Wild Woolly Spinners of the West

Moving on...

2013-01-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

See what we're up to on our Facebook page. Like us, comment, share your sheep pictures!

Yikes, the Holiday Party is next Sunday!

2012-11-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

Join us next Sunday for our annual holiday party, 1pm at Tequila's in Bayfield. No fuss, home before dark. We'll have a Silent Auction so feel free to bring fibery goodies to auction off. Proceeds to benefit Annie's Orphans, Animas Museum, and Judith MacKenzie. Hope to see you there. RSVP if you can join us by commenting below.

Did you know about Judith MacKenzie?

2012-11-13T09:11:00.001-07:00

You may have heard that Judith’s teaching studio in Forks, Washington was completely destroyed by a fire last week. Judith is a renowned spinning and weaving teacher. In 2010, Arizona Desert Weavers and Spinners and Telaraña collaborated to bring Judith to the Valley for both a spinning workshop and a weaving workshop. She also spoke at both guilds. She has lost her looms, spinning wheels, fibers, library of fiber-related books, all her teaching materials and collection of textiles. A website has been set up to accept donations to help her start over. If you would like to help or learn more, here is a link to the website: http://www.rebuildjudithsstudio.com

News Update for Pagosa Fiber Festival

2012-11-04T13:34:00.003-07:00

Just to keep everyone informed, PFF has not been totally disbanded, but may be suspended this year. We have several people willing to work on different aspects of the festival, but it lacks a President and Treasurer. If anyone would be willing to fill these two positions, it is possible that things could be up and running for this coming May 2013. If you are interested, please call or e-mail Linda: 970-884-0502, smjam9@ao.com To make it work for this year, we need to know of your interest soon.

2012 Holiday Party

2012-11-04T13:33:00.001-07:00

RSVP

Spinning in October at Knit One Pearl Street

2012-10-21T13:14:00.000-06:00

Saturday, October 27
Knit One Pearl Street, Bayfield

Come join us at the new location of Knit One Pearl Street in Bayfield. Linda sadly will be out of town, but we are still welcome to come and spin and explore her new shop. If the weather is good, we can even spin outside. Meet us around 10am until 2pm. For lunch we'll wander over to Tequila's. Hope to see you there!

Bring your wheel or spindle or whatever and any ideas that you might have for our annual holiday party.

For directions or other information about the shop, please call them at 970-884-9008

September Activities

2012-09-15T13:57:00.001-06:00

Hey Wild Woolies Fall is in the air--knitting and spinning season for sure! Upcoming activities include: In Durango, check out the weavings of Hilary Heyl: More on her here http://newmexicocreates.org/artist-1852/Hilary-Heyl

Saturday, September 22nd: 15th Annual Carding and Spinning Day at the Historic Toadlena Trading Post from 10am to 4pm. Some of us went last year and had a great experience. Map and directions can be found at http://www.toadlenatradingpost.com/map.html -- meet up there.
Saturday, September 29th "Official" WWS Gathering: Bayfield Heritage Day including the running of the sheep at 9am, parade after that, vendors, antique road show, ice cream making, beer garden, dancers, even fireworks. A canopy will be set for spinners and and some of our own will be working with kids on some dyeing, weaving, felting, and spool knitting demos--if you have time to help with the kids that would be great. Come on out, bring a chair and your spinning.

Keep in mind for next month:
Saturday, October 27th Spinning at the new Knit One Purl Street in Bayfield. Come by around 10am and see Linda's new digs. Lunch at Tequilas.

