Wisconsin Spindle and Dyepot Guild

 Our meetings are held on the third Friday of each month .

- Meeting Time:  10:00 am to 2:00pm

- Location: New Berlin Library,  15105 Library Lane, New Berlin, Wisconsin 57151 , in the Heritage      room

- Membership:  20

- Members will receive a monthly minutes

-A  business meeting is held each month along with an educational activity at some of the meetings.

-Some months we go on field trips.

-Members are encouraged  to bring their finished projects or fiber art related items for a
 Show and Tell.

-Members can bring their spinning wheels or other hand work during each meeting.

-There is always time for spinning at each meeting.

- Members bring a snack to pass and their own plates and utensils to each meeting. 
  We enjoy eating at each meeting and sharing recipes.

- Member's will have time to browse the Guild's extensive library of fiber art related books,
  DVD and magazines. As a member you are welcome to check out any of these books,
  videos or magazines to review at home each month.

- Some months we hold a Market day. Guild members can bring in any fiber art related items to sell.
  One person's unwanted stash is an others treasure.

 

Programs for 2024


January 19,  2024 Program planning day. We will brainstorm all the ideas for what we would like to learn and then vote. 


February 16, Learning to spin beehives and coils ( Donna T) 


March 15, Learning about Color Theory and Color Management with variegated braids ( Allison) A


April 19, Learning all about Brioche Knitting  ( Donna W.) 


May 17, Learning how to warp and weave on a home made tapestry pipe loom ( Kathy P )  

               Market Day #1 . Clean out your stash and bring it to sell or give away. Bring some cash to add

                                          to your stash.


June 21, Hands on fleece skirting lesson ( Donna T and Janice W.) 


July 19, Learning all about Naalbinding ( Cathy L)


August 16, Cotton Study  ( Donna T and Janice W ) 


September 20, Dyeday held at Donna T's hobby farm. Dye what ever you would like and also try your hand at Botanical Painting  ( Darlene H ) 


October 18, Making mittens from old sweaters  ( Darlene) 


November 15, Market day #2  guild elections, a day of spinning




Programs for 2023

Months marked in this color font are held on the second Friday of the month. The rest are the Third Friday of the month 

January 13  2023 Program planning meeting, Demonstration on the Baltic style Inkle weaving by Betty


February 10 Carding Leftover stash for a gradient Batts. Drum carding Maintenance. Carding for fun

                      Blending board- How to use, making punies and batts

March 17      Plying your yarn, 2 ply , 3 ply , 4 ply, chain plying ( Donna T)


April 14       Circular knitting machine using the Addi machine 


May 19       Weaving on a box ( Joan G ) and     Market Day #1


June 16      Wheel Round -Robin , You get 10 minutes to spin on others wheels then you move to                                  your right for the next persons wheel. This is an opportunity to get the feel for different                                wheels, Castel, Traditional, E- spinners Penguin wheels, Etc..... 


 July 21      Tunisian crochet   ( Kathi P ) 


August 18    Camelid and goat Study    ( Donna ) 


September 15   Dye day,   felted slippers to start   ( Donna T hobby farm )


October 13 Making a coiled basket from hand spun yarn 


November 17 Market Day , Officer Elections 


Programs for 2022


February - 18,  Paper Bag Challenge. Below are the directions. Demo on the weave -It, by Joan G  

  Paper Bag Challenge Project

This is a project that will bring out your creative juices by challenging you to use some different fibers and colors you might not be used to working with.

1. Fill your bag with 8 oz. of  fiber from your stash. Multiple kinds, colors, fiber or species can be placed in the bag, so long as all the fibers could be used together.

2. Place your name on a slip of paper inside of the bag.

3. Staple the bag closed.

4. Bring the bag back to the February meeting.

5. The bags will then be placed on a table and numbered.

6. Each person that brought a bag will then draw a number from a bowl to determine the order of picking.

7. Take the bag home and spin a skein out to the fiber for the person who's name is in the bag. The skein could be made using any size.  Lace weight , Fingerling, worsted, bulky, novelty art yarn.  Plying is your choice also. The recipient isn't required to use all the fiber from the bag, leftovers should be returned to donor. You may add some of your own fiber or embellishments but only as an art element .

