For several years after the move to our current location, our 60″ loom sat dormant. But once one blanket came off that loom, it’s been warped over and over. Several ladies pool their stash, select colours that work together and the loom is warped with length enough for several pieces. Even though the warp is the same, every blanket that comes off the loom is unique—just like the ladies who weave them!
Well, with the longest day of the years looming ( pardon the pun) summer is well and truly on our minds. Remember when, as a child, that season held the magic of vacations, seemingly endless days with no school, staying out late and playing with friends. I look at the calendar now and realize just how short the summer really is. Our AGM is done, just some paperwork to do to finalize the proceedings. Many thanks to the members who attended. Our executive remains and we welcome new committee members. Officially our year is from 1 July to end June.
During July and August we will be getting together on Tuesdays at the Guild room, forgoing our usual Thursday morning get togethers. Those sessions will resume in September, after Labour Day.
August sees the Guild members helping out at the Chilliwack Fair. Plans are afoot for a sheep to scarf project, which we traditionally do on the Sunday of the Fair weekend. It’s amazing just how few weeks are left until Fair entries are to be submitted. Yikes, there goes the summer. At least no one will hear us muttering that we are bored!
I’m looking forward to spinning these little beauties – Jude, he colours are fabulous!
Whatever the summer holds for each of you, I hope you all are safe and create wonderful memories.
Leslie
Louise H. recently shared with the members the blanket she and her her friends wove a Friendship blanket number of years ago. Twelve participants chose a colour for the weft, and used a common warp colour. Each also chose a different design to weave. Skeins of weft were exchanged and each weaver wove the design square of her choosing in the colours of her friends. Squares were then exchanged and enough were available to each person to construct a blanket. A few years ago I believe I remember Maureen C. sharing her yet to be assembled squares. Louise’s finished project is a thing of beauty. The overshot patterns are classic. Louise finished her blanket with crochet in her weft colour. Many thanks for sharing such a treasure with us.
Jenny O. was reminded of a similar project she was involved with in Ontario many years ago and has kindly allowed us to make a copy of her instructions portfolio. A copy of this will be placed in the Guild records for possible future projects.
Our members have been busy and shared their projects at a recent get together.
Carolyn T has a great eye for colour. The beads on the edge are a great touch.
Marlene R knitted this wonderful temperature scarf throughout 2018, and only regrets that the temperature didn’t get cold enough to use the lovely Lavender’s at the coldest end of the chart. Each day has 3 rows, the main colour doe the day is the high and the small “dots” are the low for that day. The black strips are the separations between months. Great project. I think you could have used those coldest colors this year!
Bev H took time to organize and store a collection of cards with woven inserts to inspire our members. Over time we hope to chase down the pattern drafts so they can be recreated.
Marie F did a fabulous job on this Sheep towel, worked on our 8-shaft loom.
Great hat Carolyn! Love the Pom Pom!
Marlene showing us just how long the temperature scarf is!
Leslie A took a stab at stacked knitting. Hopefully it will lead to interesting projects in future.
Many thanks to our many volunteers for their hard work and dedication in presenting another great looking booth at the Christmas Craft Market. This event is always a highlight of our year. This year was no exception. We added new payment methods with Square this year and were very pleased with the results. It’s always such a pleasure seeing the many varies and wonderful items our members craft.
The demonstration booth was also notched up a little bit this year with a static display of some items used for our crafting, in addition to the loom we use. On Sunday three spinners and a weaver produced a scarf in “Sheep to scarf” tradition. The warp of light denim blue was offset with a spun warp of varied shades of blue. We are looking forward to seeing it after our weaver Jenny O. has given it a proper finishing. Well done Ladies! Also this year, Louie O demonstrated the making of Temari balls on Sunday. I always love seeing these intricate little wonders – they are fascinating and mesmerizing.
We had a great conversation session yesterday about the new possibilities for projects and directions yesterday at our get together. Topping it off was our Show and Tell. Marie F. modeled her new African Strip Jacket. The fabric was woven by Babe H. and Marie fashioned the jacket with the instructions used a number of years ago by several of the members who embarked on this particular project. Beautifully woven and masterfully sewn together. Great job!
So quiet before everyone arrives!
Thank you to all the participants at our Spin in this year. As always our volunteers outdid themselves. We hosted 70 registered spinners and 6 vendors this year. A few afternoon shoppers also visited. Our Guild had such fun with the 3 Colour Crayon challenge that we decided to extend the challenge to our visitors, and 42 participants have registered! Can’t wait to see what marvelous things show up at Show and Tell next year.
We did add a new twist to the day this year by having a raffle. On offer were a beautiful blanket woven by our members, a scarf also made by our members and a lovely box of Purdys chocolates .
If you joined us this year and have any photos you would like to share please send them along and we’ll publish them.
Next years Spin in will be held on September 14 2019 at Rosedale Traditional School. More info will be posted on the website with the registration information.
Well, the year has gone by quickly and we find ourselves busy putting the final touches on items to submit to the Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market. This event is a chance to showcase the talents of our members. Many long hours have gone into the wonderful projects on offer to the public. We have been very fortunate to participate in this annual event for many years.
This year we will be stepping into the 21st century and offering payment by Square, for the convenience of our patrons. We look forward to another great event. We will be demonstrating spinning during the 3 days of the show, and will be working on a sheep to scarf on Sunday.
The Chilliwack Fair was held on the weekend of August 10-12 2018. Although it is not a Guild event, as such, many of our members volunteer their time to organize, and demonstrate at the Spinning and Weaving booth. The Wednesday and Thursday preceding the Fair were incredibly hot and many thanks tot he volunteers who were at the booth to received and arrange the items for judging. Thankfully the weather did cool a wee bit for the Fair. Our members demonstrated spinning during the course of the event and on Sunday a mini-Sheep to Scarf was undertaken. 
This is the scarf as it came off the loom. It has been properly finished now and I’ll include a photo shortly.
At the Chilliwack Spinners and Weavers Guild, we often receive fleece from local farmers who would rather see it go to good use instead of buried, burned, or composted. Most of the sheep in the Fraser Valley are raised for meat and the fleeces aren’t usually high quality. When bags of fresh fleece arrive in the Guild room, they are free for the taking. Most members are of the been-there-done-that frame of mind and are fully willing to let the more adventurous members handle the good.
Guild Secretary, Jordan N., is still new enough to spinning to take the challenge, often bringing home several bags at a time when available. The fleece is usually really dirty. It’s always smelly. It’s often coarse and short. But sometimes you luck out and it’s soft and long.
The newest arrivals at the Guild room contained six bags each containing two fleeces. If you can look past the smell, dirt and bits of grass and… other things, you can see potential. Jordan took home two bags and immediately took advantage of the hot weather and free fibre.
After sorting through her score, she discovered some incredibly long locks. Having very little equipment at home aside from her Louet S71 spinning wheel, Jordan is always looking for creative ways to process fibre. The long locks lent themselves well to a simple soak and rinse for easy combing with a dollar store pet comb. Restaurant bussing trays are a perfect size and depth for keeping long locks in tact while they soak over night. The hot sun is perfect for drying during the day—and trying a bit of solar dyeing as well!
It may take all summer for Jordan to work her way through her freebies, but that’s okay. The wonderful thing about the fact that this fleece is free is that local farmers can feel good that their sheep fibre has gone on to be worked and appreciated and we spinners have the opportunity to play without having to worry about the possibility of ruining expensive fibre.
Stay tuned to see how Jordan’s experiments go!
Chilliwack Spinners and Weavers Guild Society 