Minutes June 2011

June Meeting Minutes 2011

The June meeting was held at Sky Peaks. Meeting opened with introductions and approval of April 2011 minutes. We would like to thank Melissa Tounsend for joining us today. Treasure Report: We have two more paid members, 0 dollars spent last month, leaving the guild with a total of $2395.50. The guild currently has 39 paid members. The invoice for the new books was received, and the new member list has been updated.
Library: Heidi will update the book list to reflect the new additions to the guild library.
Weaving Study Group: If you are interested in hosting a meeting, it would work best for Nancy if the meeting was held on the third or forth Saturday of any month. Please contact Nancy Pryor if you are interested in hosting a meeting.
Nevada State Fair: Update on livestock portion of the fair - looks like it will be held in Winnemucca. The check from our guild to the Nevada State Fair fund is still pending at this time.
Raffle: If you have something you think others in the guild might like, please consider donating it to our raffle.  All proceeds go towards guild.
Old Business: Cowboy Poetry reminder - August 20th at Bartley Ranch. We will have two 10 x 10 spaces. Set up will begin at 8 am. Demos and spinning will be held from 10 am to 5 pm. Demo assignments were discussed. Please bring your dyed fiber from last year’s retreat, along with your alpaca fiber challenge project for display. Also, please remember to bring a chair with you!
Minimum bids were discussed regarding the donated equipment to be presented for silent auction at our annual fall retreat at Davis Creek Park. A motion was made to save out 3 shuttles for use with our guild looms. Motion approved. The rest of the equipment will be auctioned.
Reminder re: Celtic Fair, October 1st and 2nd at Bartley Ranch Park. Guild received a thank you from the UNR cooperative extension regarding the guild participation in Farm City Days this past April. Thank you to Connie Vann, for heading up last month’s meeting. A note from Doris regarding the pregnant ewe that was due in March - she had two spotted lambs! Congratulations Doris! (and mommy sheep!)
New Business: It was decided that there will no longer be pot luck lunches during guild meetings. Every meeting will be brown bag with the exception of our Christmas and fall retreat meetings. If you are hosting a meeting at your residence, and would like to have a potluck, that would be acceptable. Please assist Virva with the coffee set up and clean up so we can continue with coffee at meetings.
The guild blog will be changed to reflect the new officers. Please re submit your classified ads if any. All current classified ads will be removed. You must be a member to post an ad for a sale item.
Mim might need one more person to assist with the judges choice fiber for the upcoming alpaca show. Please contact Mim for further details.
A discussion was held regarding the Black Sheep Gathering to be held in Eugene Oregon this June. Members who attend should plan on sharing their experience with the members who were unable to attend please. Discussion was held regarding Sock Summit 2 to be held in Portland Oregon in July. Again, if you attend, please share your experience with the guild. Discussion regarding retreat activities. Retreat is held at Davis Creek Park.
Sadly, it was brought to our attention, that Delux Yarns is closing. The store is located on Wells Ave. in Reno. 50% off inventory. Today’s meeting learning tree is all about entrelac knitting with Barbara Hunt. Next meeting’s learning tree will be about lavender wand construction with Mim Bullard. The meeting will be held at Mim’s ranch in Red Rock.
Show And Tell: Carol Lopez shared info regarding the spindle retreat. She said it was a fantastic time, and nobody went hungry! Our sympathy goes out to Virva Porcelli and family. Her mother in law passed away just after celebrating her 97th birthday. Sharie Jones showed us her ingenious storage spools made from pipe insulation and fiber board - very creative! Nancy Pryor had a friends Clemes drum carder and a vintage sheep pattern for sale. Virva Porcelli described the annual sheep shearing event held at Mim’s ranch, and shared her alpaca blend helix scarf. Barbara Hunt shared her entrelac socks and a blanket being made out of left over sock yarn. Meeting was adjourned at 12:25, with learning tree to follow after lunch. Thank you Barbara for the entrelac instructions. It was fun to watch how different members absorbed the knitting knowledge! ( p.s. I got it Barbara! This secretary is knitting up her own entrelac scarf! )
Those in attendance were: Janet Drozd, Libby Hejny, Barbara Hunt, Sharie L. Jones, Doris Woloszyn, Janet Schuller, Carol Lopez, Amy Shannon, Melissa Tounsend, Connie Vann, Sue Gottsacker, Nancy Pryor, Mimi Bullard, Toni Strassburg

Our next meeting will be at my house, Mim Bullard, and for the Learning Tree we will be making lavender wands. This will depend on the lavender and if it's ready to harvest.