Also, we know it is early, but start thinking about ideas for the holiday dinner in early December--especially you folks down south or out west. If you would like to participate, please let us know @ wwspinners@gmail.com
Some thoughts from Pam:
With so much going on we are losing touch with one another. To let us know what you are up to please feel free to use this blog by commenting below-- let us know what is going on. We haven’t seen very many of you for so long. We miss you and hope you are all busy working with fibers. Please add pictures to your updates. Let’s continue to keep in touch even if you can’t make it to the monthly spinning day. Take advantage of the blog and talk to your spinning friends. Don’t hesitate to email me directly if you have any trouble or concerns. Thanks everyone, Pam Dyer

August Gathering

2012-08-14T08:56:00.000-06:00

The August gathering of the Wild Woolly Spinners will be held at Joni Geiger's house just past Hermosa on Saturday, August 25, from 10 am 'till the usual, about 2 or so... Bring your spinning and a chair, Joni has seats for 10-12 but a chair is always good. Show & Tell is always fun -- show off your latest work of art so we can all ooh and ahh. Joni will be making a chicken dish for lunch and will supply beverages. Please bring a salad, bread, desert, side dish or something like that to share potluck. The address is 33314 Hwy 550-- DIRECTIONS FROM DURANGO: 1. North on Hwy 550 to Milepost 33 2. Turn right at the first drive 3. Go straight over the bridge 4. Pull in and park in the driveway If you pass Honeyville, you've gone too far! See you there!

Zelpha's Yard Sale Info

2012-08-03T08:30:00.001-06:00

La Plata County Fair Info

2012-08-01T07:01:00.001-06:00

La Plata County Fair info
ENTRIES - Wednesday 8/8 from 7:30 to 6:00
Judging will take place on Thursday - it is not open judging - display and ribbons will be set up following judging.
The exhibits are best visited Friday through Sunday.
Friday open 9:00 till 8:00
Saturday open 9:00 till 6:00
Sunday open 10:00 till 2:00

NO ENTRIES CAN BE PICKED UP BEFORE 2:00 PM SUNDAY

I would love to have one and all come spin - best times Friday through Sunday. It would also be nice if you want to come sit the exhibit for a while to give me a break.
Let me know via email.
Carole

Mid Summer Update

2012-07-30T09:02:00.001-06:00

A bunch of yarn was dyed at the Natural Dye Workshop at La Plata Farms! Thanks to Pam Ramsey for a great day this past Saturday. Upcoming Events:

The August spin-in will be held on Saturday, August 25th at Joni Geiger's house just past Hermosa. More details to follow as we get closer to the date.
Bayfield Heritage day(s) will have the running of the sheep and the main activities on September 29th. This year it should be pretty interesting. They are planning many things including an antiques road show, ice cream making, a beer garden, and good music on that Saturday. There are dancers coming from Poland (yes, really!) in the evening and the fourth of July fireworks that couldn't be used on the 4th will be shot off that evening.
The organizers have a canopy for any spinners willing to come and demonstrate spinning.
I seem to find myself in charge of setting up some wool related activities for kids. I am a vendor that day and really need some help. Would like to have some felting, kool aid dyeing, and spool knitting for kids. I have all the materials and will bring them. Maybe if some of you want to come and spin we can take turns with the kid events so no one gets stuck with them all day long.
Please, please, please do let me know if you are able to come since I need to report back to the organizers and they in turn need to get the canopies and tables for us. It should be a great way to support spinning in public, educating the public, and helping kids find out about the joy of working with wool... Hope to hear from you! Linda Smith 884-0502 smjam9 at aol.com

2012-06-15T18:09:00.000-06:00

It has been a busy and warm spring! Hope that it has been productive for everyone.

We haven't had a lot of interest in a picnic for the June meeting so back to our old standby. We'll meet at the Animas Museum (in Durango at 31st and West 2nd) on Saturday June 30 from 10 am to 2pm. Bring a lunch or we can go down to Zia's and bring something back--hope it isn't too hot to eat outside on the picnic tables. The museum just opened an exhibit of antique quilts you might be interested in (and some of our members helped to prepare for display). Hope to see you there!

