sutton094

NOTE:  day and date change for this meeting PROGRAM:   SHEEP, SPINNING & KNITTING Two more of our Sheep Breed Study presenters will talk about and have samples of their particular sheep breed. Notice how now there are more articles out there on "rare" or "endangered" sheep or other animals [current thought is that elephants in the wild will be extinct by 2050], plants, grains and other things we never gave a second thought to. We are on the cusp of studies on the questions of what is going on in nature and ways in how to maintain diversity. Bring your wheels or knitting for working on this evening. We have lots of people in our guild who are very knowledgeable in both spinning and knitting. If you are having any problems with either, tonight would be a good time to bring out your questions. From our Secretary, Linda Burton: Minutes for the Sept. 29 meeting . Secretary Linda Burton was absent. Notes offered by Vilija and Pam Murdock.  Vilija presented two of the...

PROGRAM:  WoolBuddy World with Jackie Huang Jackie Huang is a 3D story artist and art teacher whose passion for art transcends the boundaries of various art forms. His company, Woolbuddy, began as a desire to find a unique collection of toys for his newborn daughter.  After searching for months and coming up empty handed, he decided that it was time for him to create his own collection of premium handcrafted felted animals that reflected the imaginative and magical world that he wanted to share with his daughter. 300 characters have come to life and now make up the six distinctive collections of the Woolbuddy World. There are Loveable Monsters, animals from The Zoo,  Woolbuddies living on The Farm, Sea Creatures that swim through the ocean, reptiles that spend their day lounging around The Swamp, and Itty Bitty Critters that wonder throughout the land. WoolBuddy products are often sold out at local museums, stores, and national conventions. Currently, the WoolBuddy colle...

PROGRAM:   THE EVOLUTION OF WOOL , Understanding Fleece from Mountain Goat to Merino with Judith MacKenzie [sadly not in person, but in a great DVD Video] As a kick-off to our Sheep Breed Study this year, Judith on video takes us on a journey not only through the history of the sheep, but also from cut end to tip end of the all important wool staple. We will learn: How individual wool fibers grow Why fleece has changed over the millennia What differences have developed between wild ancient sheep,  primitive breeds, and improved breeds What makes some wool soft, some silky and some itchy Also this month: Vilija Deutschman talking about Dorset Horn Sheep and Dorset Down Sheep The Sheep Breed Study Most of us are already somewhat familiar with the "luxury" wool fibers such as Merino, Rambouillet, BFL, Romney, Columbia, Corriedale, and the various crosses. Many times when spinners buy already prepared fiber for spinning, it simply says "wool" or "Merino X [cross]...

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...

Our next get-together is a "just-for-fun" picnic at Larkey Park, Walnut Creek . The park is adjacent to Lindsey Museum and at the corner of 1st Ave. and Buena Vista, just off Geary Rd. The possibility of a white fox joining us from Lindsey is probably remote, but we'll all have a fun time anyway. Meet at 5 pm , or whenever you can get there. Bring your own drinks, a pot luck dish to share, a spinning wheel and a chair. Bring your spouses and kids if they would like to come. The picnic will be great to keep all of us excited about participating in "Tour de Fleece". Wendy is working with Morgaine on the possibility to have fibers available for those who want to try something new. Something a bit out of the norm. "Tour de Fleece", July 4th thru July 26th, runs concurrent with the "Tour de France" and if you are a fan, its a wonderful time to sit, watch the bicyclists, the French scenery and spin a bit. Sample some French wines also! Could be fun...

18th Annual Spinning at the Winery June 6, 2015 - 10 am to 4 pm Retzlaff Winery 1356 S. Livermore Ave, Livermore $5 entry per person Check the last blog for more pertinent information about this event.  Treadles members:  there are still work spots needed to be filled for that day! A message from Joan: Volunteers Needed for spinning at the Winery Saturday, June 6 10 am to 4 pm Many of you have signed up to volunteer but we need more to fill in some slots.  we have a big guild and should be able to fill more slots.  If you have never been before, it is a fun day to greet old friends, spin, taste some wine, etc.  It is a big fund raiser for our guild and enables us to have dye days with no charge to members, buy equipment, DVD's, etc for members' use. Most of the jobs are one hour slots.  Spouses can also help as well. Our needs:     Entrance Fee/Greeters (collect the $5 entrance fee that goes to Retzlaff Winery)    ...

DYE DAY SATURDAY, MAY 9TH,      FROM 10 AM TO 4 PM LINNIE'S HOME--1280 ELMWOOD DR. WALNUT CREEK 94597 PHONE--925 300-8431 linnie.altman@gmail.com From Linnie: HI EVERYONE ! Dye Day is just around the corner. We are a bigger group this year so we will be playing it by ear, as we don't know how many people will show up. I live in a small older neighbor hood and parking is some what limited so you may need to walk a half a block or so. Please do not park in front of mail boxes as the mail man needs access.  This year we are going to dye with Dharma acid dyes and we will be painting or squirting the dye onto the fiber. Acid dyes are used on animal fibers so wool, silk, and any animal blends work well. Be sure to soak your fiber over night in a solution of 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts water--up to a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water. Just before you come Saturday morning, please carefully wring the fiber and bring in plastic bag. The other dye we will be using will ...