Thursday, October 31, 2013

A BEVY OF BUNNIES

Kim, Cornerstone Fibres, has a bevy of bunnies that she raises for fibre. On Monday, November 4th, we will have a chance to meet one of her furry friends.  Find out what is involved in raising Angora rabbits for their fibre and experience this irresistibly soft fibre .

If you check out Kim's Cornerstone Fibres blog entry of Monday, August 26, 2013,  you will see a pic of the brood that her 8-year-old doe Sarai had in 'one last wild fling'.  Hopefully, the bunny that she plans to bring to Women Matters, on Monday, November 4th, will have a lot more fuzz than these little cuties.  Check it out.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

WHAT IS A THICK AND THIN YARN?

It is a great yarn to add to your rug hooking repertoire.  The combination of thick and thin yarn in a single strand will give you variety in surface texture.


A Single Ply Thick and Thin

Imagine the colourful texture that you could achieve if you hooked with this 2 ply thick and thin yarn.  Think gardens in a landscape and colourful lettering.

ATwo Ply Thick and Thin Yarn




Tell everyone.  On Monday, November 4th, Kim from Cornerstone Fibres will be at Women Matters, Lansdowne,  to demonstrate how to make a thick and thin yarn without a spinning wheel.

Monday, October 28, 2013

WHAT IS A DROP SPINDLE?

A drop spindle is a simple, inexpensive device that allows you to design your own yarn for use in your hand hooked rugs.


Use the drop spindle to spin yarn from your hand dyed roving, or to ply two different types of commercial yarn together to make your own unique hooking fibre.  You can even spin your whipping yarn if you want.  And of course, the drop spindle can be used to create a knitting yarn also.

Kim Parkinson, Cornerstone Fibres, will be at Women Matters, Landsdowne, on Monday, November 4th to give us a demonstration on how to use the drop spindle.  Pass the word.


Thursday, October 17, 2013

NOVEMBER 4th PROGRAM

Kim from Cornerstone Fibres will be our guest speaker and vendor at Women Matters on November 4, 2013.   We have asked her to come to Lansdowne with her fibres, spindles, needles, and her favourite furry friend, one of the Angora rabbits, which she breeds for fibre.  

The following program starts at 11 a.m. so bring your camera, pen and paper to take notes and capture ideas.  Kim will;
  • show us how to make a hookable, thick and thin yarn without the need for a spinning tool,
  • demonstrate her drop spindle technique,
  • talk to us about breeding Angora rabbits and how she uses their fibre, and
  • give us a chance to shop from her stock of fibre items.  
Spread the word.  Everyone is welcomed.







Friday, October 11, 2013

THANKSGIVING MONDAY, OCTOBER 14

Please note that Women Matters members will not be meeting on Thanksgiving Monday.

We look forward to getting together again at the Community Centre, on Monday, October  21, 2013.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

PLAIDS, PLAIDS AND MORE PLAIDS



Oh my good golly! Who knew that there was so much that you could do with recycled plaid fabric?  Sheila B knew.  On Monday, Sheila's workshop on hooking with plaid fabrics was an eye opening experience for all.  She started by showing us so many wonderful examples of pieces that she hooked with plaids.  She noted that she will often use a piece of the original plaid fabric somewhere in the project, either as a backing, binding or part of the design. By seeing a sample of the original plaid, we were able to better understand what she has done to achieve such fantastic results. 

 




Then she, with the help of her lovely assistant Julie, showed us a large rug that she had hooked with lots of recycled plaids.


She taught the techniques, demonstrated what to do and provided individual coaching on how we could use the plaids that we had brought to the workshop.  She also had hooked samples of the patterns that we would be hooking.   Sheila left no stone unturned as she shared her knowledge and enthusiasm  for  plaids.   

A huge SHOUT OUT goes to Sheila for all the energy that she put into this workshop and for the enthusiasm that we now share for her love of plaids.  Thanks Sheila for opening our eyes to the possibilities that plaids offer to those of us who desire more options when hooking our rugs.