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  • Monthly Member Meeting (Online): Anna Hunter – The True Cost of Wool
    19:00 -20:00
    2024/03/13

    Zoom

    Zoom

    Anna Hunter is the farmer at Long Way Homestead in Manitoba, where she raises a flock of Shetland sheep. She is also the author of Sheep, Shepherd & Land – a fascinating book that outlines the importance of raising sheep and then processing their wool locally and using it domestically. We look forward to hearing her presentation on The True Cost of Wool, which is described on her website as follows:
    The feeling and smell of a brand new skein of yarn is magical, the way it feels in your hands and on your needles, the beautiful shawl or sweater it will become. But how often do we consider the people that have had a hand in creating our yarn before it is ours. Do we know what resources have gone into our yarn and who is on the other end. Do we really understand the wool supply chain both in Canada and globally? This lecture will take a deep dive into the Canadian wool industry and focus on the land, animals, labourers, mills and transport of our wool. We will look at some of the barriers and possibilities for creating a resilient, regenerative and inclusive Canadian Wool Industry.

     

    Members, to access the zoom link, please sign into the website in the week prior to the meeting (or find it in the newsletter!).

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REGULAR MEETINGS

MONTHLY GUILD MEETINGS Beginning April 2023 we will resume holding  in-person meetings at Riverdale Farm. We will continue to hold some meetings virtually. Our Member’s Meetings are held from September-June, with a break for the summer. Check out the Calendar for up-to-date information.
If you are interested in spinning or weaving, you are welcome to join us as a guest at one of our monthly meetings.
When: 2nd Wednesday of the month, 7:30 – 9:00 pm for in-person meetings; 7:00 – 8:30 pm for virtual meetings
Where: In-person meetings are held in the Meeting House at Riverdale Farm- come in the gate and keep going past the sheep.

TEXTILE/SPINNING DROP-IN 
Guild members join Riverdale Farm staff to host textile drop-ins at the Farm once a week in the afternoons. All are welcome to watch, chat, learn, or bring a project to work on– it’s totally free! Occasionally we have themes, such as a regular Spinning Clinic. At some of the drop-ins, the Farm provides some equipment, including Lendrum spinning wheels, for visitors to use. If you want to take your yarn home, bring a Lendrum bobbin. Equipment is not available to borrow at all drop-ins.
When: Summer 2023: Tuesday afternoons, 1 – 3 pm (through September 2023) at the Simpson House Porch.
Where: Riverdale Farm, 201 Winchester St., Toronto, M4X 1B8

IN THE COMMUNITY

The Guild generally participates in the following Riverdale Farm events , demonstrating fibre processing, spinning, weaving, and other textile skills to the public. After a hiatus during the pandemic, we look forward to resuming these events this Spring.

FAMILY DAY
Riverdale Farm is a great place to spend Family Day, with lots of fun activities taking place, including weaving and spinning demonstrations and activities that the whole family can enjoy.

SHEEP CELEBRATION
Riverdale Farm opens its doors with the farm’s popular Spring Festival at which Guild members use the fleece shorn from the farm sheep to demonstrate the skills needed to wash the wool, prepare it for spinning, make yarn, dye it, and weave it into cloth. Come and watch the process, from sheep shearing on!

FALL FESTIVALS
See the Guild in action on the second weekend in September at the Riverdale Farm Fall Festival, and at the Cabbagetown Festival too!

More information on Riverdale Farm.