Category: Blog

Blog, Workshops

Blending Fibres Workshop

London District Weavers and Spinners

Spinning with Beth Showalter

Creative Blends: Let the Fibre Fly!

Date: Sat., Apr. 15, 2023
Location: East Lion’s Community Centre – 531 Churchill Ave
Registration Fee: – $50 Member, $70 non-member
Material Kit + Workshop Notes: $50.00/person payable to instructor
Instructor: Beth Showalter
Explore Different Blends and their characteristics using hand cards, combs, hackles and blending boards.

Full details are here

    • COVID Protocol for classes
    • Proof of full vaccination
    • Mandatory masks for the duration of each class
    • Compliance with any other Covid-19 protocols set by the East Lions Community Centre

    ***Cancellation Policy: Participants who cancel their registration up to 1 month prior to the start of the workshop will receive a full refund.  A participant who finds a replacement for his/her spot within 1 month prior to the start of the workshop will receive a full refund.  Cancellations within 1 month of workshops (with no replacement found) and “no-shows” will not be refunded.  If the Guild cancels a workshop for any reason, all registration fees will be refunded.  

    Blog, Workshops

    Inkle Weaving Class

    London District Weavers and Spinners

    Dates: Thurs., Feb. 23, and Mar. 2 – 6:30 to 9:00 pm
    Location: East Lion’s Community Centre – 531 Churchill Ave
    Instructor: Kathy Morgan
    Participant Fee: members – $60, non-members – $80
    Material Fee: $5 payable to instructor at first class
    Equipment: A limited number of Inkle looms will be available for rent for $10, if you have an Inkle loom or can borrow one that would be helpful

    This is a two-evening workshop.

    Description: If you have ever wondered how to weave on an Inkle loom, now is your chance.
    This two-evening, hands-on workshop will provide an introduction to Inkle weaving.
    From setting up the loom, creating different patterns and weaving a project, these
    are just a few of the items to be covered.  Come join in the fun!

      • COVID Protocol for classes
      • Proof of full vaccination
      • Mandatory masks for the duration of each class
      • Compliance with any other Covid-19 protocols set by the East Lions Community Centre

      ***Cancellation Policy: Participants who cancel their registration up to 1 month prior to the start of the workshop will receive a full refund.  A participant who finds a replacement for his/her spot within 1 month prior to the start of the workshop will receive a full refund.  Cancellations within 1 month of workshops (with no replacement found) and “no-shows” will not be refunded.  If the Guild cancels a workshop for any reason, all registration fees will be refunded.  

      Blog, Workshops

      Wellington Fibre Road Trip – FULL

      London District Weavers and Spinners


      When: Delayed until April 1st 10:00 to 2:00ish

      This course is now full

      Donna Hancock will lead us through colour theory and a hands on over-dyeing workshop in her mill.
      Bring your lunch and 2 – 25 gram skeins of coloured protein fibre yarn. (No black or dark colours)

      Donna will also supply some coloured alpaca, mohair, wool, dyed yarns and the dyes.

      Participants will go home with small samples of original and dyed yarns.
      We will have the opportunity to meet Donna’s angora goats (mohair), maybe some kids and shop!

      Members: $35. Non-members: $45

      Wait List registration available in case of cancellations

      Over dye class Wellington FibresDownload

      COVID protocols

        • Proof of full vaccination
        • Mandatory masks for the duration of each class
        • Compliance with any other Covid-19 protocols set by the East Lions Community Centre

        ***Cancellation Policy: Participants who cancel their registration up to 1 month prior to the start of the workshop will receive a full refund.  A participant who finds a replacement for his/her spot within 1 month prior to the start of the workshop will receive a full refund.  Cancellations within 1 month of workshops (with no replacement found) and “no-shows” will not be refunded.  If the Guild cancels a workshop for any reason, all registration fees will be refunded.  

        Blog, Workshops past

        St. Distaff Day/ROC Day

        London District Weavers and Spinners

        Date: Saturday, January 7th 2023
        Time: 10:00 – 2:00
        All wheel and spindle spinners are welcome to a day of fun and games.   
        Bring your lunch, your wheel/spindles and fibre that excites you. 

        In the 17th Century, lyric poet and cleric Robert Herrick wrote of the tradition in his poem, “St Distaff’s Day or the Morrow After Twelfth Night”:

        Partly work and partly play 
        You must on St. Distaff’s Day: 
        From the plough soon free your team; 
        Then come home and fother them; 
        If the maids a-spinning go, 
        Burn the flax and fire the tow. 
        Bring in pails of water then, 
        Let the maids bewash the men. 
        Give St. Distaff all the right; 
        Then bid Christmas sport good night, 
        And next morrow every one 
        To his own vocation.

        This was an excuse to play on the twelfth night as the next day , work begins again. The boys would try to burn the flax and tow while the maids tossed buckets of water on them. Delightful for January. Brrrr….

        LDWS St Distaff Day will be much fun with games, prizes and lots of laughs. There will be time to socialize and try a few new things. It is a fund raiser for the guild.

        Fee: Members: $10 Non-members: $25



          Blog, General Meeting

          October Guild Meeting

          London District Weavers and Spinners

          Meeting Video – https://youtu.be/0vupFJhnyak

          I am very excited to say that our speaker this month will be Beth Showalter.

          Beth completed the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners (OHS) Spinning Certificate Program in 2014 with Distinction, and will be speaking about spinning Alpaca fiber.

          This is a hands on presentation, and members are encouraged to bring their hand cards and spinning wheels to the meeting.

          Beth will have small fiber kits available for members to purchase at a cost of $5, which will allow members to quite literally get a feel for Alpaca.

          If you would like to know more, you can find Beth at www.bethshowalter.ca.

          We will also be hosting a swap, for anyone who wishes to participate. Members may bring in one or two items (yarn or fiber, of any type, with a retail value of $20-$40) to the meeting. For each item you bring, you will get your name in the random draw. After Beth speaks, we will draw the names, and when your name is chosen, you may go and choose a new item to take home.

          If anyone has questions, feel free to email Kathy Broughton, at kathy@rocklakeweaving.com.

          Blog, Misc

          Tea Towel Project update

          London District Weavers and Spinners
          A personal thank you to those who were able to came out for our celebration. We had a wonderful time moving the loom out into the centre of the East Lions Community Centre and unrolling 17 unique and beautiful Towels. 

          We ate cake, drank coffee and talked to live people! We distributed all of the towels to the people that were there for hemming.  

          With Diny’s guidance and our collective thoughts and efforts we have reattached the warp and its ready for weavers to finish up.  

          Who wants to weave another towel?

          As you may know Lynne Salisbury will be moving to British Columbia.  She wove several towels and has taken two towels for hemming. We will miss her!  

          A reminder that summer camps are being held at the centre and it is recommended you wear a mask when coming to the centre.  

          Be well,

          Donna
          Blog, General Meeting

          May 2022 Guild Meeting

          London District Weavers and Spinners

          Date: May 3, 2022

          Guest Speaker: Jane Steeves

          Jane spoke about different Sheep Breeds of Ontario and how she has studied them to see how the wool would spin, and whether it is good for weaving or knitting

          Note: This Guild’s meeting was broadcast from the newly constructed East Lions Community Centre. The meeting was hosted from the centre and conducted in a hybrid format with members both on zoom and in person.