by Barbara Nichols (aka Frankie)
Here we are heading into the end of the summer and the beginning of what I hope, turns out to be a lovely and long autumn. After the horrible weather and terrific amounts of rainfall this spring I’m sure some of you are disappointed with the results of your gardens… I know I am. My carrots are looking great but that’s it… beets, tomatoes, and flowers are all sad and pathetic. I didn’t get any beans to grow and I never got one potato into the ground in time before the flood conditions hit. The ground was so wet after that, I gave up in despair.
The newsletter has been on my mind pretty much all summer. I have had many thoughts about our little publication and I am finding that I am not getting the enthusiastic response for articles that I was hoping for. I have been writing articles for the newsletter to help fill the gap but I would like everyone in our guild to think long and hard about the spinning or weaving topics that interests them. Writing a short little article about why you like something and how it works and then submitting it for publication will feel like a million bucks, I guarantee it. It doesn’t take long to put together 150 words, and I know you all have the knowledge.
I was disappointed once again that some of our member guilds are not submitting reports to the newsletter either even after being reminded of the deadline date. Please bare in mind that even if your guild is not currently doing much you can still write a little about what you are doing personally. We love to hear from you all.
You will find in this newsletter a reminder from our president that our annual AGM is coming up and this year there will be elections. It is important that we keep this guild alive. I for one, love to get together with everyone to see what is being done by the individual members as well as the group projects that some of us get involved with. So keep in mind that taking on an executive position is necessary if we want this guild to continue. You will be benefiting so many and two short years is such a small amount of time in the whole scheme of things.
I hope you will enjoy this newsletter even if it is a little sparse. You will find on our pages this summer information regarding the Fall Conference, and Pat Markin has asked me to let everyone know that there has been a last minute cancellation so if there is someone who would like to participate in the conference then there is still available space you just need to call her or Loretta Scaley. In addition, I would like to remind you that if you are coming to Hudson’s Hope this September you should book your hotel room early since there are many crews for the oil and gas industry filling up the rooms of the various hotels. The Best Western and the Sportsman Inn are the two hotels but there is a lovely B and B called Gething House as well.
I have included a short book/DVD report on recent purchases that I made from the Interweave Press Annual Hurt book sale. For those of you interested in extending your fibre arts library there is something for all.... weavers, spinners and knitters... So do have a look.
I had hoped to include an article by Cheryl Peebles regarding her recent change in venue for her fibre related business however, due to time restrictions, and an unexpected trip, I was not able to include it in this edition. I hope to have that for you in the next edition in November.
Enjoy
President’s Report
by Renate G.
It’s hard to believe that two years goes by so very quickly. Thank-you for all the help and support you have given me in my time as president. Special thanks go out to the rest of the executive and newsletter editor – it has been great working with you.
This is the year we ask you to step forward to join the executive and help out with the organizational areas of the guild. The more you put into the guild, the more you will get out of it. Marion is looking after nominations so I would encourage you to contact her to volunteer for a position or to nominate someone you know would be excellent in that position. Please consider this carefully and think about what role you can play in this group. Your input is vital to keep PCSW vibrant and successful.
Lynne Brown, VP of Threads and Thoughts, has written a chart of how organizations succeed and why they fail.
Successful Groups
1. a clear purpose for being
2. shared vision and values
3. active engaged members
4. board (executive) members who understand the group and have a passion to see it succeed
Destined to Fail Groups
1. lack of interest in the purpose
2. no vision
3. fewer, reluctant members
4. board (executive) members who feel pressured to perform, possibly serving in the same position numerous times
She goes on to state that the number one killer of organizations is a failure on the part of members to engage, participate and spread the message about the group. I found this very interesting and I think it is clear what our jobs are to keep
PCSW a strong, enthusiastic group, sharing our passion of spinning and weaving.
I am thrilled to report that Valleyview has offered to host the fall 2012 conference. They have a great idea for a dyeing workshop suitable for both spinners and weavers. You will hear more about that at our meeting.
Unfortunately, due to a lack of registrants, we had to cancel the ‘Art Journaling for the Fibre Inclined’ workshop. I guess we are not quite ready to offer two workshops yet. The local Fort St John guild is hoping to book Barb for that workshop for sometime this fall or winter so if any of you are interested in attending let me know and I will put you on the list.
