Whorled News, March 2010

The March 13th meeting will be at Sky Peaks and it is brown bag.

Driving Directions: Sky Peaks in Northwest Reno. A map is available here. 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.

The April 10th meeting is at the Bartley Ranch School House. This meeting is potluck. A Learning Tree follows the meeting..

Driving Directions: Drive .8 mile west from the intersection of McCarran Blvd and Hwy 395. Turn left (south) on Lakeside Drive and continue .4 mile. Bartley Ranch is at the north base of Windy Hill. Turn left on Bartley Ranch Road and continue several hundred feet to the main parking lot. Cross the covered bridge and turn right into the parking lot for the School House.

Dues are due. They are $25.00 per year. Membership runs from January to December. Send dues to: Doris Woloszyn at P.O. Box 229 Chilcoot, CA 96105, and make checks payable to Carson Sierra Spinners & Weavers.

SOCKS: Many of us have found the fun of knitting socks and have even made more than one pair. This question is for sock knitters: What is your favorite sock pattern? You can answer that anyway you’d like, including the stitch repeat that you like to use for the leg and instep, or more literally, the pattern structure.

Amy Shannon: My favorite sock construction is toe-up using the instructions in “Simple Socks” by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts. I prefer to use a set of 5 double pointed size 1 needles. I much prefer short-row heels and toes to heel flaps. As for stitch patterns, I like to keep trying new ones, though I am particularly fond of the simplicity of Boxcar Willie. Right now I am working on socks with a “Chevron Lace” rib pattern. How to avoid “Second Sock Syndrome”: When I knit socks I always work on both at the same time so that I don’t have to start all over again when I finish the 1st one. And as soon as I finish a pair, I go ahead and cast on for the next pair, so some are always in progress.

Virva Porcelli: Socks, Socks and more Socks???? Well, I haven't knitted socks for over 20 years. My blind sister used to provide us with her beautiful, warm knitted sock. But then Barbara came up with this brilliant idea of having a Learning tree on knitting socks on a Magic Loop at the Spinners' Retreat. Kind of intriguing, different, thinner socks. I have gotten used to knitting the heavier boot socks for winter warmth. So I took Barbara up on the challenge of knitting thin socks on one circular needle. Sounds funny, one needle, two socks at the same time..... Is this possible? Barbara assured us it was possible, works great and is easy on top of everything else.

OK, here we go.... cast of... weird!!!!! But I stuck with it, kept on knitting on and off. Tried to figure out the instructions. Unraveled. Knitted again. And it is a miracle.... a pair of socks turned out of all that mess. I can even wear them.... and they even look good.
I kind of liked it. So now I am knitting and other pair from the sock yarn blank that Mim dyed.

What I liked about this Magic Loop sock knitting.... It is a small project to take along.... you can do it in small spaces, like in a car. Once you have an idea how it is suppose to work it moves along quite fast. No wonder Barbara is stuck on socks. It might be catching.

Linda Lindsay: I think my favorite socks are the ones I'm doing now. It's just a plain sock pattern, two shades of purple on the cuff - but then I got goofy when I started the heel. So I striped it. But that wasn't enough. Next thing I knew, I'd Fair-Isled the whole foot, then knitted off the toe with alternating shades of purple. It was certainly interesting trying to figure out what I'd done when I had to knit the second one! Just finished it tonight - now let's see if they fit!

Barbara Hunt: Magic loop - toe up - two at a time. The best thing about this pattern is once finished I have two socks done at the same time. For me this is very important due to the fact I don't like doing the same thing twice. With this pattern it allows me to be as creative as I want. I can use any yarn or weight or stitch pattern. The socks fit great with padding at the bottom and back of the heal. I have a book of 356 stitch patterns and working throughout them. Having completed at least 20 pairs of socks and continue to be excited with each new pair.

Sharon Campbell: I’ve wanted to learn toe-up but get too exasperated with trying to figure out the toe cast on. I want to knit socks, not learn to knit socks. I always have a pair on needles, either for myself or for a gift. I just finished the second pair of merino socks from two-ply handspun, using the Falling Leaf pattern. I’ve become very fond of that pattern. I have Noro sock yarn in my basket now, waiting to be cast on. I’m going to use the four row, six-stitch repeat Chevron Lace pattern for these. It doesn’t make sense to deliberately knit socks with holes in them, but nevertheless, I really do like lace socks.

Chevron Lace: 1) *k2, k2 tog, k2, yo; * 2) knit; 3) *yo,k2,k2 tog, k2*; 4) knit

Musings from Sage Creek

I have been retired for six months now, and one year ago at this time, I didn’t know that I would be retired at all. There had been rumors of staff reductions, but when the early buy-out incentives were announced, I applied and was declined. Rumors flew, people were leaving right and left, so I reapplied and waited to hear. I finally was confirmed and was emailed a copy of my contract the second week of June. I signed it on June 17th on my last day of work, and just like that, my employment was severed. I had entered, or rather, was catapulted into a new stage of my life.

