May meeting - Sunday

Sunday, spinning all day.
A very good turnout again for our now-regular Sunday day out in LlanfairTH.  The new heaters are working a treat, although still tending to trip the fuses;  this is not a major problem now the fuses really do trip rather than melt.  Anyway, we were nice and warm all day and it was great to see a room full of wheels at work. One or two technical problems were solved, and a lot of yarn was produced.

I'm using a computer in Abergele Library to upload these photographs, and for some reason they're jumping about and the captions are re-arranging themselves.  I hope you can make out what's what.  It's not helped by the fact that I can't remember which images belong to which spinner.

Glorious, glorious colours.  Hilltop Cloud fibre, I think.

Add caption

A very enviable handful of dyed silk, also from Hilltop Cloud (I think)

Carding Falklands' fleece

- and this is the silk, spun up to a fine lustrous yarn.

More nice spinning - it's a while since the meeting, and I've forgotten which photos are of whom:  I think this is Jenni's Shetland.

.. and Pauline's worthy efforts with a donated fleece.  She usually knits dog blankets with it!

I do remember that this is going to be one of a pair of felt mittens, made by piecing half-felts and interesting bits and pieces.

The obligatory Photograph  of Cakes- what's left of them.

See you all in Abergele at the end of the month.

A.C.

Another blog to follow

http://www.curioushandmade.com
I have just discovered this blog (via FaceBook), and have added it to our blogs-to-watch bar at the right of this page. There are lots of intriguing web links on the curioushandmade page, and photographs of some spectacular patchwork, knitted shawls and other stuff.
AC.

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