Calendar of Events - see the newsletter in the Members Only area for more details on events.
We have guild meetings September through May.

To both promote the fiber arts in our csommunity and to encourage participation in a wide variety of events, the Guild welcomes individuals and businesses to advertise events & classes in our online Guild calendar.  For full details and rates (if applicable) please review our Advertising Policy.

ZOOM Member Meeting: November 11TH, MONTHLY SECOND SATURDAY FROM 10:00 AM - NOON
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88039851546? pwd=ZU53bFdPNnZ5a1BweFVtK29CMVNJZz09
Meeting ID: 880 3985 1546. Passcode: 032709

December 9th Holiday Gathering
In person meeting for a holiday potluck, informal fashion show and gift exchange! Also, bring your weftovers! Please RSVP via the Sign-Up Genius and note in the comments what dish you are bringing. Some helpers are needed, please sign up to help if you can!
Food Fashion and Fun!
Anchorage Weavers and Spinners Guild Holiday Gathering, 9 December 2023, 10AM - 12PM
Location: First Congregational Church of Anchorage, 2610 E Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage, AK 99508, lower parking lot
Wear or bring items you have made to show off for the fashion show. If you want to participate in the gift exchange bring something to give, it could be fiber related, but doesn't have to be.
First we'll meet, then we'll eat, then we'll show off, then we'll have our gift-off!!

Please note what dish you are bringing in the Sign Up Genius so that we can balance out the main dishes, sides and desserts.
We may give zoom a try for those individuals who are unable to meet in person during the fashion show, but for that we'd like a couple people to volunteer to assist.Here is the Sign Up Genius to RSVP: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E44AEAC2BA1FC1-45696157-food

1st Annual Fiber and Ski Weekend
February 16, 17 & 18, 2024
Experience total relaxation in the gorgeous Mountain Streams B&B near Hatcher Pass. https://www.mountainstreamslodge.com/ Close to home yet feels far away. Amenities include sauna, fabulous kitchen, welcoming host and lovely views from 3 floors in this wellappointed home.

Hang out with friends for a mellow weekend with your fabulous fiber projects. And bring your favorite
spinning chair to ensure comfort.

Skiers, bring your gear! Groomed trails start right outside the door and connect to Government Peak
ski trails. No vendors or formal classes. However, sharing your fiber knowledge is always welcome.
Potluck Saturday night. Choose from two great kitchens to prep other meals and snacks.

Shared bathrooms and mostly communal sleeping rooms on 3 floors.

Maximum capacity is 20 overnight and 5 daytime spots. Everyone pays the same $130 price. Payment at time of registration holds your spot. No refunds. However, your spot can be transferred to another person with notice to the organizers.

This fabulous weekend is being planned with the Valley Guild, so we’ll see some of our Valley friends too.

Sign up on Sign Up Genius with this link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E44AEAC2BA1FC1-45343289-february
Find details in the Sign Up Genius.

Questions? Call or email Sarah Robicheaux at 907-338-8516 (landline – no texts), or email Sarah.

From Valley Fiber Arts Guild: AFAR Announcement - A Fall Retreat! October 20 - October 22, 2023
It is Fall Fiberistas, and time for RETREAT! The 2023 Fall AFAR is coming up beginning at Noon Friday October 20 through Noon Sunday October 22 at Camp Maranatha 19780 W Camp D, Big Lake, AK.

