August 9, 2015

NEXT MEETING: Aug. 27, 2015, 7 pm

TAKE NOTE: This month's meeting is on a Thursday night as opposed to our normal Wednesday night. 

At the beginning of this year for Treadles, we have lots to talk about at this our annual planning meeting. Without a formal "Program Planner", we already have a few plans in place, but it would be great if one, two, or several others stepped up to arrange the plans for a meeting.

The attendees at the August meeting often come up with a full schedule for the year. What we will need is for someone to take the lead in the organizational part. Lots of ideas are put forth and it makes it much easier to get things going. We want to know what you want.

SHEEP BREED STUDY
The ultra rare Apple Pie Loving Breed
One ongoing project for the year will be a SHEEP BREED STUDY.  Fourteen different sheep breeds have been picked, from the everyday breed you thought would not make great yarn, to the rare, seldom seen breeds. What you will get as a participant:

  •  one ounce of clean, combed fleece, ready to spin, each month for the next 14 months [Perhaps at some meetings two breeds will be talked about] Colors of the fleeces will be whites, grays, dark brown and black. They will range from fine to not so fine, but still useful.
  • a one page handout about the breed and the type of fleece they produce
  • at the end, you will have a nice booklet about the sheep plus 14 ounces of your hand spun that will then be used in some type of project.  Use them all together in an haut couture,  beautifully striped project or, combine them with other yarn, hand spun or commercial.
We will also ask 14 different people to pick one of the breeds to make the handout, divide up the fleeces for that month, then present them at a subsequent meeting. 

While we originally wanted this to be a Rare Breed Study, the reality, however, of obtaining a ready to spin fleece from such breeds is exceedingly difficult. Raw fleeces are available sometimes, but would be too expensive to have them cleaned and prepared. We decided we wanted something ready to spin so that we would each find it easier to actually participate. 

Participants will have the chance to sign up at the August meeting. After we have a count of how many plan on taking part, we can order the fleeces. It will cost each participant $25 for the whole 14 oz. to subsidize the cost of the wool. That's only $1.79 cents for one ounce of a very special wool.

DUES AND BREED STUDY FEES
Pam will be at the meeting to collect this year's dues, $25, if you have not yet paid.
 She will also collect as a separate fee, the $25 for the Sheep Breed Study. If you know you want to participate, and cannot be at the meeting, please let her know and send in your fees. 

We can hopefully begin the Breed Study in September, so make an effort to come to the August meeting.

GOODIES ARE FOR WIMPS
NOT FOR SERIOUS SPINNERS LIKE US!

Our Guild has grown so big and we don't have another available space larger to meet, so the Board decided to forgo snacks, drinks and other goodies at the meeting on any kind of a formal basis, plus the fact that it just takes too much time away from programs when we have them. Everyone is certainly allowed to bring their own drinks or snacks to the meetings. 


DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR
2015

  • Aug. 27  Treadles meeting [Date change]
  • Sept.5-6, Natural Fiber Fair, Arcata, CA at the Arcata Community Center. 10 am to 6 pm Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm Sunday. Vendor Hall, Fleece market, demos, Fiber Arts exhibits, Full and half day workshops: www.naturalfiberfair.com
  • Sept. 10-13, 15th Annual Woolgathering, presented by the Warner Mountain Weavers in Cedarville, CA.  Vendors, demos, guest speakers, classes and more. www.warnermountainweavers.com
  • Sept. 18-20 California Wool & Fiber Festival in conjunction with Mendocino County Fair & Apple Show. Friday and Saturday 10 am to 8 pm, Sunday 10 am to 6 pm  www.fiberfestival.com
  • Sept 19-20 Diablo Valley Quilters 2015 Quilt Show. Saturday,10-5, Sunday 10-4. Tice Valley Community Gym, 2055 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek
  • Sept. 29, Treadles meeting [Date change]
  • Oct. 3-4  Lambtown, in Dixon CA. Check the link in the column on the right.
  • Oct. 5 thru 12 SPINZILLA, One monster of a spinning week! Get ready to spin your mile of yarn that week.
  • Oct. 10-11, 4th Annual Fiber Fusion in Durham, CA [2 miles south of Chico] Fiber animals, marketplace, mini-workshops, classes, lectures, SHEEP TO SHAWL COMPETITION, sheep dog trials. Fiber-Fusion.org for more info. They are actively seeking sheep to shawl teams.
  • Oct. 28, Treadles meeting
  • November 6-8, 5th Annual Gorge Fiber Festival at The Dalles, Oregon. Marketplace, workshops in knitting, spinning, weaving, drop spindling and wet felting.  www.columbiagorgefiberfestival.com
  • Nov. 19, Treadles Meeting [date change]


DIABLO VALLEY QUILTERS 2015 QUILT SHOW
Treadles to Threads member, Reba, is chair of this great event. The quilt pictured is their "Opportunity Quilt" for this year. Featured artists will be Aileyn Renli Ecob and Jean Renli Jurgenson.

Tice Valley Community Gym
2055 Tice Valley Blvd. Walnut Creek
Sat. 10-5,  Sun. 10-4

Admission is $10 - good for both days.

You can register online to avoid standing in line: http://dvq-quilt-show.evenbrite.com  Enter promotional code: 222










REAQUAINT YOURSELF WITH SONOMA COUNTY
From Tina Luster,  a dedicated quilter and beginning knitter, who is also communications manager for Sonoma County, sends us this information:

"I love finding local shops that support my fabric and fiber habit. Northern California’s Sonoma County overflows with places to go and things to do. Browse unique knitting and weaving stores, and explore a small wool mill, all while traveling through rolling hills, across neat vineyard-lined valleys, and along a stunning coastline."

"We're so proud of all that we have to offer, we've summed it all up in an itinerary "Exploring Fiber Arts in Sonoma County Two Day Itinerary," located online at www.sonomacounty.com/articles/exploring-fiber-arts-sonoma-county-3-day-itinerary.
We hope you'll check it out, and share details about our amazing destination with members of your fiber group."

END NOTE:
"Iso, that's so funny!"
"That wasn't a joke, Junior."