Beginner's Spinning Classes
Schedule: Please call if you are interested in a hand spinning class. I am trying to accommodate the special needs of my students by scheduling the classes to meet everyone's busy schedules, including my own! Please see the calendar for dates when this class will be given.
All classes are a "hands-on" experience and last from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Classes are held at the shop. We have plenty of room to spread out and get comfortable. I ask all the students to dress very comfortably and in something that you won't mind getting dirty. Another requirement is to wear "socks". We never spin with our shoes on!
There are many places in the near vicinity that provide lunch, and if you are coming from out of town, there is a "bed and breakfast" which just opened called the Sara Margaret Inn.
One-Day Class -- Cost: $85.00 -- Class size is limited.
The cost for the class includes all the materials and tools you will need, along with the use of a spinning wheel. You will receive class materials and a bag of wool. Fiber preparation and the use of a drop spindle are not covered in this class. A $15 deposit is required to secure your seat in the class.
Curriculum
- Learning about the Spinning Wheel
- Identify all the parts of the wheel
- How to Treadle
- Threading the wheel, proper tension, and ratio
- Spinning yarn—Practice! Practice! Practice!
- Finishing the yarn
- How to ply
- Removing the yarn onto a Niddy-Noddy
- Creating a skein and setting the twist
Two-Day Class -- Cost: $165.00 -- Class size is limited.
The cost for the class includes all the materials and tools you will need, along with the use of a spinning wheel. You will receive class materials, a set of hand carders, a drop spindle, and a bag of wool. If you already have hand carders and/or a drop spindle, please contact me about a price reduction. You are also welcome to bring your own wheel if you have one.
To ensure you have a seat in the class, a $30.00 deposit is required and is non-refundable unless you have a "bonifide" emergency. This is necessary to cover class expenses and material costs.
Once you have enrolled in the class, a letter of confirmation will be sent to you, along with additional information you need to know.
- The History of Spinning
- Different Wools and Fibers
- Discuss the different types of sheep wool
- Discuss the other available animal wools, i.e. angora, llama, etc.
- Discuss plant and other fibers, i.e. silk, cotton & flax
- Fiber Preparation
- Discuss greased and scoured wool and methods for cleaning
- Hand Carding Wool and Creating Rolags
- When to use regular hand cards vs. those for fine fibers
- Using a drum carder
- Using a Drop Spindle
- Types of Drop Spindles
- Z Twist and S Twist
- Drafting the Fibers
- Learning about the Spinning Wheel
- Identify all the parts of the wheel
- How to Treadle
- Threading the wheel, proper tension, and ratio
- Spinning yarn—Practice! Practice! Practice!
- Finishing the yarn
- How to ply
- Removing the yarn onto a Niddy-Noddy
- Creating a skein and setting the twist
A three-day class is also available which covers all of the above but also includes scouring of the wool and various dyeing techniques. Cost is $225.00 A $30 deposit is required to hold your seat in this class, as described for the two-day class.
Copyright 2002-2010 The Tail Spinner - No graphics or patterns may be used without written permission from the Tail Spinner. They are not to be used in any publication in print nor should they be reproduced in electronic/digital format without written permission.