Soft Core Corespinning: Corespinning with Fiber (6-101)
Jacey Boggs
Saturday all day 6-hr class
Using a variety of materials including carded roving, textured batts, mohair locks, combed top, and loose fiber, we’ll cover lots of unspun fiber corespinning techniques including basic corespinning, coreless corespinning, cocoons, tex ritter and tailspinning. Focus will be on creating beautiful, unique, but ultimately stable and usable textured yarns. These textured yarn techniques can be as tame or as outlandish as you choose but any way you spin it, they will improve your fiber and hand control and give you a deeper understanding of yarn structure. .
Skill Level: Basic spinning skills
Materials Fee: $35 (includes all fiber needed for class)
Students should bring: Working spinning wheel (a wheel with any orifice size will work, but wheels with hooks are slightly more difficult, though not impossible), 2+ bobbins, and a niddy noddy will be helpful but there will be a few floating around.
Beginning Spinning (6-103)
Stephenie Gaustad
Saturday all day 6-hr class
Do you need that “special” yarn and can’t seem to find it? The yarn you can get is the right color, texture and softness, but the wrong size, or you might have found yourself watching a spinner work and said, “I want to do that.” Have you ever wondered if you could make that yarn instead of dragging out your wallet? For these and many more reasons, learning to spin opens doors for you.
This lively hands-on introduction to the elements of spinning, includes twisting and drafting, fibers for spinning (both traditional and non-traditional), yarn design possibilities (smooth, fuzzy, lumpy, even, plying and adding elements) and what to do afterwards: setting the twist, dyeing, storing yarn and figuring projects. This is a novice class with many participants. Private coaching will be kept to an appropriate level.
Skill Level: None
Materials Fee: $25 (includes handouts, spindle, and spinning fibers)
Students should bring: Note-taking materials.
Falling in Love with Cotton Spinning (6-111)
class is FULL
Joan Ruane
Saturday all day 6-hr class
This class is an introduction to cotton spinning, designed to show how easy it is to spin and to give the spinner an understanding of both cotton and their wheel. Students learn how and why to adjust their wheel for this fine, short staple fiber. This class gives spinners proper techniques for spinning different forms of cotton fiber and finishing yarns for weaving or knitting. Instruction includes carding cotton and making punis; adjusting and understanding your wheel; techniques of spinning cotton from the boll to sliver; and good basic plying techniques for cotton yarns.
Skill Level: Beginning to intermediate spinning (must be able to spin wheel clockwise consistently)
Materials Fee: $10
Students should bring: Spinning wheel (no bulk spinners please). Lazy kate and 3 bobbins. Carders (prefer cotton carders but wool will do). Niddy noddy. Wheel maintenance kit. Small plastic baggies. 2 paper toilet rolls. Recommend bringing your own spinning chair. Need a couple of ball winders for the class.
Silk Spinning (3-105)
class is FULL
Sara Lamb
Saturday morning 3-hr class
Silk yarns can be spectacular when created specifically for your technique, whether you are weaving, knitting or using it for needlework. Learn to spin a fine silk thread for various applications. We will learn the inherent properties of silk, and how best to work with them. Spinning wheel required: participants must be able to spin a continuous yarn.
Skill Level: Beginning
Materials Fee: $20
Students should bring: Spinning wheel required.
Spinning Cashmere — Fiber from the Elegant Goat (3-107)
class is FULL
Judith MacKenzie
Saturday morning 3-hr class
For centuries, cashmere has been the fiber of luxury and elegance. Its characteristics of warmth without weight, exquisite draping and its incomparable hand have made it the favorite of haute couture designers. Traditionally, cashmere has only been available in limited supply from exotic lands but recently the goats have been introduced to North America, opening up an enormous variety of fiber choices for handspinners. In this seminar, we’ll look at cashmeres from all over the world. We’ll look at how cashmeres and cashgoras are classified and the pro’s and con’s of both of these fibers. We’ll cover how to de-hair and prepare the fibers for spinning and the proper spinning techniques to produce stable and long-lasting yarns. You’ll also get a chance to learn a little about these curious, wild, independent animals that are catching the fancy of many small flock producers in North America.
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner (should be able to spin a contiuous thread and have a working relationship with wheel)
Materials Fee: $25
Students should bring: Spinning wheel with all its parts and extra drive band material. If you have more than one wheel to choose from, bring the one with the highest ratio. Cotton cards if you have them. Notebook and pen.
Spin a Multi-color Sock Yarn (3-204)
class is FULL
Judith MacKenzie
Saturday afternoon 3-hr class
Even more wonderful than a pair of hand knit socks are socks made from your own handspun. We’ll discuss what makes perfect sock yarn including the fibers best suited for socks, how to prepare them and how to spin them to make long lasting, comfortable and colorful socks. Students should bring their wheels including all parts and extra drive band material; notebook; pen.
