Crochet a warming blanket
Or bury your hands in soft, squishy spun yarn. Lots of ways to keep warm and active this winter!
The cold and damp may have slightly reduced numbers at out weekly Guild days, but check out our Show & Tell for the past two months – lots of work being done by busy hands.
Wool Shows season is in full swing, with members visiting to recharge their stash, catch up with old friends, and see what’s new at the trade stalls.
We’ve run two fun workshops since our last Newsletter – Dorset Buttons and Pick Up (stick) weaving. Both enjoyed by participants with new skills learnt.
We’d also like to welcome a number of new members to the Guild, and hope they enjoy the camaraderie here and the opportunities to learn as well as share new skills.
A reminder that our August Meeting is our AGM and birthday. We’d like to see as many members attend as possible, however absence does not preclude being nominated and elected for a committee position … but we will check first …
We’ve got a bumper collection of a wide range of items in Show & Tell, so lets get on with it.
Cheers all,
KathyW, Editor.
Current & upcoming events
| July 2nd | Casual Workday - Annual clean-up | |
| July 9th | Business Meeting | |
| July 16th | Casual Workday | |
| July 18th – 20th | Australian Sheep & Wool Show (Bendigo) 9am-5pm Bendigo Showgrounds | |
| July 23rd | ||
| July 30th | Casual Workday | |
| August 6th | Casual Workday | |
| August 13th | AGM, Business Meeting & Guild’s Birthday | |
| August 20th | Casual Workday | |
| August 27th |
Committee 2024 – 2025
President:
Deb Carpenter
Vice President:
Darlene Anderson
Secretary (communications/events):
Amanda Eaton
Assistant Secretary (communications/events):
Julie Hofer
Minute Officer:
Amanda Eaton
Treasurer:
Rhonda Delahoy
Assistant Treasurer:
Julie Hofer
Social Media Officer:
Kathy Wheeler
Library/Equipment Officer:
Heather Mulqueeney
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 2025 – Business Meetings | |
|---|---|
| 12th February | Rhonda/Alison |
| 12th March | HeatherM./Ella |
| 9th April | |
| 7th May | |
| 11th June | Jane/Julie |
| 9th July | Amanda |
| 13th August | Louise/Kathy |
| 10th September | |
| 8th October | |
| 12th November | |
| 10th 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 - 14th May 2025
Jane
Deb
Ella
KathyW.
Louise
Show & Tell - 11th June 2025
Julie
Jane
Valerie
Louise
Deb
Peter
Heather
KathyW.
Amanda
Dorset Buttons Workshop - May 2025
Dorset buttons with Darlene.
For three hundred years, intricately patterned buttons were produced in Dorset, England.
These small, soft buttons made by wrapping linen thread around a wire ring were common during Jane Austen’s day. With the invention of machine-made buttons in the mid-nineteenth century, the Dorset button industry all but disappeared.
In this May workshop, Darlene introduced us to the techniques used in making our own Dorset buttons.
These charming and unique buttons can be made in a variety of sizes, and embellished to create one of a kind feature buttons or in groups as a charming alternative to conventional commercial buttons.
Pick Up Sticks Weaving - June 2025
Weaving Workshop with Heather.
This month’s workshop explored the possibilities offered when using pick up sticks on both warp and weft. Heather supplied a pattern for samplers, and one she had woven herself as a visual guide.
Three participants used rigid heddle looms, while one member used a four shaft table loom using only two shafts.
The technique is achieved using an appropriately sized pick up stick to lift (or lower) selected threads when creating the shed before passing the shuttle through. With rigid heddle looms, pick up threads behind your heddle with the pick up sticks to create different sheds. With multi shaft looms pick up threads in front of the heddles.
This technique adds texture and visual appeal to weaving, and is sufficiently flexible to allow the creation of patterns that would be difficult to do even with multi shaft looms.
Heather noted that the warp floats tended to have more of a tendency to pull the sides of the weaving in than the weft floats.
Slipper Socks Pattern
With KathyW.
This super simple slipper sock pattern is quick and easy to make. It’s a KathyW original so feel free to help yourself.
The PDF file can be downloaded from the link =>
Fleecy Follies
As the fog rolls in …
Our banner photo this issue is an edited blend of two images taken at about the same time 2 days apart in early July. While the fog gives an ethereal look to the landscape, everyone prefers the warmth of the winter sun. Counting animals in the fog is more challenging, and the fog seems to suck the warmth out of everything.
The alpaca girls are not liking the cold nights, spending them mostly in the sheds. Which usually means a big poop cleanup every morning before feed can go out. No matter how many times I tell them they would get fed faster if they pooped outside and we didn’t have to rake the shed floors they never take the hint. Well mostly … a few clever souls do manage to poop in the right collection spots!
