NPSWG: The Hub

Volume XXXII, No 4 July - August 2011
Bimonthly newsletter of
THE NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA SPINNERS AND WEAVERS GUILD
http://www.npswg.com/
Hub Editor: Bonnie Crytzer Hub Publisher: Jim Crytzer
stumphillacres@zoominternet.net

Calendar of Events

June 21^st NPSWG Tuesday Spinning has been cancelled

July 2^nd NPSWG Program Meeting at Christ Church has been cancelled

July 16^th Waterford Heritage Days Spinning & Weaving Demo 10:00a.m. to 5:00p.m.

July 19^th NPSWG Tuesday Spinning at Christ Church 10:00a.m.to 2:00p.m.

July 23^rd Edinboro Highland Games cancelled this year

August 16^th NPSWG Tuesday Spinning at Christ Church 10:00a.m.to 2:00p.m.

August 20^th NPSWG Picnic/Business/Program Meeting at Sue Spencer’s in the woods 10:00a.m.to-2:00p.m (rain date is the 27^th)

August 24^th Crawford County Fair Spinning Demo at Home Ec. Bldg. 1:00p.m. to 3:00p.m. "Spinning Fleece" judging in the sheep barn to follow.

July Program

Due to the fact that the first Saturday falls on Independence Day Weekend our meeting in July has been Cancelled.

The August meeting will be a picnic at Sue and Larry Spencer's cottage in the woods. Please bring a covered dish to share with everyone. If you would like to spin, bring your wheel and join in the fun. Sue has a pond if you would like to swim. It is always a fun-filled day. Bring your family and friends. Officers will meet at 9:30am for business meeting and to organize. The program following this meeting will be “A Dyeing Panorama of Colors” presented by Sue Spencer. Bring yarn, raw or washed fleece to add to the dye pots. Also, if you have them, bring dye pots and camp stoves.

Clean out your stash and bring your unwanted treasures to the picnic at Sue Spencer’s house. To raise money to go towards workshops, etc., we are planning on having a Chinese auction. Five tickets for a dollar then put your tickets in the cup near the stuff that you want to win. Check out your stuff, see what you can part with, and then take a chance to win something to fill that empty space. It should be a lot of fun! Questions? Contact Bonnie Crytzer at (814) 676-0202.

DIRECTIONS: From Route 27 (runs between Meadville and Titusville) about 18 miles east of Meadville and about 6 miles west of Titusville is Route 427; the sign directs you to Cooperstown. From that intersection, go south 2 miles to Krepp Road, turn right, go ¼ mile to Sue’s driveway, and turn right at the palm tree. From the south: take Route 322 to Route 427 in Wyattville. At that intersection go north 4 miles to Cooperstown and another 4 miles to Krepp Road; turn left, go ¼ mile to Sue’s driveway, and turn right at the palm tree. If you need additional directions please call Sue at (814) 374-4470 evenings.

Things are bustling at Camp Stone! Our buildings should be completed by now, and Sue, Karen, and Jennifer have been invited to camp to design their areas. The Amish are busy making 150 inkle looms, as well as drop spindles. Bjo Trimble will be here the first week of camp from California and giving a seminar on preparing the dyes. She is an expert on medieval dyes and will be presenting this to the 175 counselors, as well as our group. Please get signed up quickly and let me know if you are volunteering at Camp Stone and are interested in participating in this training, so that I can let Yehuda know how many to expect from our group. I hope to have the counselors warping the inkle looms during our training, so that we will only have to worry about warping the four floor looms.

Just remember that you are signing up to ‘help’ the campers complete their inkle bands. Sue, Karen, and Jennifer will be the ones presenting and you are just their assistants.

I found a neat website at http://the-loom-merchant.com that gives a free online course on inkle weaving. Check it out and refresh your inkle loom skills.

Old Business: Linda Durnye called the meeting to order. The minutes from the April meeting and several prior meetings were noted to be available in the Hub.

