Join Team Vulcan Spinners! The guild's Tour de Fleece team on Ravelry!

While Gale Even's was here on Saturday, she happen to mention Ravelry's Tour de Fleece, an event that follows the bicycling event, Tour de France, which is coming up in June. The purpose of Tour de Fleece is to have fun and to encourage us all to spin more.

Kathryn Pitt (wildapple) and Shira Robinowich-Miller (yobaby) have volunteered to co-captain our team. They have made a Ravatar (a Ravelry avatar) for us!

 

To find out more about this event, how you can participate, or just to keep up with what the team is doing, watch the guild's Ravelry forum at:

http://www.ravelry.com/groups/greater-birmingham-fiber-guild

Great meeting on Saturday! Thanks Gale!

Gale Evans of Gale's Art presented a program on color theory at our meeting on Saturday. The program was great and it was an added treat that she brought some of her beautiful dyed fiber, yarns, and sock blanks so we could see them (and buy them!) in person.

One of the many great things that Gale said about color was that working to understand color is an ongoing, life-long process.

You can see photos from the meeting on the guild's Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/groups/greater-birmingham-fiber-guild.

Don't miss tomorrow's meeting!!

June Program: Color Theory
Saturday, June 13
10:00am - noon
St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church
2061 Patton Chapel Rd
Birmingham, AL  (205) 822-4480


Our meeting this month, on Saturday June 13 at 10:00, will feature a visit from Gale, of Galesart.  (You can see her work on Etsy!) Many of us have worked with this Atlanta-based fiber artist’s hand-dyed yarns, sock blanks, and fiber.  This time, she will present a brief lecture on color theory, and then guide us in small groups through a hands-on exercise in color mixing using acrylic paints and paper.  All supplies will be provided.  If time allows, we will also get a chance to develop color palettes based on old-master paintings.  After the program, Gale will have yarns and fiber for sale to guild members.  Gale is donating the door prize for this month as well, so that’s a great incentive to attend!  Please join us for a stimulating and inspiring color experience!

An opportunity to show work

From Mary Spanos

Moonlight on the Mountain is an unusual, small, venue for live music. It is located on Shades Crest and hosts primarily singer/songwriters, many based in Nashville. The type of music varies, but it is usually a single person or a small group. My husband, Michael, is a regular there and recently talked to the owner, Keith, about the unused wall space.

What has transpired from that conversation is an invitation to textile artists to show their work at Moonlight on the Mountain. You can't sell work there, there isn't staff to handle sales, but you can show it and they will post a gallery-style label with information about the piece and your contact information.

I've attended several performances and the men and women in the audience appeared to be about the same age and income bracket as the typical guild meeting. This is a no-smoking listening room; people can bring their own drinks, but it is not a bar atmosphere in any way.

If you are interested in showing your work at this local music venue, you can find out more about Moonlight on the Mountain and find contact information for Keith, the owner, at: http://moonlightonthemtn.com.

Free e-book from the Wednesday Afternoon Knitting Study Group. Available now!

Download our e-book! It's free!

Old Shale, Variations of an Old and Much Loved Lace Stitch is a stitch dictionary of variations of a single lace stitch. The Old Shale lace stitch has been knitted and modified for ages. It works well on baby blankets, socks, sweaters, shawls, afghans, and anything else that can be knitted.

You can download Old Shale on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/old-shale-variations, which will let you find it easily in your own Ravelry library and keep up with updates.

Members of the Wednesday afternoon knitting study group came up with the idea to knit 25-inch samples of 10 different versions of Old Shale to explore and record some of the possible ways to knit this lovely, old lace stitch.

We pursued this project for the fun of seeing the samples that could be produced by a group of knitters, all sharing the work of knitting useful swatches. Individually, none of us would likely have ever knit a 25-inch long swatch, or knit 40 variations of one lace stitch. Working together, laughing and talking over coffee, the work was nothing. The product will be useful for many years to come.

We hope you will find these variations of Old Shale inspiring and useful in your own work.

