Rushing headlong into winter now …
It seems hardly any time at all since our first workshop of the year – our Dyeing Day in warm, balmy weather. Now winter is here again, cold and wet, while lots of members flee on holidays to warmer climes in the Northern Hemisphere …
It’s been a busy few months for Guild members. Check out the Show & Tell for the stash of fiber and goodies brought back from wool shows so far this year – the wool day in Milawa and the Wangaratta Woolen Mills.
We’ve also had wonderful donations of equipment, fiber and books from various people. And connections from our presence at the CraftAlive Show.
There’s been a lot of discussion of doing a modified “Back to Back”, or “sheep’s back to shawl” demonstration for the Albury Show this year. Keep an eye on our Meeting minutes for the evolution of the ideas.
Our second workshop for the year was Needlefelted 2D paintings. It seemed to be enjoyed by all participants. Look for the article below and Show & Tell in our NEXT Newsletter for results.
Speaking of workshops, we would really like suggestions of what members would like to have for future workshops. So please put your thinking caps on …
Cheers all,
KathyW, Editor.
June - July Program
| June 3rd | Casual Workday | |
| June 6th | Shepparton Wool & Fibre Fair 10:00am - 3:00pm, St Augustines Parish Church Hall, Orr Street, Shepparton. | |
| June 10th | Business Meeting | |
| June 17th | Casual Workday | |
| June 24th | Casual Workday | |
| July 1st | Casual Workday | |
| July 8th | Business Meeting | |
| July 15th | Casual Workday | |
| July 17th – 19th | Australian Sheep & Wool Show (Bendigo) from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Friday & Saturday, from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm Sunday. At the Bendigo Showgrounds. | |
| July 22nd | Casual Workday | |
| July 29th | Casual Workday |
Committee 2025 – 2026
President:
Deb Carpenter
Vice President:
Darlene Anderson
Secretary (communications/events):
Amanda Eaton
Minute Officer:
Amanda Eaton
Treasurer:
Rhonda Delahoy
Assistant Treasurer:
Julie Hofer
Social Media Officer:
Kathy Wheeler
Library/Equipment Officer:
Heather Mulqueeney and Rhonda Delahoy
Newsletter Editor:
Kathy Wheeler
Public Officer:
Julie Hofer
KeyHolders Roster
Wednesday Work Days and Meetings
1st Wed of month – Secretary
2nd Wed of month – President
3rd Wed of month – Treasurer
4th Wed of month – Julie or Louise
5th Wed of month *IF* there is one – tba
The Showground Trust also has keys.
| Morning Tea Roster 2026 – Business Meeting | |
|---|---|
| 11th February | TBA |
| 11th March | |
| 8th April | Ella & Jill |
| 6th May | |
| 10th June | Jane & Julie |
| 8th July | Rhonda & Heather? |
| 12th August | Louise & Kathy |
| 9th September | |
| 7th October | |
| 11th November | |
| 9th December | Everyone bring a plate!!! |
Morning Tea Duties: Arrive a little early. Bring morning tea and milk. Set up morning tea cups, plates etc, boil kettle/urn.
Show & Tell - 11th March 2026
Heather
Valerie
Ella
Darlene
Incognito Art Show
Show & Tell - 8th April 2026
Amanda
Darlene
KathyW
Valerie
Debbie
Show & Tell - 13th May 2026
Ella
Valerie
Louise
Heather (in absentia ...)
KathyW
Darlene
Peter
Jane
Pam (also in absentia ...)
Incognito Art Show
Workshops March & May 2026
Dyeing Day 25th March 2026
On a pleasant and sunny Wednesday morning Ella and Kathy had the dye pots going. Ella was dyeing with a number of natural and other dyes while Kathy was experimenting with an old Indigo Dye kit.
Ella’s results were a mix of ordinary and spectacular. Kathy’s results were disappointing but an interesting learning experiment that will hopefully pay off with a fresher dye source.
Needle Felted Painting with Wool 27th May 2026
Fleecy Follies
Changing seasons
With the arrival of the rains, the grass in the paddocks has started to grow. So have the weeds. While alpacas are pretty fussy eaters the sheep are not. So once a week, if it’s fine, the sheep get to graze in the top alpaca girls’ paddock for a few hours. The alpacas are shut out, which they get a bit miffed about, but they have two huge paddocks to themselves.
The sheep being creatures of habit, and good memories, are pretty quick to exit the top paddock at supper time.
One Saturday they followed us out of the paddock early, thinking we had some tasty treat in a chaff bag for them. When they realised their misjudgement, they turned and ran back to the top paddock, jumping in the air and kicking their heels as they went.
