MY CLASSES, TALKS & WORKSHOPS

LEARN TO MAKE YARN WITH A SPINDLE

(3 hours to 1 day in-person class)

Participants will learn to spin wool and flax on a drop spindle, the most ancient tool of the fiber arts.  Dating back over 30,000 years, spindles can fit in a pocket or hang from a belt so you can make yarn anywhere! This can be done as a 2 hour class to teach the basic skills, or expanded all the way up to a day long workshop, depending on how many fibers you want to work with, and how many skills you wish to learn. Spindles and fiber provided, or can be purchased as a materials kit.  

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spinning with plant fibers

(3 hours to 1 day in-person class)

This class is designed for spinners who would like to adventure beyond the world of wool. Plant fibers such as flax (linen), hemp, and nettles have been spun for tens of thousands of years. They make excellent warp yarns for weaving because of their incredible strength. Modern fibers are made with plant materials that would otherwise go to waste, such as banana, pineapple, and rose leaves and stems. Learn the history of textile plants, experiment, and play!​

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Sustainable spinning

(3 hours to 1 day in-person class)

Take your spinning in new, eco-friendly directions, making yarns that will surprise and delight! We’ll have fun creating colorful skeins using warp ends, thread and yarn snippets, and fabric and ribbon remnants.  Next, we’ll make imaginatively themed yarns by blending various animal and plant fibers, including nettles, jute, eri silk, and wood shavings. Finally, we will sample wool from rare breed sheep and find out how spinners can help save endangered sheep - and why this is crucial for sheep worldwide. 

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making concept yarns

(3 hours to 1 day in-person class)

Working from a concept provides an easy template for color and texture choices so that you can make your own unique handspun yarn. Participants will learn carding and spinning techniques while working with a variety of protein, cellulose, and reclaimed fibers. 

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Spin It! Dye It! Work It!

(2.5 to 5 day in-person workshop)

Co-taught with David Heustess of Follow The Spiral Studios, participants will learn to spin wool and flax on a drop spindle, use natural and synthetic dyes to dye their yarn, and then - based on their interests or existing skills - learn to weave on a tapestry frame loom, knit, crochet, or embroider with their handspun yarns. Suitable for all levels of experience but designed with beginners in mind, this workshop can be tailored for weekend or week-long events. 

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Spinning & Yoga: Ancient & Contemporary

(5 day in-person workshop)

The ancient craft of spinning is the foundation of the fiber arts! Spin your way down the millenia while learning to use the various tools of the trade. Learn to make traditional yarn using animal and plant fibers and contemporary "art yarn" with sustainable materials. Participants have the option to practice gentle seated yoga poses during class time. Suitable for all levels of experience, including beginners; this workshop can be tailored for weekend or week-long events. 

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Spin The World!

(2.5 to 5 days in-person workshop)

Take a trip around the world making handspun yarns using fibers and materials from around the globe! Learn how to create unique yarns with ingredients such as kapok, soy, hemp, reclaimed denim and sari cloth, recycled plastic fiber, silk waste, flax, nettles, wood shavings, thread and fabric remnants, and more! With a spinning wheel or a spindle, this workshop offers spinners an opportunity to play and let imaginations run wild. We will compose batts of amazing color and texture and learn spinning techniques for the various materials used while traveling the world, learning about Himalayan nettles and forests that produce wild tussah silk; flax and Egyptian mummies; ancient traditions of hemp in Japan and its more recent history in colonial America; Indian saris; tropical kapok trees; and more!  Participants must already know how to use a spindle or spinning wheel; this workshop can be tailored for weekend or week-long events. ​

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The Eco-nomics of the Fiber Arts: 

It's time to change the way we make and appreciate textiles

(1 hour talk)

The textile industry is one of the most polluting on the planet. Find out how your guild can become more eco friendly. Embracing sustainability also makes your guild more appealing to a younger generation of weavers and fiber artists - it's their future! A one hour talk. 

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From plant to cloth

(1 hour talk)

For thousands of years, leaves, stems, and even bark have been made into various forms of cloth. Learn the how's, why's, and when's of how this has been done all over the world. Plus, discover what's in the pipeline for new and sustainable textiles!

 

Very gentle chair yoga

(15 minutes or more class, in-person or via zoom)

Suitable for all, but especially suited to weavers, spinners, knitters, and anyone who spends extended periods of time looking downwards. Learn posture correction and gentle exercises for the core muscles of the torso, the back and shoulders as well as the legs, arms... and don't forget the hands and feet! Simple breathwork can energize or relax the body and mind; simple mindfulness can de-stress and refresh.