If you are attending the shadow weave workshop you should have received the warping instructions by now. If for some reason you have not, let Pat know and she will get that out to you. Remember Sandra Fearon will give a talk and presentation on testing for the Guild of Canadian Weavers on the Friday night. Even if you are only mildly interested in the testing program I think you will find this information and seeing the samples, valuable. On Saturday we will have an extended lunch hour to accommodate our AGM. I hope to see you all there.
The lovely summer weather has arrived – a great time for spinning and weaving outdoors enjoying the fresh air and catching a few rays. I have a couple of jars on the deck ‘cooking’ some goldenrod and flower petals to dye some fleece. Hope to hear about your summer projects and see some too……………….Rene
PS Recently I came across a website that I really enjoyed. The first weaving show I attended was in Sardis, BC at Coquleetza (a native arts centre). It was on Salish Weaving and all the dyes used were natural and all yarn handspun.
This virtual show showcases that work. The show is called ‘A Journey into Time Immemorial’. www.sfu.museum/time/en/panoramas/long-cook/weaving/20/
Fort St. John, North Peace Spinners and Weavers' Guild
by Lauralee Life
After a spring that was more like a west coast winter (heavy wet snow, cool spring and more than enough rain) we've finally got into some summer weather (fingers crossed, touch wood!). Despite that, we've managed to keep occupied.
First and foremost, our studio space at the Art Post II is confirmed for another year so the looms can stay set up! A good thing too - we have 5 set up and going. Norma C. has been finishing off the last of the shawl warp she and Faye E. put on the big loom. Sue Popescu dropped off another miscellaneous lot of mixed yarns recently, so no doubt something else will soon be planned for that loom. There is still lots of the double weave warp available, though it looks like the bags already woven (about 11 so far) will have to be taken off because the front beam is so full. Faye E. is warping one of the 36" looms for scarfs. The crackle weave runner/placemats on the other is on-going - just the thing for making up some Christmas gifts. Norma C.'s table loom is available to make waffle weave samples; Marjory A. is currently working on that. For the spinners and felters in the crowd, Debbie S. has donated a couple of bags of alpaca fiber for members' use. It's not top grade, mainly because of second-cuts, but there's plenty of potential for experimentation there. The Intermediate Workshop group has been challenged to weave a project using waffle weave by the end of September - scarves and shawls for our gallery show were suggested.
Our April meeting was a shoelace workshop (tablet, inkle, and kumihimo techniques) - as well as an unseasonably snowy weekend! Most members made the meeting, but the northernmost member (the author) was snowed in for 4 1/2 days with 19+" of snow on the driveway. May, though windy, was more like spring, and we trekked off to Frankie's home in Hudsons' Hope for a convivial afternoon of crafting, yarning and visiting. Our June meeting was our annual outdoor dyeing potluck at Mary T's cabin on Charlie Lake. This year the pots on the fire contained birch bark, marigolds, alder bark and lilac cuttings. The birch bark managed to produce a weak beige, as did the lilac cuttings - it was speculated that the lilac might benefit from crushing and steeping first - but the marigolds gave some fine golden yellows and the alder - well steeped this year - dyed dark tan to medium brown with a pinkish tinge. The pink washed out later, but the browns held up well. It was interesting to note that the alder, though harvested at the same time as last year and steeped longer, did not seem to produce as strong a dyebath. So we might try alder another year, just to see what happens.
A merry group went down to Olds College this spring for their master weaver classes. Rene G. and Frankie N. worked on their level 5's, Marjo W. did level 4 and Debbie S. and Sue C. started level 1. Marion W. from Sexsmith, a kind of past and honourary member of the Guild, joined in while she worked on level 5. It was not all classes and work; by all accounts some serious store prowling and shopping also took place!
Closer to home, Cheryl P., Marjory A., Jill S. and Norma C. displayed and demo'd at the July 1, Art In the Park in Fort St. John, even making some sales. Later in the month, Norma C. and Linda H. demonstrated spinning in a local garden for the North Peace Horticultural Society annual Garden Tour. These outings are one way to make ourselves visible, but they are also a lot of fun. Come August 20 & 21, a bunch of us will be hanging out at the North Peace Fall Fair for the same reasons. From July 22 to 24, Frankie N. once again hosted our summer Dyeing Retreat, out at Hudsons' Hope. Reports are that the weather was good (it was a wettish weekend in the Fort St. John area), a lot of fiber got dyed by various methods, and a good time was had by all. The last week in July, Laura Lee L., Faye E. and Marjo W. set up a display of dyed fiber and natural dyestuffs in one of the North Peace Cultural Centre cabinets. The variety of colours and that they came from locally available dyestuffs were particularly gratifying. With luck and modifications, the display can stay up until our gallery show opens at the beginning of October. Our fall meeting will be September 17, 2011.