If you are looking for something fibery to do the weekend before we spin, check out "Sheep is Life" on June 22 & 23. All of the info is on their website at www.navajolifeway.org

In July, Pam Ramsey out at La Plata Farms is hosting a dye workshop there on the last Saturday of the month, July 28 and since a bunch of Wild Woolly's are attending, we won't meet to spin. There is still room in the workshop, but contact Pam (970-749-5485, or email laplatafarms@gobrainstorm.net) soon if you are interested in attending. Here is the scoop:

A full day featuring 2 complete workshops Paula Seay: Exploring Natural Dyes using Madder, Cochineal, Lichen, Onion Skins and more. A discussion and hands on half day workshop utilizing popular and readily available dye stuffs. You will leave this workshop with a number of sample skeins and the start of a dye notebook. Karen Dearing: Dyes from Southwestern plants, half day workshop Karen will take you through harvesting, processing, and preparing dye baths using the plants native to the 4-Corners area. You will have sample skeins to take home.

Cost: $75, includes lunch, drinks, coffee, a morning snack and both workshops (1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon) materials fee of $5 additional includes all your sample yarns, dye stuffs and use of equipment, pots and stoves and a sample notebook to take home.

Special! For $90 plus materials fee, you can add an evening plant walk with Karen to identify local plants and end the day with a lamb dinner! Featuring La Plata Farms sustainably raised lamb.

Pre-registration is required by July 10, 2012. Print out the form below and mail it with your payment -- please fill out completely.
Name:__________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________
Phone: ___________________________________
Alternate Phone:___________________________
Email:________________________________________________
Workshops plus materials fee $80 ____________
Workshops, materials, plant walk and dinner $95______________
Total Enclosed:_____________
Please check which one you are doing: checks made payable to La Plata Farms, mail to LPF, 1281 CR 123, Hesperus, CO 81326. Please call 970-749-5485 with questions or to register and pay by credit card.

May Activities

2012-05-06T20:33:00.000-06:00

Join us at the Pagosa Fiber Festival, May 26 and 27. Spinners are welcome both days to help demonstrate the art of spinning. But feel free to also card, knit, crochet, weave, or whatever you would like to work on during the festival. Linda Smith has told us that there is a spot for the spinners in one of the festival tents. You should probably bring a chair just in case there aren’t enough to go around. Food is available either at the event or in town. Also, there are some wonderful vendors to stock up on your fiber needs. So plan to attend and get some spinning, or whatever you chose to work on, done. Great opportunity to let the public see what we do and why we do it!

An invitation from Bev Modisette:

Hi Wild Wooly Spinners of the West.,

I want to thank you for your spinning at the Pagosa Fiber Festival and look forward to seeing you this year.

I have been working with the president (owner of Pagosa Lodge) of the Pagosa Springs Lodging Association to get discount packages for Pagosa Fiber Festival (PFF) attendees. So, if you would like to stay overnight and get reduced rates go to http://pagosafiberfestival.com/discountsspecials/lodging to see lodging discounts.

All our workshops, except Introduction to High Whorl Spindling by Susan Jones (Town Park), will be held at the Pagosa Lodge. See http://pagosafiberfestival.com/workshops. I also have an instructor biography page at http://pagosafiberfestival. com/workshops/instructors.

For our vendors we not only have a vendors' page but also a Vendors' Product page at http://pagosafiberfestival. com/vendors/vendors-products so visitors to our website will know what our vendors are selling.

I hope a lot of you will enter our competitions http://pagosafiberfestival.com/competitions . We have 3 divisions - Handspun Yarn, Fleece, and Finished Products (consists of products produced by crocheting, felting, knitting, and/or weaving). We judge our entry against a standard, not against submitted competition entries. First, second, and third place ribbons are awarded for each category in each division. The overall best in each division will be awarded a bronze medallion on a hand-braided horsehair necklace with silver findings. And, the Best of Show overall for all entries in all competitions will be awarded a silver medallion on a hand-braided horsehair necklace, with silver findings, awarded to the Best of Show. If you would like to know a little bit about our judges, then go to http://pagosafiberfestival.com/competitions/competition-judges. Our guidelines and entry rules can be found at http://pagosafiberfestival.com/information-desk/forms.

And, we are having a fun competition - a Sheep to Shawl competition!

One of our vendors is going to give a demonstration on a circular sock knitting machine. Just image all the socks you could knit in a short amount of time! I do have one (it is an antique) myself but I do not know how to use it or how to put it together (it came in pieces).

