Sunday, 11 May 2014

more Hobbycraft

just why we were under the Clearance sign, I am not too sure… Note the biccies!



Nell

Knitting workshop 17th May with Anne Holvey

Hi Everyone,
Just a quick email about the knitting workshop with Anne Holvey, on Saturday, (17 May).  If you are planning to come to the workshop and haven't signed up yet, please could you do so this Tuesday. Alternatively, if you reply to this message, I'll add your name to the list.  
Unless it causes difficulties, it's planned to start the workshop at 9.30am instead of 10.00, and to finish at 3.30.   This is because the Guild would need to pay for an additional session of room hire, at the Cross, if the workshop carries on after 3.30pm.   If this start time is a problem for you, please could you let me know asap?

Ann has sent this information, about some knitting that you'll need to get ready.

Knitting workshop 17 May

For the 2nd part of the knitting workshop, participants will need to have the following prepared beforehand.

You will need Aran weight yarn in 3 contrasting colours (A main and 2 contrasts)
4.5 or 5mm needles
Large eye tapestry needle

Cast on 46 sts fairly loosely, long tail method suggested but any will do

Working in stocking stitch throughout

Rows 1-14 main colour
Rows 15-16 contrast A
Rows 17-18 contrast B
Rows 19 -   contrast A         (I presume that is 19 - 20  CB)

repeat above sequence twice
finish with 14 rows main colour


DO NOT CAST OFF but set aside until workshop

Nell

National Association Display






A total of 15 bags have been sent by the Guild for the display at the National Exhibition. Well done all - they look fab-ewe-lous!!

Nell

Monday, 14 April 2014

puzzle

try this for fun!

http://www.jigidi.com/solve.php?id=5VP9XUNE

Friday, 11 April 2014

Demonstrating at Hobbycraft

We are demonstrating again tomorrow at Hobbycraft - 12th April
Fabulous light to work under and made to feel very welcome. We might go there again!





















Monday, 24 February 2014

Knit and Natter Group

Learn to Spin

Tawe Guild Newsletter

Tawe Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers
NEWSLETTER -January 2014
As it is still January, I think it’s not too late to say Happy New Year to everyone!  I hope you had a good Christmas and New Year. If you were able to join in the Guild’s  Christmas and New Year celebrations, I’m sure you’ll agree the Christmas Dinner at the Brecon Beacons Centre, and also the New Year lunch at the Cross were both very enjoyable; guessing the spinners of our skeins was a great idea. Then on January 18th lots of us did Inkle Weaving with Lindsay – a brilliant workshop, with lovely lunch as usual (though since the workshop my inkle weaving has come off its loom, as a result of my failure to follow Lindsay’s advice about rubber bands!)
Gift from the Netherlands  
There was an extra surprise at the New Year lunch, with the arrival, via Heather, of the parcel from the Netherlands. When we opened it, we saw that the group who visited us last summer, had all contributed squares (knitted, embroidered, woven etc.), to make a quilt to show their gratitude to the Guild. It is now hanging up in the spinning room and looks lovely.

Rent Increase  
Unfortunately, this newsletter is not all good news.  The bad news is that Neath Port Talbot Council are having to make a lot of funding cuts and have told us that they will be doubling our rent from April. It will be approx. £1944 next year, for our 2 rooms.  At a committee meeting last Tuesday, it was decided that we should ask for a meeting with the appropriate NPTCBC officers, but we don’t expect that there will be room for much negotiation. It is most unlikely that we would be able to find a cheaper meeting place with the facilities that we have at present, so we’ll have no alternative but to increase our income to pay the new rent. The committee decided that a significant increase in subscription fees would need to be proposed at the AGM in September. It was felt that the option to pay in 3 instalments might be a good idea.  More information will follow.  Even with an increased fee, our Guild will still be one of the least expensive and will still provide very good value, considering the studio facilities which are available Mon – Fri.
The committee also discussed ways of bringing in new members by publicising ourselves more, for example by articles in community magazines, posters etc. A beginners (evening) course might be a good idea.  We also discussed the possibility of demonstrating at the Swansea Hobbycraft store; Del has already made some enquiries and has been told that they would love to provide a space for us to demonstrate on a number of occasions (and they’ll even give the demonstrators a staff discount while they’re there!
 If you have any ideas of your own for increasing membership and increasing our income, please share them.
Tea/coffee money.
We all enjoy our wonderful range of tea, coffee, chocolate, biscuits etc.! However, there hasn’t recently been enough money in the tin to pay for them. Because of this, the tea money payment is being increased to 50p per session (including workshops) and so that we don’t forget, there will be a register that we’ll fill in each time we come to the Guild. So please fill in the register, and pay up, as soon as you arrive!

Future Events and Workshops
There are some exciting events and workshops coming up in the next few months. Remember to put Wonderwool (Builth) in your diary for April 26/27. Apparently it is going to be bigger than ever this year. Our Guild Saturday workshops between now and June are:
February 24 and 25 – Weaving with Janet Phillips. Still one or two places available – please contact Clare for details.
March 15 – Felting with Pat Johnson
April 19 – Spinning and blending short fibres with Eirian (at Craig y Nos)
May 17 – Knitting with Anne Holvey
June 21 – Skills day organised by Heather.

Glamorgan Guild Inkle Weaving – If you’d like to follow up the skills you learnt at Lindsay’s recent workshop, Glamorgan Guild have some places available on their Anne Dixon workshop on 10/11 May. Its £60 for the two days. I’ve recently forwarded Rhoda Luzio’s email about this to everyone.
Friday Sessions
At the end of last year, there were 2 Friday knitting sessions led by Anne Holvey. Anne was particularly focusing on lace shawl knitting, but was happy for all to bring along their projects. I’ll email everyone with the next date when it has been fixed.  Some of the Guild members are now coming to the Cross every Friday (to spin, weave, knit etc.) instead of on Thursday, so please think about coming along.  You could even come swimming at lunchtime at the Pontardawe Pool ladies’ only session!
National Exhibition
The date for submitting photos/samples for selection for the National Exhibition in Norwich is 7 March, and the cost is £3 per entry. More details are on the notice board.  If you’d rather not enter the competitive exhibition, everyone is invited to submit bags (no more than 20cm in each direction), for £3 per entry. They can be woven, dyed, felted etc. and all will be displayed. More information about this is due shortly from the Association.  Regarding the Dylan Thomas joint project by the Guild, it’s generally felt that there isn’t enough time to submit this for the National Exhibition, but that we should go ahead with it, and display it in other places.
Equipment
If you have any Guild equipment which have borrowed and are no longer using, please could you return it. In particular, please could you return bobbins, as we are now short of these.
I hope I haven’t forgotten anything important in this newsletter.  Please let me know if there’s anything I need to tell all the Guild members about.  My email address is gratwhit@btinternet.com (or you can send your email to  taweguild@gmail.com)
Happy spinning, weaving, dyeing, felting and more.

Hilary

Sunday, 26 January 2014

Inkle weaving with Lindsey 18th January 2014

Such concentration!!

A productive and interesting day was had by all


Wednesday, 1 January 2014

Blues Brothers Party




Blues Brothers Party
Pontardawe Arts Centre
Saturday 1st February
6pm until late



Nell and Clive invite the Tawe Guild  to the party of the year
Please just give us an idea of numbers
Nell and Clive