September 23 - 25 will see P.C.S.W. members, and others, gather in Hudsons' Hope for the annual 2-day workshop. Sandra Fearson will be teaching Shadow Weave, which sounds super interesting. A few more participants can probably be shoehorned into the class, if they register quickly enough.
Hines Creek
by Lorena V.
While weaving at the Arts and Crafts Centre is on hold for now, I have been weaving at home some of the time. Seven placemats in 4/1 basket weave blocks, 4/8 cotton warp and the fine weft with flannelette fabric strips of various prints and plains, have been finished and given away – all I have left is the sampler I wove with 4/8 cotton only. Now I am ready to weave a cushion cover – tan and brown orlec warp to be woven with a variegated dyed bamboo yarn.
Heritage Day August 1 was a busy day at the Museum where Erica, Olive and I demonstrated our crafts – bobbin lace and spinning by Erica, hardanger embroidery by Olive and Kumihimo on-a-card and weaving on a new small rigid heddle loom by me. Several children and a few adults wove samples and seemed to be delighted at the chance to weave. There are lots of people interested in learning what bobbin lace is all about – it is fascinating and lovely. Olive does lovely work in hardanger, a Norwegian embroidery. We enjoyed our day in one of the historical houses at the museum.
I attended the Hand Weavers, Spinners and Dyers of Alberta Conference in Calgary in June – enjoyed it very much. Next year’s conference will be held in High River, and I believe they have chosen alpaca as the theme.
Looking forward to the Fall Conference in Hudson’s Hope
Hudson’s Hope
by Barbara Nichols (aka Frankie)
After I returned from my annual foray down to Olds College for the Master Spinner Program I came home with a head full of ideas. The first thing I tackled was getting the 150 hour project finished for my level 4 homework, which I never got finished till the end of July. Remember when eight weeks of summer vacation seemed like a really long amount of time…. not so anymore. I seem to feel that I turn around twice and summer is almost over. But I am hoping for a nice long and drawn out pleasant autumn.
As I was saying the first month of summer was taken up with my 150 hour project. I spent weeks and weeks preparing a blend of 50% merino, 30% cashmere, and 20% silk for a lace and fairisle shrug. I was really pleased with the results though my cast off as usual was a little tighter than I would have liked.
I have bought a new DVD set called The Knitters Companion and each day I watch a chapter in the hopes that I will become a better knitter. There is a section on casting off so maybe I will learn a few tricks. I hope to bring my shrug along with me to our fall conference to show and tell if I have received it back from my instructor who is marking it.
After I finished the shrug I began spinning some ramie which I will use for a woven table runner. I hope to spin some flax for use in this project as well. I love the ecru of the flax against the stark white of the ramie as a highlight. I am trying to decide if I should weave this on my rigid heddle loom and use some pickup or manipulated techniques or if I should just warp a four harness and be done with it and weave a pretty pattern.
At the same time I am working on a Sumak tapestry in cotton skeins that I dyed while in Olds this summer. This wee project is something handy to take with me in my purse and so it travels quite a bit since I am working on a small piece of cardboard. I am weaving an Iris that I designed myself.
I am also working on one other project on my other spinning wheel. I took a liking to a rare breed of wool this summer that I had the opportunity to try while at Olds. It is called Swalesdale and it is quite a coarse and kempy fibre but I love the wonderful texture that all the kemp adds. I have ordered and am spinning enough to knit this pattern,
which is a pattern that I have wanted to try since first seeing it in the late 1980s. I will keep you all abreast of this project.
which is a pattern that I have wanted to try since first seeing it in the late 1980s. I will keep you all abreast of this project.
Meanwhile I am happy to say that I have met two new possible members for my wee guild here in Hudson’s Hope. They are both interested in spinning and one lucky lady has a great wheel at her parents home in soutern B.C. which she is hoping to get shipped here eventually. The other lady is also interested in spinning but also has an interest in weaving as well.
Carol says to say hello to you all as she continues to work on her six ply high twist yarn for her latest pair of socks. We still get together over the summer even though she is working full time. Lucky her… her job allows her some free time to knit… now why can’t we all get jobs like that!
I sure hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and I sure hope we have a lovely long and pleasant autumn. See you all in September.
Saskatoon Lake
by Mae T.