Sheep have a real FOMO complex (Fear Of Missing Out), and the last hay/chaff/pellets etc put down must be better than the previous!
The butterfly effect
The flush of stinging nettles in and around the paddocks has brought the Yellow Admiral butterflies back in good numbers. Yellow Admirals are native to Australia and New Zealand, and seek out stinging nettles to lay their eggs, with their larvae feeding on the nettles.
One afternoon heading down to the girls’ shed a Yellow Admiral fluttered past me and settled on weeds by the shed wall. This was right in front of Watera, one of the alpaca girls. She curiously bent her head down to suss out this strange object and the butterfly did what butterflies do when approached too close and flew off. Well! Watera jumped, threw her head back and galloped up the ramp away from the shed as fast as she could, kicking her hind legs out behind her as she went!
Nettles are occasionally grazed by the alpacas – I have photos and video to prove it! Generally thou both sheep and alpacas avoid them.
However, if we pull them up, pile them and let them wilt, both sheep and alpacas will devour them!
Furry frolics
Our barn cat loves checking out the new big hay bale and annoying the alpacas by using the shade sail over one of their water troughs as a hammock.
2026 Program - a work in progress
| January 7th | Rhonda and Heather will attend to clean out the rooms after the insect bombs. | |
| January 14th | Amanda will open up. | |
| January 21st | Julie will open up. | |
| January 28th | Cancelled due to extreme heat forecast | |
| February 4th | Casual Workday | |
| February 11th | First Business Meeting for 2026 | |
| February 18th | Casual Workday | |
| February 25th | Casual Workday | |
| March 4th | Casual Workday | |
| March 11th | Business meeting | |
| March 18th | Casual Workday | |
| March 25th | Dyeing Day | |
| April 1st | Casual Workday | |
| April 8th | Business Meeting | |
| April 15th | Casual Workday | |
| April 18th | Wangaratta Wool Day, 9am-3pm Milawa Community Hall. | |
| April 19th | B & C Sheep Ass. Woolfest 2026 Mittagong RSL. 10 am to 4pm | |
| April 22nd | Casual Workday | |
| April 29th | Casual Workday | |
| May 6th | Casual Workday | |
| May 13th | Business Meeting | |
| May 16th & 17th | Canberra Wool Expo, 9:30 - 2:30 Old Bus depot Markets Canberra | |
| May 20th | Casual Workday | |
| May 27th | Casual Workday | |
| June 3rd | Casual Workday | |
| June 6th | Shepparton Wool & Fibre Fair 10:00am - 3:00pm, St Augustines Parish Church Hall, Orr Street, Shepparton. | |
| June 10th | Business Meeting | |
| June 17th | Casual Workday | |
| June 24th | Casual Workday | |
| July 1st | Casual Workday | |
| July 8th | Business Meeting | |
| July 15th | Casual Workday | |
| July 17th – 19th | Australian Sheep & Wool Show (Bendigo) from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Friday & Saturday, from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm Sunday. At the Bendigo Showgrounds. | |
| July 22nd | Casual Workday | |
| July 29th | Casual Workday | |
| August 1st - 2nd | South Coast Fibre Muster - from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm Saturday & Sunday. At the Berry School of Arts. | |
| August 5th | Casual Workday | |
| August 12th | AGM, Business Meeting & Guild’s Birthday | |
| August 19th | Casual Workday | |
| August 26th | Casual Workday | |
| September 2nd | Casual Workday | |
| September 9th | Business Meeting | |
| September 16th | Casual Workday | |
| September 23rd | Casual Workday | |
| September 30th | Casual Workday | |
| October 7th | Casual Workday | |
| October 14th | Business Meeting | |
| October 21th | Casual Workday | |
| October 28th | Rooms closed for Albury Show | |
| November 4th | Rooms closed for Albury Show ??? | |
| November 11th | Business Meeting | |
| November 18th | Casual Workday | |
| November 25th | ||
| December 2nd | Casual Workday | |
| December 9th | Business Meeting, Christmas Lunch | |
| December 16th | TBA |
Last words ...
A few housekeeping items:
1 – Some members have been getting spam type emails saying they are coming from Guild members. If anyone gets a suspicious looking message, do not open it or any links within it.
2 – Please do not park in front of the Guild’s side double doors or the undercover area. Park on the grassy areas only.
3 – The drain area outside the Guild door that fills up with water when it rains is becoming DANGEROUS with one of our members slipping in the mud and algae growing there. PLEASE KEEP WELL CLEAR OF THE DRAIN AND MUD even when it appears dry!
Newsletter contributions are always welcome. So, if anyone has anything they want to contribute, or requests for articles, email me!
Cheers for now,
KathyW, Ed.
