NPSWG: The Hub

Calendar of Events

Sat., Nov. 7 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Guild meeting at Christ Episcopal Church, Diamond Park, Meadville.
Tues., Nov. 17 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Joyous Hands Spinning Group, Christ Episcopal Church, Diamond Park, Meadville.
Sat., Dec. 5 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Guild meeting at Christ Episcopal Church, Diamond Park, Meadville.
There is no meeting in January 2016.

November Program

Refreshment committee: Elizabeth Tomcho
Annual membership dues for 2016 are due.

Bolivian Band Weaving with Hal Richardson. Please plan to bring a short sword/beater and basic weaving necessities, (scissors, blunt needle, etc.) and a C-Clamp if available to use to support your band while weaving. Hal will supply warp, weft, material for heddles and heddle loop, and warping boards.

The Bolivian Band we will weave is a complementary-warp uneven twill band in a scroll pattern. We will examine a few Bolivian weavings for inspiration. Then we will prepare a warp and begin to weave a short band. Instructions are derived from The Art of Bolivian Highland Weaving, Marjorie Cason and Adele Cahlander, Watson-Guptill, 1976, pp 43-48.

We will prepare a simple 24 inch warp of 28 ends, wound in a border/pattern/border sequence, where two borders are wound singly in a medium tone and the pattern ends are wound two at a time as light/dark pairs.

After winding the warp we will rearrange the pattern cross, insert a shed loop and wind a set of heddles to allow us to open alternate plain weave sheds. From the plain weave shed we will pick up the twill scroll pattern. Tension is supplied by anchoring the warp to a fixed point and holding the end of the warp in your hand. For longer and more intricate bands tension is typically supplied using a back strap.

Old Business: The minutes from the May meeting were not available. Barb Lodge gave the treasurer's report, noting payments for a program, the fee for Second Saturday and the Piecework subscription, and receipts for dues and registration for the anniversary event. The Treasurer 's report was approved.

New Business: : Waterford Heritage Days will be July 17-19 with guild participation primarily on the Saturday from 10-8. In August we will meet at the home of Cate Johns for a picnic and Dye Day; please bring a dish to pass. On September 12 our meeting will be at the Edinboro Highland Games (we will not be meeting the first weekend of the month due to Labor Day).

Show & Tell: Sue Olive brought nylon filaments she made in a lab for her Chemistry class. New member Peg Estelle brought a peg loom with a project she has started. Jennifer Phillips discussed a woven shawl someone wants her to duplicate. She also brought three skeins of yarn, including a one she made during the Art and Music Festival with a new technique similar to core-spinning. Sindi Collard showed a blue and green knitted poncho-in-progress. Karen Fry showed a new style of woven rag purse she has started making. Marje Koehlert showed the start of a pair of Fair Isle mittens from the yarn she spun at the Home and Garden show earlier this year. Naomi Dumot is working on a pair of gloves she is knittingfor her son from a variegated green yarn she spun from a Polwarth fleece. Always colorful, Roz Macken showed several small hanks of yarn dyed in various shades of green from the purple liquid she got after heating a red onion.

24" Norwood Loom For Sale in beautiful shape. Asking $875. Email mswogger@ncymca.org or phone 724-944-3348.

Two looms for sale: One is a maple Baby Wolf with 8 shafts. The other is a large Leclerc with 12 shafts. For pricing and details, please contact Sigrid Piroch at 724-991-6834. To see the looms in the ARTS Studio, please contact Judy Hanninen, at 814-425-2784 to make arrangements to go to the studio.

Alpaca Animals & Fiber for sale. Raw Alpaca Fiber –Prime blankets that have been skirted, ready for washing and spinning. $45. Alpaca Roving –Hand washed and dyed in various colors. Great for hand spinning and felting. $16.00 for 4 oz.
Pet and fiber quality alpacas for the hobby spinner and fiber enthusiast. Alpacas come in a wide range of colors; all are halter
trained and are just plain interesting. They are easy to care for and come with free guidance and fiber consultations. Alpaca is super warm, ultra soft, and a pleasure to work with. April Cox, Tupelo Acres Alpacas & More, LLC, 814-827-2125, info@tupeloacres.com