8.. Shhhhhhhhhh . Keep the name inside a secret. Don't show anyone the fiber inside at the meeting. Bring your item back to the 2022 meeting in July where we will then present our stash challenge

 March 18-  Coil and beehive ( thick and thin ) spinning , Art yarn ideas , Kathy P and Donna T


April 15 - Speed Dating -  We will have  tables set up through out the library,  one with Combs, one with carders , one with drop spindles  and one with blending board.  You will then go a table you would like.  You will have 15 minutes to learn and trying each item when the timer goes off you will move to the next table to your right . Last round will be to what ever table you want to continue to learn more. Instructors at each Table will be Kathy P with hand carders and combs, Donna T with drop spindles, Deb M. with the blending board.


May 20-  Picture batts,  We will bring our drum carders and some fiber to share along with a picture. We will then card fiber to match the colors of the picture.  Percentage of color, placement on the pictures and of course matching the colors.


June17- 2 D Felting,   We will take the picture batts we made in May and use them as a back ground for  our 2D fiber picture we will create. 


July 15-  Sprang Knitting  with Darlene,     Presenting our Paper bag challenge  

Sprang is created when warp threads are systematically twisted around one another, and as a result looks a bit like netting, except it’s not looped or knotted. It predates knitting by many centuries, and since there is no weft it is not weaving either.


August 19-  demonstration on Machine knitting - You can knit your own sock blank for dye day if you would like to dye one at Dye day in September. 


September 16- Dye Day   Ice dying and a natural dye study with cochineal and Logwood 


Oct 21 - Zipper pins with Joan G. 

 

 November 18- Market day and elections. 


_______________________________________________________





Programs

2020

February 21 - Spindle round robin and wrist distaffs by Julia Everyone will bring spindles and wool to spin.

March 20 - Shawl pins, Orphus hooks, wool wrapped beads by Kathi

April 17 - Tools (Flick, carder, hackle, diz, comb, blending board)

May 15 - Chain plying, Navaho plyng, coil & beehive, combo drafting (Julia)

June 19 - Machine knitting (Donna), an ornament (Helene)

July 17 - Nalebinding (Julia), Sprang (Darlene), Twined knitting

August 21 - Spinning with beads (Julia and Kathi)

September 18 - Dye Day at Donnas (Darlene mud and rust dying), sock blanks

October 16 - Deconstructing sweaters for yarn (Jolie)

November 20 - Market Day, elections

Programs

2019

January- Celebrating St Distaff day , brainstorming and planning our year's programs

February 15th - Wheel Ratios and different wheel drives. Along with tips and tricks for spinning

March 15- Combo drafting and Lock spinning

April 19- Learning to use a yarn balance and Fractal spinning

May 17- Wheel round robin. We sit in a circle with our wheel and every 5 minutes we move to a different wheel using our same fiber. Results you get to experience different wheels and you get a multi colored and textured skein of yarn on your own wheel when finished.

June- Exploring the Inkle Loom

July 19 - Carding and color blending

August  16- Learning to use the Weave -It and making a fiber pin

Sept 20 - Eco printing , felted vessels and flowers

October 18- Critter Felting- needle felting

November 15 Market day and elections 


 

Programs

2018


February  17  : February we will do coreless spinning taught by Kathi and thick yarn taught by Julia

Bring a wheel and wool roving or batts.  

March 16 : Julia  will show us Card Weaving.

April 20:  Needle Felted hummingbirds. Kathi will demonstrate

May 18: How to use Etsy, Ravelry, and YouTube (Kelli)

June 15:  working with  the Blending Board.  Handed out Fiber and a pattern to work on for a blanket donation.

July 20: Darlene tough us techniques on variegated spinning 

August 17: Wheel- round -robin  W bring our wheel and everyone gets to sample spin on all the different wheels

September 21:  Dye day at Donna's  indigo and natural dying

October 19: Silk and Flax Demonstration by Julia and Joan

November 16: Market day 


Programs

2017

February 17: Darlene will be showing us how to crochet buttons.