Our photo gallery this issue covers interesting and amusing antics our fleecy friends get up to. Starting with Cedrick and the feeders …
Cedrick is our little wether boy that lives with his mom and the girls herd. He has excellent balance and is often seen standing on his hind legs nibbling at the tree lucerne. His preferred spot at the feeders is at the end, where he does not get pushed around by the girls. And if he can’t reach the hay, no problem, he just uses the end gate like a ladder and stands on the wires.
Cedrick has learnt to follow whoever goes down the lane to feed the rams in the evenings. Trotting along like a big white hungry puppy he usually manages to get a handful of sheeps feed, which he will quite happily eat from the offering hand.
Strike a pose …
In the photo below, two of our alpaca boys are demonstrating a classic Flehmen Response. This strange pose, head back, mouth open, occurs when a male alpaca smells the urine of another alpaca and often occurs at the alpaca poop piles. The boys alternately sniff at the poop piles, then lift their heads up and back, breathe in for a few seconds, then may sniff the pile again.
Rams exhibit this behaviour as well, and will curl their upper lips right back while they breath in the scents.
This behavior facilitates the transfer of pheromones and other scents into the vomeronasal organ (VNO, or Jacobson’s organ) located above the roof of the mouth via a duct which exits just behind the front teeth of the animal, and occurs in a number of animal species.
Who likes a good mud pack?
In the middle of winter it is not unusual to find a couple of animals wading in the dam. Like the ever present wood ducks, the alpacas know the water temperature is often warmer than the air temperature. Then with the usual alpaca attention to comfort, getting wet usually includes cushing or rolling in the nearest dust bath.
Perri (above) is showing her water line and mud pack. Must have been good. The following day all sign of the mud was gone. Alpacas do love to roll! Also pictured behind Perri is Barsha, who frequently carries a snack with her on her back.
And who does NOT like cold wet winters!
Our barn cat has had her bedding upgraded from a cat bed in a box (which cats are supposed to love but not our Abi – she’d rather sleep on the hay) to a lined covered basket. The basket seems to hit the spot and gets used regularly. She’s put on weight and is sporting a thick floofy winter tail at the moment.
2025 Program
| January 8th | Casual Workday | |
| January 15th | Casual Workday | |
| January 22nd | Casual Workday | |
| January 29th | Casual Workday | |
| February 5th | Casual Workday | |
| February 12th | Business Meeting | |
| February 19th | Casual Workday | |
| February 23rd | Forgotten Trades Festival, Jindera Museum |   |
| February 26th | Dye Workshop with Ella |   |
| March 5th | Casual Workday | |
| March 12th | Business meeting | |
| March 15th | Wodonga Show | |
| March 16th | Holbrook Show | |
| March 19th | Casual Workday | |
| March 26th | ||
| April 2nd | Casual Workday | |
| April 6th | Black & Coloured Sheep Association Wool Festival, Mittagong RSL | |
| April 9th | Business Meeting | |
| April 12th | Wangaratta Wool Day, 9am-3pm Milawa Hall. | |
| April 16th | Casual Workday | |
| April 23th | ||
| April 30th | Casual Workday | |
| May 7th | Casual Workday | |
| May 14th | Business Meeting | |
| May 21th | Casual Workday | |
| May 17th & 18th | Canberra Wool Expo, 9:30 - 2:30 Old Bus depot Markets | |
| May 28th | ||
| June 4th | Casual Workday | |
| June 7th | Shepparton Wool & Fibre Fair 10:00am - 3:00pm, St Augustines Parish Church Hall, Orr Street, Shepparton. | |
| June 11th | Business Meeting | |
| June 16th | Casual Workday | |
| June 23th | ||
| June 30th | Casual Workday | |
| July 2nd | Casual Workday - Annual clean-up | |
| July 9th | Business Meeting | |
| July 16th | Casual Workday | |
| July 18th – 20th | Australian Sheep & Wool Show (Bendigo) 9am-5pm Bendigo Showgrounds | |
| July 23rd | ||
| July 30th | Casual Workday | |
| August 6th | Casual Workday | |
| August 13th | AGM, Business Meeting & Guild’s Birthday | |
| August 20th | Casual Workday | |
| August 27th | ||
| September 3rd | Casual Workday | |
| September 10th | Business Meeting | |
| September 17th | Casual Workday | |
| September 24th | ||
| October 1st | Casual Workday | |
| October 8th | Business Meeting | |
| October 15th | Casual Workday | |
| October 23th | Casual Workday | |
| October 22nd | ||
| October 29th | Rooms closed for Albury Show | |
| November 5th | Rooms closed for Albury Show | |
| November 12th | Business Meeting | |
| November 19th | Casual Workday | |
| November 26th | ||
| December 3rd | Casual Workday | |
| December 10th | Business Meeting, Christmas Lunch | |
| December 17th |
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. This could cause a problem in the case of an emergency. Please park in the undercover area well clear of the doors and grandstand stairs, or on the grass area.
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.