Directions:
Mim Bullard is in Rancho Haven: From Reno, drive north on Hwy 395 to the first Red Rock exit, after the Stead Blvd exit. Drive 20 miles to the Sierra Ranchos Valley, and take the first left (after Jeanette Miller’s alpaca ranch ) onto Arabian. It’s a dirt road but has a county sign. Drive up into the valley and turn left on Rancho, then continue several hundred yards and turn right on Thoroughbred. Mim is about two miles up and on the right – 455 Thoroughbred Circle. If you are coming in from California, the north Red Rock exit is 13 miles past the exit for Hwy 70 at Hallelujah Junction and only turns right. Continue four miles from the State line, past the volunteer fire house and turn right on Rancho, at mailbox central. There is a cell signal at the mail boxes. Mim’s number is 775-969-3249. You must use 775. Drive about two miles and turn right on Rancho, then continue several hundred yards and turn right on Thoroughbred. Mim is about two miles up and on the right – 455 Thoroughbred Circle.

May 2011 Minutes

May Meeting Minutes 2011

May’s meeting was held at Doris Woloszyn’s home in the foothills of Sierra Valley California. Thank you, Doris, for the hospitality. The studio provided a cozy atmosphere for our meeting. Connie Vann, our VP, headed up our meeting as Virva was not able to attend. Connie did a great job! The meeting was short, and that gave us time to visit with the ewes and their lambs.
Introductions were made, and the minutes from April were approved.
Treasurer Report: We now have 37 paid members, earned $19 from the last raffle drawing leaving the guild with a balance of $2345.50 on account.
Old Business: The donated loom was repaired. It and the shuttles, bobbin winders, etc. will be put up for silent auction at our retreat in September.
There was discussion regarding the cowboy poetry event to be held in August. Those demonstrating for the event were confirmed.
The date for the upcoming Celtic Fair was confirmed. It is October 1st and 2nd at Bartley Ranch in Reno.
New Business: June learning tree will be a demonstration on Entrelac knitting with Barbara Hunt. Thank you Barbara! A catalog was passed around regarding a weaving and basket works event to be held in Idlewild California July 4th through the 8th , 11th through the 15th 2011. Cost is $655 for the workshop.
Once again spinners are needed for the judges choice portion of an upcoming alpaca show being held in October in Grass Valley California. Spinners interested will be provided with samples of alpaca fleece along with information regarding the criteria involved in the judging of the fleece samples. Score cards are also provided. You as the spinner are asked to spin a sample of each fleece and judge it according to the instructions given. Though it can be time consuming, it is a great opportunity to become more familiar with spinning alpaca. Please contact Mim Bullard if you are interested in being a judge. If you want to participate, please plan on devoting a few weeks during August and September to this commitment. As an incentive, the alpaca organization does compensate for each sample judged.
The learning tree portion of our meeting consisted of an impromptu lesson on Navaho plying on a hand spindle by Sharie Jones. She learned an ingenious method of spinning a single then following it with the plying immediately after. This resulted in a sort of instant gratification as once you were finished with spinning your fiber, it could be removed from the spindle already plied! What was really impressive, was the fact that Sharie has only been spinning for a relatively short time, and here she is showing what she has learned. Mim also gave a demonstration of Navaho plying on a wheel. She made it look so smooth and effortless. Thanks to both ladies for sharing their knowledge.
Show And Tell: Sharie - Kool Aid dyed Entrelac hat, ‘helix’ scarf died with food color and cabbage. Mim - Shetland fleece samples, short story regarding photos taken for Edible Reno Tahoe, a local magazine about restaurants and sustainable food sources in our area, done while she was having her annual sheep shearing at her ranch.
Meeting was adjourned at 11:45 pm.
Attendance: Toni Strassburg, Marilynn Clarke, Connie Vann, Janet Schueller, Vicki Johnson, Janet Drozd, Nancy Grundy, Carol Lopez, Eileen Jacobs, Doris Woloszyn, Peggy Horan, Mark Lindsay, Nicole Kelly, Jo Van Winkle, Mim Bullard, Sharie Jones, Linda Lindsay.

Our next meeting is June 11th at Sky Peak Ranch

Sky Peak Ranch: Sky Peaks in Northwest Reno.  A map is available here: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1520+SKY+VALLEY+DRIVE+RENO+NV+89523+(775)747-9555  You can access it from 4th street a little west of Truckee River Nursery or from a road you can enter on McCarran going south turning to the right like you wanted to reach Home Depot. At that stop sign, turn right, keep going for awhile through a light and go another few blocks and Sky Peaks is on the left. The community room is on the back or NW side.