Spinning Classes & Workshops

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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 listings for dates when these classes/workshops will be given.  Available Classes are:

bulletBeginner's Spinning Classes (One-, Two-, & Three-Day Classes)
bulletSpinning - The Next Steps
bulletSpinning - The Long and the Short of It!
bulletSpinning - Let's Make Novelty Yarns!
bulletIntermediate Spinning Workshop

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.

Beginner's Spinning Classes

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 may bring your own wheel if you have one.  Fiber preparation and the use of a drop spindle are not covered in this class.  Class size is limited, and a $20 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 class materials, wool for spinning, hand carders, a drop spindle, and the use of a spinning wheel. You may bring your own wheel if you have one.  If you already have hand carders and/or a drop spindle, please contact me about a price reduction.

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.

    Curriculum

-     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 the dyeing process. Visiting and seeing fiber animals is also a part of this class. If in season, a shearing demonstration will be given. Cost is $215.00 A $30 dollar deposit is required to hold your seat in this class, as described for the two-day class. Same Supply list as for the 2-day class applies.

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Spinning - The Next Steps

This class is designed to learn the fundamentals of creating a consistent yarn. The cost of the class is $85, which covers class materials  and the fibers used in class. Spinning wheels are also provided for the class, or you may bring your own.  This is an intense one-day class due to the amount of time needed to complete the project. Class hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for the day. Class size is limited to no more than five students, and a non-refundable $15 registration fee will hold your seat for the class you wish to attend. Students should bring hand carders. Prerequisites: Must know how to spin a single yarn and ply it into a skein.

Curriculum:

     - Care & Maintenance of Your Wheel
     - Fiber Preparation, including Combing/Blending
     - What is Ratio?
     - What is Twist?
     - Control Yarns to Measure Your Spinning
     - Cultural Considerations

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Spinning -- The Long & the Short of It!

Learn to spin specialty fibers, such as FLAX, Cotton, Silk, Angora, and Alpaca. The student will create a yarn that changes from one fiber to the next. The yarn created from this class can be knitted into a scarf or shawl, and you will get the pattern used for the sample garment. The cost of the class is $85, which covers class materials, the use of a wheel, and the fibers needed to complete enough yarn for a scarf. This is an intense one-day class due to the amount of time needed to complete the project. Class hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for the day. Class size is limited to no more than five students, and a non-refundable $15 registration fee will hold your seat for the class you wish to attend. Students should bring hand carders. Prerequisites: Spinning the Next Steps or another Intermediate Class

        Curriculum:

               - Learn How to Setup Wheel for Fine Spinning

               - Learn about the Different Fibers

               - Drafting Methods to Use for Spinning Different Fibers

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Spinning - Let's Make Novelty Yarns!

Learn to spin novelty yarns. The cost of the class is $85, which covers class materials, the use of a wheel, and the fibers needed. This is an intense one-day class due to the amount of time needed to complete the project. Class hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for the day. Class size is limited to no more than five students, and a non-refundable $15 registration fee will hold your seat for the class you wish to attend. Students need to bring two bobbins of fine to light worsted, pre-spun yarn and hand carders. Prerequisites: Spinning—The Next Steps or Another Intermediate Class

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INTERMEDIATE SPINNING WORKSHOP

The weekend workshop combines Spinning the Next Steps with Spinning—The Long and the Short of It and Let's Make Novelty Yarns!  You will save $55, as the entire weekend workshop is $200.00. The same prerequisites apply. Students need to meet the prerequisites and bring those items described in the class descriptions. Again—seating is limited.

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