March 17 :Pot luck batts. Everyone will bring is some fiber to share. We will then card them on drum carders at the meeting. This will be the beginning of our creative Batt to finished project contest. 

April 21: We will be making our own drop spindles. Donna T will head up this project. 

May 19: Learning and practicing how to make yarn with beads, art yarn and Navajo ply. Julia B will head up this project. Also the first showing of our yarn spun from our art batts for the competition. 

June 16: Learn about different goat fibers. Try spinning some samples. Donna T will head up this project. Also the finial presentation and judging of our finished  project from the Pot luck Batt competition.

July 21: We will learn all about cotton and how to spin it. Joan G will be heading up this project . 

August 18: We will be learning how to weave on a triangle loom

This project will be headed up by Julia B. 

September 15: Dying day at Donna's. We will be cake dying, Lock dying and Shibori Dying. Project leaders TBA

October 20: Learning about the Ridged Heddle loom 

November 17: Market day and Elections

Programs

2016

February: Machine Knitting. Donna T. Crystal, and Juanita will demonstrate how a straight bed and circular knitting machine works.

March :  Donna W. will show us the techniques for spinning silk hankies.

April: Cristal will instruct us in making a Tunisian crocheted pot holder. Also the
Spindle and Dyepot guild will host a Wool Potluck. We will bring any kind of wool or fiber in any amount, the guild dumps it all in a large "batch" and we will have it sent to the mill to be blended and carded into roving. Each member that participated will receive the same amount that they threw in.  We will enjoy a one of a kind roving.

May : Core spinning and Long draw spinning. Demonstration and instruction will be done by Julia.

June: Blending board and combs. Now that the guild owns their own board and combs it is time we all enjoy them. Donna T will demonstrate.

July : Felting Vessels.  Bowls, vases, bird houses are fun to make out fiber. Darleen will walk us through the technique for wet felting items like these.

August: Field Trip. This month is reserved for a trip away from our meeting place.  Destination to be determined at a later date.

September: Dying sock blanks at Donna's.  Commercial or natural dyes

October: Knitting socks X2.  Joan will show us how to knit our dyed sock yarn on the circular needles both at the same time. 

November: Market day and Elections






Programs

2015

February:  Making name tags

March :  Spinning  paper, Instructed by Darlene Hagopian

April: Drop Spindle

May : Kumihimo Braiding , Instructed by Darlene Hagopain

June: Field trip to Fiber on the Farm festival

July : Natural Dying and hand painting fiber,  Donna's farm

August: Breed Study

September: Drum Carting -Picture Batts

October: Navajo Plying, Instructed by Joan Gaska and Donna Towell

November: Market day and Elections

 

 

2014

March 21 meeting at the New Berlin Library in the upper room will be on thrums and left over yarns and what to do with them. Bring your ideas and samples. Also bring your wheel or project to work on

April 18: Silk Study

May 16: Needle Felting Uses

June 20: Wet Felting (project to be decided)

July 18: Rug Hooking, Locker Hooking

Aug 15: Small looms, Sock Machine, Other Fiber gadgets

Sept 19: Possible trip to a carding mill Blackberry Ridge (Mt. Horeb) or Argyle Fiber Mill (Argyle WI * near New Glarus)

Oct 17: Angora  RabbitStudy 

Nov 21:  Officers nomination and elections, Market day


Programs
2012/2013

November
Officers nomination and elections, Market day

December
No Meeting

January
"Day of the Rock" A spinning day along with planning our program for 2013

February
Learn to spin on a drop spindle


March
Learn to Navaho Ply
Spinning wheel study, different types of wheels  offered on the market and their differences

April
"Fiber Tasting"-Spin up samples of different fibers, experience different breeds of sheep, llama, alpaca, mohair, Angora rabbit, etc..... along with some synthetic fibers

We will also be demonstrating at the Wisconsin Spin- In  April 19-21 at the Waukesha County Expo Center

May
 Plant Talk-  discussion on planting a dyers garden

June
We will be making felted slippers

July
We will be demonstrating at the Waukesha County Fair, July 19 in the 4-H forum building
Meet at 10:00 am and demonstrate till 4:30 or when your legs run out of gas.

