Susquehanna Valley Spinners & Weavers Guild
SpinnersWeaversGuild@gmail.com
Located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Meetings held at Christ's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3rd Street, Lewisburg. Basement Level. ADA Accessible.
Join us
1:00 Library is open
1:30 pm Social Time
2:00 pm Meeting
Children under 18 years of age are welcome to attend meetings if accompanied by a responsible adult.
Calendar of Events
Please note: Participants must prepay for all workshops
January 13
2024 Schedule of Events
PA Sheep to Shawl competition - State Farm Show complex in Harrisburg
January 13 9-5
Workshop Rigid Heddle Loom: Guild Member cost - $90.00, Nonmember - $110.00 (all materials are included in this fee) Limit: 12 students
Join Sara for this all-day workshop which has been designed for people who are familiar with and have woven on a rigid heddle loom. Sarah plans on bringing pre warped rigid heddle looms that will better help students understand how the use of color and texture can create a variety of patterns. In the afternoon, students will learn how the use of pick-up sticks can further enhance their designs.
Students will create a table runner that will show a variety of patterns, color combinations and textures.
January 14 9-noon
Workshop Introduction to the Rigid Heddle Loom: Cost: $20.00 per person Guild Members cost, Nonmember $25.00 Limit: 18 students
If you’ve ever wanted to know more about a Rigid Heddle loom and if you’d like to try it - then this is the workshop for you!
In this session, Sara will discuss the differences and similarities between a floor loom and a Rigid Heddle loom. Students will learn the names of the different parts of the loom as well as see how to warp and weave on a rigid heddle loom. She will show different makes and sizes of rigid heddle looms and students will have time to try weaving on a loom.
January 14 2:00 pm
Guild Meeting - **NOTE ** The January Meeting will be held at the Central PA Chamber of Commerce Building located at 30 Lawton Lane, Milton PA, just outside of Montandon.
Your 2024 membership dues are due today.
Sara Bixler of Red Stone Glen will share weaving samples as she discusses the use of different textures and
colors to produce different patterns using a rigid heddle loom.
Sara Bixler is the owner and resident instructor of Red Stone Glen Fiber Arts Center (redstoneglen.com). Sara has been teaching weaving for over 10 years and is the author of many weaving articles including articles found in the “Little Looms” journal.
“Sara has spent many years experimenting with color in weaving, focusing her studies on how color relationships are affected by yarn size, luster, sett and weave structure. She loves giving
students core principles to follow so they become more confident in their color decisions when designing new pieces.
Sara also strives to create new and different approaches to looking at plain weave fabrics through surface embellishments. Working primarily on a plain weave background, Sara enjoys the challenge of investigating everything from ancient techniques for decorating fabrics to the use of more modern day yarns produced for novelty type applications.
Jan. 20th 10-noon
Board Meeting. The first board meeting for 2024. Meeting will be held at the Union County Public Library in Lewisburg. All members are welcome to attend, however, only board members may vote.
January 27 1:00 pm
Weavers Study Group. Meeting will be held at 525 Vine Street, New Berlin.
January 31 1:00 pm
Spinners Study Group meets at the home of Julie Richie
February 10 10 - 2
Introduction to Spinning Workshop presented by Julie Richie.
Materials Fee of $25 paid day of class. Workshop will be held at Christ's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lewisburg.
February 11 2:00 pm
Guild Meeting A Visit to the Schacht Factory presented by Sally Horn
Guided Tour of the Schacht Spindle Company
Sally Horn has spent a lifetime in the fiber arts. Her first sweater was completed
in first grade. By the third grade, Sally was already a seasoned knitter, able to knit a cabled sweater. Sewing came next. Whilein grade school, Sally made her own clothes, including a winter coat with matching plaids.As a student at Northern Illinois University, majoring in Textiles and Clothing, Sally discovered her
passion for weaving. She immediately signed up for all the weaving courses offered and purchased the four-harness floor loom that she still uses today. After graduating, Sally worked for a Los Angeles company, weaving large wall hangings. She also did commissioned work on the side. Many of us have had the distinct pleasure of owning or using a Schacht loom or spinning wheel. Few of
us, however, have had the opportunity to visit the Schacht Spindle Company located in Boulder, Colorado to see how these marvelous machines are crafted. Sally Horn not only toured the factory; she created a virtual record of that experience. Today, Sally will be our tour guide, showing us the process from beginning to end.
