Stratford-upon-Avon Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers

The year is now almost done and this picture (emailed before Christmas by a triumphant Ruth McCartney) has a lovely end of year sense of achievement. Ruth completed these following Ruth Hainsworth's GBA session on sock knitting at our December meeting. Nice to see how things end up and these do look lovely.  During 2017 guild members ha ve added to their knowledge across all manner of things, especially dyeing - with food colours for fun play, using 'proper' acid dyes (taught by the talented Katie Weston) and also experimenting with natural dyes. We learned to spin cotton and share Sarah Wroot's love of this fibre, we got better at evaluating fleeces and carding wool). We have been out and about demonstrating and also lured visitors to our Open Day. Many members have acquired looms, wheels and dyed fibre as a result of this past year's activities. You may have received (or treated yourself or succumbed) to other weaving, spinning and dyeing supplies, tools...

We've done a lot, learned a lot, taught each other a lot and made new friends during 2017. Now we are near the end of the year and we can take things a little easier, celebrating this traditional time of year at our 9th December meeting. Ruth Hainsworth will be heading up a Getting Better At Sock Knitting session in the morning (which may help some of us finish off Christmas present knitting or encourage us to tackle heel knitting and second sock syndrome). Sue Byrne will be showing us some 'sock blanks', something new to many of us. These can be dyed to create unique sock yarns. Lunch will be a shared meal (please bring something for the buffet table). This is followed by activity led by Ann and Abby focusing on making decorations - including some for the guild tree, part of an annual display at Stratford United Reformed Church. For those participating in our Secret Santa Stash Swap there will also be something to unwrap or take away and put under your own tree. (Details...