The Second Saturday gathering on July 13th was very well attended, with over 20 members braving the heat to gather in the library's community room. In addition to the regular members that brought their handwork to the circle, a large group came out for Jane's complimentary Intro to Kumihimo workshop and first meeting of the new  Kumihimo Study Group. 

Jane brought a her samples, inventory of Sinfonia yarn, kumihimo disks, plastic bobbins, and patterns to get everyone started. She also passed out an informational handout with online resources. Folks selected contrasting yarn to braid and set up their disks. After a short demo, everyone was happily braiding.

Jane also demonstrated how to make a beaded braid using bead cord, seed beads and an extra thick disk. Many with bead stashes were especially interested in trying out this technique.

Many, many thanks go to Jane once again, for her generosity of time and materials. Hopefully the new Kumihimo Study Group will meet again soon!

Link to photos.

Our June 18th guild meeting was a potluck picnic hosted by Sue F. at her lovely Grass Valley home. We had 30 members and a few guests in attendance. Sue had tables set up in her courtyard for members selling or giving away fiber-related items. Inside, there was a table to drop off Guild Challenge 2024 items. What talented members!

The kitchen island was filled with delicious food, including chicken hot off the grill, tended by Simona. Chinook made sure to guard the goodies. There were cozy conversation groupings inside and out, leading to many lively discussions. 

Many, many thanks to Sue for hosting. It was the perfect venue for a delightful evening with fiber friends!

Check out the Potluck Picnic photos here.

Holly and Josh dropped in briefly at Second Saturday to return a couple of guild library books. (Mary has them, Sue.) It was good to see them.

Simona and our Beginning Crochet Group are having so much fun that Jeanette, Lynda, and Kathy joined us. Now we all know how to correctly make a slip knot, work a nice foundation row, and single crochet. Ginger moved on to lesson three skills and beyond. Way to go, Ginger! Many thanks, again, to Simona for donating her time and expertise.

Thanks also go to Kathy for hosting this month. 

We need a host for July's Second Saturday. This only involves getting the key at the library desk, unlocking the doors, and turning on the lights for the 1:00 p.m. opening. Then making sure the chairs are stacked, the floor is clean, the lights are off, the doors locked, and the key returned. Please contact Gretchen if you are available. 

Sharlet Elms' Walk Thru History looking at the development of fibers, dyeing and how civilizations influenced cloth was indeed fascinating. As experts find more evidence of  our use and dependence on fibers, they find that weaving, nalbinding, and knitting developed much earlier in our history than was previously thought. Thank you for the interesting presentation, Sharlet! Check out her books of interest if you would like to learn more.

Ginger did a wonderful job presiding over the business meeting. Officers of the 2024-2025 Foothill Fibers Guild Board were elected. Your officers are:

President:  Gretchen 
Vice President:  Ginger 
Secretary:  Kathy H
Treasurer:  Carol P-K
Membership/CNCH Liaison:  Margaret
Program Coordinator:  Meredith
Website Manager:  Mary P
Librarian:  Susan R
Outreach Coordinator:  Mardi
Publicity/Social Media Coordinator:  Andrea

Many thanks went to Andrea for volunteering to take on the new role of Publicity/Social Media Coordinator. Also, a big round of applause for Brenda Atchison who is stepping down as program coordinator. Thank you, Brenda, for two years of excellent programs.

The proposed bylaws changes were approved, including an increase in guild dues for the coming year:

The membership also authorized the Foothill Fibers Guild CNCH Liaison or President to vote as our representative on the current matter of CNCH By-laws and Standing Rules approval.

And Ginger won the door prize:  a tote from the Handweavers Guild of America (HGA) filled with yarn sample cards from the Yarn Barn of Kansas, copies of Shuttle, Spindle and Dyepot, dyed locks, yarn, woven key chain, and a variety of stitch markers. Congratulations, Ginger!

Second Saturday, May 11, 2024

We had a free Learn to Crochet class as part of our Second Saturday activities in May. Simona let the group with Julie and Mary as support. Our goal is to learn the skills needed to crochet a cotton face cloth using a pattern designed by Simona.