Skill Level: Intermediate (able to make a relatively consistent yarn and understand plying)
Materials Fee: $25
Students should bring: Spinning wheel with all its parts and extra drive band material. Notebook and pen.
Blending Colors with a Hackle (3-206)
class is FULL
Nancy Weber
Saturday afternoon 3-hr class
Fiber enthusiasts — have you looked and looked for just the right multi-colored roving and can’t find it in ‘YOUR” colors? Do you have a special project in mind and need to explore how to get what you want? Well, here’s a chance to learn how to make your own fantastic roving – that ‘One-of-a-Kind’ roving that people will ask: “How did you do that?” “Where did you get that?” In 3 hours you will get an opportunity to learn how to use some hackles for blending colors and fibers. This is a hands-on playtime class with the equipment to try different colors and fibers together and see how you like it; it is not a color theory class.
Skill Level: All levels
Materials Fee: $15
Students should bring: usual note-taking stuff, your enthusiasm for trying different colors together, any special fiber you want to try, and if you want/need — a couple of photos for a colorway inspiration. Optional equipment: if you want to spin what you blend, bring your spinning wheel. The instructor will bring one that can be used.
Bumps: Thick and Thin, Coils, and Supercoils (6-301)
class is FULL
Jacey Boggs
Sunday all day 6-hr class
Spinning thick-and-thin yarns can be difficult even for experienced spinners, but nobody ever fails to get it in this class! You’ll use short fibers and a wrist twist to create regular slubs and then you’ll use that yarn to make the most popular (and if you’re new to it, mysterious) art yarn technique around–coils. These coils are surprising, soft, squishy, balanced, and anchored! In this class you’ll not only learn a fun and popular spinning technique but you’ll deepen your understanding of yarn construction and improve your fiber and hand control.
Skill Level: Beginning-intermediate (students must have basic spinning skills including the ability to draft and spin a singles yarn, and know the mechanics of plying)
Materials Fee: $20
Students should bring: Working spinning wheel (any wheel with any size orifice size will work), 3 bobbins, lazy kate, a bobbin of bulky singles (less than 2 weeks old).
To Spin a Fine Thread (6-307)
class is FULL
Judith MacKenzie
Sunday all day 6-hr class
Have you always wanted to create that gossamer thread? In this workshop, we’ll look at the choice of fleeces and how to prepare them to create the finest of all possible yarns. We’ll learn all the tips and tricks of the trade to allow you to spin just like the spider woman. Students should bring their wheels with all its parts and extra drive band material. Bring a dog brush, flicker, or Viking combs. Do NOT go out and buy anything if you don’t already have it. I have enough to share and students can decide what suits them best. Bring small plastic bags for fiber samples.
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner (should be able to spin a continuous thread and have working relationship with wheel)
Materials Fee: $20
Students should bring: Spinning wheel with all its parts and extra drive band material. Dog brush, flicker, or Viking combs. DO NOT go out and buy anything if your don’t already have it. There will be enough to share. Small plastic bags for fiber samples.
Color Carding Cotton and Making Punis (3-311)
Joan Ruane
Sunday morning 3-hr class
Students will be learning proper carding techniques while designing color blends to create designer yarns. Instructor will bring a variety of pre-dyed cotton lint to use in the class. Samples of yarns and projects using this method will be available. Students will talk about projects they want to design the yarn for and discuss how it should be spun to meet the needs of the chosen project.
Skill Level: None
Materials Fee: $8
Students should bring: Set of carders (prefer cotton).
Spinning for Weavers (3-401)
class is FULL
Stephenie Gaustad
Sunday afternoon 3-hr class
There is more to choice of yarns than color and size for the designing handweaver. Qualities of body, softness and elasticity are significant. Those that make a good knitting yarn may not be appropriate for weaving. In fact, more often they are not. Topics include warp yarns (the “bones” of the textile), twist, grist and structure for the warp and visual effects, weft (the textile’s muscles and skin), twill on 2 shafts, garment yarn, carpet warps, rug wefts, and figuring setts for handspun yarns. For weavers wishing to make more informed choices… for spinners yearning to produce yarns for the loom, this lively 3 hour seminar is for you. Materials fee includes handouts.
Skill Level: All levels
Materials Fee: $8
Students should bring: Functioning spinning wheel or spindle, oil, notebook, pen or pencil, pocket calculator with square root key.
Spinning Cotton with the Takli Spindle (3-404)
Joan Ruane
Sunday afternoon 3-hr class
The takli spindle is small, easy to carry and you can spin all kinds of short staple fibers as well as silk on it. This workshop will teach the basic techniques of spinning cotton on this spindle. Takli spindles will be available to use in class and for sale at the end of the class. Student needs no experience or equipment. Instructor will bring handouts, fiber and spindles to use in class.
Skill Level: Beginner
Materials Fee: $5
Students should bring: Nothing required. Takli spindles willbe available to use in class and for sale at the end of the class. Fiber will be provided.