Summer 2011
Summer according to the calendar but the reality has been debatable.
Everyone is busy. Marion and Joan are weaving rugs using yarn left over from other projects. They are a mixing the colours by twisting two or three strands together. The results are beautiful.
Shannon is weaving her third mohair blanket, all unique and eye catching.
Mae has finally got her shawl threaded and ready to weave. With so many delays she wondered if the day would ever come.
Gudrun is weaving place mats in varied colours.
Nancy is weaving tea towels.
Verna May is weaving a silk scarf.
Happy Weaving,
Fall Conference/September 23, 24 and 25th/Hudson’s Hope
A two-day workshop to discover the elements of Shadow Weave design from the subtle to the psychedelic, exploring ways to alter the colour placement, tie-up and treadling, to create unique designs.
Friday 6 pm: will be ‘Meet and Greet’ starting a 6 pm with a presentation by Sandra Fearon on the Guild of Canadian Weavers Testing program that leads to a Master Weaver designation. A glass of wine and appies will be on hand. A small donation toward the cost would be appreciated.
Saturday: 8:30-9:30am Sign-in(membership fees and workshop balances)
9:30 – 12:00 pm Workshop
12:00 – 1 or1:30 pm Lunch and AGM
1:30 pm-5 pm Workshop
After 5 pm Supper break (cost not included in registration)
After supper more workshop/show and tell
Sunday: 8:30 Continental breakfast
If you have something you would like to sell, trade or give away, there will be a table on hand for this.
Have something special you would like to show us? Bring it along!
If there is something else you have a hankerin’ to do/demonstrate Saturday evening while here let me know and I’ll see if I can arrange it!
FYI
by Barbara Nichols (aka Frankie)
I had a little bit of a wind fall this spring and so I decided to spend it on some new books from the Interweave Hurt Book Sale. By the time I had finished ordering I had 5 new DVDs and 7 new books... let me assure you it was a relative fortune... but thanks to the Annual Interweave Hurt Book Sale I got them all at fairly good prices. Some are Weaving books/DVDs and some are spinning books/DVDs, and some are knitting books/DVDs. I thought perhaps for those of you looking to invest that a little bit of a critique might help you make a decision about books that you otherwise might not think of.
Let me start with the DVDs....
A Spinner's Toolbox
by Judith Mackenzie
This DVD was full of information on how to spin yarns of all sorts. She began by explaining the basics of a good worsted and a good woolen showing methods for preparing the fibre and for drafting the fibre to get the best results. It was very thorough and though I would debate some of her finer points, for the most part I felt that even a beginner could learn by using this DVD. She soon goes on to explain the difference between semi woolen and semi worsted yarns and this too is helpful in every way, since she again includes good tips for preparing fibre and for drafting techniques. Where I felt the DVD was bang on was in her demonstration of slub yarn and Boucle yarns. These yarns are not easy to make even if you are a seasoned spinner but Judith with simplicity seems to make spinning even the most difficult Boucle look easy. Watching these yarn being spun on the DVD was so helpful that I may never go back to a book description again. Though I do have to say that perhaps it is just that Judith is such an adept spinner. I would recommend highly this DVD if you are looking for tips on how to spin anything from a basic yarn to a novelty yarn.... on a scale of 1 - 10 I give this DVD a 9.
Handspinning Rare Wools
by Deborah Robson
Obviously this lady has the knowledge of rare wool breeds. This DVD is not for everyone... that is to say that not everyone is interested in sheep breeds, let alone rare wool breeds or sheep at all for that matter. If you are pleasantly satisfied with buying your fibre commercially prepared and find working with greasy fleece off-putting then you may want to skip this DVD. However, if you like wool fleece and enjoy grubbing in the greasy raw material then this DVD will be of infinite value. Rare breeds of sheep are losing their place in the commercial market and this lady is passionate about saving these breeds for hand spinners, there is no doubt of that. (She even sheds a few tears!) But this DVD is full of information about how to wash each fleece and what each fleece is best suited for. She covers most of the rare breeds of England and the United States including ancient breeds and more modern breeds, short fleeced breeds and long wool breeds. The one fault that this DVD had was that it did not go further and talk about rare breeds of other continents and locales. It is not for the faint of heart and you may find yourself re-watching the last chapter as there is a wealth of information. I found that I had to watch it over a period of a few days just to be able to digest all the information. On a scale of 1 - 10 I would rate this a 7.5.
