Grow Your Skills Spin-In

This lively spin-in is all about growing your spinning skills, even if you're a beginner!

Please join Donita, Lori, Heavenly, and me. Get your spinning questions answered and hang with your third Thursday friends!

Grow Your Skills Spin-In

This lively spin-in is all about growing your spinning skills, even if you're a beginner!

Please join Donita, Lori, Heavenly, and me. Get your spinning questions answered and hang with your third Thursday friends!

Grow Your Skills Spin-In

This lively spin-in is all about growing your spinning skills, even if you're a beginner!

Please join Donita, Lori, Heavenly, and me. Get your spinning questions answered and hang with your third Thursday friends!

Grow Your Skills Spin-In

This lively spin-in is all about growing your spinning skills, even if you're a beginner!

Please join Donita, Lori, Heavenly, and me. Get your spinning questions answered and hang with your third Thursday friends!

Grow Your Skills Spin-In

This lively spin-in is all about growing your spinning skills, even if you're a beginner!

Please join Donita, Lori, Heavenly, and me. Get your spinning questions answered and hang with your third Thursday friends!

New Building Skills Spin-in

As you probably know, the PSG hosts two 90-minute spin-ins every month.
On the first Sunday of every month at 5 p.m. Pacific
On the third Sunday of every month at 10 a.m. Pacific
However, those spin-ins can get more technical and in-depth than some spinners are ready for or comfortable with. In response, we're launching a new monthly spin-in! The Building Skills Spin-in will start this month and will take place at 5 p.m. Pacific on the third Thursday of each month. The first will be on March 20. Just like all the PSG spin-ins, guild members will get a spin-in link the week before the spin-in and it's always posted in the PSG forums.

New Building Skills Spin-in

As you probably know, the PSG hosts two 90-minute spin-ins every month.
On the first Sunday of every month at 5 p.m. Pacific
On the third Sunday of every month at 10 a.m. Pacific
However, those spin-ins can get more technical and in-depth than some spinners are ready for or comfortable with. In response, we're launching a new monthly spin-in! The Building Skills Spin-in will start this month and will take place at 5 p.m. Pacific on the third Thursday of each month. The first will be on March 20. Just like all the PSG spin-ins, guild members will get a spin-in link the week before the spin-in and it's always posted in the PSG forums.

February 3, 2024 Zoom Only

Follow the Fleece: A Fiber Adventure Michelle Boyd

We are surrounded by fibers, but how can we know how to spin them? The fibers are leaving us clues and all we have to do is find them! This workshop takes a playful approach to learning to "read" a fiber and decide how best to spin it. And once we have decoded the fibers, we can follow them to their end uses. We will look at three different projects and use our detective skills to determine the best fibers and spinning techniques to make the perfect yarns. In the end, we will have a notebook full of clues to help us solve even the most difficult wooly mysteries. (Fiber sample kits will be provided prior to the meeting for use during the program).

Topics covered:

~ wool and fiber preparations: rovings and tops and everything in between

~ spinning style for different fibers (and why)

~ determining the right amount of twist for breed specific fibers

~ the concept of “spinning to the twist" simplified

~ spinning fibers beyond wool

~ considerations for the end uses of our spinning

Please join us for a Virtual Distaff Day on Zoom. If you’re interested in joining us, please email me (TerriSpins@gmail.com) or PM me on my Terri Spins Facebook page for the link.

Distaff Day (Roc Day) is the day after the feast of the Epiphany. It is also known as Saint Distaff's Day, one of the many unofficial holidays in Catholic nations.

Many St. Distaff's Day gatherings are held, large and small, throughout local fiber communities. The distaff, or rock, used in spinning was the medieval symbol of women's work.

In many European cultural traditions, women resumed their household work after the twelve days of Christmas. Women of all classes would spend their evenings spinning on the wheel. During the day, they would carry a drop spindle with them. Spinning was the only means of turning raw wool, cotton or flax into thread, which could then be woven into cloth.

November 25th is St. Catherine's Day. St. Catherine is the patron saint of spinners.

We will be honoring her by spinning (and doing other fiber arts) together in Zoom. If you have some free time, we would love it if you'd join us!

If you would like to join us on Zoom, please email me or PM me on my Terri Spins Facebook page.

If you are unable to join us, so please comment, post pictures, and tell us what you will be spinning in honor of our patron saint.