I wasn’t sure what I would do with all the time that had previously been filled with employment. Every work day for me had been 11 hours long, including my lunch and commute. I would have an extra 55 hours each week, and I have to admit, I wasn’t sure how living every minute of every day with Ian was going to pan out. I had done everything I could do to get us ready for living on reduced income. I felt we were ready there, but I wasn’t sure if my head was ready.
I’m reminded of how I felt when I discovered I was pregnant for the first time. It was my first marriage, and I had only been married a little over a year. Starting a family hadn’t even been discussed, and then suddenly failed birth control left me facing something I was not prepared for. I was thinking about this the other day as I took my dogs for a walk. I had no idea what being a mother would be like. My parents had been older so I grew up with older people, not young families and children. I didn’t know how to be a mother, but I can tell you that I have loved being a mother, even if I was a little unorthodox. My children have provided the greatest highs and lows in my life and I’m so glad to have taken that route.

Retirement has also been satisfying. We’ve returned to cooking meals from scratch and sharing the cooking. We expanded our garden last summer and are now planning two more raised beds and are pouring over the Peaceful Valley Farm Supply catalog. I thought I’d have time to read a lot, but I find I’m really too busy for that. Though I still haven’t established a routine, I am able to spend several hours a day in my weaving studio. I cannot imagine how I ever had time to work.

My husband was a Marine stationed in the Philippines. My father-in-law, a Navy captain, brought his ship into Subic Bay, so we’d get down to visit him each week and take the baby. One special week, we took his captain’s gig out into Olongapo Bay to snorkel. On the return ride to the ship, one of his sailors asked me if I’d like to drive the boat. He explained how to site using a point of reference on the horizon. I was thrilled. After some moments, the sailor asked me I thought I was steering straight, and I allowed that I thought I was. He suggested that I look at the wake for proof. Following the boat was the darndest snaking trail of churned-up water I had ever seen. Many times I’ve thought about that day. I thought my life was directed, but I was probably more chasing Lewis Carroll’s Red Queen. That queen eluded me several times, and now looking back, while I thought I knew where I was going, my life has been much closer to the snaking wake. In the end, I got to where I needed to be. Here.

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Wheel and Loom for Sale: Single treadle Ashford Traditional with Jumbo flyer, $250. Eight-harness Gilmore floor loom with extras, like premeasured warps and plenty of shuttles, $450. Contact Gina Caudillo ginamonster@yahoo.com

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February 13th Meeting Minutes

Treasurers Report: Nineteen members paid last meeting which makes a total of 24 paid members for 2010. The white elephant sale netted $49 and the raffle $39. Vendors at January meeting donated $13 from their sales. There is currently $2283.52 in bank. Reminder our liability insurance payment is due in March.

Fair Report: Change in fair venue. The new theme is Wild West. Currently we do not know how this is going to impact our booth. Ranger Marie stopped in for a visit. She explained the May 8th Planting Day at the park. Visitors will be at the park from 10 am to 2 pm. We need to plan our meeting around the visitors. Plan on arriving early in order to assure a parking spot. Heidi will have cards available with guild information
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Learning Tree: Drum carding and color blending today.

Weaving Study: Last meeting was at Linda Lindsay’s house. The next meeting will be held at Gary Sue’s home near the university. It is at 3475 Lodestar Lane on March 27th at 10 am.

Today’s raffle items were donated by Sharon. Connie asked again for any spare or unwanted yarn for Izzy dolls. The dolls are used as packing for medical instruments sent to Rwanda and Bosnia.

Old Business: Christmas lights for booth decoration. Do we want clear or are colored lights okay? Please look through your decorations to see if you have any to donate. Dues are due now. $25 for the year. The officers for the year 2010 were announced. Guild library is moving from Nancy’s home in Carson to Heidi’s house in Reno.

New Business: Sharon mentioned the spindle retreat to be held jointly with Foothills Fiber Guild. The selected site is Camp Francis located near the town of Dobbins located between hwy 20 and Grass Valley. Cabins are available, or bring your own accommodations. There are at least 6 members of our guild interested in attending so far. Sharon said she would find out more information regarding the cabins.

Reno Fiber Guild is offering a color workshop. Currently there is only 2 spaces left. The cost is $177 and $20 for materials. Dates are April 2,3 at South Valleys Library. The Gees Bend historic Southern Quilt Display is at Nevada Historical Society.

Show and Tell:
Connie: Izzy dolls to send to Rwanda and Bosnia.
Heidi: 20 oz of Blue Faced Leicester from Mim, and something about merino in a washing machine. I couldn't hear over the noise. I'm sorry Heidi!
Sharon: Woven dishcloths and baby blanket.
Amy: Michelin man mitts, Seth Golding hand carved spindle.
Libby: Beaded lace scarf in wool/bamboo.
Greg and Linda: Handmade weaving shuttles.
Gary Sue: Toe up socks.
Virva: Retreat magic loop socks.
Toni: Chicken eggs.
Kristen: Possum/merino socks

Before we adjourned, the days for Stephanie’s workshop was decided. The color part of the workshop will be held Saturday, and the spinning will be on Sunday.

