Spin-in open day in Whanganui features scarf competition

Back row: Gill Brock (club treasurer), Barbara Dinnington (committee member) and Hester den Ouden (secretary.) Front: new member, Julie Tolladay-Poulton.

Creative Fibre Whanganui is holding its biennial Spin-in and Open Day on the last Saturday of this month. A highlight will be a scarf competition and parade.

The club has been around since the 1970s and covers spinning, weaving and knitting - anything to do with fibre. Wool, silk, natural fibres, Alpaca and Angora rabbit fur are popular choices at the club.

Dyeing fibre is another activity in the club with a huge range of natural materials sourced as well as commercial dyes. “You can get 24 different colours from a boil-up of lichen, ranging from dark purple through to pink in the tonal range,” said Hester den Ouden, secretary of Creative Fibre Whanganui - who has been spinning since the age of 9.

Gill Brock, club treasurer, has been knitting from a young age. “When we moved to Whanganui, spinning was on my bucket list,” she said. “I’ve been doing it for 15 years now.” Gill spins her own wool off her sheep, once it has been carded and prepared.

Spinning wheels and looms are available for members to use in the clubrooms. “We’ve got multi-skilled people in the club,” said Barbara Dinnington, committee member. “On Tuesday nights and Wednesdays we stick to spinning, knitting and crocheting.

“If a new member comes along to learn to spin, we generally buddy them up with someone. It’s not rocket science, it’s fairly easy, it just takes time. We all enjoy it a lot, the spinning and knitting is our tranquiliser,” she said.

Members who own their spinning wheels can leave them at the club to save transporting them all the time.

One member makes blankies from scrap pieces for the SPCA, while another knits for Doctors Without Borders. The group made a peggy square blanket which was given to a charity.

There is a competitive element within the club, one challenge is called the Longest Thread. Members are given 10g of wool, which they have to spin as fine as possible, without breaking, to get the longest thread. The record for the Longest Thread is 102m - which was as thin as cotton.

Spin-in and Open Day

The Spin-in and Open Day is held biennially, with an exhibition held the following year. Traders sell wool, buttons, fleece, made-up yarn, socks and crafts and hold raffles.

This year there is a scarf competition with prizes sponsored by Garney Spooners Woolshop. There are three categories: hand-spun, commercial and other. Scarf registration is by 12 noon and the scarf parade is held at 1pm.

Scarfs must have two parallel edges and must be able to be wrapped around the neck.

■ What: Spin-in and Open Day. When: Saturday, July 27. Where: Whanganui Girls’ College Hall, Jones St, Whanganui East. Details: Entry $5 - includes morning tea.