Handmade notebooks from a fellow guild member

Yarns and fiber ready for dyeing

Stinker and Kickapoo investigating the alpaca

 I have mentioned it before, and I am going to say it again today. I love my guild. Every month I look forward to gathering with this group of talented, interesting and genuinely wonderful group of weavers (and spinners, and knitters, and sewers, and more), and last week was no exception. We were given a wonderfully detailed presentation about the bags one member weaves, sews and sells. We were also presented with beautiful notebooks, created and bound by another member. I plan to take mine to NEWS as an idea sketchbook.
 
And what is NEWS?

 
NEWS is the New England Weavers Seminar, an event that occurs every other year. I can't remember if I have ever been on the Smith College campus other than perhaps playing a field hockey game there when I was at Wellesley, but this is where the seminar takes place. I'm looking forward to doing a bit of exploring, and I'm sure it will be a hoot to set myself up in a dorm room, even if it's only for a few nights. On a side note, I am really pleased that Wellesley is continuing its mission to support need-blind admissions. It is an incredible place to learn, and no deserving student should be denied that opportunity. 
 
But back to NEWS. I am signed up for a three-day intensive dyeing workshop. This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time now, and I'm really looking forward to it. I have gathered my supplies, which includes lots of various yarns and fibers to dye. Next week I'll spend a bit of time winding skeins and measuring warp chains so that I'm ready to go. 
 
All of this said, the coolest thing to happen to me last week has to do with my guild. During the meeting I was presented with the most amazing wedding gift: four very large bags of alpaca fleece from four alpacas named Kokomo, Stella, Terricci and Tuxedo. They live at Parker River Alpaca Farm, the owner being a fellow guild member. I was stunned, and I still haven't gotten over this tremendously generous gift. I spent some time yesterday reading up on prepping alpaca fleece for spinning, so I plan to start washing and carding this month.
 
Off to work on the July issue of Yearning to Weave.