Tag Archives: Spinning

Volunteer work

Three Scenic Valley Handweavers Guild members attended the Art for the Heart event at the Morningside of Cleveland, Assisted Living Center. We had been asked through my wife Anne who is the Food Services Manager there. She and the Activities Director were doing a combined event to both entertain the residents and also any other guests/potential residents from the community. We were happy to volunteer and also had the prospect of getting a little publicity for the Guild as there was likely to be newspaper coverage.

Spinning for the residents

We spent a couple of hours moving around and showing residents various aspects of spinning and weaving. Everyone appreciated the up close demonstrations and samples – everyone loved feeling how soft the alpaca roving was. Several residents had weaving or spinning connections with parents or grandparents.

An added bonus for the event was the custom snacks prepared by Anne and her staff. As something special for the residents (and me) Anne made vegemite sandwiches* and potato savories – both favorites from my childhood in New Zealand and something she quickly learned how to prepare when she worked at the early childhood center in Wellington when we lived there.

The Cleveland Banner turned up as promised and our photo’s appeared in the newspaper last night. The link is: http://clevelandbanner.com/stories/arts-for-your-heart,94835?fbclid=IwAR1_uw0J-5oNxLJq1cU3zvg2_o9E0Phm-NZ3m4EZ3GbRSZXFVExNKgS3Z_Q (I am the third photo) and along with the lead article on Anne’s cooking career a couple of days before, I think we helped Morningside of Cleveland marketing considerably.

*Almost certainly I ate the most!

R&M Yarns Annual Fiber Education Festival

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Busy spinning – perhaps not the best posture (I blame the chair!)

Saturday the 12th was the Annual Festival where the Scenic Valley Hand-spinners Guild assist with the running and provide demonstrations to match the theme of the Festival which is to educate young and old on all aspects of fiber work.  R&M Yarns supply coned yarns for fiber artists and also provide space for our monthly meetings.

As with other years I volunteered to demonstrate spinning as I am one of only a couple of the weavers who also spin.  We set up under a large open sided marque on the lawn of R&M Yarns in Georgetown, TN and operate all day.  Along with most fiber arts there are sheep shearing demonstrations, games/educational opportunities for the kids and for those that want; a food vendor.

I took along a bunch of examples of spun skeins as well as my two wheels and some drop-spindles.  Then to ensure I could show examples of the complete process I had raw and washed wool, the drum carder, and a few handwoven (from handspun) samples.

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The spinning demonstration

The day was fairly hot, but under the shade and with a slight breeze it was tolerable.  We had a steady flow of visitors all day and I met some very interesting people and was able to talk fiber art at all levels.  I handed out a few business cards that might generate some work, and all-in-all it was a great day.

Anne came and joined us around mid-afternoon and then helped pack up my gear and then with the other guild members, the rest of the site.