How We Started our Guild

First, sorry for such a late, reply. I hve not posted regularly and I had forgotten the password!! Here is how Paradise Spinning Guild came to be:

I decided one day I should learn to spin - took some lessons from a lady who lives about a 30 - 40 minute drive from my house - she had a group of ladies meet at her house (i think once per month) and invited me to join too.

I went to a "meeting" or two, but found other spinners who wanted to meet, but not drive so far - for some, it would be an hour drive home!

A friend and I started making calls to local establishments - did they have meeting rooms? Did they charge a fee? What dates/times where available? ( I specifically did not want to meet at a house - just in case someone would feel uncomfortable - I did not want it to get "clique-y" or have it become "Jane Doe's spinning group" -

We found a location that did not charge a fee and was available after work hours.. we meet 5:30p to 7:30p on the first and third Thursday of each month.

My friends and I spread the word about the new location and told everyone we knew "tell your friends who spin - we have a group getting together!!"

We have some core spinners who are their like clock work - and some who come when they can, and that's ok. My goal was to have a place where all levels of spinners could meet and learn and grow and share their fiber expereinces - I think we have done just that.

I hope this helps - thanks for the post.. join our ravely group too - I am almost possitive we are paradise spinning guild .

Fibers for 2008

The Paradise Spinning Guild has divided the year into quarters. Our first quarter (January, February & March) will be "spinning sock yarn" - so pick your fiber and start spinning!! Ideally, this will give us time to spin the fiber and actually knit a project!!

In May, Ruth Northrop, of The Dizzy Ewe, will be back & will be teaching some classes. Stay tuned for more info on that.

We continue to meet the first and third Thursday of the month from 5:30p to 7:30p.m. Send me an email for more information.

October & November Meetings

First here are some pictures of some alpaca I had spun up last month. As you can see, the fiber is purchased (Knit Wits). I don't have yardage, etc with me just now.. But I believe it was 7 oz of fiber and I got about 500 yards.


I am sorry for not posting in such a long time. October is MOHAIR month!! Our meeting last night (10/18/07) was fun. We had three new spinners come and join us and we hope they will both be back for our November meetings. Reminder: Our November 1 meeting - we will be upstairs - either in the Chapel or upstairs near the pool table.



One of our newbies does not spin, but raises alpacas!! She had some fiber with her that she skirted while we all spun & Kat crocheted!! All in all - it was a fun evening.



Here is what's new:





Jaci is looking at getting some sample swatches. Anyone intereted in volunteering to either spin or knit a swatch - please let Jaci know at one of our meetings.



Brooke is putting together a presentation board. So any pictures you have of spinning or fibery stuff, bring to a meeting to add to our board.



Jaci had business cards made up and stickers for the back so folks would have a little map of how to find us - very cool.



Sunday, November 1: We are looking for 3 spinners to do their spinning thing for a living history gig. The hours are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you are available, let me know.

OK, Gotta run. I hope to see everyone at the November 1 meeting.

September Meetings

It has been waaay too long since I posted and I am sorry. September's fiber is tensil. If you are having trouble finding it, check out KnitWits (paradise, Ca). They have our list of fibers and have rovings in stock.

Our September dates are the 6th & 20th. Bring a friend - or 2.

Yes, I am still here.

Greetings fellow spinners. First the bad news.. due to not fault of my own, in setting up and them about 10 minutes later, canceling a gmail account, somehow ,managed to delete MY BLOG!! the picutres, the posts, the heartache of it all!

Most of us were finally able to track down bamboo - Our July 19th meeting is coming quick and we can share stories of our bamboo spinning. (Mine sheds, yours??).

Remember, if you wish to do the "fiber of the month" - August is silk. Check out KnitWits - as I believe they have silk in stock. Until the 19th - happy spinning. If you see my blog - put her back where she belongs!!

June is BAMBOO month!

Our fiber of the month for June is bamboo. I am still spinning the alpaca from May (will it ever all spin up??). I swear - 7 oz of fiber has NEVER taken so long to spin. It's never-ending.)

Jaci has worked fearlessly on the fair - Heatherly has posted pics on her blog & sent an email with a link to the Butte County Fair - check it out at www.buttecountyfair.org - quickly dear spinners - entries are due by July 20th. I know I was a complete and totally slacker and did not get any entries in for the other fairs. I hope to make up for it by submitting at least one entry in the Butte CountyFair.

Here is my challenge to you (for those who attend our guild meetings): For every entry you submit to the fair - you name will go into a hat for a spinny prize. Everyone who enters an item in the fair will receive something from PSG. Lets represent spinning locally and enter in the fair!!

See ya'll on June 7 for our next guild meeting. Bring a friend, bring some fiber - remember you do not have to spin bamboo next month. We will have fun facts about this fiber and for those who are spinning - we'll tell you what we think about it!!

Fiber

It's been awhile, but I found the pictures I was looking for - most of them anyway. From left to right: the first picture is of some dirty fleese Ruth (The Dizzy Ewe) and I purchased when she was up to teach some classes. The middle picture is a "before and after" - Ruth was kind enough to show me how to clean fleese (such a perfect house guest that Ruth, I tell ya). The last picture is of the fiber she displayed at our regular Thursday night guild meeting. When Heatherly walked into the room and saw the fiber she actually let out a little sqeal/sqeek sound!! I love it - We all had a great time and enjoyed the three days that Ruth spent with us. She attended out Guild meeting on Thursday night - nothing formal, just hanin' out and spinning. On Friday she did a class on Woolen and Worsted - we all got to touch and feel dirty and cleaned fiber (see picture above) and try combs - we were running short on time so not everone got to try the carders, but all in all we learned a ton!! Saturday was our dyeing class "graduated shades from a single pot" - pictures of that in another post.

June's fiber is BAMBOO!