It all starts with the fleece—and Maggie knows how to pick a good fleece! In this class, you will open one up, do some skirting, and discuss what you should look for when choosing a fleece. Then we will prepare fibers from a fine, medium, and long wool fleece, card and comb, spin some woolen and some worsted, then ply. You will have enough fleece to knit samples with your yarn, so you can discover the perfect combination of preparation and spinning for your project.

Working spinning wheel with at least 3 bobbins and lazy kate (contact us if you need to use other equipment)

Hand cards; flicker and/or combs if you already own them; standard spinning accessories (niddy-noddy, scissors, oil bottle, writing materials).

Pueblo fiber artists have been spinning cotton for weaving and sprang for at least 1500 years. A Pueblo fiber artist of Tiwa and Piro heritage, Louie García preserves and renews the textile traditions of his ancestors. In this unique class, students will learn about the importance of cotton fiber, spinning, and textiles in the Pueblo Southwest through hands-on exploration. You will experience seed cotton, hand ginning, and using Pueblo spindles, which are unlike Navajo or other spindles that most will be familiar with. The mode of spinning is very different from what you have experienced before; no prior cotton spinning experience is required.

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Every stage of the spinner’s process presents its own choices and compromises as you build a yarn far better than any you can purchase. From fiber choice to fabric creation, textile design is a serious commitment to time, resources, and materials—hardly a whim. Learn to understand the choices you make before, during, and after sitting at your wheel. We will design and experience choices and their effect on a textile, with discussion and a practical hands-on approach.

Working spinning wheel with at least 4 bobbins and lazy kate (contact us if you need to use other equipment)

Handcards or flicker; darning needle; one project at any stage (from concept to completion) that has been challenging (just one!); sense of humor.

This natural dye class will explore plant materials from garden to field, including how to extract the dye and how to create our own dyepot. We will use the flowers of Queen Anne’s Lace, Goldenrod, Weld, and Marigolds to get yellows. Then we will overdye in indigo and cochineal to get a variety of greens and oranges. Students will be immersed in color theory as well as the hands-on experience of the dye process. You will take home many samples, instruction, and knowledge of how to dye from nature on your own. As always, enthusiasm for beautiful color and for the fun process will abound!

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Apron, calculator, notebook and pen, old towels, rubber gloves, and plastic bags.

When you think of the world’s most wonderful sheep, do you think of England or Australia? Think closer to home. Some of the most useful, innovative sheep breeds have been developed here, and the American West has excellent conditions for producing excellent fleece. Discover breeds that originated in the United States, like Targhee and CVM, as well as breeds that originated elsewhere but thrive here.

Working spinning wheel with at least 3 bobbins, lazy kate, and accessories

Handcards or flick carders if possible

Learn what sorts of yarns work best for tapestry weaving, and experience turning some of those little bits of handspun into enchanting small tapestries on a portable loom. Bring handspun yarns you’re curious about to discuss whether they’re good choices for tapestry weaving, and practice making your own.

Spindles encouraged, or spinning wheel

Handcards or flick carders if possible; small portable frame loom of your choice; yarn needle, tapestry fork, and shed stick if you have them.

Cultivated for centuries, silk yarn is the perfect material for a variety of fiber arts, especially weaving and embroidery. It also lends texture and warmth to a variety of blends with short, soft cashmere to long silky alpaca. The classic smooth, slick, snag-free silk yarn makes your work look spectacular and resist abrasion—but how do you spin even, lustrous yarn from a famously challenging fiber? How do you spin blends of very different fiber types? And how do you finish them to glisten, drape, or wear like iron? Explore John’s methods for spinning silk successfully.

Spinning wheel with 3 bobbins and lazy kate

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Explore color using the blending board as your tool. This workshop provides an in-depth analysis of color through the knowledge, tools, and techniques for identifying colors in a picture, then creating a physical fiber representation on a blending board. Think beyond the traditional in selecting a color palette and investigate different color combinations as you learn to create your own uniquely made fiber blend, using an image of your choosing as the source of inspiration. We will discuss color theory, fiber blending techniques, color placement, and practical applications. We will study several methods to use the blending board and sample spinning techniques to bring your vision to the skein.

Spindles or spinning wheel with 3 bobbins and lazy kate

Handcards or blending board if possible

Explore using silk hankies and a variety of embellishment techniques to create an Indian-inspired bag. Learn about silk fusion as you combine a variety of silk fibers and yarns with hankies to design the surface. When you’ve finished your silk fusion, you can fold the corners together and stitch them into a small purse like the ones traditionally given at weddings in parts of northern India. You’ll finish your bag with stitching, silk cocoons, or other elements to make it your own.

