Wednesday, May 29 - we will have a speaker: Jen Hoover. Jen will share some of the research she’s been doing for the past few years with shepherding communities in the Himalayas. Her research there began by looking at the local wool processing practices (everything from shearing through weaving) and has shifted to include working towards heritage breed conservation of the local sheep. The wool of these sheep has properties which are very useful for producing the kinds of durable textiles that herders need for their own use and is well suited to the tools that they use, but is the exact opposite of what the commercial wool industry wants. The government has been promoting cross-breeding them with fine wool sheep, which are not well adapted to the mountain environment. Jen is hoping to leverage the US fiber community's enthusiasm for rare wools to make it financially viable for herders to keep raising their local breed, at least enough to keep some biodiversity in the gene pool.
Jen has started a small import business to support the herders, and will be bringing some items to sell (outside the library of course). You can see some of the inventory and her writings about the subject at her website, aana-jaana.com.
June 15 or June 29 - picnic, TBD
August 28th - guild meeting
Meeting Minutes (Linda B.)
TREADLES TO THREADS GUILD
April 24, 2019
Thurman Casey Library
President
Wendy welcomed 22 members and guests. We spent the majority of the meeting
focusing on the workings of putting together the Spinning Day at the Winery.
Joan sent her report from Kansas City area. She hopes to be home in 2 weeks to
complete her recovery after leg and knee surgery (update from Lisa - Joan is home, currently at a rehab facility) . She says most jobs are
filled. Will and Kate filled in the remainder of the information. The main way
members have the most impact is to work on and bring items for the afternoon
raffle. There was a suggestion to ask the winery to put it on their website.
Vilija will check about the CNCH website.
Lou Grantham
will donate a wheel and Mindy will also donate a wheel to raffle off. Vendors
are also asked to donate items. The raffle income will all go into the guild
treasury for the benefit of members. Mary and Pam made sure the gate keepers
will have change monies. There will new, crisp $2 bills. Sherry from Morro Bay
will not be able to attend but we may be able to accommodate orders for her
like occurred last year.
Wendy
distributed T-shirts from personal orders and showed the small pouch-like black
cotton bags that will carry this year’s logo. The pouches will be sold to
members for $6. The price at the winery is $8.
The library
has been reserved for a May date and August 28. We are exploring June 15 or 29
for a potluck picnic at an area park that can meet all our requirements.
Future events
are Spinning Exotic Fibers at Windrush Farms on May 19. Our CNCH conference at Sonoma State campus,
June 20-23. The Black Sheep Gathering in Albany, OR will be July 5-7 this year.
We had show
and tell and spent some time decorating our own little winery bags with pens
brought by Wendy. We enjoyed a table full of goodies provided by members.
WINERY FUN
ON SATURDAY, MAY 18th AT RETZLAFF’S IN LIVERMORE.
Linda B.
Some Upcoming Fiber Events
A Tradition of Making: California Native Basketry, curated in partnership with Julia Parker. Randall Museum of Science, Nature & the Arts, San Francisco, through September 2019
Woad Trip: 2 days of collecting and dyeing with the ancient blue. Warner Mountain Weavers, Cedarville, CA, May 31-June 1.
CNCH Conference 2019, Sonoma, June 20-23, 2019
Black Sheep Gathering, Albany, OR, July 5-7, 2019
Wool Gathering 2019, Warner Mountain Weavers, Cedarville, CA, September 5-8.
Yosemite Miwok-Paiute Basketry Workshop with Julia Parker and family, Yosemite National Park, September 27-29, 2019
Lambtown, Dixon, October 5-6. Workshops will be held October 3-6. Sheep to Shawl on Sunday, October 6th.
FiberEvents - a calendar of wool festivals, fiber festivals, knitting, crocheting & craft gatherings/events in the U.S. and the world!
Crockett Fiber Arts Studio (Crockett)
Fibershed (various locations)
Fiber Circle Studio (Cotati)
Meridian Jacobs (Vacaville)
West County Fiber Arts (Sebastopol)
Windrush Farm (Petaluma)