Where has the year gone?
Suddenly spring has sprung, shearing season is here, the last term of schools and the Albury Show shutdown approaches, then before we know it Christmas will be on us again.
With Christmas being so close I have had requests to run more Needle Felted Christmas Decorations sessions, which should be available on an impromptu basis through November and December (ie I’ll have needles, foam pads, appropriate cookie cutters and wool available at all casual workdays during those months). Anyone that wants to join in, whether it be for an hour or so or all morning is welcome. You can B.Y.O. materials and equipment or use what’s supplied.
We have had some issues over the last few years with donated fleeces, wool etc that have had moth infestations. So we please ask all members not to encourage those well meaning donations unless you’re absolutely certain it’s moth free. If you’re not sure, get an experienced Member to check it with you outside the Guild Rooms. Shearing season means there will also be folk trying to offload all manner of fleeces. Most people do not want to have to prep raw fleeces so any donation or supply of raw fleece should be done by prior arrangement if there is any interest.
Our Secretary being away has meant our September Minutes are not available in time for a September Newsletter. And with our annual October Guild Rooms closure imminent and alternative plans that are yet to be finalised, October may be a quiet month. So we’ll roll our September & October Newsletters into one, and start with the September Show & Tell … (psst. some descriptions are still unavailable and some names may be in the wrong places. Sorry! Will correct as soon as information comes to hand. If anyone knows of a correction that needs to be made please email me!)
Cheers all,
KathyW, Editor.
Current & upcoming events
| November 1st | Rooms closed (Albury Show) | So we're meeting at the Lincoln Hotel on the Causeway Wodonga! |
| November 9th | Business Meeting | |
| November 15th | Casual Workday | |
| November 22nd | Lavender Wands with Kathy |   |
| November 29th | Casual Workday | |
| December 6th | Casual Workday | |
| December 13th | Business Meeting, Christmas Lunch | |
| December 20th | ||
| More Workshop Ideas | Inkle Loom Weaving Online weaving workshop with Elizabeth Calnan |
Committee 2023 – 2024
President:
Deb Carpenter
Vice President:
Jane Manning
Minute Officer:
Ella Teuben
Secretary(communications/events):
Amanda Eaton
Assistant Secretary:
Julie Hofer
Treasurer:
Rhonda Delahoy
Assistant Treasurer:
Julie Hofer
Newsletter Editor:
Kathy Wheeler
Library Equipment Officer:
Rhonda Delahoy/Heather Mulqueeney
Social Media Officer:
Kathy Wheeler
Public Officer:
Julie Hofer
KeyHolders Roster
Wednesday Work Days and Meetings
1st Wed of month – Amanda
2nd Wed of month – Deb Carpenter
3rd Wed of month – Rhonda
4th Wed of month – Louise Quirk
5th Wed of month *IF* there is one – tba
The Showground Trust also has keys.
| Morning Tea Roster 2023 – Business Meetings | |
|---|---|
| 8th February | Amanda/ |
| 8th March | Heather/Rhonda |
| 12th April | Sabine/ |
| 10th May | Loraine/ |
| 14th June | Julie/Jane |
| 12th July | |
| 9th August | Louise/Kathy |
| 13th September | Ella/Jill |
| 11th October | Judith Jones |
| 8th November | Amanda |
| 13th December | Everyone bring a plate!!! |
Show & Tell - 13th SEPTEMBER 2023
Amanda
Sabine
Louise
Jane & Louise
Jane
Debbie
Heather
Pam
Kathy
Robyn W
Show & Tell - 11th OCTOBER 2023
Louise
Sabine
Julie
Jane
Deb
Jill
Fleecy Follies
The ups and downs of farm life …
Lambing season, like cria season, brings to the fore a range of emotions. Anticipation, excitement, trepidation, amazement, joy and heartache. This season was no different.
It started badly with a still born premie. Then a ewe prolapsed with triplets and despite the best efforts of the vet only one lamb survived. The next day three ewes gave birth to sets of twins, followed over the next few weeks by more single lamb births and another two sets of twins.
Sadly we lost a new born ewe lamb from a set of twins overnight to a fox. After that all ewes with lambs were moved into the orchard which has better fox resistant fencing.Yes we have alpacas, but they are in their own herds, not bonded to the sheep. Besides which the lambing ewes go out of their way to move as far away from the rest of their own flock as possible!
After all the ups and downs, premmies and still borns (possibly tied to our unseasonal and totally crazy weather), we still ended up with a dozen strong lambs, 5 ewe lambs and 7 ram lambs, and only one bottle baby (the surviving triplet lamb and he is such a sweetie!).
Watching the lambs interact with each other is a delight. Lamb zoomies, which starts close on sunset, is the happiest thing to watch. Right from almost as soon as a lamb can stand they practice their VTOL skills (Vertical Take Off & Landing). Bouncing up and down, turning mid-air. By a few weeks old they are nearly doing barrel rolls at full pelt running across the paddock.