Registration is open: https://valleyfiberartsguild.regfox.com/2023-fall-afar. If you are interested in attending a class, you must register for retreat since we are charged for every person attending. There are two different Saturday only options available to allow for more flexibility - more information coming later. Our retreats are a popular event and we love the time we get to spend together doing what makes us happy, creating with Fiber! We have an exciting weekend planned to include the theme CARNIVAL - Venice Style! We will be dressing up for a Carnival costume party on Saturday and will be giving out prizes for the best costumes - please include some form of fiber in your costume whether its a felted mask or feathers! This will be a fun time to dress up and photo ops will be available too! The Pantone Color Of The Year is Magenta and it would be fun to see that color highlighted in your costumes!!!
Remember our Color It to Win It challenge?? This is the weekend to bring your final project and proudly show it off and enter for a chance to win the People's Choice prize! Be prepared to highlight your color scheme inspiration!
All registrations for Langley Hall are tentative and will be assigned first to legacy members that still qualify. All other Langley registrants will be placed on a waiting list and rooms will be assigned as availability allows. You will be notified via email if you are assigned to a Langley room versus a cabin. Langley rooms are double occupancy, so be sure to identify a preferred roommate - please know we reserve the right to assign roommates as needed but will do our best to accommodate requests. Please note there are no refunds. Cabins are equipped with power, heat, and bunks; please provide your own bedding. Camp Maranatha continues taking precautions to provide a clean, sanitized environment and follows the most current CDC guidelines. As always, we respect your right to choose to come or not. If you do come, please take the precautions you deem necessary to keep protected while respecting others. Masks are not required and will not be enforced, but if you prefer to wear one please feel free to do so, extras will be provided. The Camp staff completely sanitizes the camp, but we encourage folks to bring their own bedding if you so choose. Please limit the use of hand sanitizers and use them outdoors as some of our friends are allergic to them. During this weekend there will be a sharing table where folks can bring goodies to share with others if you choose. If you don't wish to share please keep your food items in your cabin, room, or seating area rather than the designated sharing table area. Shared refrigerators are still available for everyone's use, please clearly mark your items. Meals are on your own over the weekend, other than a catered dinner on Saturday. Please let me know if you have any allergies, the Camp will do its best to accommodate them. All Langley rooms have a in-room mini-fridge and microwave.
More about our Color It to Win It challenge! In Fall of 2022 I introduced the challenge to participate in the new fleece to finish category at the Alaska State Fair this summer. At fall retreat we held a lot of classes introducing and expanding on Color Theory concepts. During our Spring 2023 retreat we put those concepts into We like to see the fiber arts encouraged in our juniors and invest in the creativity of our next generation. There were lots of positive comments about this from Spring retreat!
We will have vendors and massage therapists available during retreat. Vendor space is limited, please be sure to register and mark the vendor box. You will get a confirmation email if you are approved to vend. If you would like to request approval before you register, please email retreatdiva@gmail.com with your request.< If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me by sending an email to retreatdiva@gmail.com. I am eager to see everyone again and welcome new friends!
Thank you, Retreat Diva
Directions: From Parks Highway in Wasilla take a left onto Big Lake Rd. Go 3.4 miles and turn right onto Beaver Lake Rd. Go 1 mile and turn left onto W Lakes Blvd. Go 3.8 miles and turn right onto the 2nd Horseshoe Lake Rd (do not turn at Smokey Bear sign, keep going until you see the Camp Maranatha sign). Go 1.3 miles and turn left onto Camp Dr. Go down the drive until you arrive at the Camp Maranatha.

Study Groups Band Weaving - Led by Joanne Teague, third Thursday of the month, 6pm The AWSG Bandweaving Study Group started up on Aug 17th, after a summer break. We meet the 3rd Thurs of each month @ 6pm (virtually, at this time). We support each other in all types of Bandweaving: inkle, card/tablet weaving, band weaving. We often have (optional) group projects, where we all do a similar band, to learn, support each other and compare notes. Ours goals are learning and sharing. We are open to non-AWSG members, and via Joanne, encourage textile re-enactor participation. Please contact Karen Williams if you have any questions: email Karen Williams Topic: AWSG Bandweaving Study Group Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84156633985?pwd=eVRDcGNYRzBVMzVGU0F4UzBMZHJJdz09 Meeting ID: 841 5663 3985 Passcode: weaving