August
Exploring the drum carder, hand carders and combs

September
Dye project- we will be hand dying different fiber as a group

October
Solving our problems when knitting or crocheting


November
Officer nominations and elections, Market day
Bring your items you would like to sell. One person's unwanted stash is another's treasure.


 



 Programs


2011/ 2012

November
Officer nominations and elections.

December
No meeting

January
We'll be discussing the fiber, Ramie and also planning the programs for the coming year. Please come with ideas and suggestions. What would you like to learn?

February
Let*s see and hear about the RAMIE fiber spinning everyone!
We are going to try out a *make and take* item for the SPIN IN display. Carol is going to have us try making a little wool sheep.

March
This is our planning the display for Spin In  meeting.
Please bring any item you have that you think could be used in the display * skeins, finished projects, dye samples, display aids, etc. We are still looking for a possible *Make and Take* item. If you have any ideas for this * bring them, too.
April

May
We will discuss different methods of dyeing and decide on a process that we will do at a meeting later in the year.
Please bring ideas, samples if you have them.

June
Wheel Maintenance
We will be going over the common and not so common problems that can happen to your wheel
Bring you working and non- working wheels for a check up and tune up.

July
Meeting held at the Waukesha County Fair
We will be holding our July meeting at the Waukesha County fair grounds in the 4-H forum building. Meet at 10:00 am and demonstrate till 4:30 or when your legs run out of gas.


August
We will be painting roving with commercial dyes at Donna's farm.

September
Wrapping silk scarves on wine bottles to dye into beautiful colored patterns

October
Nuno felting at Carols House

November
Market Day
Bring your items you would like to sell. One person's unwanted stash is another's treasure.


2010 / 2011


November 
What Do You Do With Your Handspun? 
If you have examples of things you have made from your handspun, please bring them for a mini show-and-tell.  If you only are in the planning stages, maybe we can help. 

December  
No meeting

January
Eat & Spin " Day Of The Rock Celebration"
This month we will be meeting with a dish to pass and stories to tell. Bring your wheels or anything you will want to work on while enjoying a tasty treat from each member. We can talk about some of the projects we have planned for 2011 and motivate others with new and exciting things we have learned this past year.


February
Teeswater Challenge
Remember way back many many months ago we were given a sample of fiber from the Teeswater sheep breed.  We were going to spin it up and then make something. A discussion was to follow.
WELL
This is the month, it is finally here.
Please bring your samples of the Teeswater, your opinions on how you liked working with this fiber and what you learned for a lively discussion.


March
Thick and Thin and Coils
Learn  to spin thick and thin yarn . This yarn can then be turned into a novelty coiled  yarn for an extreme textured look.

Instructed by  Donna Towell

April
Increasing Our Skills On The Drop Spindle
Bring Fiber and any other tool that is needed for Spindle spinning.
If anyone has a supported drop spindle bring that too.

 Instructed by Joan Gaska

May
Control the Diameter Of Your Spinning
 Instructed by Joan Gaska
Supplies to bring:  Your wheel, Empty bobbin, and some roving to play with.

June
In June, we will be looking at handspun and making decisions:  What do I want to make?  Do I have enough?  What size needles do I need?  How do I determine gauge?  And whatever anyone wants to ask--I can't promise the correct answer, but I'll have one, nonetheless!!
Instructed by Karen Kuckenbecher

July
Meeting held at the Waukesha County Fair
We will be holding our July meeting at the Waukesha County fair grounds in the 4-H forum building. Meet at 10:00 am and demonstrate till 4:30 or when your legs run out of gas.

August
WEAVING ON A BOX
Karen will be teaching us the technique" Waving on a box" by Sarah Swett Spin-Off Winter 1997.
You will need to prepare your box according to the instructions printed on the next pages. A supply list is also included.

Instructed by Karen Kuckenbecher

September
Flax Facts
Naomi Holthaus will be taking us step by step through the process of working with flax and making linen yarn.


October
Market Day
Bring your items you would like to sell. One person's unwanted stash is anothers treasure.