Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning

UPCOMING GUILD DATES
Open Studio:
Wednesdays evenings
6:00 -9:00 P.M.
Thursdays 10:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Workshops will be added when scheduled
July 1-3 – Art Fest, City Park
July 6 – Spinning Group-Katherine
July 10 and 12 – Tett Tours
Aug.3 – Spinning Group - Nancy
Aug. 5-7 – Sheep Dog Trials
Aug 20 – TWIST – bus trip
Sept 10-11 – Almonte Fibrefest / MAY CHALLENGE
At the recent potluck (June 8th meeting), the May Challenge (2017) was announced. For many reasons, buying local has become popular in recent years. So we thought that this year's challenge would consist of 2 parts.

Whatever project you pick, the fibre must have been grown locally, within 160 kms (100 miles) – from the Guild location.
It must be a project that in some way is new to you. We want you to try something different.

We have a number of people in our guild that produce fibre:

Nancy Carr and Beth Fisher have alpacas;
Elaine Horemans has Romney crosses;
Jessica Greer has angora rabbits and makes natural dyes from her garden;
Kate Michalska has Lincoln sheep, and
Shirley MacGregor has Shetland sheep.

(Note: if you are a local fibre producer and we have missed including you in the list, please contact Stephen Trapp).
We will be asking those members that produce fibre and dyes to attend our meeting in September to allow you to purchase product for your project.
Although we will ask them to come, you are under NO obligation to buy anything from them. As long as your fibre has been produced within 160 kms, you are welcome to use whatever you find.
More details will be shared at the September meeting. We hope this will be a fun challenge so think about whether you want to spin, knit, crochet or weave (both warp and weft) something local and new.
Artfest – City Park Kingston – July 1-2-3, 2016
KHWS will be in the park offering unique items for sale and providing interactive demonstrations including spinning and weaving.
First Capital Day – June 15, 2016
It was a beautiful June day and KHWS welcomed a steady stream of interested visitors, both children and adults. Thanks to Alison for her key role in communicating and organizing our participation. Thanks to Nancy Carr for loaning a shade tent which was greatly appreciated. Thanks to Ainslie, Sylvia (who was spinning flax), Stacey, Fiona and Nancy for carding and spinning demonstrations. Alison hardly had time to eat lunch or drink her tea due to the steady interest in weaving on the loom.
Sylvia spinning flax
Trolley Tours are stopping at the Tett (and Isabel Centre) this year. On Wednesdays and Fridays, throughout the summer, the trolley will stop at approximately 11:30 a.m. KHWS (along with other tenant groups has committed to 4 dates to provide a brief (5 min.) tour of our space). We have identified studio hosts for these dates (July 20 and 22 – Marise; August 10 and 12 – Nancy B.) and visitors would welcome seeing lots of action in the studio. The studio continues to be available for members on these dates.
Spinning Dates for the summer:
A group of spinners meets on the first Wednesday of each month from10:00 am to 3:00 pm(or there-about). All spinners are welcome.
Hosts:
July 6th: Katherine Romba
August 3rd: Nancy Bowman
WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN THE STUDIO?
The Toika loom has been kept busy, with another batch of rugs coming off in May and more in the works. Each rug measures approximately 32” x 48” and some are fringed beyond that. Materials have included sheets, tablecloths, denim jeans and more. The variety of colours and designs are intriguing. Contact Donna if you are interested in helping to tie on the next warp, or would like to book some time to weave a rag, or wool rug in the future. The average cost is $10 - $15; weavers provide their own weft materials.
Blanket Weaving on the 100” Loom – by Bridget Lewis
In the fall of 1999, four weavers were having their usual Tuesday lunch together. Talk, as often does with weavers, was around the Stash of Yarns that each had. These women had all completed the Weaving Certificate Program and had lots of different yarns, but not a lot of any. The discussion turned to how to use this stash, when the suggestion was made that it be pooled to weave blankets. The guild owned the 100” loom, but it had been idle for some time.
The following week, lunch was in Jane’s home where all brought yarns they wanted to use up. The stash was sorted by colour, and the question asked: “What do you want rid of most?” The response was:Orange.
A modest warp was wound, being 15 yards long by 80” wide. Fine yarns and singles were put together to equal the grist of the heavier yarns. The loom was threaded from the front, through the reed, the heddles onto the back beam. Some of the brushed yarns tangled with their neighbours.
Each weaver provided weft to weave a blanket. Some were a solid colour, some were fine yarns dyed and put together. See the pictures of these blankets in the studio.
Every year since then a varying group has put on at least one warp of blankets on the loom, and the weavers wove 1, 2 or 3 blankets each as they wished. Some weavers dropped out of the group and others joined, each contributing to the group stash. Some twenty weavers have been involved over the years
Some years only one warp was completed as the loom was used by other members for their own projects, - table cloths, and blankets.
After a number of years the seemingly impossible happened and the group ran out of stash, so they purchased yarns from Briggs and Little, and those working on that warp shared the cost and the rent for the loom paid to the guild. Some years a blanket was donated to the guild to be sold at the annual sale.
The group was often asked “How long does it take to weave a blanket”? How much does the warp weigh?” Notes were taken.
Move forward to 2016.
Warp width 100”, warp length 55 yards, ends per inch 8.
When purchasing warp from Briggs and Little, 200 four ounce skeins are ordered for the warp.The cost is about $4.25 per skein for a total of $850.00. This cost is divided by the 15 blankets to be woven. ($56.00 each).
It takes about 100 person hours to wind the spools and put the warp on the loom using the sectional warp beam. This does not include planning time, and arranging for the yarns. That is about 20 hours per person. Each weaver commits to weaving the same number of blankets they have provided the weft for with another weaver. (That is, if you want 3 blankets, you weave on 6).
Weft takes between 8 and 10 skeins of Briggs and Little ($34.00 - $42.50) per blanket.
It takes about an hour to ready the threaded and sleyed loom for weaving. Another hour is spent winding bobbins. The weaving itself takes 2 people 6 – 8 hours (each) for each blanket. Blankets are cut off after each two, which takes another hour or so.
The owner of the blanket then takes it home for finishing which includes darning in the dangling warp ends, finishing the edges by hemming or twisting and washing – another 8 or so hours.
Group members agree on a sale price. In 1999, $150.00 was charged. In 2016 a final decision has not been made but should be $300.00 - $350.00.
Summary
For each blanket the material cost is around $100.00
Time commitment is between 40 and 50 hours (per blanket) with a portion spent on the set up and other remainder completing each blanket.
When sold through the guild a 17% commission is paid
August 5, 6, and 7, 2016 - The Kingston Sheep Dog Trials Grass Creek Park, Hwy 2 west of Kingston.
Does Betsy have your name for demonstrating? It is lots of fun. Saturday will be the Sheep to Shawl event – and Sunday is the auction of the finished shawls.
Workshops:
Watch for information coming from Norma – share ideas and proposals with her.

Note: Our July and August newsletter will be combined – look for it August 17,2016

KHWS Newsletter – 2016Page 1 of 4