Spinning For Lace
by Margaret Stove
WOW! What a wealth of information... this by far gets a rating of 10 on my scale of 1 - 10. I'm sure you will agree that every spinner will at some time get their hands a a bit of merino, be it commercially prepared or raw. This woman knows all kinds of tricks for spinning merino top notch. There is so much helpful information on how to spin a really good merino yarn that I had to watch 6 times (get that 6 times!) in order to take it all in. I'm sure that when I go to spin the next lot of merino I will have this video rolling away in the background, in the hopes that her pointers will help me. Interweave Press has done an outstanding job with this DVD. It is clear with really good close ups of what Margaret is doing with her hands.... it makes me want to go right now and dig out some merino to spin.... I can't recommend the DVD highly enough... There is a book that goes with it and quite frankly I'm saving my dimes so that I can get that too. Run right out or turn on your computer now and get it... it will help you I'm sure.
The Knitter's Companion
by Vicki Square
This is a great little DVD... somewhat simplistic at the beginning since she covers every aspect of knitting but that is what is great about it... there are great demonstrations of beginner knitting techniques but as the video continues there are great tips for people who have been knitting for years. She teaches continental knitting and English knitting and she even tackles some more modern methods. From casting on, to casting off and everything in between it's all here.... I did find that some of the close ups were not close enough and there is a compendium book that you can buy and I would think that this might bridge the few gaps in the DVD. I suggest that this DVD and the book together would be a 9 on a scale of 1 -10.
Weaving On A Rigid Heddle Loom
by Jane patrick
Now I'm not a weaver in that it is not my first love.... but I do enjoy my rigid heddle loom. This video was really good and not so great all at the same time. It was truly inspirational... I wanted to get out my loom and get to weaving right away... there are very good descriptions on how to set up your loom and weave plain weave and even when she begins to talk about manipulated methods of weaving like Swedish medalion and leno it all makes sense. But form there the video goes down hill. Jane herself does an outstanding job... but I found that too much was taken for granted. The whole section on pickup was a lesson in frustration. I was unsure of what she was taking about half the time. I will need to watch this DVD at least 20 to 30 times before I feel I am confident enough to tackle pickup of any kind let alone with several pickup sticks... yikes. But you experienced weavers out there may just love this video... a simple tool like a rigid heddle can do so much.... it's really inspirational. If you have been weaving on a four harness loom and have forgotten the joys of more simple weaving then this video might call you back to a simpler technique of weaving. On a scale of 1 - 10, I give this video a 6 (and maybe a half if you can figure out what she doing).
As for my book selections.... here goes....
A Knitting Wrapsody
by Kristen Omdahl
As with most new knitting books coming on the market these days it is full of lovely pictures. The patterns are fresh and original (check out the Infinity cardi-wrap... it's awesome). It has everything from lace shawls to vest and wrap around skirts.... it is quite the little knitting book.One problem as with most knitting books there is not a lot of helpful information regarding yarn and how to go about switching for something similar.... I rate this book a 7 on a scale of 1 - 10.
Alden Amos Big Book Of Handspinning
by Alden Amos
I never realized that a dictionary for hand spinning could be such a good read. I find myself waiting for the next Alden bomb to drop. He is full of witticisms and dry comments all meant to catch you off guard and make you laugh, thus rendering such a dry topic full of hilarity and interest. No one can do instruction like Alden Amos. Only a wealth of years under your belt, and a great sense of humour is what allows Alden to take spinning to the level of science (and I mean physics and chemistry in the most in depth levels) and then be able to turn it back into something so simplistic and earthy. I loved this book. I'm not even finished it yet... though I'm working on that. It is captivating, in that if there is anything that you want to know about spinning then you will find it within these pages, but though it is meant to be an encyclopedia of information it does not read so infinitely unbiased... I hooted my way through the first three quarters of the book and I'm sure there will be plenty to hoot about in the next one quarter.... on a scale of 1 - 10 I rate it a 9.5.
Dye Plants And Dyeing
by John and Margaret Cannon
This book did not come from Interweave Press. It was published by Timber Press in association with the Royal Botannical Gardens. It is quite an impressive book. The illustrations are quite lovely water colours and could stand alone as art. The book itself is quite a feat of science, with information on mordants and modifiers and scientific names for the chemicals in the plants themselves that cause things to dye. For example, there are several pages dedicated to the description of chemicals found in plants and animals that cause dyeing pigments...an example of this would be the following...
"Anthracenes
These include several pigments found in the Madder family such as alizazin,mungistin, and purpurin; emodin (from Persian berries) and polygonin (from Japanese knotweed). The insect dyes cochineal, kermes and lac are also included here...."