Feed time for the ewes is often hilarious. While the ewes scuffle greedily for hay, pellets, chaff, whatever has been put down, the ewe lambs quietly go off together, while the ram lambs all head in under the oblivious ewes snitching milk from any ewe they can – not necessarily their own mom!
They KNOW shearing is coming up …
As the weather warms up the sheep are getting itchy and sweaty in their long fleecy coats. The nursing ewes are shedding fleece where their lambs have been rubbing and sucking on them, many of the flock are rubbing their backs on low hanging tree branches, leaving wisps of fleece dancing in the breeze and totally messing up their lock structure.
Meanwhile the alpacas are busy sunbaking in the hay, getting VM all through their fleeces, and as the ground dries out rolling in their communal dust baths – which they made themselves by pawing at the ground – and working dirt through to their skin. Every day they come back to the shed for their evening feed with bits of dry sticks, leaves, weeds, blackberry or loganberry branches they’ve broken off in their fleeces. And from time to time they like to add to that by spitting mouth fulls of chaff, pellets or whatever they’ve eaten recently at each other.
It’s always a bit sad that when their suri fleeces are at their most magnificent – flowing as they move and dancing when they run – that it is time for them to be shorn. But although most hate the shearing experience, some quite vocally, they all love the post-shearing feel of the sun, ground, dirt and grass against their skin!
Still, the alpacas have plenty of time yet to add to their VM collections. Then shearing … but that’s a story for another time.
Do you have a funny or amazing fiber animal story? If you’d like to share it in a future Newsletter contact the Editor.
2023 Full Program
| January 4th | Casual Workday | |
| January 11th | Casual Workday | |
| January 18th | Casual Workday | |
| January 25th | Casual Workday | |
| February 1st | Casual Workday | |
| February 8th | Business Meeting | |
| February 15th | Casual Workday | |
| February 22nd | Free-form Dyeing Day |   |
| March 1st | Casual Workday | |
| March 8th | Business meeting | |
| March 15th | Casual Workday | |
| March 22nd | Spinning Linen with Heather |   |
| March 29th | Casual Workday | |
| April 5th | Casual Workday | |
| April 13th | Business Meeting | |
| April 19th | Casual Workday | |
| April 26th | ||
| May 3rd | Casual Workday | |
| May 10th | Business Meeting | |
| May 17th | Casual Workday | |
| May 20th & 21st | Canberra Wool Expo, old Bus depot Markets | |
| May 24th | Hexagon Name tag with Heather. | |
| May 31th | Casual Workday | |
| June 7th | Casual Workday | |
| June 14th | Business Meeting | |
| June 21st | Casual Workday | |
| June 28th | Spinning Wheel Maintenance Day. Could any members who are borrowing any of the Guild's spinning wheels have them back to the guild rooms on or before this date. | |
| July 5th | Casual Workday – Annual Cleanup | |
| July 12th | Business Meeting | |
| July 14th – 16th | Australian Sheep & Wool Show (Bendigo) | |
| July 19th | Casual Workday | |
| July 26th | Christmas in July needle felted decorations with Kathy |   |
| August 2nd | Casual Workday | |
| August 9th | AGM, Business Meeting & Guild’s Birthday | |
| August 16th | Casual Workday | |
| August 23rd | Navajo & Andean plying with Jane & Julie | |
| August 30th | Casual Workday | |
| September 6th | Casual Workday | |
| September 13th | Business Meeting | |
| September 20th | Casual Workday | |
| September 27th | ||
| October 4th | Casual Workday | |
| October 11th | Business Meeting | |
| October 18th | ||
| October 25th | Casual Workday | |
| November 1st | Rooms closed (Albury Show) | So we're meeting at the Lincoln Hotel on the Causeway Wodonga! |
| November 9th | Business Meeting | |
| November 15th | Casual Workday | |
| November 22nd | Lavender Wands with Kathy | |
| November 29th | Casual Workday | |
| December 6th | Casual Workday | |
| December 13th | Business Meeting, Christmas Lunch | |
| December 20th | ||
| More Workshop Ideas | Inkle Loom Weaving Online weaving workshop with Elizabeth Calnan |
Last words ...
A few housekeeping items:
1 – Some members have been getting spam type emails saying they are coming from Guild members. If anyone gets a suspicious looking message, do not open them or any links within them.
2 – Please do not park in front of the Guild’s side double doors. This could cause a problem in the case of an emergency. Please park in the undercover area well clear of the doors and grandstand stairs, or on the grass area.
3 – The drain area outside the Guild door that fills up with water when it rains is becoming DANGEROUS with one of our members slipping in the mud and algae growing there. PLEASE KEEP WELL CLEAR OF THE DRAIN AND MUD even when it appears dry!
Newsletter contributions are always welcome. So, if anyone has anything they want to contribute, or requests for articles, email me!
Cheers for now,
KathyW, Ed.
