Past Issues

THE NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA SPINNERS AND WEAVERS GUILD

Hub Editor: Taryn Barnett at   acornyrat@aol.com

Saturday, March 7, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Calendar of Events

March 7th - NPSWG Program Meeting at Christ Church 10:00a.m.to-2:00p.m.

March 17th - NPSWG Tuesday Spinning at Christ Church 10:00a.m.to 2:00p.m.

April 4th - NPSWG Business/Program Meeting at Christ Church 10:00a.m.to-2:00p.m

April 21st - NPSWG Tuesday Spinning at Christ Church 10:00a.m.to 2:00p.m. 

Minutes of the February 2009 NPSWG Meeting

Old Business. President Karen Fry called the meeting to order. The minutes of the December meeting were approved. Bonnie Orr gave the Treasurer’s Report: savings balance $1377.65, checking balance $1466.12; of the total funds, 1563.90 is designated for the Helen McCartney Scholarship Fund. Bonnie alerted us that, between the $500 rental for the church this year, our recent loom purchase, and our December donation to Heifer International, we have already consumed our anticipated disposable income for the year. She urged us to “be careful” about spending money from here on. She also explained that the IRS had no record of our old tax exempt number, so she filed for a new one. We will not owe tax, but we will need to file an annual return. The IRS will not accept a church mailing address, so Bonnie’s home address is the address of record; this should be updated with the IRS whenever we elect a new Treasurer.

Karen noted that our Baby Wolf loom needs maintenance and may need some new parts. After some discussion, it became clear that we will need a new loom eventually but probably cannot afford it this year. Donna Long also noted that the new looms we recently purchased also need some work; the Crytzers volunteered to try to fix them up. Bonnie will set aside funds for equipment purchase and maintenance so we can build up a reserve for this kind of need.

Bonnie Crtyzer announced the next challenge project: do something you haven’t done before, make something using only fibers in your stash, or combine the two and do a new technique with old fibers. We decided that the due date is the December meeting. Sharon Hoban requested a November reminder of the deadline!

New Business. Bonnie Crytzer gave an update on upcoming programs. The January project was braided rugs; Bonnie had extra materials for anyone who wanted to expand the size of their rug. Judy Hanninen showed her rug that she had finished. The March program will be making a “hearth basket”; this is the type Bonnie uses to store her wool combs. In April, Karen will teach us to make woven purses; participants will need a 2- or 4-harness loom. The May meeting date is the weekend of the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival; there is no organized van trip this year, so there may be an alternative program for people who aren’t going. June is tentatively planned as a beginning weaving class with Dave Bell. The July meeting will be moved to July 11 to avoid a time conflict with the July 4^th weekend; the program is undetermined as of now. August will be our annual picnic, September will be a Dye Day, October is undetermined, November is making earrings with Janet Smouse, and December is the holiday party and the end of this year’s challenge.

Barb Lodge sent word asking us to be careful when leaving through the upstairs door if you’re coming back in – if the church staff have locked it, it will lock itself behind you as it closes. She also asked people to keep track if they have volunteered to bring cookies to a meeting.

Karen Fry announced a Worship Arts Festival on February 28 at the Edinboro Methodist Church. It runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon and admission is $10. Mathilda Murphy’s liturgical weaving is featured. February 14 is the annual Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival; this year it has moved to the Cranberry Sheraton.

Show and Tell. Judy Hanninen described working with Blanche Hall to resuscitate a historic loom at Sigrid Piroch’s. Judy described it as a production loom that was “a beast to weave on,” but they succeeded in producing a rep-woven piece that was the first woven on the restored loom. Ann Sheffield showed a hat knit from camel fiber spun in Mongolia; she is now making a Merino liner for the hat because the leftover guard hairs in the camel are too coarse for comfort. Sharon Hoban showed a series of purses she had felted in a rainbow of colors. Roz Macken showed a top-down crochet version she had made of the “percentage sweater.” Bonnie Orr showed some washed Border Leicester lamb fleece and beseeched everyone to take some and pick it – it will then be drum-carded together with llama fiber and perhaps mohair and we can sell batts to the public (we digressed briefly into a discussion of dye possibilities for this fiber and for Dye Day). Marge Weaver showed a soft, snowy-white skein of handspun alpaca.

2009 Dues are now due

NPSWG dues for 2009 are now due and must be received by April 25th in order to get your name in the 2009 Guild Directory.  You may also include a donation to the guild with your dues check, if you wish.

To renew your NPSWG membership, please send a check for $20, payable to NPSWG, to: Sharon Hoban, 314 N. Washington Street, Titusville, PA 16354.

Announcments and Classified Section

Home | About NPSWG | News | Members Area
Contact Us | Search NPSWG