TWISTED THREADS FIBER ARTS GUILD

presents two workshops and a free lecture with Joan Ruane

First a professional teacher and then a spinner, Joan Ruane has taught spinning throughout the
United States, New Zealand and Canada. She is active in her local regional guilds and has owned
and operated fiber shops in Florida and Arizona. The author of cotton-related newsletters and
two DVDs, Cotton Spinning Made Easy and Cotton Spinning with a Takli, Joan has also been
published in fiber magazines. Her updated edition of Hand Spinning Cotton by Olive and Harry
Linder will be available soon for purchase.

Joan lives near Bisbee, Arizona, where she grows a small crop of colored and white cotton
for use in her own projects. Her website—CottonSpinning.com—offers tips on spinning and
working with cotton.

SPINNING COTTON OFF THE POINT
Saturday, September 14, 9 am to 4 pm
$75 Twisted Threads members
$90 Non-members
Materials fee paid to instructor, not to exceed $25

For beginners and advanced spinners

Spinning off the point allows more control over the yarn you are spinning as there is no “drawin” pull on the fiber like you have using a spinning wheel. Thus it makes it easier to spin cotton
off the point than on the spinning wheel.

The class will be learning to spin off the point of a takli support spindle. This will give them the
long draw technique of spinning. Learning to control the thickness and strength is important in
getting the yarn you want to have for a project. With the takli under their belt we will move to
a variety of charkha wheels, learning the differences and their limitations. Students will have a
chance to open and close an Indian book charkha. Several stand-alone charkhas and quill heads
will be available to work on and hopefully a great wheel if one is available in the area. Students
are encouraged to bring in their charkhas and quills to class. A short lesson in carding cotton and
making punis for spinning will be given.

Students should bring:
notebook and pencil
tags and a small niddy noddy
a couple toilet rolls
ball winder if they own one (these can be shared)
a set of carders if you have one
optional: bring any spinning device that requires you to spin off the point

Instructor will provide:
handouts
2 Indian charkhas for use in class
quill head for Lendrum and the Majacraft wheels
Babe Liten Spindel
cotton fiber for use in class
takli spindles and bowls to use in class
couple cotton carders to be used in class
puni sticks

SPINNING BAST FIBERS
Saturday, September 15, 9 am to 4 pm

$75 Twisted Threads members
$90 Non-members
Materials fee paid to instructor, not to exceed $15

For beginners and advanced spinners
Spinners must be comfortable with their wheels
Flax, ramie and hemp, plus some surprises, will be taught with an introduction of history and
then the technique of spinning each fiber. Students will experience dressing a distaff with flax as
well as spinning the fiber in several different ways. Ramie and hemp will be provided in sliver
form. Spinning from the fold, off your forefinger, will be taught as one method of spinning the
long staple fibers. Yarn finishing will be discussed.

Student should bring:
spinning wheel (no bulk spinners) and maintenance supplies
lazy kate and 4 bobbins
small niddy noddy
labels (tags or other means of labeling fiber and yarns)
distaff if you have one
dark apron or lap cloth
bath towel
small cup for water
* recommend you bring your own spinning chair or a cushion

Instructor will provide:
handouts
fiber for use in class
samples and educational materials


COTTON IS KING
Saturday, September 14, 7 pm
free and open to the public

Joan will present a 45-minute lecture on cotton’s history, its influence in the world and the role it
plays today in United States’ agriculture.

Workshops and lecture location—

North Carolina State University Crafts Center
210 Jensen Drive
Raleigh, NC 27606

WORKSHOP REGISTRATION
Mail a check with a completed registration form (indicating which workshop(s) you wish to
attend) to—

Twisted Threads Fiber Arts Guild
Lynn Michael
4208 New Hill-Holleman Rd
New Hill, NC 27562

For additional information, contact Jane Bynum, janebynumatatt.net

The Twisted Threads Fiber Arts Guild is pleased to announce:

HOW TO MAKE THE YARN YOU WANT TO MAKE: AN ADVANCED SPINNING CLASS

Continuing spinners, gain inspiration and skill at making the yarn you have in mind.   What gives your yarn personality? How can you consistently make LOTS of it? Examine fiber prep, spinning methods,twist and plying options and then play,play, play with color and fiber combinations.