February 28 1:00 pm
Spinner's Study Group meets at the home of member Val Moyer.
March 10 2:00 pm
Guild Meeting Knit Companion by Diane Reynolds
Diane Reynolds is a guild member and an avid knitter. Diane has discovered the knitting app called knitCompanion and says this has made her knitting experience much easier and more organized. Use knitCompanion with any pattern including your patterns in Ravelry. You won't need to make paper copies any more! The app will save your patterns. When using each pattern you will have access to multiple counters and you can name them - Row Counter, Repeat Counter, etc.. There is a highlighter bar that keeps track of which row you are on in the pattern and a marker that keeps track exactly where in the row you are. You can scribble notes on your pattern, access video tutorials from your project page and recolor charts to match the colors you are using. You can use different devices with this app - laptop, tablet and phone. There is so much more that Diane will teach us. There is a free version of knitCompanion and there are upgrade versions that cover special features for a fee. Diane will take us through the different versions.
Please Note:
***Please download the free version of Knit Companion to your laptop or tablet prior to the meeting. If you are not able to do this, you can partner up with someone who has downloaded the app. Bring paper and pen for note taking.***
March 16
For the Love of Fiber, Ramada Inn, State College
March 27 1:00 pm
Spinner's Study Group a.k.a. Woolies will meet in the community room of the Mifflinburg Public Library.
April 6 1:00 pm
Weavers Study Group. Meeting at 525 Vine Street, New Berlin, PA
April 13 10 - 4
Spinning Workshop with instructor Tracy Sayre
Survey of Wool types and How to Spin Each Type
Tracy Sayre has been a handspinner for three decades. She has been involved in Sheep to Shawl teams, some of the historic aspects of spinning and weaving and studying breeds and color theory. She enjoys learning new things and breeding fiber animals.
The Survey of WoolTypes Workshop covers the basic structure of fleece and how it is different in the five basic types of wool and how each should be spun. Tracy will talk about each representative breed and then we will spin the different fleeces. The cost is $110.00 for members and $135.00 for non-members which includes the different fibers you will be spinning.
We need a minimum of 4 participants.
Guild Meeting Guest speaker today is Tracy Sayre
Contrast and Harmony in Color
We will look at the properties of color through the framework of contrast and
harmony. The properties of color can be used to create many different effects. There is a science to color that we can learn as well as the joy that color can give us.
This presentation will be helpful to knitters, weavers and spinners.
April 14 2:00 pm
April 24 1:00 pm
Spinner's Study Group meets at the home of Del Kennedy.
May 4 & 5
Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, Howard County, MD
May 18 & 19
Central PA Fiber Festival, Hughesville, PA Located in the Lycoming County Fair Grounds
May 19 2:00 pm
Guild Meeting & Demonstration - Location will be at the Hughesville Fiber Festival, Lycoming County Fair Grounds. Demonstration will begin at 10:00 am. Meeting will be at 2:00 pm.
Spinner's Study Group meets at the home of Sheryl McGettigan.
May 29 1:00 pm
Sat. June 8 9 am - noon
Workshop Colorwork: Cowl Pattern with Tanis Gray
Luminosu Hat & Cowl – Ms Gray will use this project to teach us traditional stranded colorwork.
Please visit www.tanisknits.com for pattern descriptions and yarn suggestions.
All of these patterns use DK and/or sport weight yarn. DK (Double Knitting) yarn is in between sport and worsted weight on the yarn weight spectrum. DK is less bulky than worsted weight. Ms. Gray recommends Emma’s Simply Spectacular DK which can be found online at $28/100 gm 255 yard skein of merino nylon blend. ANY DK WEIGHT WOOL BLEND WILL WORK FOR THESE DESIGNS. Check your stash too.
You must pre-pay to register for the workshop. Payment of $55 per member. Non-Guild members $75.
Workshop to be held at the Central PA Chamber of Commerce Building located at 30 Lawton Lane, Milton PA 17847.
Sat. June 8 3pm - 5 pm
Workshop History of Knitting and Mosaic knitting fingerless mitts by Tanis Gray
This workshop includes a brief lecture on the history of knitting before she begins the Mosaic Knitting workshop.
Mosaic knitting: Fingerless Mitts
Bow-Tie Pasta Fingerless Mitts – This project will teach us how to knit the shortcut to stranded color called mosaic style.