 

Guild Newsletter, June 2015

Newsletter of the Greater Birmingham Fiber Guild

President’s Column                                                     Hello Fiber Friends! As I compose this, I am sitting in the chaos of my sewing room! So much of what we love to do creates such a big mess! Doesn't matter if it is fabric, fiber or yarn! You find yourself pulling out baskets, books, folders, and the supplies needed for the task at hand. I have always considered myself a very orderly person.....until I start creating! Pia and I always used to laugh because we would get the urge to clean our studios as we embarked on a new project......what an exercise in futility! I have an old treadle sewing machine that is in my sewing room and ,even as I watch Olivia Walton sew on hers, I often ponder how hard this work we do once was! Our great grandmothers would be amazed wouldn't they?!? Planning a project on a computer, electronic sewing machines with zillions of stitches at our finger tips, embroidery machines, dyeing with easily accessed chemicals, melt and pour soaps.....the list could be endless. But, you know, we still pursue the old crafts for the satisfaction and pleasure they give us...just not so much the need. As my husband always points out to me....what once was hard work, we now do for fun! So that said go pursue some fun! The meeting this month will be a blast! Can't wait for Gale's presentation on color theory and to shop her glorious wares! Hope to see you at the meeting!! Karen Ford                June Program: Color Theory Saturday, June 13 10:00am - noon   St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church 2061 Patton Chapel Rd Birmingham, AL  (205) 822-4480 Our meeting this month, on Saturday June 13 at 10:00, will feature a visit from Gale, of Galesart.   Many of us have worked with this Atlanta-based fiber artist’s hand-dyed yarns, sock blanks, and fiber.  This time, she will present a brief lecture on color theory, and then guide us in small groups through a hands-on exercise in color mixing using acrylic paints and paper.  All supplies will be provided.  If time allows, we will also get a chance to develop color palettes based on old-master paintings.  After the program, Gale will have yarns and fiber for sale to guild members.  Gale is donating the door prize for this month as well, so that’s a great incentive to attend!  Please join us for a stimulating and inspiring color experience!     GBFG Sock Blank Dyeing Workshop Saturday, August 8    Always wanted to dye?  The guild is offering all fiber guild members an opportunity to dye and paint sock blanks with acid dyes on Saturday, August 8 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, beginning promptly at 10:00 a.m., in an adjacent room to where the regular guild meeting is held.   A sock blank is an already machine knitted wool sock in a blank form ready for dyeing. You will be able to take home 2 painted sock blanks, ready for that perfect pair of socks or painted yarn for knitting up a scarf.   The guild will purchase 2 sock blanks per person for those who sign up for the dye workshop.  The guild will also be buying the acid dyes, miscellaneous supplies, and offering you an already catered and paid for lunch. If you are interested, there will be a sign-up sheet for registration at the June guild meeting.  You can also send a check for $40.00 to our post office box – Greater Birmingham Fiber Guild P.O. Box  660723 Birmingham, AL  35266 If you are mailing please make checks out to The Greater Birmingham Fiber Guild.  Include your name, phone number and email.  Our treasurer, Nancy Lavender, will handle all checks.   All sign-ups are NON-REFUNDABLE.  DEADLINE FOR SIGNING UP – JUNE 30, 2015.  If you are mailing a check, please get it to the P.O. Box by June 30.  Thank you.  We look forward to having a fun-filled fiber-dyeing day! Debbie Scott GBFG Workshop Chairperson     Bring Us Your Best for the Homewood Show It’s not too early to begin thinking about our annual guild exhibit at the Homewood Public Library, during the month of September, 2015.  Our theme this year is “Bring Us Your Best.”  Please consider displaying your best work from the past year, or any work you’re proud of that hasn’t been seen in public.  For the past ten years or more, the library has welcomed us to use the two large glass cases in the entrance foyer, as well as three table-top cases in the central hallway.  The exhibit will run through the month of September, and we will collect your work at the August guild meeting, returning your work at the October meeting.  This is a great opportunity for guild members who do not sell their work to shine in a museum-quality setting, and it’s also a way for professional fiber artists in the guild to reach a wide audience.   Interesting Fiber Items to Read and Check Out...   You know you are a knitter when: http://www.poststitchbox.com/blogs/news/19119107-you-know-youre-a-knitter-when   Emily found this blog that might be of interest to you:   www.meredithwoolnough.blogspot.com Saori Weaving Studio which is located in Huntsville, Al offers classes in the basics of Saori weaving.  