I look forward to meeting you at PFF. Please come to the PFF booth and introduce yourselves.

Sincerely,

Bev Modisette President Pagosa Fiber Festival http://pagosafiberfestival.com

________________________________________

Animas Museum Help
As you may know, the Animas Museum is always happy to provide us with a place to spin in Durango. This month, the museum is holding the annual Community Heritage Awards on May 25th and has asked us if we would provide donations for a gift basket like we did last year. If you would like to donate a skein of yarn, some fleece, whatever! please drop it off at the museum before May 25th. THANKS! For more information on the Community Heritage Awards check out http://www.animasmuseu.org/cha.

________________________________________

Looking Forward to Bayfield Heritage Days
From Linda Smith:
Bayfield Heritage Days is already being planned for last weekend in September. I am sort of in charge along with Linda Parmiter of getting some sheepy events for kids going, such as koolaid dyes and felting balls or felting around rocks or something...sure would like input and help. It is a time when our guild can do some spinning, weaving, knitting, etc. in public and they are willing to put up a shelter just for the guild as well as for a kid space. Would you guys please talk about this...I know there are probably many other things going on that weekend. I intend to vend there; it worked out pretty well for me last year, and since they are planning ahead, hoping that this year will be better than last. We could even get together as a guild and have a booth and sell stuff if anyone is interested. It is a better market for created items than it is for roving and fleece. Anyway, please have everyone think about it and see what you want to do. All events would occur on Saturday. Whatever they do on Sunday won't be of interest to any of us, I don't think..won't be vendors and such on Sunday.

Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

All for now--hope to see you at Pagosa!

2012-05-06T13:19:00.000-06:00

April Field Trip

Thanks to Pam Ramsey for organizing the trip to Tierra Wools--we had a great turnout of WW spinners from Durango, Farmington, Pagosa, etc.

Tierra's Lupe checks progress on her cochineal dye pot.

Jody, Carole and Paula in the natural dye area

Shearing on the patio

Tierra's loom room

The Big Wheel

April Adventures

2012-04-16T10:18:00.000-06:00

This month we have two options for WWS spinning on Saturday, April 28.

For those of us who don't have to stick around for lambing season, Pam Ramsey will be leading a group down to Tierra Wools for their Spring Harvest Festival.

Meet at Gateway (Santa Rita) park by the Chamber of Commerce building at 8AM, this will put us at Tierra Wools approximately 10. Bring a folding lawn chair (optional, but sometimes there are not as many chairs there), drinking water, and pack a sack lunch. Pam will have room for 1 more, maybe 2 but plenty of trunk space. She says that if the weather's nice, sitting out on the front porch, knitting, etc. is always a good thing. Otherwise you can kind of wander around, looking at stuff, dyeing, they may be shearing, it is always very loose but you meet some great fellow fiber people. If you are going, please call or email Pam--check your newsletter email with telephone number/email address or comment below prior to the 28th. She has heard a lot of maybe's and sort of's but doesn't want to leave anyone behind. If you can't go, Pam will be taking pictures so stay tuned to this blog.

If you aren't up for traveling so far afield, meet us at the Animas Museum at 10 am at the corner of 31st and West 2nd in Durango. We'll hang around until 2pm so either bring a lunch or we can go to Zia's--may even be nice enough to eat lunch outside.

Hope to see you at either gathering! Don't forget in May, we'll be spinning at the Pagosa Springs Fiber Festival on the 26th. Make sure to check out their website for the great classes and activities they are planning.

Spinning at the Southern Ute Museum

2012-04-12T14:59:00.001-06:00

Had a great turnout, a tour of the new museum, and as you can see, fun in the casino!

sad news

2012-03-31T13:22:00.001-06:00

Hi all,

I guess in a way it isn't really sad news. Elizabeth Mantey has passed on. Her suffering with cancer since March of 2009 is now over.

Her funeral will be held at St, Ignatius Catholic Church in Ignacio at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 3rd. A rosary is planned for the Monday prior.

Rest in blessed peace, Elizabeth.

