Past Issues

THE NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA SPINNERS AND WEAVERS GUILD

Saturday, August 2, 2003, 10:00 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The Woods, Bradleytown, PA

Minutes of the June Meeting

Beth Brown-Reinsel showed slides of her 1997 trip to Scandanavia. She described the differences in knitting styles and color choices of each of the four countries--Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. Many sweaters and mittens were displayed, some that she purchased on her trip, and some that she knit herself. Thanks expressed to Ann Sheffield for organizing this workshop, to Maggie and Ilene for hostessing, to Susan Fenton for all her e-mailing, and to everyone who participated.

Thank you to Maggie, Ilene, and Donna Long for books that they contributed to the guild library.

Lake Farm Park has invited us to send brochures to be displayed there during their fiber fest. Their request for a donation will be tabeled until our next meeting.

Ann has a 5 lb supply of Siberian Husky fur and needs volunteers to help her spin it before Aug 1. She put it up in 4oz bundles--please help.

The Aug meeting will be a social event--bring your family.

Threads Project. Sue Spencer is collecting contributions which will then be used in a peace project. (Maggie wrote a nice piece about this in the last newsletter.)

Canal Park in Conneautville would like vendors for their festival.

SpinOff 's next skein display deadline is June 30. Sue encouraged more members to participate. Next event is for skeins spun from rare breeds.

Waterford Days Event is July 19th, we will do a shawl. Karen Fry will weave. Spinners needed.

Spinners also needed at Crawford Co. Fair, Aug 20, home show bldg. Donna Wellman will plan a spinning retreat in 2004. Judy Mackenroth (editor--is spelling right???) sent a box of dyes to the guild for use in the next dye day.

Show and Tell: Items completed from the fiber challenge. Popular choice winner was a tie: Donna Wellman's child's hooded sweater and Roz's felted vest. Other entries were Sue Spnecer's Birthday book and skeins; Elaine--skeins, and knit sweater sample; Donna Long--small purses; Judy--sweater; Bonnie--two triangle scarves.

The guild award, given in appreciation of contributions of time and talent in furthering the guild and its objectives, was presented to Bonnie Crytzer. These awards are beautifully matted, framed, and brass labeled by Ilene Elliston's husband Bob.

Guild Achievement Award

Bonnie Crytzer was awarded the Guild Achievement Award at the last meeting of the Northwest Pennsylvania Spinners and Weavers Guild on Saturday, May 31, 2003. Crytzer serves as treasurer of NWPSWG and was in charge of the Spin-In and the sheep to shawl team for many years. She also orders all of the materials for the guild library and donates (and washes) a fleece every year for guild demonstrations.

The Guild Achievement Award was instituted in 1982 to recognize the contributions of guild members toward furthering the guild and its objectives. Recipients receive a framed logo woven by guild members. The first recipients of the guild award were Dorothy Lick, Dick Shoemaker and Sigrid Piroch.

The January 1982 issue of the Hub states: “It is the intention of our Executive Board to award framed logos to guild members and/or guest lecturers. Guidelines for the giving of these awards follow: 1) one award will be given per year at the annual luncheon meeting in June to one of our members; 2) more than one award can be given per year at the discretion of our board and may include non-members and out-of-town guest lecturers (which award may be given at the time of their workshop); 3) the Award Committee, made up of guild members who will base their judgment on nominations received from the membership, will make final recommendations to our board at the April board meeting which will vote to approve them.”

History of the NWPSWG Logo and Newsletter Name

New members often ask why we call our newsletter The Hub. Barb Lodge recently sent me some materials regarding the newsletter title and the NWPSWG Logo. This information is from issues of The Hub published in 1980. Sigrid Piroch was the editor. The first meeting of the Northwest Pennsylvania Spinners and Weavers Guild was held on Saturday, August 2, 1980 and the logo appears on the second issue of the newsletter which was published in September 1980.

“A special welcome to the four satellite groups who have affliliated with our guild: the Hilltop Spinners, the Crawford County Spinners and Weavers Guild, the Mercer County Spinners and Weavers Guild and the South Shore Weavers. Let me explain this affiliation. The Hub, as our newsletter name indicates, is an appropriate way to describe our new guild if you can look carefully at the weaving logo at the top of the first page and then at the diagram below. Webster defines “hub” as a center of interest, importance, or activity; the turning point of a wheel. Our guild can be thought of as a “hub”—the central meeting place for weavers to meet from a large radial area—the central motif of the logo. The four groups which have affiliated with us (in addition to individuals) can be thought of as satellite groups, or spokes of a wheel—the four motifs in the logo’s first circle. The additional circle around the logo can represent the continued growth of the guild. Each of the four satellite groups meets independently of NWPSWG, retains its own identity, elects its own officers, and tends to its own programming and finances.”

From March 1981 Hub: “Weaving is in process for our guild project: weaving our guild logo in multiples. Thanks to Harriet Johnson for working out the draft and weaving up the sample. Thanks to Dorothy Lick for lending us the loom, making up the warp and rolling it on the back beam. Thanks also to Verna Fickenscher, Sr. Marcia Marie and Barb Kircher for sleying and denting. The loom is off taking turns with those who volunteered to weave. With seven yards on the loom, there may be some left if you’re eager to help—just let Sig know. Or you may wish to help finish, mount, or letter. The more helping…the more fun. Because we have received so many requests for the weaving draft for our guild logo we will be enclosing a copy either in this issue or the next.”

Note from Barb Lodge: The insert was enclosed—it showed the logo pattern, threading, treadling, suggestions for weft choices, and a note that the pattern is “Mountain Rose” from A Handweaver’s Source Book, pg. 80, by Marguerite Davison. I announced at the last meeting that Sig designed this pattern using the “Name Draft” method and apparently I was wrong—she chose it because it represented a hub.

The Thread Project Continues

Sue Spencer is collecting threads for the Thread Project. The plan is to collect threads of many kinds from all over the world and to weave seven world cloths to hang in nations around the globe. Any kind of thread, yarn or ribbon is acceptable, so clean out your stashes and bring them to the next meeting.

Open House at ARTS Studio

Sigrid Piroch will hold an open house at her ARTS Studio in Emlenton on Saturday, July 26, 2003, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour will begin at the Piroch’s log home on the Allegheny River in Foxburg and feature lunch by the river.

Piroch owns a number of interesting looms including an Anni Albers Bauhaus Loom from the Arts and Crafts Movement, a New Zealand loom (the only one in North America), an AVL SDL with 24 shafts and she hopes that her new jacquard loom will arrive from Norway in time for the open house.

Come spend a day touring the studio and meeting other weavers. Please R.S.V.P. (so she can get accurate numbers for lunch) See directory for phone number.

Coming Events

WATERFORD HERITAGE DAYS Saturday, July 19, Fleece to Shawl demonstration. Call Donna Wellman for details (see directory for phone number).

SHEEP FEST AT WEATHERBURY FARM will be held on July 26 and 27, 2003 and will celebrate the heritage of wool and sheep in Washington County, PA. Hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for students (bring an instrument or spinning wheel and receive 50 cents off admission price.) For more information e-mail sheepfest@weatherburyfarm.com.

PENNSYLVANIA ENDLESS MOUNTAINS FIBER FESTIVAL, Saturday and Sunday, September 6 and 7, 2003 Harford Fairgrounds, Harford, PA For information, e-mail somhap@nep.net