Just got back from the first day of the Madrona Fiber Arts  Winter Retreat.

Look at all these fabulous balls of fiber that Deb Menz brought for us today.  All were hand blended on a drum carder by the master herself. She says it’s a lot of work so this  probably was her last plying class. It sounds like she wants to  focusing on selling her art and just teach a classes  from her new studio.  She currently working on a website which will be at http://www.debmenz.com.

By the way, the second printing of her book, Color in Spinning,  has just been released. She had some interesting tidbits about how this book finally got back into print.

The goal of the class was to help students learn how to use plying as a design element. While looking at these rovings you might think, wow what beautiful stripes, but that’s not what she’s after. She avoids creating striped yarn (why create yarn that is easily purchased)  and tries to develop yarn that gives an impressionistic feeling.

I’m not quite finished with my last sample but hope to share all of them when I get a chance.