If you are a scientific dyer then this book would be most helpful. On a scale of 1 - 10 I rate it a 9.5 only losing the . 5 due to the fact that there are not photographic quality pictures of the dye on wools samples which is what I would want as a hand dyer.
Knitted Lace A Collection Of Favorite Designs From Interweave
by Anne Merrow
If you are a lover of lace knitting as I am then this book will be a real piece of eye candy. Every pattern in this book has intricate detailed patterns. I turned each page with a gasp and an exclamation of, "Oh! How pretty!" Detailed charts and graphs and a glossary of diagrams make this knitting book not for the faint hearted or for the beginner knitter. It is full of complicated designs but they are beautiful to look at. On a scale of 1 - 10 I would rate this book a a good solid 7.5. and it only lost marks for the number of complicated patterns.
Poems Of Colour Knitting In The Bohus Tradition
by Wendy Keele
I had never heard of the Bohus Tradition so I thought I would buy this book and find out more. I was disappointed to discover that is was just another type of stranded knitting. I love stranded knitting. Next to lace it is my favorite kind of knitting and this book does have some lovely patterns in it. It also has some interesting information in it on the Swedish Cottage Industry that initiated the tradition. However, it is a very specific book and that patterns are dated though they do try to update the patterns with interesting colour changes. But as I said this is a very specific book and not everyone would like this. It's appeal will be very limited I think. You will have to be a bit of a history buff (which I am) in order to get the full benefit that comes from reading this book. On a scale of 1- 10 I rate this a 6.5.
Spin Control
by Amy King
Hmm... I had difficulty with this one. It is a good book I think but as in all spinning demonstration books a demonstration complete with action is always best. I found myself flicking through the pages and not feeling really inspired or helped. Only so much can be covered on the topic of spinning and next to Judith Makenzie's Intentional Spinner this book is not as good. It has all the basics but I was left thinking that somehow I didn't get it. There is nothing new covered in this book which has not been covered in any multitude of other books and it was not covered as well. On a scale of 1 - 10... actually I won't rate this one as I just found it a pointless book. It will probably be on the trade table in September at our next meeting.
Woven Shibori
by Catherine Ellis
This is a real little gem. There are probably dozens of books out there on the topic of Shibori but I haven't read them... I have read this one and I found that I quite liked it. There are lovely pictures to draw you in to the book and get you interested in the technique. The book describes the methods of Shibori dyeing on different weave structures. Surface design is a big interest of mine and especially since I am interested in weaving with my own hand spun yarns so it is interesting how she takes the dyeing technique of Shibori and applies it to weave structures such as monk's belt, twill, and laces, giving beautiful and subtle precision to an art form that is so free and creative. The instructions are lucid and easy to follow and at the same time could offer someone new to the topic a good challenge. Ellis taps into a limitless resevoir of possibility with each new project. For the weaver or the dyer this book could be a true inspiration. On a scale of 1 - 10 I rate this a 9.
FYI
by Barbara Nichols (aka Frankie)
I had a little bit of a wind fall this spring and so I decided to spend it on some new books from the Interweave Hurt Book Sale. By the time I had finished ordering I had 5 new DVDs and 7 new books... let me assure you it was a relative fortune... but thanks to the Annual Interweave Hurt Book Sale I got them all at fairly good prices. Some are Weaving books/DVDs and some are spinning books/DVDs, and some are knitting books/DVDs. I thought perhaps for those of you looking to invest that a little bit of a critique might help you make a decision about books that you otherwise might not think of.
Let me start with the DVDs....
A Spinner's Toolbox
by Judith Mackenzie
This DVD was full of information on how to spin yarns of all sorts. She began by explaining the basics of a good worsted and a good woolen showing methods for preparing the fibre and for drafting the fibre to get the best results. It was very thorough and though I would debate some of her finer points, for the most part I felt that even a beginner could learn by using this DVD. She soon goes on to explain the difference between semi woolen and semi worsted yarns and this too is helpful in every way, since she again includes good tips for preparing fibre and for drafting techniques. Where I felt the DVD was bang on was in her demonstration of slub yarn and Boucle yarns. These yarns are not easy to make even if you are a seasoned spinner but Judith with simplicity seems to make spinning even the most difficult Boucle look easy. Watching these yarn being spun on the DVD was so helpful that I may never go back to a book description again. Though I do have to say that perhaps it is just that Judith is such an adept spinner. I would recommend highly this DVD if you are looking for tips on how to spin anything from a basic yarn to a novelty yarn.... on a scale of 1 - 10 I give this DVD a 9.
