May 2021 Meeting

Last month we had the joy of seeing each other again smiling under sunny skies at the pavilion at Boston Pond in Hancock. 

With a great turnout, most of us brought new and old objects to show off in-person, like this small vessel by Karen T. Not everything shown is pictured or explained in this post, so if we forgot something important please let us know. 

Dawn showed this shawl she made and brought many woolen goodies to share with the rest of us. In fact, this meeting was full of sharing, from plant starts, to felted sweater material, to homemade niddy-noddys!

Phyllis showed us the carpets that tormented her this winter as well as many of her crochet color studies that she continues to work on. 

Laura showed us books and a needle case that she completed. 

Though she hasn't been knitting or weaving much, Clare recently finished sewing this Woolfork dress for herself. The pattern is from the book Embody by Jacqueline Cieslak. 

Karen L. has been working in different media this winter, painting mandala-style rocks and weaving a deliciously soft and happy blanket. 

Karen M., a new guild member, joined us in-person for the first time. She is a new weaver already completing exquisite pieces like these mug rugs and placemats, her first and second projects ever! She also showed us an example of the Norwegian art of skinfeller. 

Denise showed us the handtowels that she has woven with lovely variations in the pattern. 

Melissa has been busy this winter! Here she is modeling the jacket she completed as part of Mary Sue Fenner's class last year. In addition to handwoven yardage, she made custom piping. She also competed a sweater, two vests (one of which was from a Mary Sue class ~29 years ago), more yardage, and a rug. 

BUELLWOOD'S BEST 2021

Each spring for the last few years we have been holding the Buellwood's Best show at the May meeting. In the winter we agree on a theme and guild members create an object based on that theme. This year the theme was 12 x 12. 

Vessel by John, wool and wire

Mug rug by Karen M.

Handwoven bag by Melissa

Vessel by Phyllis, crochet

Owl by Laura

Eco-printed book by Dawn

Vessel by Karen T.

April Video Meeting 2021

This month we enjoyed sharing projects on Zoom amidst an April snowstorm. 

Kathie shared some of her latest handwovens that she has deemed "good enough to give away" including a bread basket cloth and 2 dish cloths that she'll be giving to her daughter. She's also busy setting up warps, though she expects gardening season to take her away from weaving soon. She offered an intriguing tip for wearing angora that is prone to shedding- the night before you plan to wear it, put it in your fridge and the next day you won't have to worry about fluff all over your black pencil skirt! (suggested soundtrack)

Phyllis worked on knitting a chunky mohair scarf for skiing while bidding farewell to ski season until next year. She has also been busy finishing rugs, including one using striped denim coveralls along with colorful jersey. She finds that she still can't stop crocheting circles and has been enjoying the color study using cotton and linen yarns. A friend of hers from graduate school commissioned a crochet piece that has now found its home in Harlem. 

Mary knit the Trimont Snood using Blue Sky Fibers yarn that she got at Nanette's Knits and Gifts in Wakefield. She also finished weaving her paper towels, a tabby weave with white cotton 8/2 warp and wefts with Habu Shifu linen paper yarn and a raffia yarn. The raffia is a bit heavier than the linen and all are very soft after machine washing and machine drying. See Handwoven M/A 2021 p. 18 for a nice article about weaving with paper yarn. She's warped two looms and is preparing to work on North Light Meets Southwest towels from Handwoven M/J 2020 and the Field of Pansy vest from the book Weave Knit Wear by Judith Shangold. Like other patterns in the book, the vest will require only minimum sewing when finished. 

Dawn showed off a gorgeous backpack basket that she received as a gift from basketmaker Emily Derke. She also shared some dye experiments she's been working with using alder catkins, some mordanted with iron sulfate making a green grey color and some with alum, making a yellowy-er green. 

Melissa has been loving lockdown and all the chances she's had to work on fiber arts. She finished her jacket from Mary Sue Fenner's class! Using fabric from a plaid skirt from Scotland, she added handmade piping stuffed with lightly spun roving. She also completed a felted vest and included needle felting around the neckline and felted thrums covering the buttons. She even sewed a bag for a friend in his favorite shade of green and finished a knit sweater. 

Poppy shared photos of the absolutely stunning cradle she woven for her grandbaby due to arrive in June. 

We're going to keep an eye on the weather next month in the hopes that we'll be able to meet in-person outside again. Stay tuned to your email for details on that and location.