Linda

DATE CHANGE--Barnyard Days, Tuesday, April 17th

2012-03-24T16:28:00.003-06:00

The Barnyard will be held on Tuesday, April 17^th (please note the date change) from 9 am to noon around the amphitheater at Fort Lewis College. We’ve moved the event a week later so hopefully it will be a bit warmer and the date still works for you.

Please comment if you can make it--hope to see you there!

lotions and potions and weaving, oh my!

2012-03-19T08:23:00.001-06:00

There are some informative, useful, diverse classes being offered at Pagosa Fiber Festival this year.

Liz Moncrief of Longmont Colorado will share her expertise in making lotions that are good for your skin and don't cost a fortune.

Paula Saey lends her expert knowledge on natural dyes.

Another class will be of great value to those who want to learn all that a rigid heddle can do.

Anyone with fabric scraps will love learning to make sculptures and wall hangings from Mary in her Sculpting Recycled Fabrics class.

And there are others. Check us out! Deadline for registration is April 21st.

www.pagosafiberfestival.com

Best regards,

Linda

Barnyard Days

2012-03-16T17:51:00.002-06:00

Barnyard Days is coming up on April 19th. PLEASE we really need people to come and help demonstrate to the little ones about spinning, carding, knitting, weaving, crocheting, and anything else we can do with fiber. Please let us know if you can make it.
Ft. Lewis College
April 19th
9-12
Clock tower area
Please just leave a comment if you can make it. It is really a fun time.

Plans for Spring

2012-03-02T18:46:00.001-07:00

Hello WWSpinners!

We have a lot of great ideas for the next couple of months:

In March, we will be spinning on the 31st at the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum in Ignacio. At 10 am, we can take a tour of the museum (it is usually $7.00 a person but if we have enough people we might get a discounted rate, we'll let you know), then we can spin. There is a tea room nearby for lunch. PLEASE RSVP by March 15 to wwspinners@gmail.com if you plan on attending -- we need to let the museum know how many people are coming so they can put us in the appropriate space. For directions and information, check out their website at succum.org.

April brings us two options--on the 28th, Tierra Wools/Shepherd's Lamb is celebrating their Spring Harvest Festival in Los Ojos, New Mexico (about 2 hours from Durango, 11 miles south of Chama). Pam Ramsey has volunteered to lead a group down for a fun day of sheep, weaving demos, spinning, dyeing, etc. If you are interested in carpooling down there, again PLEASE RSVP by April 27th to wwspinners@gmail.com. If you don't need to carpool, we'll see you there. For those not able to field trip, we'll be spinning at the Animas Museum (31st and E 2nd in Durango) from 10 til 2, lunch at Zias.

The end of May brings the Pagosa Fiber Festival, where we'll be spinning on Saturday. Check out the great classes offered this year. The Festival will be holding a Sheep to Shawl and is looking for teams of 5 to 6 to compete. The winners will receive free passes to the Pagosa Hot Springs. If you are interested, contact Linda at 970-884-0502 or smjam9@aol.com for more information.

This summer, we were thinking about having a picnic, maybe on a Sunday afternoon at Gateway (Santa Rita) Park. How does the last Sunday in June sound? Please post comments on this post.

Although it is early, don't forget we'll have a holiday celebration in December, any ideas for places are welcome. Feel free to post a comment on this post.

Yes it is early, but...

2012-03-02T12:54:00.001-07:00

Please post your comments with ideas for our December holiday party!

Ideas for our June Meeting

2012-03-02T12:53:00.001-07:00

Please post your comments below with ideas for our June meeting. Current thoughts are a picnic maybe on a Sunday afternoon at Gateway/Santa Rita Park.

Looking for Teams

2012-02-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

We are looking for 5 to 6 person teams for a Sheep to Shawl competition at the Pagosa Fiber Festival. Winners will receive free passes to the Pagosa Hot Springs. If you are interested, contact Linda at 970-884-0502 or e-mail smjam9@aol.com for more information.

A Toast

2012-02-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Sheila for opening her house to the Wild Woolies in February! Stay tuned for future plans...