DIY - Drop Spindle

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Directions on how to make a drop spindle with a CD can be found on this Interweave post

Make a Drop Spindle

Half-Hitch for Spindle

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Whether you’re spinning on a Turkish spindle or on a simple toy wheel spindle, there will come a time in your spindle spinning life when you need to make a half-hitch. You may have done so by making a loop and placing it upside-down on the spindle, but there is a much faster way, one that Abby Franquemont illustrates in this Interweave post. 

How to Make a Half-Hitch on Your Spindle

Scottish Spindle

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According to Interweave, modern spinners are rediscovering the traditional Scottish spindle, believed lost for generations. With its whorl-less, cone-shaped body and crossing grooves cut into the bottom, the Scottish spindle, also called a dealgan (pronounced jal-a-gen), is as strong, practical, and dependable as the culture that created it. Want to learn how to spin on a Scottish spindle? 

Check out this photo tutorial provided by Interweave

Drop Spindle Tutorial

Spinning Gradient Yarn

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From Interweave: "I am the boss of my yarn! I can blend colors! I can change from one fiber to another in the same skein of yarn! I can spin gradient yarn from any old fibers! But sometimes being the boss is too much work. Sometimes you want the fiber to do the work for you. You want to spin gradient-dyed fiber.

There are more ways than you might think to spin gradient yarn that preserve the color progression."

Interweave shares the four easiest ways to spring gradient yarn in this post

Show and Tell - August

Laura B. brought some Cheviot roving she purchased in Durango as well
as a bobbin of handspun from the roving. Laura knit the lacy shawl
form handspun for a friend. 

Colleen J. shows the needle-felted picture she is working on. She took
a class in Durango recently on the technique. After felting, the piece
is to be wet-felted. Colleen is also knitting a shawl.

Jeni V. has been sewing: she constructed a large project bag with removable
sections. Jeni also brought three shawls to show the members.

Sandy W. has been spinning, and she recently took a silversmithing class
and made a ring. Sandy showed the members the sweater she entered in
the county fair. She knit the sweater with her own handspun. The pattern
is on Ravelry and is called Spring Showers

Sue O. crocheted a purse using ribbon yarn.
Sali A. modeled the poncho she knit from her handspun scraps

Creating Art Yarn

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Whether your taste is more traditional or you’re interested in creating innovative, eye-catching yarn styles, you’ll love the techniques and tips to inspire all spinning enthusiasts to unleash their creative spirit. 

In Interweave's free ebook, Spinning Novelty Yarn: Tips and Techniques for Creating Art Yarn, you’ll find a number of techniques to add to your repertoire for spinning designer yarns—or any yarns.

How to Ply Yarn

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A plied yarn is stronger, more consistent, and more stable than the singles from which it is made. Also, in the ply structure, more of the individual fibers are covered and protected from abrasive wear, light and chemical damage. Whether you’re learning for the first time, want to weigh the benefits of single- vs. multiple-ply yarn, or want tips for plying on a drop spindle, Interweave's free eBook is packed with helpful tips for spinners of all skill levels.

The book contains tips from Maggie Casey, Judith MacKenzie, Rita Buchanan and other spinning masters. The free eBook contains a wealth of information for the beginning spinner and experienced spinner.

Directory of Fiber Resources

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Interweave originally offered the Natural Fiber Directory as a pull-out section in the Spin-Off magazine, but now it is a free e-book Natural Fiber Directory that can be downloaded on a tablet or smart phone. 

It's a  one-stop, easy-to-take-with-you listings of fiber resources from around the world. These listings are important for searching for the perfect fleece for a project, and also for the spinning community as a whole.

Spindle Hook Alignment

Spinning on a drop spindle that wobbles can be annoying. The wobble, and resulting imbalance, may well be due to the spindle hook not being aligned properly. 

Interweave offers tips on how to fix the alignment of the drop spindle hook in this Tool Tuesday post.

Tackle those UFOs

Weavers, spinners, quilters, crocheters, knitters - work on a variety of projects, and from time to time some projects become stalled or are forgotten.

Let's be honest: we all have unfinished projects (UFOs) tucked away in bags, boxes, and baskets. It might be time to come up with a plan to tackle them and to gain some room in your closets or project bags. You may want to find a new home for some projects, salvage supplies from another, and finally complete those that you love.

McCall's Quilting's blog published a strategy to deal with Projects in Bags, and maybe it will give you the nudge that you need.

Handspinning Video

Enjoy this creative look at the Revolution of Handspinning. The characters and background are  needle-felted, and it's fun to watch.

Spindle Storage

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Need something to store drop spindles to keep them contained and safe from breakage when traveling or simply for easier portability?

Simply Notable shares a tutorial on making a travel case to contain a drop spindle and roving.

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

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.

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….

Bedazzle Your Spinning

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"Mom" on Simply Notable shares how she added beads to her spinning. While her technique is explained using a drop spindle, it may be possible to adapt it for other types of spinning as well.

I hope someone will try this idea and share the results at a Fiber Guild meeting.

Information on this technique can be found here.

Color Selections

Dana H. worked with purple roving

Participants in the Drop Spindle class worked with a wide range of colors.

Vicky B. selected turquoise wool. 

Jeni V. selected a ball of purple roving

Sandy W. quickly spun her bright blue roving into
lace-weight yarn.

Sabrina S. worked with multi-colored roving

Drop Spindle Class - Professional Development

Maggie Casey explains how to determine fiber length  to Sandy W.,
Dana H., Vicky B., Jeni V., and Sabrina S.
September 25, 2015
Riverton, WY

Every two years the Guild offers opportunities for members to receive instruction from professionals. The topics (spinning, weaving, knitting/crochet) are covered on a rotation schedule, and 2015 was the year for spinning.

Two years ago, the Workshop committee contacted Maggie Casey,  a well-known spinner and author from Boulder, CO, and booked her for two days of professional development.

Maggie Casey demonstrates how to determine fiber length

On Friday, Maggie povided a full day of instruction on Drop Spindle spinning to five eager students. All but one of the students had a wide range of experience with the drop spindle, but Maggie provided new techniques for the participants. The group learned the proper way to handle the drop spindle, determine fiber length, spin the fiber into yarn, wind bobbins, and ply the yarn.

Vicky B. tries a new method of holding
the fiber

Sabrina S. concentrates on getting the right twist.

Maggie Casey assists Jeni V. with her technique.

Dana H. enjoyed spinning and visiting. 

Maggie Casey uses the Spolmaskin to transfer the yarn from
the drop spindle to a bobbin.

After spinning enough yarn for two bobbins,
 Sandy W. prepares to ply the two together
using a lazy kate. 

Sandy W. plies the yarn from two bobbins.

Vicky B. and Jeni V. ply yarn
onto Vicky's spindle. 

Plied yarn is wound on a niddy noddy 

Sample of yarn that was spun and plied
by the students.

Drop Spindle students proudly show their success.
Jeni V., Sabrina S., Sandy W., and Magie Casey
Vicky B. and Dana H.
September 25, 2015
Riverton, WY