Attendance: Deanna Ross, Kristen Christiansen, Elisa Ross, Doris Woloszyn, Connie Vann, Marilyn Clark, Malinda Parks, Sharon Campbell, Joyce Taylor (guest), Judy Sneed (guest), Shirley Baran (guest), Hal Baran (guest), Amy Shannon, Linda Loken, Sarah Rosenbloom (guest), Nancy Pryor, Libby Hejny, Barbara Hunt, Janet Schueller, Virva Porcelli, Mary B, Mimi Bullard, David Armer, Toni Pearce.

I found it difficult to hear during the meeting. There was a lot of chatting going on, and that building kind of echos due to the high ceiling. Next meeting I will be addressing the noise issue out of respect to Virva. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks so much, Toni

Meeting Locations for 2010

January 9th: Sky Peaks - Potluck
February 13th: Bartley Ranch - Potluck
March 13th: Sky Peaks - Brown Bag
April 10th: Bartley Ranch - Potluck
May 9th: Bartley Ranch - Brown Bag
June 12th: Mim’s Desert Peach Ranch - Brown Bag
July 10th: Nicole Kelly’s – Mohawk California - Brown Bag
August 14th: Hazel Ryland’s - Brown Bag
September 10th: Davis Creek State Park – Spinsters Retreat - Potluck
October 9th: Bartley Ranch - Potluck
November 13th: Sky Peaks - Brown Bag
December 11th: Bartley Ranch - Potluck

January 9th Minutes

Introductions were followed by Committee Reports

Treasurer's Report: Do we want to keep Davis Creek Park as our meeting place for our September retreat? Due to the increase in cost, it was suggested that we might want to look into alternatives for holding our annual retreat at other places. Most all agreed that we enjoyed Davis Creek park, and that other areas would be just as expensive. We agreed to pay for the reservation. Dues are due now, $25 per member. There was no Fair report.

Learning Tree: Mim suggested we bring our fiber prep tools for the February meeting, along with any fiber you want processed, so we could go over fiber prep and color blending.
Weave Study Group: No meeting until the 3rd Saturday, and the meeting would be held at Linda Lindsay's house in Stagecoach.

Old Business:
The Stephanie Gaustad workshop will be held at Sky Peaks on March 20, 21. Cost to be determined.

New Business: Nancy and Allison suggested we start a scholarship fund, this was met with agreement.

Election of Officers: We held the floor open to nominations for new officers for the year 2010. The officers are as follows: Virva Porcelli- President, Linda Loken-Vice President, Secretary-Toni Strassburg, Treasurer-Doris Woloszyn, Newsletter-Sharon Campbell, Learning Tree-Mimi Bullard, Raffle-Nancy Pryor, and Hospitality-Heidi Ericson.

Show and Tell:
Heidi: Gia shrug and news about a career change
Barb: Fancy fair isle socks
Connie: Alpaca and wool skein from her trip to New Mexico
Marilyn: Izzy dolls to send to Africa as packing for medical supplies, and a request for wool scraps for more doll making
Linda Lindsay: Slipper socks, Hubby Mark showed off his dying and blending of wool batts.
Nancy: Squares Shawls
Sharon: Fallen leaf socks
Sharie: Sweater from her first handspun yarn, felt hat from Fibertrends pattern
Mary: Cat Bordhi socks, and her new Honda
Estes: Bunny Rex (actually live and present rabbit) for angora yarn
Heidi: made an appeal for black silk for a weaving project
Sue: Kid mohair shrug that she gave away

Meeting was adjourned, with our next meeting to be held at Barley Ranch on February 13th

Whorled News, January 2010

The January 9th meeting will be at Sky Peaks. This is the postponed December Christmas meeting so bring white elephant items. Items for sale will also be available by guild members. Even though this meeting is on an odd month, since it's the Christmas Party, it is potluck.

Driving Directions: Sky Peaks in Northwest Reno. A map is available here. 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.

The February 13th meeting is at the Bartley Ranch School House. This meeting is also potluck. A Learning Tree follows the meeting on the subject of Fiber Preparation.

Driving Directions: Drive .8 mile west from the intersection of McCarran Blvd and Hwy 395. Turn left (south) on Lakeside Drive and continue .4 mile. Bartley Ranch is at the north base of Windy Hill. Turn left on Bartley Ranch Road and continue several hundred feet to the main parking lot. Cross the covered bridge and turn right into the parking lot for the School House.

Dues are due. They are $25.00 per year. Membership runs from January to December. Send dues to: Doris Woloszyn at P.O. Box 229 Chilcoot, CA 96105, and make checks payable to Carson Sierra Spinners & Weavers.
Road to New Mexico Trip-tique, by Connie Vann

Recently, my husband and I took a road trip to Ruidoso, New Mexico, hoping to take 21 days in-full. This is a view of the trip with a “fiber-related slant.”