All of these patterns use DK and/or sport weight yarn. DK (Double Knitting) yarn is in between sport and worsted weight on the yarn weight spectrum. DK is less bulky than worsted weight. Ms. Gray recommends Emma’s Simply Spectacular DK which can be found online at $28/100 gm 255 yard skein of merino nylon blend. ANY DK WEIGHT WOOL BLEND WILL WORK FOR THESE DESIGNS. Check your stash too.
You must pre-pay to register for the workshop. Payment of $55 per member. Non-Guild members $75.
Workshop to be held at the Central PA Chamber of Commerce Building located at 30 Lawton Lane, Milton PA 17847.
Workshop: Estonian in-lay : Hat by Tanis Gray
A Short Reprise Hat – this hat is made using Estonian Inlay and Estonian Braid. Estonian Inlay is a technique where a design appears to be embroidered but is actually strands from underneath the design pulled to the surface.
All of these patterns use DK and/or sport weight yarn. DK (Double Knitting) yarn is in between sport and worsted weight on the yarn weight spectrum. DK is less bulky than worsted weight. Ms. Gray recommends Emma’s Simply Spectacular DK which can be found online at $28/100 gm 255 yard skein of merino nylon blend. ANY DK WEIGHT WOOL BLEND WILL WORK FOR THESE DESIGNS. Check your stash too.
You must pre-pay to register for the workshop. Payment of $55 per member. Non-Guild members $75.
Workshop to be held at the Central PA Chamber of Commerce Building located at 30 Lawton Lane, Milton PA 17847.
Sun. June 9 9 am - noon
June 9 2:00 pm
Guild Meeting The Science of Color Theory presented by Tanis Gray
Knowledge of color theory is essential for all fiber artists, not just knitters. We hope to see many weavers and spinners at these presentations also.
For more information about Tanis Grey, please view the interview with Ms. Grey on YouTube.
Meeting to be held at the Central PA Chamber of Commerce Building located at 30 Lawton Lane, Milton PA 17847.
June 29 thru July 21
Tour de Fleece 2024.
Tour de Fleece 2024 will run during the Tour de France, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 29th– Sunday, July 21st, 2024. The goal for the Tour de Fleece is
to spin and post progress pictures of your spinning on Ravelry each day of the race. There will be a dedicated thread posted in the Susquehanna Valley Spinners and Weavers group. Refresher instructions on how to post pictures and participate will be provided closer to the date.
There are no quantity requirements for anyone's spinning -do what fits in your schedule. Daily participation is not required, and posting late and/or in batches is also fine. The goal is to get into the habit of spinning regularly, and also to have fun sharing your projects with other guild members. Each day’s photo is an entry into the random prize draw at the end. As of this point, prizes will be TBD based on donations, though there will be at least a few.
This is also a good event for people who aren't local since it's free and run on a public website. The only requirements are internet access and a Ravelry account. Former guild members who've left the area, friends/family, and/or prospective members are encouraged to participate.
For more information, please email Kate Suddarth at katesuddarth@gmail.com
June 26 1:00 pm
Spinners Study Group meets at the home of Sarah Starr.
July 14 2:00 pm
Guild Meeting. Our guest speaker will by Jan Byron. Nuno Felting: Wearable Art
Nunovations creates distinctive scarves and wraps through a process known as
Nuno Felting. Each piece starts with a silk base. Designs are constructed via the application of colorful wool rovings and then embellished with silk hanky, sheep curlies and other fiber threads. The cold-water felting promotes the wool fibers to attach to the silk, creating a new fabric. The felted piece is hand-worked and as the wool shrinks the silk ruches.... producing the unique texture. The finishing process includes a lavender rinse that softens and conditions the wool.
This combination of color and texture produces clothing accessories that can be considered wearable art.
July 31 1:00 pm
Spinners study Group meets at the home of Susan McGargee
Aug 3 10 - noon
Board Meeting. Union County Public Library, Lewsburg
August 11 2:00 pm
Guild Meeting Today's program will be Painting your Warp presented by Sally Kayler.
How to Hand Paint Warps for Large Looms
PA native, Sally Kahler, who now resides in North Carolina most of the year but
comes back every summer to where she grew up in Laporte, PA, is a true fiber artist. Sally has participated in Sheep to shawl competitions and is both an excellent spinner and weaver. Sally’s weaving pieces are beautiful!
