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18th June.

We didn't have a speaker at this months meeting so we kicked off with notices then had a brief discussion about the agenda for the National Guild AGM.  After that two visitors who are organising the Saltaire Arts Trail over the Spring Bank Holiday gave a brief outline of  their plans and how members of the Guild could help out.  We rounded the morning off with a "show and tell" session which included examples of weaving, spinning, dying and knitwear design. In the afternoon some members gave an informal workshop on tablet weaving whilst others carried on with their spinning or wove on their peg looms and inkle looms or just chatted with each other. We had a couple of new potential members both of whom expressed their intention to come again (the two visitors from the Arts Trail seemed keen to come back too).

Once again we joined with Craven guild to demonstrate our crafts and show off our work. Here are Jeni and Daniella setting up our stall in the schoolroom and below are some of Maureen’s luscious silk yarns.

We did sell some items, despite the current economic climate, and the weather was kind to us. There were lots of sheep as usual and this year, there were lots of lovely fleece for sale. Ian Walker pipped me at the post and bought the lovely Wensleydale fleece that was just so shiny, but at £40 a bit out of my price range! Sadly, the lovely antique (aka junk) shop behind the café is now an up market art gallery selling glassware. Oh well, it’s progress of a sort.

Prizes were won in the competition. I won’t say we scooped the pool, and one of us (ahem) made the mistake of entering two items in the same class, but we felt that we had done our bit to support the event.

I won a first for my Estonian lace shawl and second for my lacy gloves, but sadly in the same class! Never mind!

Some members of my family were only there for the beer, can’t think why, but for me it  was good to meet up with old friends and just savour the atmosphere.  Let’s hope that next year will be as good, if not better.

Following our successful debut at Arthington show we were invited to demonstrate at the Weeton show the following weekend. This was a different type of show with wealthy folk much in evidence. The chairman, David Beresford, is a well known TV producer and director and is also an artist.  So aren’t we grand!

As our invitation was only confirmed three days before the show, we weren’t sure whether we would be undercover or not. So with heavy rain forecast and armed with umbrellas we arrived at the ground. It started raining as we waited to find out where our pitch was and carried on for some time.

But we’re hardy souls, so a bit of rain didn’t put us off and indeed our gazebo was rather more substantial than the one we had at Arthington. NB not a good idea to start a gazebo war!

Here we are spinning away. Note Sara, our newest member, drafted in at short notice, but proving herself to be a real asset! See also, David Beresford attracting a crowd as he decides whether to take up spinning!

See how much Edna’s peg loom rug has grown in a week! A tiring day, but well worth the effort and we stayed more or less dry!