From Worm Spit to Gossamer Silk Yarn

Our first meeting was lots of fun. After much discussion, we decided to begin our COE spinning adventure with silk, choosing from many fiber preparations and spinning one of the following:
-Extra fine smooth yarn (50 or more wraps per inch)
-Fine smooth yarn (32-45 wraps per inch
-Medium smooth yarn -- may be multiple ply (15-30 wraps per inch)
-Extra fine textured yarn (50 or more wraps per inch)
-Fine textured yarn (32-45 wraps per inch

At the August meeting, we'll display our skeins and share our joys and frustrations in trying to meet the COE standard.

Certificate of Excellence in Handspinning

If you are planning to participate in the COE study group, I suggest that you look at Andrea Longo's Web site: Certificate of Excellence in Handspinning and all the linked pages.

Andrea includes copies of all her written work, photos of beautiful skeins of yarn, and some of the judge's comments. It's scary to learn that the judges were not always satisfied with yarns that appear perfect to me. But she did pass with 3413 points out of a possible 3824. The minimum to pass is 3250.

Whether we do or do not submit our yarns to the scrutiny of judges, we will be much better spinners for trying to meet these high standards.

Sample labels for COE

If you downloaded sample-labels.doc the night I uploaded it (Tuesday, I believe), please download it again. That document is a Microsoft Word "form." All the text in it should be protected. You should be able to tab from field to field and enter data without disturbing the text that I copied from the COE book. Unfortunately, when I uploaded the file Tuesday, I forgot to click the lock icon to protect it.

It's entirely possible that you may want to unprotect it and make changes in the text or format. Here's how:
1. From the View menu, choose Toolbars and then select Forms.
2. A toolbar will appear with several icons, including a padlock.
3. Click the padlock to protect and unprotect the text areas of the document.
4. To fill out the document, it should be protected.
5. If this is clear as mud, please post your questions here.

Slightly off topic

I was taken aback a couple of weeks ago when I was approached first by Toni and then later by Mary Macheroux at the McHenry County Fair asking if I'd be willing to judge the knit and crochet entries for this year's fair. I had some doubts about my qualifications, but in the end I agreed to do it.

Now I'm looking for advice on the subject. There are not usually a huge number of entries, and I know fair judges here get an opportunity to write comments to each entrant with suggestions and so forth. But there seems not to be any judging standard. I had expected something with so many points for design, so many for execution, so many for originality, appropriateness of materials, and so forth. I guess I can invent one, but if any of you are aware of articles on the subject, I'd sure be thankful to hear about it.

It's official, the letter of confirmation arrived in yesterday's mail, so I'll be doing this on August 1. Hopefully, I won't be tarred and feathered for my choices.

In the column on the right side of this page, I've posted links to:
-- the Hollow Tree Spinners Newsletter
-- a map to our meeting location, The Fold in Marengo
-- files for the Certificate of Excellence study group

Sorry about my name being at the top of the column. I can't figure out how to delete or change it.

When I've learned how to post pictures, I'll provide instructions. Or perhaps some of you are old hands and can tell us how.

Please take a moment and post a comment. This is meant to be a community bulletin board not my personal space.

Welcome to the Hollow Tree Spinners journal. You are welcome to share your projects, including photos, ask questions, offer tips, and just chat about spinning and related crafts.

Several spinners are beginning to work on requirements for the HGA Certificate of Excellence in Handspinning. They will be communicating through this journal; others are welcome to join them and participate in the conversation.