Sally learned to paint warps for weaving when she was living in Vancouver BC almost 35 years ago when she took a workshop as a member of the weavers guild there. She fell in love with the interplay of colors achieved by painting white thread before putting them on the loom. During this program Sally will describe this technique, the dyes used and the process. Saly will have some painted warps for show and tell as well as a number of scarves woven with different weave structures using painted warp yarns.
Sally is looking forward to her time in Lewisburg!
This presentation will be helpful to knitters, weavers and spinner
August 28 1:00 pm
Spinners study group meets at the home of Lindy VanFleet.
Sept. 6 & 7
PA Endless Mountains Fiber Festival, New Milford PA
Sept 8
Annual Guild Picnic and Eco Dye Silk Scarf Workshop.
This year we will be creating our own silk scarf by Eco Dyeing. Sandy Dotts will start us off by prepping our scarves. While they boil we will enjoy our pot luck picnic. We will provide the materials list and times to you as we get closer to the date. This will be a fun project and you will go home with a beautiful silk scarf. The picnic will be held at the home of Lynn Hoffman.
Sept 21 1:00 pm
Fleece to Shawl competition at Bloomsburg Fair.
Sept 27-28
Knitters Day Out, Summerdale, PA
Sept. 25 1:00 pm
Spinners Study Group - TBD
Oct. 13 2:00 pm
Guild Meeting Draw Looms and Damask Designs by Amy Blair
Drawlooms are amazing. The unique (and at times mysterious) mechanics of these ancient devices make them adaptable, powerful design tools for weavers who love traditional methods and decorative patterns. One of the most awesome features of drawlooms is the ease with which they can be built around a warp and reconstructed on the fly to accommodate the changing needs of the imaginative weaver. By examining the complex interplay between loom setup and design capability we can better understand how this iterative process works and gain a new appreciation for the versatility of these remarkable looms.
Amy Blair is a trained educator, engineer, and passionate handweaver who has dedicated her creative life to drawlooms and contemporary figurative damask. Although she is endlessly inspired by the weavings of old, her focus is on the re-imagining of traditional designs to reflect the world she sees around her. A resident of Pennsylvania’s sunny Lehigh Valley, she is as likely to include steel mills and automobiles in her pieces as the folk motifs of weavers past.
Amy’s work has been featured in Complex Weavers Journal and Joanne Hall’s books Drawloom Weaving and Weaving with Long-Eye Heddles. She has been granted Master Artisan status by the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen and was a resident artist at the Banana Factory Arts Center in Bethlehem, PA in 2021/2022. She teaches the introductory drawloom class at Vävstuga Weaving School and her YouTube channel, ‘Duelling Rabbits Handweaving’, is entirely — and uniquely — dedicated to the demystification of drawlooms and the textiles they make possible.
Oct. 19
Bus Trip to NY Sheep & Wool Festival, Rhinebeck NY
Join in the fun with fellow fiber enthusiasts for a day at the fiber festival.
The bus will depart from Lewisburg. Pick up the information sheet and registration form at a guild meeting.
Oct. 30 1:00 pm
Spinners study group TBD
Nov. 10 9 am - noon
Workshop Mini Pinecone Swag by Robin Ulrich
Mini Pinecone Swag Workshop
Robin Ulrich will present a workshop on how to make mini pinecone swags using wool
strips. The pinecones and branches can be used for garlands, wreaths or on their own. This workshop will teach you skills and tips you can then use in larger projects. The cost of the workshop is $35.00 and $45.00 for non-members which includes enough materials to make 3 pinecone swags.
The workshop fee includes a small materials fee.
Nov 10 2:00 pm
Guild Meeting Speaker this month will be Robin Ulrich
Election of Officers for 2025.
Felted Wool Tree
Robin Ulrich will teach us how to make a mini Christmas tree using wool strips. You will learn skills you can use on your own to make a larger Christmas tree if you wish.
There will be a $5 charge to members materials fee.
Nov. 17 & 18
Fall Fiber Festival, Leesport, PA
Dec. 8 2:00 pm
Guild Meeting The program this month will feature getting your PHD ( Projects Half Done ).
Ornament/Card Exchange and PHD Projects
All members are encouraged to sign-up for the Ornament/Card exchange. Each participant is asked to create 8 or so pieces which they give to other members. Members are asked to bring a “PHD - PROJECT” - a project which is half done that during the new year one plans to either complete or toss in the trash. Hospitality: Everyone is invited to bring a plate of homemade cookies or other holiday treat to share with the group.