County Fair Information

The Fremont County Fair deadlines are quickly approaching:

    •  Entry Form Deadline - July 8, 2016

    •  Pickup Entry Tags - July 22, 2016

    •  Take Entries to Fairgrounds - July 28, 2016

    •  Pick up Entries - August 7, 2016

A complete list of Scheduled Events can be found and downloaded here

The complete Fair Book can be downloaded here

Entry forms can be filled out online, but call to confirm it has been received. The form can be found here.

From Scraps to Ribbon

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We All Sew blog shows how to turn scraps of roving, yarn, string, ribbon, etc. into a decorative ribbon that can be used for embellishing crafts or for decorating packages and gifts.

The pictorial tutorial can be found here.

Knit in Public - 2016

Knit in Public
Centennial Park
Lander, WY
June 18, 2016

The Guild hosted a community World Wide Knit in Public Day at Centennial Park in Lander, WY  on June 18, 2016, and seventeen individuals (guild members and the general public) attended.

Attendees could be seen knitting, crocheting, spinning, and chatting

Sandy W. did some supported spinning

Colleen J. brought her spinning wheel 

Yesterday's post features photos of the items members brought for Show and Tell, following the meeting.

Show and Tell - June

Vicky B. reveals the silk scarf she dyed at a Guild workshop

Vicky B. used tissue to dye a flock of sheep on a second silk scarf

Mary H. shows her silk scarf dyed at the Guild workshop

Mary H. displays the second silk scarf she dyed

Rachel B. and her sister Sarah B. reveal their dyed scarves

Two more scarves dyed at the Guild workshop

The Silk Scarf Dyeing workshop was held in May: a previous blog post can be seen here.

Colleen J. is making a hat, using Tunisian crochet

Helix scarf is on Dana H.'s knitting needles

Jeni V. shows the pattern for the bag she is knitting for her sister

Cinde P. models a poncho she recently finished

Cinde P. has a bag nearly finished

Brenda H. is modifying a baby sweater to fit and adult

Mary H. is currently making crochet scrubbies

Gift Idea

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Friends who love fabric also appreciate gifts made from fabric, especially when you prepare the fabric into something memorable. This clever star is created by simple folding and weaving the fabric into a star shape.

A photo tutorial on how to recreate the Folded Star can be found on Spring Water Designs.

Tatting Patterns

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Over 300 free tatting patterns and projects can be found on the All Crafts website.

Patterns offered are for both small and larger projects.

Don't know how to tat, check YouTube for instructional videos.

Dyeing Fabric in Gradients

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Summer is the perfect time to try some new techniques: those that are messy can be moved outdoors. If you've ever wanted to try dyeing fabrics in a gradient, then check out the photo tutorial on Katie's Quilts and Crafts, gather the supplies, and invite some friends over for a day of playing with color.

Ideas for Summer Gatherings

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Looking for some fresh ideas for a summer gathering of your sewing or quilting friends? Coats and Clark has some clever ideas for decorating, for favors, and for entertainment on the Summer Sewing Soiree blog post.

Crafting Travel Tips

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Planning on traveling this summer? You might find Lion Brand's ten travel tips helpful to make your crafting easier.

Superhero Capes

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If you have some small superheroes visiting your home this summer, you may want to transform some old T-shirts into capes for their playtime. Your reward will be shrieks for joy and hours of happy play.

The Southern Institute provides a tutorial with accompanying video to make the task easy.

Meeting Reminder

Fiber Guild meeting and Knit in Public 

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Centennial Park -- Lander, WY

(200 block of Main St. - east of the car wash)

10AM - 2PM

Guild meeting will be held first

Remember to bring:

a knitting, spinning, weaving project

a comfy chair

a hat

sunscreen

water 

snack

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Sage Ridge Mill & Critters' Retreat

An amazing day of Natural Fibery fun Workshops & FREE Demos for You

June 24, 25 & 26th, 2016

This will be hosted on a Working Wyoming Fiber Ranch – 

SageRidge Mill & Critters

Located in Clearmont, Wyoming at 

239 Thompson Creek Rd

Bring your Tent or Camper!  

We will have some campers available on a first come- first serve basis. 

Clear Creek Stop in Clearmont has three cabins available for overnight rental

Other motel accomadations are available 30 miles away in Historic Buffalo, Wyoming.

Come and enjoy an experience of working with natural fibers, helping to make a connection with the animals that produce your fiber and learning from producers who raise the fibers you love!

(We will only be working with Natural/Local Fibers at this event) 

Class prices vary from $15 to $75 depending.  

Pre-Registration is preferred this year 

but 

Sign-up the day of the event at the check-in will be available for most classes.

There will be classes (and Demos) in Weaving, Needle Felting, Wet Felting, Spinning (wheel and drop spindle), Natural Plant Dyeing, Knitting, Crochet, and whatever else these clever natural fiber producers can bring with them to teach us!

Lunch will be provided (FREE): make your own sandwich from 12 – 1 pm.

