September Open Day
The East Gippsland Wool & Craft Group
held its annual Open Day on the usual 2nd Saturday of September. The
good company, along with interesting demonstrations and a delicious morning and
afternoon tea, complemented the displays of top quality work done by the various
members, which combined to make it a first-class event in our calendar. Even
the weather conspired to aid us - a perfect spring day, warm and windless so we
could have all the doors open and enjoy the sunshine. Perhaps though, if the
weather had been a little less than kind, we may have had more visitors – maybe
they were all home gardening or at the beach! However, those present had a very
enjoyable day.
The displays featured a variety of articles,
woven, knitted, crocheted, felted and sewn by members, from recycled materials,
our theme for this year’s open day. Other displays featured various wool craft equipment
and a table with spindles, skeins and articles made from spindle-spun yarns.
Members were engaged in spinning with various brands of spinning wheels and a
charkha, while others relaxed with their knitting or crochet and chatted over a
cuppa.
A Circle of Spinners was set up to give
some idea of what is involved in being part of a Back to Back team, though
using a previously shorn fleece. Members of this circle challenged themselves by
spinning greasy fleece, spinning at speed and plying from Andean bracelets or a
centre-pull ball. Spinning a yarn that is also similar to that of other team
members in twists per inch is definitely a challenge, especially when singles
from 2 members are plied together. To achieve a consistent effect in the
knitted pieces the grist is very important – for the Back to Back a plied yarn
equal to a commercial 8-ply is the aim, not easy for some members who are used
to spinning lace-weight yarns.
Other members then took the spun yarn and
started knitting squares, which were to be sewn together later into a 4-square
hat, an original pattern created by a member. Knitting greasy yarn poses a new
set of difficulties, especially at speed, so more practice will be needed there
as well.
Our raffle, as usual, featured a bag and
donated produce. This year the bag was our Wagga-Bag, made as a group project
from squares of old woollen fabric embroidered with floral motifs in Quaker
stitch, along with other embroidery stitches. The squares were then sewn into a
beautiful bag, padded and lined, after the fashion of the old Wagga quilts,
which were a thrifty bed covering made by many men and women of earlier times
in Australia. A tableful of other prizes, generously donated, made the raffle a
star feature of the day.
Our Trading Table was well stocked with all
kinds of woolly items, from hats and scarves to adorable sets of little “pram
bunnies”, along with the remaining Snow Belles, a group project from a couple
of months ago. The Cash for Stash stall featured recycled equipment and books, one
member had several of her top-quality English Leicester fleeces for sale,
another a trailer full of cottage plants.
Visitors arrived from Warrigul, Wonthaggi
and Traralgon, but it would have been nice to have had more. If you are reading
this and are interested in a lovely day out, spinning, knitting or otherwise,
sharing a love of traditional textile crafts then contact us via the email
address and ask to be put on our mailing list. We would love to meet you!