In Saori weaving there are no rules to follow and no mistakes.  If you are interested, contact them at sarah@handmandesaori.com  or www.handmadesaori.com  Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts , located in Gatlinburg, TN offers workshops taught by working professional artist in a variety of fiber, textile, and basketry projects.  For more information, go to   www.arrowmont.org     The Guild on the Web Between newsletters and meetings, keep up with the guild on the web at: the guild blog at www.greaterbirminghamfiberguild.blogspot.com, maintained by Mary Spanos, blog@greaterbirminghamfiberguild.com, the guild Facebook page at www.facebook.com/greaterbirminghamfiberguild, maintained by Emily Levitan, fb@greaterbirminghamfiberguild.com, the guild group on Ravelry at www.ravelry.com/groups/greater-birmingham-fiber-guild, maintained by Kathryn Pitt, rav@greaterbirminghamfiberguild.com.     If you don't want to miss new posts to the guild blog, you can choose to receive new posts by email. Go to the blog and look for "Follow by Email" on the right hand side of the page. Type your email address in the window and click "Submit." If you want to have something posted on the blog, send it to blog@greaterbirminghamfiberguild.com.    You can post to the guild's Facebook page yourself! Emily shares information and posts that she receives on the guild's Facebook group page and keep Facebook users up to date on what is going on in the guild.    Ravelry isn't just for knitters anymore. Crocheters, weavers, and spinners all upload photos, project information, and patterns. Kathryn is managing the GBFG group and has posted helpful information on participating in the Ravelry guild group on the blog, find it at http://greaterbirminghamfiberguild.blogspot.com/2015/04/gbfg-on-ravelry.html   Next in our series of craft mysteries   Knitting Mystery Series by Maggie Sefton Protagonist: Kelly Flynn, a corporate CPA from Washington, DC Setting: Fort Conner, Colorado Number of books: 12, with #13, Purl Up and Die, coming out in June First in the series: Knit One, Kill Two  Kelly Flynn never picked up a pair of knitting needles she liked — until she strolled into House of Lambspun. Now, in the first in a brand-new series, she learns how to knit one, purl two, and untangle the mystery behind her aunt’s murder. Why we love it: We were all beginners at one point, making Kelly’s journey into the world of knitting very relatable. Well, minus the murders, of course.                        Study Groups Meet Monthly Spinning Study Group:  4th Wednesday of the month from 10 am to 2 pm at St. Peter’s Church in Hoover.  Please check out the GBFG Blog  for cancellations or schedule changes. Nancy Clemmons is interested in sharing her love of tatting with others by teaching one or more in her home. Please contact her if you are interested. More groups may meet in the future.  Watch the newsletter for more information and let a board member know if you are interested in a study group.   Newsletter News...   Each month, I am planning to have items coming from YOU, our Guild members. These will include short book reviews related to any fiber art; a tip you have discovered and used that make your fiber art a little bit easier to execute; any fiber related articles; and a fiber question you would love answers or suggestions from other guild members. Please send your ideas, suggestions, book recommendations, questions to me (Deborah Kattus ) by the 20th of the month to go into the following month's newsletter. Email me at dkattus@charter.net and put GBFG Newsletter in the subject line.   Greater Birmingham Fiber Guild   The Greater Birmingham Fiber Guild is comprised of individuals dedicated to the dissemination and preservation of fiber arts.  Meetings are the second Saturday of the month, 10:00-12:00 (no meeting in July). Visitors are welcome.  The Guild offers programs almost monthly, focused workshops several times a year, and equipment rental (see below).     2015 Officers and Board    Karen Ford – President Mary Kaiser – Program Debbie Scott – Workshops Emily Levitan - Membership Nancy Lavender – Treasurer Janice Weinstein - Secretary Mary Spanos – Website Deborah Kattus - Newsletter Janelle Zorko Schultz - Past President     Rental of Guild Equipment & Materials   The Guild has available, for rental to members, the following: Lucy Neatby's DVD knitting collection.  See  http://www.lucyneatby.com/dvd_contents.html for description of DVD contents. Drum Carder Laura Fry's Magic in the Water  book and DVD. There will be a $30 deposit per DVD (Lucy Neatby) and $100 deposit for the drum carder. Deposit for Laura Fry's materials still to be determined. The rental fee for all items is $5 per month rented. Equipment can only be checked out at Fiber Guild monthly meetings and a check-out list will be posted inside the door of the cabinet. Deposit checks will be held by Nancy Lavender, treasurer, until returned in original condition.