First stop was Ely, Nevada – Motel 6. This motel accepts dogs, and we fully intended to take our dog, Frankie-Sue. Who is to say that “the loneliest highway” is not the best highway. Who needs all that freeway traffic anyway?!? We headed into Utah and drove through beautiful Cedar Breaks, just outside of Cedar City. Red rocks started to appear, and the stratified canyons were fringed with tall pine and white birch trees. On the way south, we stopped in Glendale, Utah, where I spied Apple Valley Artists’ Coop on the side of the road. The place contained many quilted, knitted, crocheted and woven items. They had some knee-length womens vests with a quilted yoke over a handwoven bodice. Behind the Coop were two healthy-looking Vicunas, enjoying the afternoon breezes. Yes, Vicunas!

Once over the Arizona border, we stopped for the night in Page, Arizona. Page is a town located next to Lake Powell, which runs through a gorgeous red rock canyon that has many fingers. We stopped in Cameron, Arizona and looked through the most extensive and high-quality Indian Art collection I had seen thus far. There were Lakota Sioux wedding baskets made of willow, Hopi utility baskets made of willow and yucca, Navajo rugs and blankets – some vintage and spotless. The jewelry, beadwork, and pottery were exquisite. Contrast this with the female stray dog who tried to climb into our car with us.

Before stopping for dinner in Flagstaff the next evening, we toured the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It truly exceeded my expectations, though the postcards do represent it well. It is so vast, and so deep. Next morning, we hiked .9 mile downward got right next to cliff dwellings notched into secluded Walnut Canyon that the Sinagua Indians lived in around 1100. Of course, we had to hike .9 mile all the way back up to the top. Phew! Marked along the trail were all the plants they used. They spun banana yucca into cloth on hand-carved drop spindles and looms made from white oak and mountain Manzanita.

We pushed hard on the freeway and made it to Albuquerque the next night, again sleeping next to the freeway. But, we stuffed ourselves with Mexican food and slept as soon as our heads hit the pillow. The next day, we dawdled in Albuquerque, visiting a music store, and getting lost at the Museum of Natural Science. The Museum was designed for “children of all ages,” and contained many interactive exhibits, which we “adults” couldn’t tear ourselves away from. Ha! Finally, at 2:30 pm, we headed for our final destination – Ruidoso, once again exiting the monotonous freeway.

While staying in Ruidoso, I found The Royal Fiber Spinnery, a mill for processing alpaca, owned by Rod & Marilyn Dakan, on 815 Gavilon Canyon RD. The owners were happy to give us a tour, and allowed us to take pictures. They retail skeins of 2-ply alpaca in varying weights, and supply 140+ yarn shops. Rod and his sister own a flock of 70 alpaca, which supply the mill with much of the fiber they use. However, they do process for private spinners and growers. In the back, Rod showed me the washing machine first, and explained how extremely dirt-filled alpaca fiber can get. They wash at least 3 times, and more, if necessary. The machine uses hot water, detergent, and spinning only (no agitation). Next, the fiber goes into a drying room, and stays there until the moisture content reaches 30%.

They had two carding machines, and Rod is able to set the grade on each one. After the fiber is carded, it emerges from the machine in a narrow batt. The next machine combines two such batts and makes them one. Then, three batts are combined into one. The reason for this is to control the “thick and thin” problem, and is the best method for achieving an even batt. The batts are taken to the spinning machine, where calibration is set for the desired weight and twist-per-inch. Several cones of singles are spun at once. The plying machine makes the end product, which is then skeined into two-yard skeins.

Marilyn Dakan was hand-painting two of these large skeins on a metal table, using acid dyes, and a turkey baster. She seemed to know exactly how much dye to put where, and patted it down until the dye had saturated the yarns. One dozen skeins were then cooked in a large cookpot at 220 degrees until the dye was set, and the skeins were hung on a rack to air-dry. Once dry, Rod wound one-yard skeins on a hand-winder contraption, and this made the color variegation seem “mixed” to the eye.

Finally, a logo paper band was affixed around the skeins, so they could be hung on hooks for selling. Naturally, I bought four skeins of DK weight, because I “have the disease.” Their phone is 575-258-YARN, or Cell 575-937-1530.

Ruidoso is a mountain ski village. Sort of like Lake Tahoe without the lake. We drove 12 miles up the steepest, windiest road EVER to the Apache Ski Resort, owned by the Mescalero Apache Indians. As I am writing this, there are two cats trying to stalk a double herd of elk and white-tailed deer just outside our door. The elk and deer are calmly grazing, as if the brazen little cats are nothing but regular sport.

In about five days, we will start the return trip, doubling back through Tucson, Arizona. So, I will close this installment, and see you all at the Christmas Party.

Transferring Singles, by Heidi Erickson

To answer Amy’s question of why do I transfer my singles before I ply. I transfer my singles onto other bobbins before I ply for several reasons.

