Past Issues

THE NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA SPINNERS AND WEAVERS GUILD

Saturday, February 5, 2004, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Christ Church Episcopal, Meadville

Minutes of the December Meeting

The December meeting of the Northwest Pennsylvania Spinners & Weavers Guild was held on Saturday, December 6, 2003, at Christ Church Episcopal in Meadville, PA. Elaine Fertig, Sue Spencer and Joanna McDermott lead small groups and demonstrated various knitting techniques. We also had a roving exchange, guild sale tables and the money from the raffle was donated to the Heifer Project International. Sue Spencer and Donna Wellman cooked lamb and turkey for a potluck lunch.

The business meeting was lead by Sue Spencer. Bonnie Crytzer gave the treasurer’s report. We have $337.96 in checking and $4,197.45 in savings for a total of $4,535.41. Bonnie sent $50 to MAFA for 2004.

Discounts are available on Interweave Press publications. Use the usual code to get the discount.

Roz Macken has agreed to serve as librarian.

Information on Convergence is available at www.weavespindye.org.

Barb Lodge will offer an Ikat workshop in June (see article below).

Plans are progressing for the spinning retreat next August.

Begin thinking about officer nominations, particularly for program person.

Welcome to visitors and new members: Rebecca Vines, Laura Wickstead, Mable Cable and Mary-Lib Whitney.

Show and Tell: Ann Sheffield brought a book on Shetland breeds; Mabel Cable showed her mittens purchased in Norway; Chris McCormick showed her jacket, for which she spun, dyed and wove the fiber, and a felted hat; Laura Wickstead showed her Turkish hats and mittens; Lisa Phelps showed her Norwegian mittens, a hat made on a knitting machine and a scarf; Karen Fry showed a hat; Sigrid Piroch showed photos of the Butler Guild workshop, her new Jacquard loom and some handwoven panels based on a design of her mother’s called “Angel of Light.”

In Sympathy

The guild would like to extend condolences to Marilyn Merbach on the death of her husband.

Guild E-Mail

I have created a new feature on the guild web site which members can use to send bulk email to other guild members. Simply go to the guild site at http://www.npswg.com/ and log into the Members Area. Click on the Send Email to Guild Members link and use the form on that page to send a message to all current guild members for whom we have an email address.

Please use this feature only to send messages that must get to guild members before the next Hub publication date. And remember that not all guild members have a current email address on file with us, so many will not get information sent in this way.

If you have not already registered to use the Members Area of the guild web site, you will need to do so before you can access this new feature. To register you will need your membership number, which can be found above your name on your Hub mailing label.

--Susan Fenton

2004 Dues are Due

It's that time of year again--time to renew your NPSWG membership dues. Dues are still $10 per year, per family. To renew, please send a check payable to NPSWG to Susan Fenton, 364 Henry St, Meadville, PA 16335. If any of your contact information has changed (address, phone, email) please make a note of that with your check so that our records can be updated.

Mercer Guild to Sponsor Maryland Trip

We are ready to start taking reservations for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, Saturday, May 1, 2004. The itinerary is as follows: Depart Meadville (Episcopal Church) at 5 AM Grove City Factory Outlets (Eat'N Park) at 5:45 AM Cranberry (King's Restaurant) at 6:30 We are getting a bit of a discount this year, so the early bird special is $45. After March 15 it will be $50. If you have questions, email Judy Hanninen at jhmohair@toolcity.net. Make your check out to Mercer Spinners and Weavers and send to Judy Hanninen (see directory or contact Judy for address).

Ikat Workshop

Barb Lodge will offer an Ikat workshop on Friday, June 4, 2004, at Donna Wellman’s house. This is a dyeing workshop for weavers. The weaving is plain weave and can be done on a two shaft, rigid heddle, or inkle loom. If done on an inkle loom, it will definitely be a belt; otherwise you can weave a sash or a scarf. The design process is absolutely foolproof—anyone can do it!

No looms are needed at the workshop. You take your warp home and weave it. Participants will need to meet for a while before the guild meeting the next day to look at the warps and discuss the different ways to weave them.

Barb will provide all materials, including the prepared warp and a detailed handout for about $25. If you are interested, email Sue Spencer at forsuespencer@hotmail.com.

Weaver Needed for Erie Threads Project

Patti Fowler of the Erie Peace and Justice Center is looking for a weaver interested in weaving a panel for Terry Helwig's Thread Project; "One World, One Cloth: Hope Materializing." Sue Spencer has been collecting threads for the project for several months.

The local project is called "Threads of Kindness" and Fowler is working with Cheryl Lossie at Edinboro University. They hope to present the project during Women's History Month in March.

Helwig provides the warp thread, which is a solid color, as well as the weft thread (the threads we collect) and the weaver donates his/her time by warping the loom, weaving a portion of the cloth and, in most cases, inviting and helping others to weave some of the cloth. The cloth is plain weave and needs to be 24 inches wide.

The group is looking for someone who will to set up a portable loom in two different locations on two separate days. One of the locations would be at Edinboro University during Women's History Month and the other site would be in Erie (at one of the participating schools, the Erie Blasco Library, the Erie Art museum, or ExpERIEnce Children's Museum) so that all the school children and others who donated threads can be invited to come and see the panel being woven, and possibly even weave a row or two themselves.

The group has received a small grant from the Arts Council of Erie. If you are interested in participating, call Patti Fowler at the Erie Peace and Justice Center, 814-734-5069 or 814-572-0714.

Editor’s Note

Sorry this newsletter is late. I blame it on a long battle with the flu and serious car problems. Hope your 2004 is starting out better than mine!

--Maggie