as I could see - everyone left smiling after a most enjoyable day.
Very many thanks to everyone for coming, and especial thanks to Bryn, our Programme Secretary, for all her hard work in organising such a successful day.
Photographs to follow, I hope.
A.C.

Abergele Guild Friendship Day, Sunday, April 13th. 2014

A warm welcome is extended to all our friends at our open day this Sunday. We will be back in the Community Centre in LlanfairTH. from 10 till 4.  We are having a talk from Hilary Whatmough at 11 entitled "Waste not, want not", and a variety of trade stands (these will be available for most of the day). £3 entry includes tea and cake. If you're staying for lunch, please bring a contribution for a shared buffet.

For map, please go to the right hand side column of the blog.

AC.

P.S.

Our main update is in the post below, but Kate has shown me the pattern for her lovely moss-stitch baby bootees.  As it's copyrighted by Sue Goldthorpe, I can't reproduce it here, but I'm happy to provide the link to the Wool Shop Leeds:  http://www.thewoolshopleeds.co.uk
The pattern is dated 2009, and isn't on the website at present, but I'm sure that the Wool Shop will be able to help.  I hope we can have a photograph of the finished boots at some stage. 
A.C.

... and March

We've had a busy few weeks since our last entry on the blog.  Thanks very much to the Gwynedd Guild for their hospitality on their Friendship Day:  they were very busy in their temporary (?) home in LlanfairPG, and those Abergele members who made the journey had a good time.
Our twice-monthly meetings continue to be well attended, and we have all been spinning away like mad.  More thanks, this time to our Chairlady, for opening up her home on Sunday for us all.  It was a glorious Spring day, and we would have been tempted to sit outside if it hadn't been decidedly chilly despite the sunshine.  No cake pictures this time, as it disappeared too quickly.
The star of the event was undoubtedly Hilary's replica great wheel a.k.a. The Walking Wheel.  It really is too big to fit into one photograph.  It is in beautiful, working order and we have hopes that it may make a guest appearance at our own Friendship Day next month (if there's room!)

A very Great wheel, with two of its' smaller cousins in the background.  Interestingly, it appears to have a form of "Scotch" tension controlling the Sleeping Beauty-type spindle. 

Just to prove that it does work! (with apologies for the poor-quality edit, to remove someone's bottom from the shot).  Spinning on a great wheel requires a knack which is easy to loose when you're used to using both hands on a modern wheel.  Basically, you turn the wheel with one hand while drafting backwards with the other.  The thread "clicks" off the point of the spindle, as you walk slowly away.  When you've run out of arms you walk forwards to wind the thread on to the spindle.  A stick in the left hand, to turn the wheel, would help.

Another beautifully made piece of kit:  Yvonne's Turkish spindle (in pieces).  For some reason, I don't have a picture of it assembled and working.  Next time?

 

 

 

 Two more images from our last spinning evening in Abergele:  June's very smart blanket squares,

and someone making sure to keep her seat...

AC

February.....

From our members:

Our Sunday winter tour continues apace, with a meet at our members house in Betws yn Rhos.  Smaller than a draughty hall it allows for a cheerful buzzing atmosphere where spinning, drafting and knitting can take place in the warm.  One of our new members, Haf brought with her a hand made wheel in oak, for our examination. A beautiful piece of furniture but was extremely heavy and didn't spin well. Not one for a beginner, so a trusty Ashford traveller was called for and this allowed for great spinning for the rest of the day. 

Plans were made for our Friendship day in April which completed a very successful day.

J.F.
and:
spinning Texel, Shetland, Border Leicester; 
knitting homespun into elaborate bedspread squares; 
domino knitting of homespun into a jacket; 
drop spindling; 
dog patting; 
horse watching from indoors;
spinning practice - although you could say all spinning constitutes practice;
pooling ideas on twisted fringes; 
turning down (sadly) the chance to see the sheep due to wrong shoes, leaves on line, etc..
B.T.

Haf's new wheel?  - on loan.

A dark & damp Monday in January.....

....but light and warm in Abergele for our monthly evening meeting.  Val kindly showed us her wonderful (and wonderfully catalogued) collection of dyed samples, using an eclectic variety of dyestuffs both vegetable and mineral.
Our next meeting will be on Sunday, February 9th at Jenni's house:  please contact her for details.  There is still no definite news about the Llanfair TH Community Centre, but the new committee are hoping to be able to take over near Easter.

A shining example of "how to do it":  careful documentation of experimental dyeing by Val -

- and the raw material.