Quinquatrus of Minerva (Actually March 19th)
Roman festival of the Goddess Minerva (Greek Athena)
The patroness of medicine, handicrafts, doctors, artists, weaving, sewing, painting, teaching, dyeing, spinning and wisdom and as font of artistic inspiration.

Sunday, March 19th was the Quinquatrus of Minerva. But we had another obligation on the 19th and we like to have these gatherings on the weekend so that more folks can join us! Therefore, we will be gathering on Saturday, March 25th.

***** If you would like to join us on Zoom, please email me or PM me on my Terri Spins Facebook page prior to the event. *****

If you have other obligations for the day, please join us in spirit, comment and tell us what you will be spinning, and share a picture or two!! ;D

Friday, February 3rd was St. Blaise's Day. But since this Saturday was our Spinning Guild meeting, we will be gathering on Zoom on Saturday, February 11th.

If you have other plans that day, please join us in spirit, comment and tell us what you will be spinning, and share a picture or two!! ;D

 ***** If you would like to join us on Zoom, please email me or see the links on my Terri Spins Facebook page and in my TerriSpins Facebook group. *****

 St. Blaise is the patron saint of wool combers.

Saint Blaise, was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea in historical Armenia (modern Sivas, Turkey). According to the Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron combs, and beheaded. He is the patron saint of wool combers.

Saturday, February 3rd was St. Blaise's Day. But since That Saturday is our Spinning Guild meeting, we will be gathering on Zoom on Sunday, February 11th.

If you have other plans that day, please join us in spirit, comment and tell us what you will be spinning, and share a picture or two!! ;D

 ***** If you would like to join us on Zoom, please email me or see the links on my Terri Spins Facebook page and in my TerriSpins Facebook group. *****

 St. Blaise is the patron saint of wool combers.

Saint Blaise, was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea in historical Armenia (modern Sivas, Turkey). According to the Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron combs, and beheaded. He is the patron saint of wool combers.

The Nutmeg Spinners Guild will feature Alanna Wilcox for a virtual guild meeting on Saturday, February 4th. The topic will be Color, Fiber, and Dye.

Are you a fiber enthusiast who is curious about color? Maybe you’re even “dyeing” to learn more about how and when color is applied to fiber influences a project’s visual outcome. In this lecture, Alanna breaks down color theory in a very easy to understand way for the novice fiber colorist and then deep dives into the nuances that can be tapped into when one is aware of how human perception of color (and how that perception) can guide our choices in creating with fiber, yarn, and handmade fabrics..

About Alanna Wilcox:
Alanna learned how to crochet from her grandmother. Her inquisitiveness led to learning how to do needlepoint, which was a gateway into cross stitch, then embroidery, crazy quilting, hand spinning yarn, dyeing fiber, knitting, weaving & felting. The more techniques she consumed, the more ravenous she became to learn more. She also loved drawing, painting, and playing with anything that had to do with color. Her love of the fiber arts was only rivaled by her enthusiasm to teach and inspire others about it. She gets energized when she’s able to combine fiber art techniques and teaching by writing books and leading workshops, allowing her to share her passion with others. Traveling to fiber festivals, connecting with textile enthusiasts, and telling corny jokes are also high on her to-do list. Alanna is a master spinner, fiber artist, author, and instructor who lives with her family in Rochester, NY.

You can see Alanna’s work through her IG (Instagram account) @spinnybuns, or by visiting her website AlannaWilcox.com.

This is an online meeting. The Zoom meeting will begin at 8:30 AM. The program will begin at 9:00 AM.

Thursday, February 3rd is St. Blaise's Day. But we like to have these Special Gatherings on the weekend to give folks a chance to join us who might not be able to join us on a week night. Therefore, we will be gathering on Zoom on Sunday, February 6th.

If you have other plans that day, please join us in spirit, comment and tell us what you will be spinning, and share a picture or two!! ;D

 ***** If you would like to join us on Zoom, please email me or join on my Terri Spins Facebook page. *****

 St. Blaise is the patron saint of wool combers.

Saint Blaise, was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea in historical Armenia (modern Sivas, Turkey). According to the Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron combs, and beheaded. He is the patron saint of wool combers.

