Bag challenge

Here we are at the end of the challenge bags. It was an interesting and fun challenge and one we all appreciated on the day. So many bags. So many ideas. So many thoughts. This year’s challenge will also be good. We have to make a doll from one of the magazines Marjorie (president) brought along. We will have 100gm of white tops to spin and then we have to dye them the colours we need for the doll(s) we want to make . Hm…we shall have to use our spinning/weaving skills and brains!

Left is Maria’s lovely elephant bag. Bit of glitter in the maroon main colour. The little elephants add charm.

Middle is Marjorie’s retro upcycled jeans bag. It has the right amount of coolness and a good reminder to waste not want not.

Right is Sheila O’s bold red bag and it certainly knows how to make a statement!

Hope you have enjoyed seeing our bags as much as we enjoyed seeing them.

Twisted cord maker gadget

John is clever. He has the skills to make things he wants or we want. As a weaver you often need to make tassles for the ends of scarves or shawls. It is laborious to make all the twisted cords by hand. John invented a gadget from his bits and bobs. You attach the strands of yarn to the alligator clips and you wind with the metal winder bottom left.  Anyone in our group who has used this gadget thinks it it simple and easy. It is not very big so it doesn’t require storage space.

You can also make twisted cords with a pencil, pen or dowel. It is just nice having a gadget 🙂

Crochet Christmas wreath

Margaret is getting in early! She found a Christmas crochet wreath  (bottom right)  and loved it so much she wanted to make it herself. She used the ring from a milk bottle top as the foundation. Good way to repurpose and upcycle plastic. She has used picot stitch around the edge and she has made one with French knots. The colourful one she made shows you you can use the pattern for other purposes too. She wrote down the pattern as she did it. That in itself is an indication of how careful and attentive Margaret is to her work.

DIY electric carder

Peter and Marina had a Ron Doley carder which they had purchased a while back. They have been thinking of turning it into an electric carder. John, one of our top weavers, liked the idea of this challenge and so he and Peter have been working together for a number of weeks now to try and turn the carder into an electric one. It has required thought, testing, more thought and more testing. It has been a good brain challenge. It is great when you look at people around you setting themselves a puzzle to solve and then using skills and expertise to arrive at a good solution.

This week the carder was finally finished. John (left) and Peter (right) are justifiably proud of this achievement. Sandy, one of the Adelaide Hills spinners and weavers , was more than happy to test the carder and give it a trial run. By the way, doesn’t John look good in the Fair Isle vest Christine knitted? Suits him so well.

Challenges like the carder can be frustrating , at times, along the way but such a thrill when you achieve your goal. Peter and Marina now have an electric carder which runs beautifully off a sewing machine motor.

Below is another example of creative thinking. Katharine Jolda is demonstrating her Cyclocarder. Great way to card and keep fit and a bonus if there is a blackout!