New Business: Announcements were made for several upcoming events. Roz Macken let us know that the Rochester guild is celebrating their 65^th anniversary and that Hillcreek fibers is offering classes in using adjustable triangle looms. Roz also offered fliers for the Textile Tool Museum and briefly described their tool shop, gardens for fiber and dying, and looms. Marje Koehlert noted that the guild equipment has been moved to its new location at her place. Karen Fry updated us that the guild loom is back together, that Sigrid Piroch is feeling better and back in business, and that the Edinboro Highland games will not be happening this year. It was noted that Yehuda Rothner will be back in town next week for further coordination on Camp Stone. Bonnie and Jim Crytzer made Membership books, cards and fliers available..

Show and Tell: Marje Koehlert showed several bands she had made, some card woven and some woven on the inkle loom.

Marje Koehlert showing the Umbrella Swift that she and Marc made in their wood shop.

Old Business: Sharon Hoban called the meeting to order. The minutes from the May meeting were read and approved. Karen Fry updated us that she has not heard back yet on the Erie Heritage Days. Sue Spencer updated us that the guild treasury has increased by $60 in dues received and will shortly be deducted $500 for the annual rental of the church. Bonnie Crytzer updated those who missed the last meeting about the availability of guild fliers, membership books, cards and name badges. Karen updated us that the Market House event went well, with many people expressing interest in our activities. Sindi Collard added that many children and adults were impressed with the weaving activity using the popsicle stick heddles, and a number of children went home with woven bands. Sue updated us that the Waterford Family Field day seems to be losing momentum and asked what level of involvement we intend to have this year.

New Business: Sue Spencer spoke about the August picnic/dye day. Since she is part of two guilds interested in doing a dye day around that time, she suggested combining both and meeting on August 20, with August 27 as a rain date. Though later than we usually meet, it accommodates both guilds and gets us past the Camp Stone activities. We will be using chemical dyes this time, along with any natural dyes that may be left over from Camp Stone. Participants are encouraged to bring whatever might contribute to having a fun day, including swim suits, towels, a dish to pass, and items for a chinese auction or raffle, as well as dye pots, stoves and buckets if you have them, and fiber, yarn or fabric to dye.

Sharon relayed more information from the latest meeting with Yehuda Rothner. Three or four floor looms have been purchased from the house sale of an older member of the Chautauqua guild, along with a number of books that will be split between the libraries of our guild, the Chautauqua guild and Camp Stone. A number of members will be car-pooling to the camp on Thursday, June 9 to warp the looms. One hundred and fifty inkle looms are being made for the campers to use, and rug warp has been ordered in a variety of colors. Since there are a large number of counselors, the intent is to instruct the counselors in pre-warping the inkle looms to have them ready for the campers. Two Louet S-15 spinning wheels have been purchased, along with a number of drop spindles. We are welcome to attend instruction in historical dying that will be presented by Bjo Trimble of Griffin Dye Works.

Due to conflict with Camp Stone activities, there will be no Tuesday Spin in June, but we are still on for July 19 and August 16.

Elaine Fertig expressed a desire that we be well represented by entries in the Crawford County Fair again this year. Entries must arrive on Friday, August 19 or, at the latest, the morning of Saturday, August 20. Elaine is willing to assist in getting items entered and in getting them to and from the fair. Our demonstration time is from 1-3 on August 24, though we are welcome to be there earlier that day.

Show and Tell: Sue Veverka showed a beautiful 100% alpaca scarf woven in a two tone purple plaid on a rigid heddle loom. New member Lauri Noll expressed enthusiasm for our helpfulness and for the new skills she’s been learning.

FOR SALE: Starter Flock, RRRam white,1/o6 twin, Ewe silver 3/08 Bullock daughter, Ewe white twin 2/06 twin Bullock daughter, ewe white 4/15/10, ewe black 6/2/08. Most of flock is registered. Contact Bonnie Orr for prices and more information at 814-825-5863.