We first all learned how to make a proper slip knot. Do you know how? It is a very important first step to keep your beginning edge neat and tidy. Then we learned how chain, single crochet, and crochet a nice foundation row. Everyone was so engaged that those that came to spin and do other handwork joined the group! There will be a follow-up session in two weeks at the library. We all left with homework and a desire to learn more about crochet.

Check out the photos.

Members of the Foothill Fibers Guild braved the rain and cold to demonstrate various fiber arts at the KVMR Celtic Festival at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Demonstrations included the picking and carding of fiber, spindle spinning, spinning wheel spinning, knitting, and weaving on triangle, rigid heddle and floor looms. It was great fun sharing our skills and chatting with attendees while listing to wonderful Celtic music.

Check out the photos!

Beth Leydon - Working Upside Down:  intuitive felting with wool and silk

Beth described her process in creating beautiful “Nuno" Felted wearable art. Utilizing paper fibers in place of roving and silk, Beth guided over 20 members in an experiential exercise in working upside down, experimenting with color, form, and layout. Many experienced a feeling of uncertainty when we were not able to see the final product until completion. Everyone had fun playing with paper shapes and visiting with other guild members. We all left with an even greater appreciation for Beth's outstanding work.

Members, to see photos of the evening, click [HERE]

LOSE YOUR HEAD AND LEARN A NEW SKILL

Elvira, our headless mascot, wants you to accept this year's guild challenge and learn a new fiber-related skill. Bring a project created using your new skill to the June picnic. You can even double-dip and enter the project into the Nevada County Fair! It is not too late to get started.

~ Are you a knitter that would like to learn how to crochet? Or maybe you crochet and want to learn how to manipulate those two needles. 

~ Do those pretty, fluffy batts make you want to learn how to spin yarn? Or are you a spinner that would like to weave a lovely scarf with your handspun?

~ Have you been weaving yarn for years and now you want to weave baskets. Or do bands made using cards with holes punched in their four corners intrigue you?

~ Were you inspired by all that color alchemy last year and now you want to dye everything in sight but don’t know how to get started?

~ Or maybe this whole idea stresses you out and you want to stab something. Give needle felting a try. 

And if you are dedicated to your fiber craft of choice, commit to learning a new skill within that craft. Knitters, have you tried brioche? Intarsia? Weavers, have you woven a double-wide blanket or a collapsed weave? Crocheters, have you tried three-dimensional textured crochet squares? Dyers, have you used a blanket? Spinners, have you tried a fang?

Bonus activity:  Knit, spin, weave, dye, crochet, felt, embroider, etc., with intention. Make every stitch, pass or minute spent working with fiber an opportunity to send peace and love out into the world.

by Carol Pepper-Kittredge

On February 24, sixteen Foothill Fibers Guild members assembled at Jeanne's home for an introductory session on natural dyeing. The group included some very accomplished and skilled FFG dyers as well as complete beginners; but all came together to build community, share information, and have a fun time!  Four natural dye stations were set up: mahonia, onion skins, avocado and apple bark. Participants received sample packs of pre-mordanted yarn, roving, and a silk scarf to try one or more natural colors. A separate demo on the mordanting process using Alum helped explain how to prepare fiber for the dye pot, as well as a primer on safety and personal protective gear.   

So - what was the 'winner' for the day? It was definitely the onion skins!  The other pots produced very light colors, which might be typical if the pot temperature gets too hot (above 160 degrees F), or if the material needs more exposure time in the pot.  All-in-all, it was a happy and productive day, and we hope that participants gained greater confidence in continuing their natural dyeing journey.  

Due to strong FFG member interest, a second introductory session will be held on March 24 at Brenda's home!  A few spots are still available - sign up at (EventBrite link).  

Thank you to FFG Dye Day committee members Jeanne, Gretchen, Brenda, and Carol for coordinating these events!

Our rigid heddle weaving demonstration at Second Saturday was very successful. Mary started with an explanation of how weaving works on a variety of small looms. There was a poster with weaving words and their meanings to help with the new vocabulary. Interested folks were able to try their hand at weaving on a 10" Schacht Cricket loom and a 20" Schacht Flip loom. 

Second Saturday was well attended. We had at least five guests and a dozen members socializing while knitting, spinning, crocheting, warping small looms. Most importantly, everyone had a lovely time enjoying fiber fun.