Handspinning Rare Wools
by Deborah Robson
Obviously this lady has the knowledge of rare wool breeds. This DVD is not for everyone... that is to say that not everyone is interested in sheep breeds, let alone rare wool breeds or sheep at all for that matter. If you are pleasantly satisfied with buying your fibre commercially prepared and find working with greasy fleece off-putting then you may want to skip this DVD. However, if you like wool fleece and enjoy grubbing in the greasy raw material then this DVD will be of infinite value. Rare breeds of sheep are losing their place in the commercial market and this lady is passionate about saving these breeds for hand spinners, there is no doubt of that. (She even sheds a few tears!) But this DVD is full of information about how to wash each fleece and what each fleece is best suited for. She covers most of the rare breeds of England and the United States including ancient breeds and more modern breeds, short fleeced breeds and long wool breeds. The one fault that this DVD had was that it did not go further and talk about rare breeds of other continents and locales. It is not for the faint of heart and you may find yourself re-watching the last chapter as there is a wealth of information. I found that I had to watch it over a period of a few days just to be able to digest all the information. On a scale of 1 - 10 I would rate this a 7.5.
Spinning For Lace
by Margaret Stove
WOW! What a wealth of information... this by far gets a rating of 10 on my scale of 1 - 10. I'm sure you will agree that every spinner will at some time get their hands a a bit of merino, be it commercially prepared or raw. This woman knows all kinds of tricks for spinning merino top notch. There is so much helpful information on how to spin a really good merino yarn that I had to watch 6 times (get that 6 times!) in order to take it all in. I'm sure that when I go to spin the next lot of merino I will have this video rolling away in the background, in the hopes that her pointers will help me. Interweave Press has done an outstanding job with this DVD. It is clear with really good close ups of what Margaret is doing with her hands.... it makes me want to go right now and dig out some merino to spin.... I can't recommend the DVD highly enough... There is a book that goes with it and quite frankly I'm saving my dimes so that I can get that too. Run right out or turn on your computer now and get it... it will help you I'm sure.
The Knitter's Companion
by Vicki Square
This is a great little DVD... somewhat simplistic at the beginning since she covers every aspect of knitting but that is what is great about it... there are great demonstrations of beginner knitting techniques but as the video continues there are great tips for people who have been knitting for years. She teaches continental knitting and English knitting and she even tackles some more modern methods. From casting on, to casting off and everything in between it's all here.... I did find that some of the close ups were not close enough and there is a compendium book that you can buy and I would think that this might bridge the few gaps in the DVD. I suggest that this DVD and the book together would be a 9 on a scale of 1 -10.
Weaving On A Rigid Heddle Loom
by Jane patrick
Now I'm not a weaver in that it is not my first love.... but I do enjoy my rigid heddle loom. This video was really good and not so great all at the same time. It was truly inspirational... I wanted to get out my loom and get to weaving right away... there are very good descriptions on how to set up your loom and weave plain weave and even when she begins to talk about manipulated methods of weaving like Swedish medalion and leno it all makes sense. But form there the video goes down hill. Jane herself does an outstanding job... but I found that too much was taken for granted. The whole section on pickup was a lesson in frustration. I was unsure of what she was taking about half the time. I will need to watch this DVD at least 20 to 30 times before I feel I am confident enough to tackle pickup of any kind let alone with several pickup sticks... yikes. But you experienced weavers out there may just love this video... a simple tool like a rigid heddle can do so much.... it's really inspirational. If you have been weaving on a four harness loom and have forgotten the joys of more simple weaving then this video might call you back to a simpler technique of weaving. On a scale of 1 - 10, I give this video a 6 (and maybe a half if you can figure out what she doing).
As for my book selections.... here goes....
A Knitting Wrapsody
by Kristen Omdahl
As with most new knitting books coming on the market these days it is full of lovely pictures. The patterns are fresh and original (check out the Infinity cardi-wrap... it's awesome). It has everything from lace shawls to vest and wrap around skirts.... it is quite the little knitting book.One problem as with most knitting books there is not a lot of helpful information regarding yarn and how to go about switching for something similar.... I rate this book a 7 on a scale of 1 - 10.
