This Month
Birthdays
Happy May Birthday to:
- Cindy Barrick
- Kathy Goebel
Happy June Birthday to:
- Nancy Campion
- Carol Jones
- Sue Tyvoll
May Meeting Highlights
We started with a summary of Sheep to Shawl from Su Fennern. Members from our Guild put on their raincoats, pulled on their waterproof shoes, and welcomed visitors to the 38th Annual Sheep to Shawl event at the Willamette Heritage Center on Saturday, May 4, 2024. The annual event drew hundreds of people who watched the live sheep shearing, duck races down the Mill Stream, tasted Dutch oven cooking, watched blacksmithing, saw many different fiber artistic demonstrations, plus the making of an item from getting the fleece from the sheep prepared and cleaned, spinning the fiber into yarn, and weaving the resulting item—thus the name Sheep to Shawl.
There was a display about this year’s Guild Service Project—hats for 3rd graders for the Operation School Bell through the Salem-Keizer Assistance League.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to the following Guild members:
Joyce Arthur, Cindy Barrick, Judith Bither, Janet Bubl, Kathy Goebel, Marsha Graciosa, Debbie Juul, Cheryl Kleckner, Debbie Paxon, and Diane Williams.
These ladies shared items that they had made, shared information about the Guild, and answered all kinds of questions.
Chicken Program
Heather Sly-Haley presented a fun and interesting program introducing knitted emotional support animals. She showed us two she had knit: a chicken and a seagull.
Before the pandemic, chickens were not allowed to be emotional support animals, as they were considered to be livestock. As backyard flocks have increased, so has the attachment to chickens. They have now been approved as an official emotional support animal. These fiber versions are a lot easier and less messy to care for!
These were knit flat and then stuffed and sewn together. Some put weights in them; others add fragrance. Using rice as the stuffing allows them to be warmed in a microwave. There are even kits available for knitting your very own pet!
Patterns are available on Ravelry and come in a variety of styles.
Show & Tell
We looked at Cheryl Kleckner’s Biscotte Brioche Socks that she knitted for her husband from Premier (no wool) sock yarn.
Upcoming Events
June 2024 Meeting
We are taking a field trip to Goat Knoll Farm in Dallas, Oregon.
If you would like to carpool, meet at the Mill. We’ll leave there at 10 AM.
Bring a lunch to picnic. We’ll feed the animals (goats, sheep, and alpacas), and yarn will be available to purchase. Check out their website to learn more about this lovely place.
Other Events
- May 18-19, 2024 – Fat Lamb Fiber Festival, Scio, OR
- June 28-30, 2024 – Black Sheep Gathering, Albany, OR
Salem Millstream Knitting Guild 