Great Women Building a Gracious World

                                                                                                                                            Volume 1, Issue 3

                                                                                                                       November/December 2006

Fiber means fun, by Elizabeth Blake
 

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November/December Contributing Writers

Sandra Bennett, Wendy Bernard, Pam Blasko, Cathy Clark, Kathy Fellows, Marni Harang, Joy Jannotti,  Renee Lyons, Caryll McConnell, Shirley McNulty, Jane Plaughter, Margaret F. Rankin, Bobbie Ripperger, Joanne Seiff, Barbara Sheehey, Leslie Shelor, Teresa Simons, Sister Eugenia, Lynda Sorenson

    Fiber Femmes is published bi-monthly on-line by:

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    Meadows of Dan, Virginia 24120

    Email: fiberfem@fiberfemmes.com

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Editor: Sandra Bennett

Publisher:  Leslie Shelor

While every precaution has been taken to ensure accuracy of material published, Fiber Femmes cannot be held responsible for opinions or facts provided by authors, advertisers or agencies.  Authors retain ownership of their material and reproduction without their written consent is prohibited. Agencies, advertisers and other contributors will indemnify and hold the editors harmless for any loss or expense resulting from claims or suits based upon content of any advertisement, defamation, libel, right of privacy, plagiarism and/or copyright infringement.  The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editors.  

Fiber Femmes Favorite Fellow

We spend a lot of time here at Fiber Femmes celebrating the unique spirit and special community of women united by their common love of fiber.  The bond of experience that is unique to women, creating a sisterhood that is supportive, generous and caring, is well worth celebrating.  Yet there are many men that are also involved in the fiber arts: master spinners, knitters, and artisans that create wonderful tools and spinning wheels.

Here are YOUR nominations for the

 Fiber Fellow of the Year!

Grace Hatton nominated her husband, Fred Hatton, for the prize as a talented Fiber Fellow.  Fred is a woodworker and makes beautiful nostepinnes, spinning wheel hooks, magnets, yarn gauges and more which he sells at his eBay store.  He also restores antique spinning wheels, creating the parts in his shop to revive wonderful old wheels to spin for another 100 years.  The Hattons raise Finn sheep on their family farm in Pennsylvania.

    Click Here to Vote for Fred Hatton!

Chris Morgan nominated Jonathan Bosworth, another talented wood artisan, as Fiber Fellow of the Year.  For over 30 years Jonathan has been making portable Journey wheels of his own design, inspired by the Indian book charkha.  In 1998 he began to make book charkhas and now has a line of beautiful drop spindles.  Inspired by parents that were also fiber artisans and woodworkers, Jonathan began his training early in the art of creating special spinning tools.  He and his wife, Sheila make their home in Massachusetts with two orange cats. 

    Click Here to Vote for Jonathan Bosworth!

Barbara Greenstein put in a nomination for Gil Gonsalves, who designs and builds Robin Spinning Wheels.  A former boat builder and engineer, Gil travels with his wife, Robin, for whom the wheels are named, and daughter Karen all over New England to promote the wheels.  Each wheel is signed and numbered, and the design features light weight and ease of adjustment and is dependable. 

    Click Here to Vote for Gil Gonsalves!

"Pink" nominated Jimbo of Jimbo's Front Porch.  According to Pink, "He makes awesome hooks, has written a tutorial on how to whittle your own and holds blog contests" from his family land in Washington State, where he and his wife are building a cabin to replace the original house. 

  Click Here to Vote for Jimbo!

Barbara Greenstein says one of her personal favorite fiber fellows is Michael Cook, who maintains an informative web site about silk called Wormspit where he shares information about his work, journals about raising different varieties of silkworms, information about silk reeling and many links to yet more information about silk.  He is generous with his expertise, often answering questions on different lists and he also hosts Yahoo lists on silk and silk reeling.

Click Here to Vote for Michael Cook!

Chris Morgan nominated Otto R. Strauch of Strauch Fiber Equipment Company for your Fiber Fellow of the Year.  An innovative craftsman with an engineering background, Otto,  with and his wife, Joanne, has been making hand crafted floor swifts/skein winders and folding stools for spinners for over 15 years.  In 2000 they expanded the business to include drum carders and later added a Jumbo Ballwinder to their inventory.  Otto's engineering background has served the company well and their innovative designs are well received by the fiber community.

Click Here to Vote for Otto R. Strauch!

Barbara Greenstein also put in a nomination for Jim Child of Hatchtown Farm, who creates beautiful spindles, each hand turned and unique.  He also produces other fiber tools such as niddy noddies, yarn gauges, and nostepindes.  Jim and his wife Pam raise Coopworth sheep and produce spinner's fleeces at their farm in Maine. 

Click Here to Vote for Jim Child!

So, there are all our favorite fiber fellows!  Turn in your vote for your favorite by December 15, 2006, and the resulting winner will be announced in our January/February issue.  A surprise Fiber Femmes package will go to the winning fellow and the nominating femme!  You're free to campaign for your favorite fellow, of course!