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.

Yarn Ball Gift Exchange (meeting notice coming soon)

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.

The Yarn Ball will be on the day of our December meeting, December 10, in our usual place. Gather your finest Ball garb, you 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.

November: Raveling & Unraveling, a lecture by Clare Emily Clifford

Raveling & Unraveling: Reflections on Life, Death, & Fiber Arts by Clare Emily Clifford.

Join us on Zoom for a meeting hosted by our fellow guild member Clair. Saturday 12th 10:00 AM. The Zoom connection numbers are in the meeting notice email sent to members. If you are a paid member and you didn't receive the email, send a note to "gbfiberguild at gmail.com" (not displayed as a normal address to keep automated trolls from scrapping it and being annoying).

This meeting will only be on Zoom. Do not go to our regular meeting place, no one will be there!

!Mailed-To-Your-Door-Prize!: 

A random number generator will be used to choose two members from the membership list. The winner will have the prize mailed to them at the home address on the guild member directory! All members will be included! You do not have to be present to win!

Yarn Ball! As in the pre-Covid years we will have a gift exchange as part of the Yarn Ball (the December guild meeting). The theme this year is containers. Think bags, boxes, holders, etc. We are suggesting a price range around $10 to $20.

October meeting is in-person!

Join us for a Spin Around 

When: October  8, 2022

Where: Hoover Church of Christ

Time: 10:00 

We will have a Spinning Round Robin to test out different spinning devices. This meeting will be in person only. No zoom option available this month since it will all be hands on.  

Bring any wheel, drop spindle, spinning device, or yarn fluff that you are interested in selling. This would be a great time for showing them off. 

Feel free to bring any spinning device you are willing to let others try also! We will have a good variety of spinning wheels and spindles to try out. There will also be door prizes for those who attend so come and give it a whorl.  

Mask recommended.

Fiber Frenzy this Saturday!

At last Fiber Frenzy is back! 

 

Join us at the Hoover Church of Christ for some fiber related fun from 10:AM to 1:PM. There will be demonstrations on many fiber forms including spinning, weaving, embroidery, knitting and more. Bring any questions you may have, or projects you are stuck on for help. Do you have unwanted fiber supplies? Help them find a new home, bring them in for a stash swap. 

 

We will provide a few snacks, but bring your own lunch if you wish. Masks recommended.

 

This is a happy wandering chatting event.This is the perfect meeting if you have been thinking about joining our group, or thinking about coming back after an absence.

If you can not join us in person we will have our zoom room open. There will be demonstrations and lessons shown on zoom and in person for the event. The zoom info was sent in the meeting notice for members. Not a member? It is easy to join online, click the Membership tab on this blog for instructions.

Mailed-To-Your-Door-Prize!: 

A random number generator will be used to choose two members from the membership list. The winner will have the prize mailed to them at the home address on the guild member directory! All members will be included! 

You do not have to be present to win!

Spinning Study this week!

Spinning Study meets this week, 10:00am at St. Peter’s Catholic Church on Patton Chapel in Hoover. Bring a lunch if you want!