Churanunu - Led by Scharine Kirchoff, Meets 4th Sunday from 11:00-2:00 p.m. See 2023 projects The next Chu-ra-nu-nu Study Group meeting will be held on Sunday, Dec. 3 at 11:00 am. Our next project will be focused on "ASEMIC Writing". The meeting agenda will include a mini-workshop on an introduction to asemic writing, and form drawings with Sumi ink. Please email Scharine Kirchoff for additional information. October Churanunu Meeting Each month, the Churanunu Study group meeting agenda includes a selected inspirational reading conducted by a study group member. In October, Sarah read an excerpt entitled "What Art Means to Me". The excerpt is from Marguerite Davison's book, A Handweavers Pattern Book. After the reading, we shared our individual activities including our creative projects. While listening to each member's activity update, I kept thinking about Sarah's reading which included the words about art and the "pleasure in its making". As the October meeting progressed into our mini-workshop, creating a "Stitched Pyramid Pouch" (led by Sandra), I thought about this "pleasure" felt when we make art. I think that this "pleasure" is a motivating force for all of us in the Churanunu Study Group. This is why we create what we do, and work hard at doing so. We simply cannot help ourselves. Why? It is because this pleasure is embedded in our hearts. And, this "pleasure" comes out into our creations too. You can see that this is so here in a group photo showing our pyramid pouches that were created at our October study group meeting. Join Us At the Make-It Gatherings by Lorri Wright, third Saturday of the month, 10am - 2pm Join us for the Monthly Make-It Gathering on the third Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm. Walk straight back from the parking lot to The Commons House. There are three separate rooms for our different study groups. Please join us for either a study group or to simply work on your project with others. 3322 Commons Circle off W34th. The October 21st, 2023 has been cancelled. Local Opportunities by Sherry Rogers, usually the 3rd Saturday of the month, 10am - 12pm We spin at the Eagle River library as a community outreach, to introduce our community to spinning with both spinning wheels and drop spindles. The Eagle River library advertises this event for us, and consequently, it is important that someone show up each time. Additionally, the library, as part of their publicity, will advertise that if someone is interested in trying to spin on a wheel, they may contact the library in advance. The librarian then reaches out to us so that we can have someone bring an extra wheel and fiber. If you have an extra wheel and fiber that you would bring, or are willing to let someone try spinning on your wheel, please let me know. While it is a library, the old rule of complete silence is no more, however, they would like us to keep it to a conversational level of speaking, as there are those who are studying. Sorry, no whooping it up... Generally speaking, we will spin on the 3rd Saturday of the month, with the exception of Jan and Feb, when it will depend on the library’s holiday closure schedule. (Often they are closed on the 3rd Saturday because of MLK Day and President’s Day. This Feb, we will spin on the 4th Saturday.) Also, we will NOT spin during the summer (June-Aug), nor will we spin in Dec. We will be advertised as spinning from 10 AM to 12 noon, HOWEVER, if you can’t come until 11 AM, that’s just fine. Everyone is welcome to stay longer than 12 noon, if they would like. Here is the schedule for 2023:       • April 15       • May 20       • Sept 16       • Oct 21

2023 Handwoven Scarf Exchange - due by October 31st
Registration Open Now!

HGA invites you to participate in our 2023 Handwoven Scarf Exchange. Participants will submit a Summer Scarf and/or a Winter Scarf. If you submit a summer scarf, you will receive a summer scarf in exchange. If you submit a winter scarf, you will receive a winter scarf in exchange. If you want to submit one of each (1 summer scarf and 1 winter scarf), you will receive 1 summer scarf and 1 winter scarf in return. Textile exchanges are a great reason to get in front of the loom, an opportunity to share your work with others and see their work in return, and a chance to get some new wearable art!

Guidelines

• Weave a scarf at least 5" wide and 60" long not including fringe. These measurements are finished measurements, meaning you have washed and dried your scarf or finished it as appropriate for the yarns used.
• Include a worksheet (download) with your complete contact and weaving information (draft for your weaving, along with thread samples and sources). Insert the worksheet in a sheet protector to keep it flat and neat while shipping.
• Clearly mark your worksheet with SUMMER or WINTER scarf. You will be the one who determines if your scarf is to be considered a summer scarf or a winter scarf.
• Email a digital copy of your worksheet to the exchange administrator (to compile a complete listing of all scarfs entered). Instructions will be emailed with your registration confirmation.
• If you submit both a summer scarf and a winter scarf, please mark them clearly and wrap them separately. Enclosing each one in a large plastic bag is suggested. You can mail them in the same package.
• Submit your scarf along with your completed project worksheet.
• Ship your scarf beginning October 1st. Scarves must be received by the exchange administrator no later than October 31st. Instructions for mailing will be emailed with your registration confirmation.
• DO NOT MAIL TO HGA. Your scarf will not be received.
• Scarves will be exchanged and returned by November 30th.

Participant Requirements

• Current HGA Student, Individual, Family, or Professional Artist Membership. Not a member?
  Join today!
• Participant fee of $15 to cover return priority-mail shipping (international participants will have their items returned via first class mail) and administrative fees.

Community (Optional)

Participants will be invited by email to join the Facebook group for the exchange so they can share and communicate with each other.

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Online and at your own pace by Karen Williams

• https://classes.warpandweave.com/ Tien Chui is a weaver who specializes in color theory. She offers several classes, both pre-recorded and live.
• https://www.schoolofsweetgeorgia.com/ This is a monthly/yearly subscription. For one price you get access to their whole catalog that has many spinning and weaving classes in addition: knitting, crochet, dyeing, felting
  and color theory.
• https://janestaffordtextiles.com/school-of-weaving/ This is a yearly subscription course. There is an amazing amount of weaving content. AWSG members have taken these courses and given them high reviews
• https://heddlecraft.com/on-line-weaving-education.html Heddlecraft has a listing of other weaving online courses.
• https://rebeccamezoff.com/online-learning Rebecca has a great online course for tapestry weavin
• https://www.alannawilcox.com/online-workshops Alanna has a broad choice of spinning and dyeing classes.
  