Martha began her adventure in spinning at the John C. Campbell Folk School, (founded in 1925), in Brasstown, North Carolina in 1978.  Since 1980 her extended family has included sheep and angora rabbits, currently Corriedale/Merino, Romney, Shetland with a little Blue faced Leicester for fun.  Also a banjo player and known to tell a story or two, Martha’s interest in sheep and wool, music and dance, have carried her quite literally and joyfully around the world.  Her children say she is a wool nerd but her sheep say she is outstanding in her field!

Martha became a member of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild in 1988, is  Resident Artist at the  John C. Campbell Folk School in spinning, knitting, felt making, and dyeing, and is a co-owner of Yarn Circle in Murphy, NC, a store catering to fiber enthusiasts.  She has been teaching spinning, natural dyeing and knitting design since 1984. (She taught her first class of thirteen students how to card and spin with a one month old nursling in a wind up swing as her assistant.)

The class will be held August 18 – 19, 2012 from 9:30 am – 4:30 pm each day (1 hour lunch) at the NC State University Crafts Center (2241 East Dunn Ave., Raleigh NC 27607).  Class fees are $120 for Twisted Threads Guild members and $150 Non members.  A materials fee is to be paid directly to the instructor, not to exceed $25.  A spinning wheel is  required.

The registration form is available here.  Dues paying Guild members can register immediately; non-members can register after June 21, 2012.

Fiber of the Month: Silk

Silk is a protein fiber produced by the larvae of various moth species; it is also produced by spiders. It is a smooth, lustrous and strong fiber much desired for its light weight; 1 ounce of silk can produce a small shawl.


The information below is a summary of the presentation made by Jane and Jame at the March 15, 2012 Twisted Threads Fiber Arts Guild meeting.
References
wormspit.com
Interweave Spin-Off articles

Summer 1994.  Has many articles on silk including one on the history of sericulture in the U.S.

Spring 1997. Silk, a Spinner’s Survey.  Several articles cover spinning silk bricks to silk noil.

Winter 1999. Wild Silk, part 1.

Spring 2000. Wild Silk, part 2.

Fall 2000. Spin silk for Braiding.

Spring 2003. Silk Road to Mexico. Silk Scarves.

Spring 2004. Silk Embroidery Threads. Wool and Silk Plied.

Fall 2004. Duet for Silk Brick.

Spring 2005. Spinning a Navajo 3-ply to make crochet bead ropes using hand-painted silk.

Winter 2006. Working with silk hankies.

Fall 2007. Dyeing with hankies.

Winter 2007. Back-page essay on raising silk worms.

Summer 2009. Handspun silk ribbons.

Fall 2009. Raise your own silkworms.

Fall 2011. Spinning silk carrier rods.

Knitty articles

Dyeing silk http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter08/KSFEATdyeanotherday.php

Spinning a hankie http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/FEATsilkhankies.html

Intro to silk by Michael Cook http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATbombyx.html

Brief summary of types of silk preparations available to handspinners (see also wormspit.com)
cocoons - rawest form, may or may not have the larvae removed
hankies & bells - a minimally processed cocoon that has been de-gummed and stretched over a frame
noil - silk waste leftover after combing or carding; produces a yarn with lots of texture and can be added to other fibers to add color and texture.
rods - silk that gathers on rollers during the reeling process
top - silk strands that are combed
reeled silk - premium silk reeled in a continuous strand from stifled cocoons.