First I have the luxury of having another wheel that is great for plying, my Majacraft Rose. It is all set up for both winding into Majacraft bobbins which are larger than most, 6oz easy and I have the larger plying head and flyer, about 8 oz plus. That way I can make longer skeins of yarn without knots.

Second, Stephanie G recommends that you put as much distance between your bobbins and the plying wheel as possible when plying. The reason for doing this is to let the twist equal it’s self in the single out over the distance. I take this one step further and do this when I transfer my singles. I put the spinning singles at one of the room and my bobbin winding at the other in so that’s there’s a distance of 6 to 8 feet in between.

Also when I transfer the singles from the spinning bobbins to the plying bobbins I am able to smooth out the take up. On a wheel that has hooks the take up can be bumpy because the single winds on in the area directly under the hook first. You will always end up with more yarn there then in the spaces between the hooks.

Musings from Sage Creek by Sharon Campbell

Four years ago I was barely aware of blogs, just that Sara Lamb, a nationally known fiber artist, had one, and I knew this because I had been reading it. I attended a Nevada Library Association conference session in the fall of 2005 called “Blickis, Wikis and Blogs.” I still don’t know what a blicki is, but I have a link to Wikipedia on my home page and have been a blogger myself since the spring of 2006.

A blog is simply short for web log and is a form of an online diary. The speaker named several platforms that were free, and I chose Blogger, a Google product. If you see a URL with blogspot.com at the end, it’s a Blogger blog. He also recommended that when you create one, you decide what your focus will be and how often you will post. Blogs become a form of networking, and other bloggers will get a sense of how often to check in on you to see if you’ve posted. I thought a lot about the kind of bloggers I wanted to meet and share information with, and I finally decided that my theme would be “the chronicles of a book-loving fiber junkie.”
My first post was simply a photo of six hats that I knitted from handspun yarns. I couldn’t figure out how to add words, but Amy took mercy on me and spent several hours, helping me understand how to navigate my site and make changes in my template. In the beginning you needed to know some html to manage your page. That is no longer the case. Blogger has tricked up their templates since I started, becoming a matter of point and in click in most cases. I find that inserting photos and text requires some manipulation, as hyphenation still is done manually. New apps have appeared as well and one can easily get sucked into overloading the page with information, obfuscating the reason one began blogging in the first place.

I have added some third-party apps like The Library Thing - a catalog of books I’ve read and enjoyed, and a widget from NeoWork that counts the countries of people who stop by my blog. That probably amuses me most of my widgets. (A widget is a place holder; it holds the data, for the application that I want to add.) As of this date, people from 44 countries have paid me a visit, the last country being Serbia. I don’t know about you, but what the heck in the world?? If anything exemplifies globalization, that has to be it! I look at the scrolling list of counties and wonder at the string of events that caused them to visit me.

Now that I’ve explained that a blog is, let me tell you about what it does for me. I’ve struggled to become a better weaver but weaving isn’t very portable. I have essentially been limited to learning from books. However, as I’ve met more and more weaving bloggers, I have had an opportunity to see their projects, understand their process and learn some tricks. Last year when I struggled to learn a new technique, a weaver in Ashland, Oregon mailed me an instructional DVD to use until I got the hang of it.

Just last month I decided I wanted to weave a rag rug. I read six articles on how to prepare the warp (the threads that go from top to bottom) but I could find nothing on how to prepare the weft, i.e., the rags. A studio weaver in New York read my blog and came to my rescue, emailing me her phone number and told me to call her. Actually, since she has free long distance, she called me, and in spite of needing to get ready for a family dinner, spent a half hour on the phone with me, answering all my questions and telling me answers to questions I didn’t know I had.

Blogs have become invaluable to me, especially with the isolation in Red Rock Valley. In addition to hobbyists, equestrians, shepherds, and cooks, many are political in nature. You may be reading a blog and not even realize it. You may have a blog in you, just waiting in the wings for the right moment. It’s a new year, you know.


Guild Question: This is the time of year when we take stock and begin to think of New Year’s Resolutions, things that we’d like to challenge ourselves with in the next year. Instead, I’d like you to think back over this past year. What was the thing you made in 2009 that you were most satisfied with? It doesn’t have to be something that you think was the coolest or the best thing you ever did – maybe the challenge that took you out of our comfort zone and stretched you.

Sharie Jones: I have to say being a new member of the guild in September,I have a few items that I'm sure I'll always remember. The first was joining the guild and meeting all the great Fiber Artist I've met so far, next was finding my spinning wheel and learning how to spin my own fibers, and yet another was learning how to knit. My knitting isn't that great yet but I'm sure with some more practice it will come along. With all these fun things that I've learned in the past few months I do have something special I've made that all of you have seen pieces of at the past few meetings I've been able to attend. And that's my very first hand spun knitted sweater spun from Merino and Corridale Wool. I'ts not exactly perfect but it was a challenge and there are a few things I would have done differently but I will cherish this sweater forever and ever only because it was my first. Who knows maybe It will be handed down from generation to generation untill it falls apart.