Alden Amos Big Book Of Handspinning
by Alden Amos
I never realized that a dictionary for hand spinning could be such a good read. I find myself waiting for the next Alden bomb to drop. He is full of witticisms and dry comments all meant to catch you off guard and make you laugh, thus rendering such a dry topic full of hilarity and interest. No one can do instruction like Alden Amos. Only a wealth of years under your belt, and a great sense of humour is what allows Alden to take spinning to the level of science (and I mean physics and chemistry in the most in depth levels) and then be able to turn it back into something so simplistic and earthy. I loved this book. I'm not even finished it yet... though I'm working on that. It is captivating, in that if there is anything that you want to know about spinning then you will find it within these pages, but though it is meant to be an encyclopedia of information it does not read so infinitely unbiased... I hooted my way through the first three quarters of the book and I'm sure there will be plenty to hoot about in the next one quarter.... on a scale of 1 - 10 I rate it a 9.5.
Dye Plants And Dyeing
by John and Margaret Cannon
This book did not come from Interweave Press. It was published by Timber Press in association with the Royal Botannical Gardens. It is quite an impressive book. The illustrations are quite lovely water colours and could stand alone as art. The book itself is quite a feat of science, with information on mordants and modifiers and scientific names for the chemicals in the plants themselves that cause things to dye. For example, there are several pages dedicated to the description of chemicals found in plants and animals that cause dyeing pigments...an example of this would be the following...
"Anthracenes
These include several pigments found in the Madder family such as alizazin,mungistin, and purpurin; emodin (from Persian berries) and polygonin (from Japanese knotweed). The insect dyes cochineal, kermes and lac are also included here...."
If you are a scientific dyer then this book would be most helpful. On a scale of 1 - 10 I rate it a 9.5 only losing the . 5 due to the fact that there are not photographic quality pictures of the dye on wools samples which is what I would want as a hand dyer.
Knitted Lace A Collection Of Favorite Designs From Interweave
by Anne Merrow
If you are a lover of lace knitting as I am then this book will be a real piece of eye candy. Every pattern in this book has intricate detailed patterns. I turned each page with a gasp and an exclamation of, "Oh! How pretty!" Detailed charts and graphs and a glossary of diagrams make this knitting book not for the faint hearted or for the beginner knitter. It is full of complicated designs but they are beautiful to look at. On a scale of 1 - 10 I would rate this book a a good solid 7.5. and it only lost marks for the number of complicated patterns.
Poems Of Colour Knitting In The Bohus Tradition
by Wendy Keele
I had never heard of the Bohus Tradition so I thought I would buy this book and find out more. I was disappointed to discover that is was just another type of stranded knitting. I love stranded knitting. Next to lace it is my favorite kind of knitting and this book does have some lovely patterns in it. It also has some interesting information in it on the Swedish Cottage Industry that initiated the tradition. However, it is a very specific book and that patterns are dated though they do try to update the patterns with interesting colour changes. But as I said this is a very specific book and not everyone would like this. It's appeal will be very limited I think. You will have to be a bit of a history buff (which I am) in order to get the full benefit that comes from reading this book. On a scale of 1- 10 I rate this a 6.5.
Spin Control
by Amy King
Hmm... I had difficulty with this one. It is a good book I think but as in all spinning demonstration books a demonstration complete with action is always best. I found myself flicking through the pages and not feeling really inspired or helped. Only so much can be covered on the topic of spinning and next to Judith Makenzie's Intentional Spinner this book is not as good. It has all the basics but I was left thinking that somehow I didn't get it. There is nothing new covered in this book which has not been covered in any multitude of other books and it was not covered as well. On a scale of 1 - 10... actually I won't rate this one as I just found it a pointless book. It will probably be on the trade table in September at our next meeting.
Woven Shibori
by Catherine Ellis
This is a real little gem. There are probably dozens of books out there on the topic of Shibori but I haven't read them... I have read this one and I found that I quite liked it. There are lovely pictures to draw you in to the book and get you interested in the technique. The book describes the methods of Shibori dyeing on different weave structures. Surface design is a big interest of mine and especially since I am interested in weaving with my own hand spun yarns so it is interesting how she takes the dyeing technique of Shibori and applies it to weave structures such as monk's belt, twill, and laces, giving beautiful and subtle precision to an art form that is so free and creative. The instructions are lucid and easy to follow and at the same time could offer someone new to the topic a good challenge. Ellis taps into a limitless resevoir of possibility with each new project. For the weaver or the dyer this book could be a true inspiration. On a scale of 1 - 10 I rate this a 9.
