This Month
Birthdays
Happy October Birthday to:
- Joyce Arthur
- Janet Bubl
- Rani Macias
- Diane Williams
If we missed your birthday or have you in the wrong month, please let us know!
Guild Business
President Janet Bubl welcomed members and two guests: Joan Pierce, who learned about the Guild from Google, and Gretchen Clark, who learned about the Guild through Su Fennern at the State Fair.
Business / Announcements
Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival will be held October 31 and November 1, 2026 at the Linn County Expo Center in Albany, OR. Admission is free. More information is available on their website.
The Fiber Arts Sale is at Willamette Heritage Center, November 6 and 7. A sign-up sheet for demonstrating was sent around. Those who sign up are asked to bring knitting to work on and to answer questions about the Guild and knitting in general. SMKG will not be selling this year.
Magic at the Mill will be November 27-30. It’s the Willamette Heritage Center’s annual holiday celebration, featuring thousands of twinkling lights, visits with Santa, a holiday night market, and heritage craft demonstrations. A signup sheet was sent around (same rules apply as above).
A request was made for a dragon mascot to be crocheted for Roberts School. Beth Mauer volunteered to take on this project.
It was voted on to have an ornament exchange for the December 12, 2026 meeting. A $20-$25 limit was suggested. Participation is not required. If you bring an ornament, you will be included in the exchange. If you do not wish to participate, feel welcome to come and enjoy the festivities while working on your current project.
Nominations: There will be voting in December for Treasurer. Members were asked to consider the Secretary position. Also, be thinking of anyone that may make a good secretary candidate. Please contact any current Board member with suggestions.
Dues: The Board announced that a decision was made at the last Board meeting to not collect dues for anyone under 21.
Service Project Reports
Beth Mauer from Hope Pregnancy Clinic shared the organization’s memory box that is gifted to those who have lost a baby. The box includes a faith-based grief book that is optional to the recipient, a journal and pen, a staff-signed card and hats or booties that may be white as the sex is not always known in the case of a miscarriage.
A report will be included in the next meeting for Operation School Bell and Soup Squad hats.
2026 Service Project totals will be noted in the December Minutes.
Show & Tell
- Rani Macias shared her Lolly Cake Shawl made from Hayfield Spirit. The pattern is found on Ravelry.
- Lynda Hoodward shared her Ten Stitch Blanket made from scrap yarn. The pattern is found on Ravelry.
Program: Color Dyeing with Mushrooms
Who knew these humble fungi could produce such beautiful yarn colors? At our October meeting, Vice President Heather Sly-Haley introduced us to the fascinating world a mushroom dyeing, a hobby she began exploring in 2019. Her lively presentation combined practical advice, fascinating discoveries, and plenty of enthusiasm.
Heather started mushroom hunting for dyeing yarn in 2019. She has accumulated a vast knowledge of edible mushrooms and mushrooms that make good dyeing agents. This hobby is a family affair in which the family goes hunting, and they eat mushrooms and dye with mushrooms in the backyard. She emphasized the word “dye,” not “die.” They are 100% sure before eating which mushrooms are safe. Her husband is a mycologist. That helps!
Many specimens and pictures were presented to illustrate what the mushrooms look like and what colors can be extracted from each mushroom through the dyeing process.
Her presentation was an in-depth, enthusiastic introduction to the joys of mushroom hunting and dyeing. Heather concluded her talk with a list of resources. While the location of where to find certain mushrooms is a closely guarded secret, Heather graciously invited anyone to go hunting with her. Field trip, anyone?
Thank you to Heather and her family.
Resources for mushroom dyeing:
- Mushroom Color Atlas
- Mushroom-Collecting.com
- The Rainbow Beneath My Feet: A Mushroom Dyer’s Field Guide by Arleen Raines Bessette & Alan E. Bessette
Next Meeting
Our next meeting is December 12, 2026 at the Willamette Heritage Center at the Mill in Salem. We will have an ornament exchange.
Other Events
- November 6-7, 2026 – Salem Fiberarts Guild Annual Sale, Willamette Heritage Center at the Mill, Salem, OR
- November 27-30, 2026 – Magic at the Mill, Willamette Heritage Center at the Mill, Salem, OR
- February 11-14, 2027 – Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat, Tacoma, WA