Becky Pennington: I'd have to say the scarf, the white one made from 3 ply lace weight merino that I entered in the fair. I actually think it might be the nicest scarf I've made, it is even in width, very nice length and the yarn was probably my best too!

Mary B.: I don’t like to sew knitted pieces together. I prefer to make sweaters in the top down manner. Since I don’t have an average body, and not anyone I can really easily get to work with me to see if the top down garment top has reached the proper size to start the body, the sweaters I usually knit for myself turn out much too large.

This year I lost most of the sweaters I had knit to the dreaded moth invasion we all fight. This year, the moths won. Now I am winning so I am knitting more sweaters. I decided to use my favorite fitting thermal top to use a measuring model. It worked! I measured what would be the diagonal, and the body circumference as well as the upper sleeve circumference. These I considered the key measurements for me.

I knit this sweater out of what would compare with Brown Sheep Lamb’s price (not bulky) without the mohair. It is very close to what I want, but still about three inches more than I want in the body. Very much better than the ones I had to full/felt in order to get them small enough to wear.

Yesterday I began my next swatch. I learned from Medrith Glover of the Wool Room in Quincy that to be accurate in gauge, I needed to knit a LARGER swatch than I was typically making and to measure several places on the swatch. My swatches are now about 6 long x12 inches wide. My gauge is now much more accurate.

I can’t wait to see how this one will turn out, and I have three more in line for knitting. With my luck I will find a job you know where, that will not be cold enough to wear all these sweaters most of the year.

Sharon: I was taken by the gauntlets that Nancy Pryor brought for a show-and-tell last summer. With nothing more than a mental picture, I bought a skein of Noro sock yarn and began knitting, inserting bobbles and colors from stash sock yarn. I had a blast and my daughter was thrilled to receive them. This was the first time I had knitted fingers, even though they were short fingers. The second one wasn't nearly as fun as the first.


Online Resources:

Weavolution: This site started June 2009, as a gathering place for handweavers. It is the online international handweaving community where you can connect with others who share your passion for the craft. It’s free, it’s fun and it’s available 24/7.

We are sending out a monthly mailing list, with special offers and up dates on our new products. We would like to invite you to visit our site and take a look around. If you like what you see, please sign up for our mailing list by responding to this email or entering your email address at the bottom right-hand corner of our home page.

Spindlicity: Spindlicity was relaunched October 1st as a new and improved online magazine for handspinners – patterns, reviews, books and more. They have an in depth array of articles on a particular fiber, and lots of articles by both new and familiar faces around the Spindlicity water cooler. Most exciting is the new Spindlicity staff - two new members of the Spindlicity staff who each bring a world of expertise and enthusiasm.

Knotions Magazine: Knit Smarter. In addition to patterns, you can find reviews of books as well as knitting needles and techniques. Heidi says - Knotions first issue has two interesting articles, Discovering the fit and Fashion of Knitted Pants and Color Trends for Fall ’08 both of which I found interesting. Along with twelve patterns it is a very clean site and easy to use and read. There are also techniques and reviews. All in all a good new resource for us all.

Twist Collective: Heidi says Twisted Collective first issue the first thing you will notice is the format is different that most sites. It works more like a regular magazine, with arrows on each side. One can page through the e-zine

Weavezine: -Learn how to weave. Whether you've been weaving for thirty years or thirty minutes, we're here to help you learn more about this exciting craft. This site is unique for it's recorded interviews with seasoned weavers. A memorium appears in this issue to Russel Groff, of the Robin and Russ store in Oregon, who just died January 3rd.

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Instructions: Learn to spin! Private and semi-private lessons available in Reno and can be arranged at a convenient time for you. Lessons are 2 hours long and include fiber. Spinning wheel rental is also offered for those students completing a lesson. Contact Allison Judge, fiberist@sbcglobal.net

Loom for Sale: For Sale like new, Kromski Rigid Heddle Loom 24 inches $200.00 firm. Call Vivian Olds, 575-5516 (7/09)

Loom for Sale: 8 Harness Gilmore 42" Loom. Includes Bench, Removable top tray, shuttles, raddle & clamp and 12 yard warping board. I purchased this loom new, a few years ago from Gilmore. It is beautiful and in excellent condition. Original cost was $2187.00 not including the bench and other accessories. Need to sell, will consider all reasonable offers. You can reach me via Email. 1960bndonohue@msn.com Nancy Donohue (7/09)

Spinning Wheel: Ashford Traditional spinning wheel for sale. Spins perfectly. Single treadle, single drive, scotch tension. $250. Contact Allison Judge, fiberist@sbcglobal.net

Wheel and Loom for Sale: Single treadle Ashford Traditional with Jumbo flyer, $250. Eight-harness Gilmore floor loom with extras, like premeasured warps and plenty of shuttles, $450. Contact Gina Caudillo ginamonster@yahoo.com

November 11th Minutes

Meeting Called to Order: Mary B., co-president, called the meeting to order and welcomed all present. Introductions were made. Eighteen people were in attendance.