Sources 

Handpainted silk top (and wool or wool/silk blends):
Dyepot.com
Miss Babs
Chasing Rainbows

Other silk:
Carolina Homespun - usually has the Louet top, along with some Eri and Muga
Little Barn - has the lowest prices for Tussah top - quality varies
Northeast Fiber Arts - noil, rods, and most species as top
Treenway Silks - lots of yarn, usually a variety of top
Webs - has the Louet top, some handpainted top
Detta's Spindle - has noil, other preparations

January Third Thursday Guild Meeting 2011

Twisted Threads Fiber Arts Guild met on 20 January 2011 at the NCSU Crafts Center with 13 in attendance.

Business Meeting

Treasurers Report by Lynn:

• December's swap dues have been deposited.
• 2011 dues are currently being accepted.

Fiber Fest

This year will feature a skein an garment competition.  Ol'North State Knitting Guild is developing the rules for entry and judging.

Program

Judy and Elaina led a lively session on "making it do", re-purposing items for fiber arts use.

Punky suggested to use of a placemat on which to rest a project and be able to easily turn it on lap or table.  Also she suggested using a lifeline, a length of thread or yarn threaded through the stitchesof a lace project to mark the extent of error free progress.  Should an error occur that requires ripping back, the lifeline facilitates picking up stitches with greater ease.

Jane uses cardboard weaving bobbins for storing spindle or wheel spun singles prior to plying.

Carole uses jump rings as stitch markers and stores them in empty medicine bottles.

Please leave a comment if you have other suggestions, would like to make a correction, or if I have inadvertently left out your suggestion!

December 2010

Twisted Threads Fiber Arts Guild met on 10 December 2010 at the NCSU Crafts Center with 21 in attendance

Elections by unanimous vote:

President - Jane
Vice President - Judy
Recording Secretary - Jame
Treasurer - Lynn

Appointed positions:
Librarian - Amy
Outreach - Elaina

By-laws were approved unanimously.

SWAP!

November 2010 Guild Meeting

November Third Thursday Guild Meeting

Twisted Threads Fiber Arts Guild met on 18 November 2010 at the NCSU Crafts Center with 11 in attendance.

Presentation

Show and tell for members who entered State Fair contests. Wow! Thank you to Lynn, Shawn and Jane for bringing in your skeins, shawls and rugs! It's great inspiration to start planning for 2011.

Business

Lynn gave the Treasurer's report.

• The treasury has a positive balance.
• A search for another bank is underway since SunTrust is instituting a service charge on checking.
• The Guild received a thank you from the Craft Center for our donation.
• New books and movies were purchased for the library.

Amy reported on the library:

• New items in the library include How I Spin, The Gently Art of Plying, Drafting:The Long and Short of it, and Spin Control.
• Please contact Amy if you want to check out a book but will not be able to attend a meeting at the Craft Center. E-mail sent to the yahoo group will reach Amy, or you can send her a private message through the yahoo group website.

Jane reported on
Old business:

• By-laws are currently being written and revised and will be ready for the December meeting elections.

New business:

• Frith and Kathryn have resigned from the SAFF skein and garment competition committee.
• Nominations for 2011 officers: President - Jane, Vice President - Judy, Treasurer - Lynn, Recording Secretary - Jame

Other business:

• Carolyn would like to attend a winter fiber retreat, perhaps at a beach house.  Would anyone like to plan one?

October Third Thursday Guild Meeting

Twisted Threads Fiber Arts Guild met on 21 October 2010 at the NCSU Crafts Center with 9 in attendance.

Wheel Round Robin

Wheels present at the meeting were Stacey's Ashford Traditional, Amy's Majacraft Rose, and Jame's Spinolution Hopper. 





Business

The NCSU Crafts Center has provided the TTFAG with a locked cupboard in which to keep the Guild Library.  Amy, Guild Librarian, shelved the books after the meeting and plans to organize the books at the November 18th meeting.  This will allow the library to be available when Amy's schedule doesn't permit her to attend meetings.

Respectfully submitted,
Jame
TTFAG Recording Secretary