  The guild has a scholarship program that can be used for virtual classes. There is no financial need requirement. We only ask that you give back to the guild in some way, like leading a study group, writing an article or teaching a class. The scholarship committee will work with you to find a perfect match between your skill/time and the guild’s needs.

Live and interactive by Karen Williams
• https://lunaticfringeyarns.com/product-category/instructions/workshops-seminars/ Offers a variety of classes, from single project “weave a-longs” to special guest instructors.
• https://store.vesterheim.org/collections/fiber-arts-folk-art-courses An intriguing variety, ever changing of Nordic traditional textile crafts, including a free class “Viking Era Clothing    And Jewelry” on Nov 19th and a recording of their most recent class “Symbols In Bandweaving: The Emojis Of Traditional Handcraft”.
• https://kakawdesigns.com/collections/online-classes Guatemalan weaving, dyeing and embroidery classes

Eagle River Library Spinning
Spinning at the library as a community outreach, to introduce our community to spinning with both spinning wheels and drop spindles. The library advertises this event for us, and consequently, it is important that someone show up each time. Additionally, the library, as part of their publicity, will advertise that if someone is interested in trying to spin on a wheel, they may contact the library in advance. The librarian then reaches out to us so that we can have someone bring an extra wheel and fiber. If you have an extra wheel and fiber that you would bring, or are willing to let someone try spinning on your wheel, please let me know. Contact Sherry Rogers at (907) 694-3319 for more info.

While it is a library, the old rule of complete silence is no more, however, they would like us to keep it to a conversational level of speaking, as there are those who are studying. Sorry, no whooping it up...

Generally speaking, we will spin on the 3rd Saturday of the month, with the exception of Jan and Feb, when it will depend on the library's holiday closure schedule. (Often they are closed on the 3rd Saturday because of MLK Day and President's Day. This Feb, we will spin on the 4th Saturday.) Also, we will NOT spin during the summer (June-Aug), nor will we spin in Dec.

Library Spinning will be advertised as spinning from 10 AM to 12 noon, HOWEVER, if you can't come until 11 AM, that's just fine. Everyone is welcome to stay longer than 12 noon, if they would like.

Here is the schedule for 2023:

• Feb 25
• Mar 18
• April 15
• May 20
• Sept 16
• Oct 21
• Nov 18

July 11-17, 2024 Convergence®
More information
Value Package Online Registration Now Open
Handweavers Guild of America, Inc.'s (HGA) 2024 Convergence® Conference taking place July 11-17, 2024 in Wichita, Kansas. You can review our sessions, special events, and more on our website, and keep an eye out for the Delegate Registration Booklet in the fall issue of Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot.

Interesting Fiber Classes
https://lunaticfringeyarns.com/product-category/instructions/workshops-seminars/
This is not ANWG or HGA, but it is interesting. Each of these classes is one hour long and available for $20.00 over Zoom

Ukrainian Folk Art Project The AWSG band weaving study group’s next project is in support of Ukraine. We will each pick a project either inspired by Ukrainian folk art, in Ukrainian flag colors or from a Ukrainian source. We are looking at various Ukrainian textile sellers on Etsy who sell PDFs, since this is a way to financially support textile artist in Ukraine. Ukraine folk costuming contains a lot of embroidery. In addition, there is some overlap in band weaving with fellow Baltic countries. A lot of patterns while not intended for weaving, would be very easy to use in weaving. Or this may be the perfect time to use your handspun in embroidery. Below is a list of Ukrainian Etsy sellers of PDF patterns. I searched Etsy for “Ukraine PDF”. This list is in no way complete. I did verify that each of the sellers below is from Ukraine. This idea came from this article: https://www.kvoa.com/townnews/commerce/before-the-ukraine-invasion-she-made-belts-now-she-makes-camouflage-nets-for-troops/article_71501489-6ed2-53a0-8be6-b7b0b49cbe51.html The lady profiled in the article is the first shop listed below. The article may inspire you to join us in this project. Some examples are: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WovenSlavicBelts https://www.etsy.com/shop/EveEmbroideryShop https://www.etsy.com/shop/HandyHappyFabrics https://www.etsy.com/shop/JPCrossStitchPattern https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatkoPatterns https://www.etsy.com/shop/JPCrossStitchPattern https://www.etsy.com/shop/Mufficorn https://www.etsy.com/shop/VividStitchShop

Needle Felting by Pam Clifton

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