Treasurer’s Report – Doris
We have four new members and one member renewed as of 11/13/09. One spindle kit was sold. A check for $50.00 was received from the Celtic Event organizers. Nancy Pryor gave $6.00 from the Weaving Study Group. The magazines for donations from last meeting raised $19.00. She sent $400.00 to Heifer International and $300.00 to the Nevada State Fair. Currently we have 53 paid members. Current balance is $2,002.02.

Membership runs from January through December. Send dues to: Doris Woloszyn,
P. O. Box 229 Chilcoot, CA 96105 and make checks payable to: Carson Sierra Spinners & Weavers. Dues are $25.00 a year.

Committee Reports

Spinning Workshop – Nancy Pryor
Date for Stephenie Gaustad spinning workshop is March 20, 2010. Location will be announced. Give Nancy any suggestions about what you want to learn.

Learning Tree- Mim
No Learning Tree in December due to Christmas party. January will be a carding workshop. Bring what carding equipment you have. Mim will teach this Learning Tree.

Weaving Study Group – Nancy Pryor
The next meeting will be in January at Linda Lindsay’s home. More details to follow.


Old Business

December Meeting
Meeting is December 12, 2009 at Bartley Ranch School House. Bring white elephant items. There will also be some items for sale by some individuals. There is an ornament exchange for anyone who is interested.

Meeting Locations for 2010
Sky Peaks – 1/9, 3/13, 11/13
Bartley Ranch School House – 2/13, 4/10, 5/9, 10/9, 12/11
Mim’s house – 6/12
Nicole Kelly’s house – 7/10
Hazel Ryland’s home – 8/14
Davis Creek State Park – 9/10 through 9/12

Amy motioned for Doris to pay $100 deposit if requested by Davis Creek State Park. Mim seconded. Motioned passed.

New Business

Sky Peaks Craft Fair - Virva
Sky Peaks is holding a craft fair in November on either the 17th or 24th. People who might be interested in selling something should contact Lisa at Sky Peaks 775-747-9555. Items should be reasonably priced.

Lights for State Fair Booth – Mary B.
She suggested that we consider buying 10 strands of small white Christmas lights to use on our booth at the State Fair. They usually go on sale this time of year. She has provided lights in the past and may not be able to do that this coming year.

Alpaca Fair – Toni
A fair with alpaca items and a craft fair will be held on December 6th from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Jeanette Miller’s (Sierra Nevada Alpacas)

Interweave Press Discount – Amy
Amy has our group discount code available. Contact her for the number to use when ordering publications from Interweave Press.

Show ‘n Tell

Mary B. – maroon cable knit sweater & new lavender yarn.
Amy – cowl knit from alpaca hand spun & dyed. Pattern was Ridged Lace Cowl
Olivia – hand knit cowl
Mim – buttons she felted by putting wool over metal button
Nancy Pryor- notebook with sweater patterns
Marilynn – woven rug dyed with henna that her sister purchased in Morocco
Heidi – went to SOAR Oct. 24-31 in Sun River, OR. She had lots of fun and gained lots of knowledge.
Janet – used Marilynn’s method of frozen flower petals and dyed scarves with hollyhock flowers
Eileen – knit “socks” for sun glasses
Barbara – scarf knit with inter lock made from Noro yarn

The meeting was adjourned.

Submitted by,

Judy Wells.

Whorled News, November 2009

The November 14th guild meeting will be 11:00 at Sky Peak Ranch: Sky Peaks in Northwest Reno. A map is available here. You can 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. This meeting is brown bag. Come early and visit.

The December 12th guild meeting will be at the Bartley Ranch Schoolhouse. Driving Directions: Bartley Ranch:. Drive .8 mile west from the intersection of McCarran Blvd and Hwy 395. Turn left (south) on Lakeside Drive and continue .4 mile. Bartley Ranch is at the north base of Windy Hill. Turn left on Bartley Ranch Road and continue several hundred feet to the main parking lot. Cross the covered bridge and turn right into the parking lot for the School House.

This our Christmas meeting and will be potluck. Bring something for the White Elephant Sale, all proceeds to benefit the guild. Also, expect to shop from the variety of fibers that members bring for sale.

Sock Summit 2009, Portland Oregon - Toni Pearce

While I didn't get a chance to actually attend Sock Summit to the extent that I was able to take classes (kinda expensive!), I was able to plan a visit to my sister around it, and was totally overwhelmed by the experience. This was the first ever Summit, their motto "Taking sock knitting almost too far" was an apt one too.

The first day, Thursday was entirely dedicated to classes, but Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were open to non class attendees. We went early on Friday (the Max train in Portland dropped us off right at the front door of the convention center!) to check out the vendor booths, and my good friend, David, found a spot in an all day beginners sock knitting class. Friday was the day for setting the new Guinness World Record for the most people knitting on 2 needles at the same time - which was accomplished, beating the old record by several hundred knitters! And the vendors! Did I mention vendors? There were row upon row of booths dedicated to nothing but yarn, fiber, and knitting. It was overwhelming!

