Our Guild, stepping out

Our guild, the Oakville Handweavers & Spinners jumped right into the mix for the town’s grand opening of the Queen Elizabeth Park Cultural & Community Centre on Saturday, March 24th.  It was great to demonstrate with all the other fiber arts groups in Room 040, and even have new members join!

Our 100″ loom not only gets to see the light of day after years of no love in basements but it also makes for a screaming display.

Do you see the weaver pictured in the photo montage there?  That’s Judith Hay.  Ixchel took this shot of Judith inkle loom weaving at the opening.

I sat next to Judith.  As usual the public fell in love with my Wee Peggy wheel.  The kids were blown away by just touching the dyed top from Schafenfreude Fibers!

We had a good story board of fleece to finished objects on the table behind me.  I put my cup of spindles far from any hands and within sight!

The other end of our spinning display had a few of my hand-spun knits.  The Estonian-inspired colourwork pieces are by Elizabeth-Anne.

We also had baskets with different fleeces, and more yarn.  The fleece is from my stash:  Black Welsh Mountain lamb, the Icelandic ewe, Phoebe & the Romney lamb, Buttercup.

A few of our weavers are also members of Ixchel’s Tapestry Studio.  Their display was so vibrant!

We had a steady stream of people in the room, and it was a great day of getting together with samples of our work.  I think it got quite a few people interested, and can’t wait to see the Guild grow.

Many thanks to Ixchel for giving me permission to use some of her photos for my post!

For a spinning friend

Last week, one of my best spinning friends lost her husband of 55 years.  She has been in my thoughts since she shared the sad news but even more so, today.

M, if you happen by in the days to come, these remind me of you.

Planted just last spring, the fragrant viburnum has blooms in store.  I hope we can spin together in the backyard this year.

I also hope that you will have your Golding Serenity Prayer spindle as well as your family in the coming weeks.

We have matching Kundert red cedar carved spindles.  I spun with mine this morning, and still love the Emerald Isle fibre that you brought back for us last year from P.E.I.  When you get back, I will have green lace yarn to boast about like I know anything about spinning that you haven’t helped me to learn.

I plied this morning but will gather tomorrow with your community to be with you.

Easter cheer

Happy Easter!

The long weekend got off on the right foot with these 2 deliveries from N’s Mum.  There I was spring cleaning in the basement Thursday afternoon when the doorbell rang.

The lilies were closed until this morning.  Perfect timing!  Also brightening the holiday,

It’s on the kitchen table until I plant it out with the other hydrangea from Easters past.  My contribution to the family dinner was this Smartie-festooned from-scratch cake.

It’s the Joy of Cooking Devil’s Food Cockaigne, and fit my uncle’s bill for 100% chocolate.  The dinner was wonderful – Jamaican baked ham, plantain, rice & pigeon peas all had their places at the table, and it was just plain good to be with family this time of year.

In between posts, I’ve been knitting and listening to the Hunger Games books.  This FO is going straight to England, tomorrow, and is for baby cuz, Murray.

It’s a stretchy twine-knit number for his new home, Montreal.  I was inspired by Tiny Geek Crafter‘s KAL for endometriosis awareness this month.

Love that twine knitting!  Sooo warm & stretchy.  The yarns are Rowan Pure Wool DK for the yellow, and the lighter Rowan Pure Wool 4-ply in black.

Using the twine technique evened out the yarns.  My idea was based on the Blind Melon bee girl music video from back in the day.  These are the artsy parents, so they should be fine with a quirky hat for Mur-man.

Right at the end of January, I started the Beach House Pullover pattern by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark.  After a couple of weeks, I stalled here.

I just needed the right mood for these all-over horseshoe cables.  What mood is that?  The kind that comes after a series of tests and a new diagnosis…   With audio books and podcasts, I am now mid-way through the front & the back is done.

In other words:  I rediscovered soothing repetition.  The calming effect of Cascade 220 yarn is not to be discounted either.

I do have a post to write for spinning exploits but want to share my first skein from the antique flax wheel with you.  Amazingly bouncy lace from a double-drive system!

It’s 369 yds of 2-ply yarn.  One ply is BFL, and the other is a BFL/silk blend.  Handspinning your own gives you these choices!