The Nutmeg Spinners Guild will feature national mentor Deborah Robson for a virtual guild meeting on Saturday, February 5. Two topics will be presented using a series of slides and discussion.

1) The Magic of Wool—learn through a discussion of the science of wool, why this fiber, in all its varieties, is pretty close to magical. Discussion will include Q&A and an introduction to wool samples.

2) Rare Wool Breeds, Q&A and spinning—learn about who decides a breed is rare (and how), what breeds are rare (and why), why we need to keep these breeds around, and what to do with the wool.

In preparation for this meeting, fibers representing the following were purchased by the guild, packaged and made available during the December guild meeting. All of these fall into the rare breed category, as well as being representative of fiber type.
1. a fine wool
2. a medium wool
3. a longwool
4. a double-coated wool
and…
5. Romeldale/CVM

If a member did not receive a sample package and would like one, please contact treasurer.nutmegspinnersguild@gmail.com to arrange for pickup or mailing for a small fee.

Zoom invitations will be sent to guild members prior to the meeting. If you are interested in becoming a member of the guild, please contact membership.nutmegspinnersguild@gmail.com or sign up through Nutmegspinners.org.

Deb Robson is an acclaimed researcher, author and fiber artist. She may be best known for her book, The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, which she co-authored with Carol Ekarius. She also teaches classes and workshops and online. Learn more about Deb and her work through her website Independent Stitch, read her blog and sign up for her emails.

Please join us for a Virtual Distaff Day on Zoom. If interested, please visit my Facebook group for the link.

Distaff Day (Roc Day) is the day after the feast of the Epiphany. It is also known as Saint Distaff's Day, one of the many unofficial holidays in Catholic nations.

Many St. Distaff's Day gatherings are held, large and small, throughout local fiber communities. The distaff, or rock, used in spinning was the medieval symbol of women's work.

In many European cultural traditions, women resumed their household work after the twelve days of Christmas. Women of all classes would spend their evenings spinning on the wheel. During the day, they would carry a drop spindle with them. Spinning was the only means of turning raw wool, cotton or flax into thread, which could then be woven into cloth.

Wondrous Woolens

Join us via Zoom for this program with Stephenie Gaustad.

Woolen yarns are really quite unique. First off, not all of them are wool. “Woolen” means that they are built by choices: the fiber, its preparation, a unique drafting style and the yarn’s finish. Experience these by participating in this Zoom workshop to produce cushy, warm and super elastic yarns, using carded and cloud preparations and the “woolen” draw. Then learn how to finish these yarns to preserve their elasticity, loft and warmth.

You may sit and listen, or participate. To participate, you should have a functional spinning device: wheel or spindle with which you are comfortable; wool hand carders and sample fibers either from your stash or those we will make available for purchase. Sample fibers are now available for order in 4-oz. packages for $10.00 each. The package includes 2 oz. of a washed natural wool, and 2 oz. of roving in either white or shades of red/pink, or shades of blue, or shades of yellow. Deadline for ordering is Sunday, May 30 in order to allow enough 􀀥me for shipping. Order on our website nutmegspinners.org

Who may participate: This meeting is limited to current Guild members. As a reminder, this guild meeting is reserved for members only. If you have received the newsletter but your membership has lapsed, you may renew up un􀀥l June 5 to participate in the program, and your membership will be good for the following year.

Shhhhh!! 
Don't let me find out about it! It's a Surprise Party!! ;)
Absolutely NO Presents!! Just friendship, fun and fiber-y activities!

Remember, don't tell Terri ... but you're welcome to bring cake (for yourself)!

***** If you would like to join us on Zoom, please email me or PM me on my Terri Spins Facebook page prior to the event. *****

If you have other obligations for the day, please join us in spirit, comment and tell us what you will be spinning, and share a picture or two!! ;D

Shave Em to Save Em (SE2SE)

By Clemes and Clemes

Join us via Zoom for this program with Roy Clemes, which is based upon the Livestock Conservancy’s initiative to support the continuation of endangered heritage sheep breeds. Roy will cover:

• What are the qualifications for SE2SE?

• How do Clemes and Clemes source their fiber?

• What are examples of SE2SE fleece?

• What are their properties?

• There are 3 basic fleece families. How do you prepare them for spinning?

• How do you build up a bat from the fleece?

• What are the uses for their wool?