Some vendors were familiar names, Carolina Homespun, Woodland Woolworks, South West Trading Co., but many were talented new fiber artists with yarn, fiber, bags, and needles the likes of which I have never seen. There was also a sock museum, and free seminars held during each day. We also had a chance to attend a huge book signing. Luminaries such as Barbara Walker, Cookie A, Stephanie Pearl McPhee, Cat Bordhi, they were all there to sign copies of their books! It was so awesome to see so many knitting legends in one place. I did get a couple of my books signed, but wished I could have brought more from home if I had the room in the car.

I don't believe I have ever seen so many yarn-aholics in one building. It seemed to me that attendance was really great. Perhaps a sign the economy is starting to change a bit? During the evening, they had a sock hop, and the wonderful people from Ravelry hosted a couple of meet ups in the downtown area while the Summit was going on. No one knows if there will be another Summit, as apparently it was more of an undertaking to put together than the founders had initially thought, but knowing what I do now, if it were to happen again in Portland, I would be there without a doubt!

Haiku, Fiber Style

We’re fiberholics
I don’t think it’s a problem
Do husbands agree??

-Janet Drozd

Sharp felting needle
In and out, shaping the wool
Pass me the band-aids

Too much, you make mud
Too little, and it's pastels
Just right, a rainbow

Humming spinning wheel
and gently snoring felines
they make me sleepy

-Amy Shannon

Knitting along and
oh my goodness, I dropped one.
when did I do that?

-Jen Overby

I find the hard part
Is my anticipating
Muse Inspiration

-Allison Judge

Black like the night
laced with silver starlight
twinkles the soft alpaca
thru my fingers spinning

-Annabelle Younger

Musings from Sage Creek - Sharon Campbell

At this time of year I think of Pete Seeger’s song, sung by the Byrds: “To everything there is a season; turn, turn, turn.” The fountain is covered and the rocking chairs from the front porch are stashed away where they will remain until Spring. The woodstove has been put back to work and it’s time to turn back our clocks. Turn, turn, turn.

Retirement is another turn of season. Rumors of early buyouts and incentives had been leaked and batted around for six months. Then suddenly, in April I learned that my bid for early retirement had been accepted. I saw my contract just days before I signed it and then following a flurry of last minute activity, my life as a working stiff came to a close. By the end of June, I was a free woman. After a lifetime of scheduling my life around my job, I was finally free to start scheduling my life around me, but my head was swimming from the suddenness of it all.

People said, oh – you are going to love retirement and wonder how you ever had time to work. That just doesn’t make any sense, but I kept hearing it, and now I find myself saying it too. I can’t imagine stuffing a 40-hour work week into my life at this point, and I wonder how I did it before. While I was working I found time to do the things that I really enjoy, so it seemed logical that more time for me meant more time for my hobbies, but that hasn’t been the case. I thought I’d feel like I have all the time in the world. I don’t. But I also don’t have to hurry through everything. It’s more like I have time to walk the dogs every day, time to have lunch with friends, and of course, out here we always have to add drive time onto engagements. It also means time to catch grandkids soccer and football games - so often they played while I was working. It means having time to spend with people, to stop and chat with neighbors and not worry that there’s still more laundry to do, to babysit or visit a classroom, to greet a plane so someone else doesn’t have to take time off work, to watch a late baseball game on a week night, to travel without struggling to coordinate leave times between my job and Ian’s.

I admit to wondering how I would fill my days after the 11 hours of a work day were subtracted. I needn’t have worried. My time is filled and I am busy all day long. I think the real change is that I chose what I’m busy with it. “And a time for every purpose, under heaven, turn, turn, turn.”

CLASSIFIED ADS: Ads run six months unless otherwise requested

Instructions: Learn to spin! Private and semi-private lessons available in Reno and can be arranged at a convenient time for you. Lessons are 2 hours long and include fiber. Spinning wheel rental is also offered for those students completing a lesson. Contact Allison Judge, fiberist@sbcglobal.net

Loom for Sale: For Sale like new, Kromski Rigid Heddle Loom 24 inches $200.00 firm. Call Vivian Olds, 575-5516 (7/09)

Loom for Sale: 8 Harness Gilmore 42" Loom. Includes Bench, Removable top tray, shuttles, raddle & clamp and 12 yard warping board. I purchased this loom new, a few years ago from Gilmore. It is beautiful and in excellent condition. Original cost was $2187.00 not including the bench and other accessories. Need to sell, will consider all reasonable offers. You can reach me via Email. 1960bndonohue@msn.com Nancy Donohue (7/09)

Spinning Wheel: Ashford Traditional spinning wheel for sale. Spins perfectly. Single treadle, single drive, scotch tension. $250. Contact Allison Judge, fiberist@sbcglobal.net

Wheel and Loom for Sale: Single treadle Ashford Traditional with Jumbo flyer, $250. Eight-harness Gilmore floor loom with extras, like premeasured warps and plenty of shuttles, $450. Contact Gina Caudillo ginamonster@yahoo.com