There are as many ways to do a thing...

 ...as there are spinners to do it.

- Gartha Ray

I met Gartha Ray back in the 1980s when she and Olber were living in Clanton, Alabama, and demonstrating carding and spinning cotton wherever they could. She liked to repeat her saying about there being many ways to do anything, about there being no one right way.

At the November spinning study meeting, as I watched Barabara Tucker spinning, I remembered Gartha's saying. Barbara was spinning cotton on a 1980s Ashford Traditional scotch tension spinning wheel that had one of the older flyers with ratios that are usually considered to be fairly slow. That wheel with that flyer isn't a high speed cotton wheel, but Barbara was happily spinning lovely cotton singles. 

I love that about spinning and all things textile. So many ways to do a thing.

Barbara Tucker's bobbin of cotton singles.

I've enjoyed taking care of the guild blog for a while and I am happily turning it over to Reannon and Joel Dorning. I look forward to following their blog.

Note: If you have access to old issues of Spin Off magazine, I wrote an article about Gartha and Olber Ray for the 1993 spring issue.

Yarn Ball!!! December 10th, 10am at Hoover Church of Christ

This year at the Yarn Ball we'll exchange some holiday cheer with each other by having a gift exchange! We'll bring back this pre-COVID tradition of gifting that was so much fun back in the old days. We won't be stealing gifts, but after-party exchanges are always fine.

If you want to participate, bring a textile oriented bag or box or some type of container that a textile-maker would love to use. We are suggesting a price range of $10 to $25. Put your gift in a plain paper grocery bag so the participants can't see it. We'll explain the remaining details at the party.

Gather your finest Ball garb, your best or funniest tiara, and come enjoy a little fibery fun! If your holidays are too crazy, you don't have to participate in the gift exchange, you can just come hide out and knit with us for a while. 

There will be tea and light refreshments available. If anyone wants to join via zoom we will have a parade of tiaras for you. Check the email meeting notice that was sent to members for the Zoom information.