Beyond supplying clean fleece for spinners, Clemes and Clemes makes tools for fiber preparation, as one would know from attending wool and sheep festivals held around the U.S. Roy Clemes will talk about several of the tools that they make for fiber preparation – hand cards, flickers, drum carders, blending boards and a new tool called The Lock Pop. He will provide some demonstrations as well as talk about how they make the tools. In this time of COVID-19 he will talk about California’s Lambtown Festival.

Program Agenda
10:00 – 11:00 AM Open Chat Time
11:00 – 12:30 PM Clemes and Clemes Shave Em To Save Em (SE2SE)
12:30 – 1:00 PM Break
1:00 – 2:00 PM Business Meeting, Show and Tell

Quinquatrus of Minerva (Actually March 19th)
Roman festival of the Goddess Minerva (Greek Athena)
The patroness of medicine, handicrafts, doctors, artists, weaving, sewing, painting, teaching, dyeing, spinning and wisdom and as font of artistic inspiration.

Friday, March 19th is the Quinquatrus of Minerva. But we like to have these Special Gatherings on the weekend so that more folks can join us! Therefore, we will be gathering on Saturday, March 20th.

***** If you would like to join us on Zoom, please email me or PM me on my Terri Spins Facebook page prior to the event. *****

If you have other obligations for the day, please join us in spirit, comment and tell us what you will be spinning, and share a picture or two!! ;D

Making Spindles and Spindling with Dan Brewer

Via Zoom

If you have other plans that day, please join us in spirit, comment and tell us what you will be spinning, and share a picture or two!! ;D

Although Distaff Day is actually January 7th, we're going to gather on January 9th to give folks a chance to join us who might not be able to join us on a week night.

***** If you would like to join us on Zoom, please email me or PM me on my Terri Spins Facebook page. *****

Distaff Day (Roc Day) is the day after the feast of the Epiphany. It is also known as Saint Distaff's Day, one of the many unofficial holidays in Catholic nations.

Many St. Distaff's Day gatherings are held, large and small, throughout local fiber communities. The distaff, or rock, used in spinning was the medieval symbol of women's work.

In many European cultural traditions, women resumed their household work after the twelve days of Christmas. Women of all classes would spend their evenings spinning on the wheel. During the day, they would carry a drop spindle with them. Spinning was the only means of turning raw wool, cotton or flax into thread, which could then be woven into cloth.

Drum Carding!!

If you love color and want to learn the building blocks for creating artful batts, join us for our Guild meeting on Saturday, December 12. This 2 hour Zoom presentation (with breaks) will cover a number of techniques and topics, including the following:

~ Learn how to correctly card clean locks using the flicker
~ Tints, Tones and Shades - the art of blending for color
~ Confetti Cake Batts - creating tweedy, visual texture
~ Ombre Batts - tips for making gradients
~ Advanced Gradients - how to spin multiple style yarns from one batt
~ Tips, techniques and tools for working with and effectively cleaning your drum carder

If you want to participate while Mary demonstrates, you will need the following:

~Drum carder in good working order
~1/2 oz of each fiber for a total of 9 half-ounces:
— Colored fiber to use as a base, plus white, grey and black
— Primary colored fiber: red, blue, yellow
— Wool base - color of your choice, plus a pulled sari silk or short stapled fiber for making the Confetti Cakes
— Flicker or inexpensive dog brush and some fleece/locks not yet flicked, combed, or carded

Even if you don’t own a drum carder, come and let your spinning be inspired and learn how the batts you admire and purchase are created. This is a participatory presentation; please ask questions!

Mary Egbert is the owner of Camaj Fiber Arts, and she specializes in selling her own batts, plus a large number of fiber products and tools to create your own projects. She is the author of the book “The Art of Washing Wool, Mohair and Alpaca,” she’s published articles in Spin Off, Ply Magazine, Tiny Studio, and has taught courses across the country and online. Visit her website at camajfiberarts.com to learn more.

November 25th is St. Catherine's Day. St. Catherine is the patron saint of spinners.

We will be honoring her by spinning (and doing other fiber arts) together in Zoom on November 28th. If you have some free time, we would love it if you'd join us!

If you would like to join us on Zoom, please email me or PM me on my Terri Spins Facebook page.

If you are unable to join us, so please comment, post pictures, and tell us what you will be spinning in honor of our patron saint.