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Scissors; tapestry and sewing needles; adornment materials (short lengths of 20/2 wool, 12/1 or 10/2 perle cotton, 20/2 silk, or smooth light fingering-weight handspun yarn; buttons, feathers, beads, and other embellishments); notebook and pen

We all fall in love with beautiful hand-dyed braids, but we’re sometimes surprised when the yarn we spin from them doesn’t meet our expectations. This class will look at the way braids are dyed and how that affects the colorplay. Then we will spin the braids and see how many different looks you can get from one roving.

Working spinning wheel with at least 3 bobbins, lazy kate, and accessories, or spindle.

Braids to discuss (optional)

The distaff is a spinner’s third hand, necessary for times when your spinning fiber or its form says, “Two hands, please. I want to flow into yarn, not be mussed by handling.” From Victorian bits of the “turner’s art” to barbecue forks, distaves are as close to hand as your insight and imagination. Experience use of several types of distaff at your wheel or spindle, and come away with fresh appreciation of this tool.

Working spinning wheel or spindle with which you are comfortable

Handcards

You have been spinning finer and finer yarn, and you can do wonderful lace weight! But now you are having a hard time spinning bulky or even worsted-weight yarn. Spend a few hours learning how to vary your yarn thickness, and learn how applying a few principles will help you get whatever kind of yarn you want. Learn to control the thickness of yarn, the amount of twist in both spin and ply, and the consistency of the yarn.

Working spinning wheel with at least 3 bobbins, lazy kate, and accessories

Ball winder if possible, niddy-noddy, and a pen

Whether you call it Navajo plying or chain plying, this useful technique turns a bobbin of singles into a three-ply yarn. It’s a favorite method for preserving a color sequence and plying without extra bobbins. Chain plying is more than a handy trick, though: multi-strand, beaded, and textured options make this a versatile skill for any spinner’s toolbox. This class can help you troubleshoot overtwisted yarns, minimize bumpy joins, and chain ply with ease and grace.

A working spinning wheel with an extra bobbin and lazy Kate.

At least a half bobbin of handspun singles at a gauge between lace and DK weight. (Do you have a partial bobbin of random singles in your spinning basket? That's just what you need!)

The commercial wool industry needs wool that’s as white as can be, but handspinners have no such requirements, and there’s a whole rainbow of colors besides creamy white! Sample a variety of wools from cream and tan to brown, gray, and black, and learn strategies to use natural colored wool.

Working spinning wheel with at least 3 bobbins, lazy kate, and accessories, or spindle.

Handcards or flick carders if possible

A flick carder, a few dyed locks, and a small loom are all you need to create small amounts of tapestry yarn for weaving. We’ll quickly create small bits of yarn, then play with weaving them on a simple cardboard loom. This class is inspired by Rebecca’s backpacking weaving practice of taking dyed locks and mixing them on the trail.

Spindle encouraged, or spinning wheel

Handcards or flick carders if possible; yarn needle, tapestry fork, and shed stick if you have them.

Pin looms are a delightful way to use small amounts of yarn to weave modular blankets, accessories, and toys. With just 10 yards of yarn in a range of grists and materials, you can make a flexible little building block for a breed study afghan, scarf, or even a garment. Learn from the designer of the Zoom Loom as you discover what kinds of handspun yarn work best for these compelling shapes—and begin your own habit-forming weaving practice.

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Pin loom if possible; samples of handspun yarn to try out (at least 10 yards each).

Create your own uniquely made fiber blend, using an image of your choosing as the source of inspiration and the blending board as your tool. Learn to identify colors in a picture, then create a physical fiber representation, exploring color theory, fiber blending techniques, color placement, and practical applications. Discover different ways to place fiber on a blending board and several methods for creating rolags, punis, and batts.

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Handcards or blending board if possible

Braids have many uses, from jewelry to accessories to home décor. Kumihimo is a great complement to weaving, knitting, sewing and other crafts as a custom accent. Learn to use the hand-held braiding disk and make a sampler of several shapes and patterns. Students will also be able to try the marudai (braiding stool).

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Braiding disk if you have one

Wild silk is much more than the miraculous journey of metamorphosis from caterpillar to silken luxury. It is tightly woven to an ancient living culture raising wild silkworms in the remote forests of central and eastern India. It is a celebration of indigenous, tribal people ushering their heritage into the contemporary world while preserving their way of life and spirituality. Raising wild silk provides sustainable work and a regular income, while protecting the environment, supporting communities, and raising the status of women. Be transported through photos and stories collected over thirty years of research into villages to better appreciate the invisible part of wild silk's charm, the love and dedication involved in each part of the process from soil to cloth.

Optional: Spindle or spinning wheel to sample fiber.

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Enjoy the magic of indigo dyeing! Learn to make a stock solution, control all the particulars of a natural indigo vat, and dye various shades of blues, greens, and purples the natural way. You will take home instructions on how to dye with indigo on your own, as well as many samples.

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Apron, calculator, notebook and pen, old towels, rubber gloves, and plastic bags.