“The Weavers and Spinners Playlist”

NPCC Community – We Are Family

Carolyn Ramos – Cotton Fields #2

2/8 cotton

EHS Sheep to Shawl Entry – Back in the USSR

Wool, handspun. Dyed from the leaves of the Russian Olive tree and Japanese Knotweed root.

Joan McKenzie – Cat’s in the Cradle

Acrylic and cotton

Joan McKenzie – Northern Lights

100% wool. Scarf with a hand-painted warp, blue weft.

Elizabeth Evans – Mon Pays and Take Five

Cotton, handwoven. Mon Pays: “After being appointed as the Director-General of Handicrafts in Québec in 1930, Oscar Bériau published a series of weaving books. This fabric was inspired by a weave in the 1947 edition of Home Weaving.” Take Five: “Weaving this cloth involved three shuttles. There was a rhythm, but it was complicated like the 5/4 rhythm of Take Five”

Helen Benninger – Those Were the Days

Wool and cotton. “When I was first learning to weave in the 80s I loved to work in soft, pastel colours. I was reminded of this recently when I found this piece at the bottom of my cedar chest. My work is brighter now and not as soft.”

Helen Skelton – History Repeating

2/16 cotton and natural linen. Overshot on 4 shafts: Ontario traditional coverlet pattern “Beauty of the Lake”

Maura Leahy – The Lark in the Clear Air

Silk and Merino wool. “This is a Nuno felted piece. The silk was hand painted by me and felted to the Merino/silk piece and embellished with a pattern of more merino wool.”

Dorothy Thomson – Basket Case

100% Cotton

Lori Bond – The Two of Us

Wool. “Inspired by our European grand tour in 1985.”

Joan McKenzie – Seaside 1, Seaside 2, Royals, Remember (Walking in The Sand)

100% cotton, Monk’s Belt

Lori Bond – So Happy Together

“Woven in 1999 from the remaining yarn from my Big Braid. Bring them together in a random way. Some day to be made into covers for my travel journals. “

Joan McKenzie – Smoke on the Water

Handspun – textured batts: Wool, Silk noil, Dog fur

Helen Skelton – Rock Lobster

2/16 cotton and 2/22 merino. Tubular seersucker on 8 shafts, woven as a single piece to make 3D form

Karen Fowler – Strawberry Fields Forever

70% Wool and 30% Alpaca, handspun and knitted. “I made this scarf from various yarns in my stash. I had to play yarn chicken in order to finish this scarf.”

Dorothy Thomson – The Skye Boat Song

Wool.

Carolyn Ramos – Cotton Fields #3

2/8 cotton.

Elizabeth Evans – Sheep May Safely Graze

Natural coloured wool. Handspinning and knitting. “The wool in this shawl comes from sheep who safely graze nearby on Shepherd’s Hill Farm near Campbellford, Ontario where they are cared for by Grace Clare. “

Maura Leahy – The Autumn Leaves

“These pieces are felted from a Swedish wool. The sheep are double coated. I learned this technique from Vera Zhotkevich, a Master felter from St. Petersburg, Russia.”

EHS Sheep to Shawl Team – Wooly Bully

Fleece from the 2024 & 2023 Sheep-to-Shawl competition at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair handspun for the warp & weft. Woven, pattern designed by Jennifer James. “The plants used to dye the warp are all classified as Invasive (bully) Plants in Ontario”

Carolyn Ramos – Cotton Fields #1

2/8 cotton.

Marlyn Rollauer – Fields of Gold

100% tencel

Helen Skelton – Silver Machine

2/8 tencel

Helen Benninger – Stairway to Heaven

Wool, synthetic. “It was not easy to get to the top of this piece. I had to make a lot of choices about what to do and where to go next, but I am pleased with the result.”

Gillian Clarke – Make a Little Birdhouse In Your Soul

Japanese glass beads, fireline, crystal beads

Joan McKenzie – Tutti Fruitti

Baby Alpaca (Warp), wool (weft)

Patti Wibe – Kokomo

Kid mohair hand-dyed at Wild Haliburton Elephant Weavers, glass beads

Cathie Dowell – The Circle Game

Fingering weight yarn, some which was hand dyed. Pattern: Anthology Throw by Helen Stewart. “My favorite color is purple and I love knitting shawls. I always save the left over yarn and had accumulated quite a bit. A Guild member showed me a shawl she is knitting and I thought it would be ideal to use some of my left over stash of my favorite colour. “

Dyeing with Invasive Plants

Joan McKenzie – Where Have All the Flowers Gone

100% wool (Handspun). “Spinning, knitting, crochet – my own design.”

Carole Gay – Sophisticated Lady

100% silk

Elizabeth Evans – The Parade’s Still Passing By

Wool. Handweaving. Pattern appeared in Threads Magazine Oct/Nov 91 No 31. “Renowned mid-20th century designer Bonnie Cashin’s Noh coat provided inspiration for a weaving challenge from the Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds. This coat was one of many in a parade of handwoven Noh Coats at the 2023 conference in Oregon.”

Karen Fowler – Key West

50% Wool and 50% Bamboo. “This is a pattern that I have always wanted to try. This piece is a trial run to see if I like it and how I could use it in other pieces -perhaps tea towels.”

Marlyn Rollauer – Waves of Blue

100% tencel

Cindy O’Malley – Soak up the Sun

Cotton. Weaving and knitting. “Whether on the beach or at the pool, this cool cotton woven summer ruana, and knitted sunhat and bag are perfect for soaking up the sun.”

Marlyn Rollauer – Somewhere Over the Rainbow

100% tencel, hand painted

Cindy O’Malley – Bali Ha’i

Modal (95%) & Cashmere (5%). “A mythical Island where the sky meets the sea describes the colours used in this wrap.”

Karen Fowler – Purple Rain

50/50 wool /alpace blend- dyed with Wilton food dyes. Handspun and knitted. “I saw this pattern in a knitter’s magazine and knew it would be perfect for this yarn.”