Dinner will be at 5:30 pm over the campfire both evenings.  Dinner is $10.00 per person ($6.00 for children under 12) but is FREE if you register (at the gate) & enjoy 2 classes!

Marshmallows over the campfire are FREE

Classes are available for passerby observation FREE of charge, but to participate, you must register for the class.  Again our main focus is to use and enjoy naturally grown regional fibers down to the LAST bag! 

Community Work (Gossip) Area – FREE

Call us at 307-758-4616 to reserve your space to come and have fun with us in the Wyoming Prairie.  

Or email Linda at sageridge@rangeweb.net.  

If you want to see “the place” and get a feel for our “working ranch” and what you might expect to experience and appropriate gear to bring with you, go to www.sageridge.net. 

Back to the Ranch…. It’s time to experience where your Fiber comes from….

Lander Knitting Socials

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Vicky B. (aka The Knitting Dragon) is hosting 

free Knitting Socials at the Lander Art Center this summer. 

All socials are on Friday evening from 6 - 8 PM

Beginner or Experienced Knitters are welcome

June 17

July 1

July 29

August 12

August 26

September 2

September 16

Send an email to the address given in the top right column

 of this blog for more information.

Back in Time - Knit in Public

Knit in Public Day
City Park
Riverton, WY
June 2015

Members of the Fremont Fiber Art Guild have hosted three Knit in Public Days: two in Riverton and one in Lander. Members gather in public places to chat, knit, and answer questions of curious passersby.

The largest turnout was in Riverton 2015 at the intersection of Main St. and Federal Blvd. where seven members and three guests gathered.

Knit in Public Day
Lander Public Library
Lander, WY
June 2012

One of the earliest Knit in Public Days was held in Lander in 2012 with six members participating. The following year (2013),  a small group (four members) knit in front of the Riverton Public Library.

Fast forward to 2016 -- the Guild has reserved Lander Centennial Park (200 block of Main St - east of the car wash) for the 2016 Knit in Public Day on Saturday, June 18, 2016 from 10AM until 2PM. We will hold our monthly meeting first and then settle in to knit in public.

Guild members and the general public are invited to participate. Please come and bring a few friends who also love to knit, spin, weave, etc.

Remember the event is outside, so please bring:
    •  a knitting, spinning, weaving project
    •  a comfy chair
    •  a hat
    •  sunscreen
    •  water
    •  snack

If the weather is nasty, the event will be held at the Lander Public Library. 

Understanding Twist Angles

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Why would you want to measure twist? Suppose you spun a lot of yarn at one time, all the same way. You work on your project for time, then set it aside. A year or more later you come back to it, determined to finish it--but you find you don't have quite enough yarn spun. You've got the fiber, so you sit down to spin it. 

Here's another problem--you can't spin the yarn just the same because your spinning style has changed in the meantime, and the amount of twist you put in the yarn is different. You try some of the newer yarn in your project, but it looks so different from the old that it just won't work.

By measuring the twist angle of the original yarn, you can check your new yarn against that angle while you spin. That plus 'wraps per inch' will help you duplicate yarn no matter how long it's been since you spun the first one.  (taken the HJS Studio website- link given below)

The entire article can be read on the HJS Studio website. 

Gridwall Displays

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Planning on having a booth at a summer craft show or need display walls for a gallery?

If so, then the directions and photo tutorial on contemporary artist, Domenick Naccarato's website may be helpful.

Tablet Stand

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No doubt, someone you know uses a tablet instead of a laptop or desktop computer. The Sewing Directory gives complete instructions on making a convenient Tablet Stand in a photo tutorial.

Hint: this would make a nice Father's Day gift.

Sock Sheep

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Create a flock of cute sheep from socks by following the photo tutorial on Craft Passion. Directions are given for both the standing and reclining sheep.

Barn Quilt with Sheep

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This double bed-sized Barn Quilt with Sheep from City House Studio is an original design, made entirely from 2 inch scraps, with the exception of the Barn's Pinwheel Quilt, the Sheep's Background, and top of Silo -- over 3000 two inch scraps.

The background story and more photos of the quilt can be seen here.

Blocking Program

Alice B., Brenda H., Jeni V., and Jane W. watch as Colleen J. explains
the importance of measuring items throughout the blocking process.

Colleen J. demonstrates how she blocks her knit items
with blocking wires and pins. She uses a board that is
typically used for laying out sewing patterns. At home,
Colleen covers the board with plastic and places it on her
ironing board. The grid on the board helps her measure
the item being blocked.

Jeni V. and Jane W. watch as Colleen demonstrates how she inserts
the blocking wires into the item being blocked. 

Weaving Tip

Weavers may find Peggy Osterkamp's tip on "Tying on New Warps the New Way" beneficial.

(click on the link to read the entire article.)

Crochet Market Bags

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Noble Knits shares a free pattern for Crochet Market Bags on their blog and also as a printable PDF.