Our Class Coordinator has lined up a wonderful selection of classes for you to choose from!

Two class periods are included in the cost of registration. A class period is one Friday afternoon, one Saturday morning, and one Saturday afternoon. If a class offered covers two periods, for example a Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon, that would be the allowed two class selections you can choose and cannot be separated. At registration, please note they are listed as Part 1 and Part 2; if you sign up for part 1, please sign up for part 2 and not another class, except for a wait list class that doesn’t conflict with the 2 period class.

The Registration Process is based on first come, first served, and paid. Once Registration opens, the submission spreadsheet is downloaded continually and kept IN THE ORDER OF SUBMISSION even with a timestamp of when received. We cannot control outside circumstances of the internet. Entries are then put into their selected classes IN THE ORDER OF SUBMISSION. This year you will have the opportunity to select an alternate class choice for each period if any of your class selections are full at the time of your registration. The class coordinator will contact you with your final registered classes and the instructor will contact you about two weeks prior to the event.

BUT WAIT…..you can sign up for a third WAIT LIST CLASS! So if you have signed up for 2 class periods and want to take a third, you can sign up for one on a wait list. If the class you selected as your third option does not fill up to the max class number the instructor has indicated, you may be in that class. The instructor will be notified and you will hear from the instructor like any other class. You may not select WAIT LIST for one period of a 2 period class. Please see the “Wait List” option at Registration.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON

An Introduction to Three Shuttle Weaving with Judy Larson

Learn the basics of three shuttle weaving to blend colors, get fabulous edges, and make a table runner. You’ll learn to make ombre progressions, stripes, and color sequences that pop! Then use this technique to make amazing rugs, runners, scarves, and more!

Equipment Needed: Bring a rigid heddle or any 2 or more shaft loom to class. Prior to class you’ll warp your loom for your chosen width with rug warp, and bring at least three coordinating wefts of 1″ or 1 1/2″ cottons or bulky yarns. You’ll need enough weft to make 100 picks of your chosen warp width. So if you made a 12″ wide warp at 4, 5 or 6 epi. you’d need a total of 1200 inches of strips, which is a total of 33.3 yards of weft strips. That would be divided into three colors, 11 yards each, or use 5 colors of 7 yards each. A single yard of 44″ wide cotton, cut into 1″ strips is 1440 inches ( 38 yards) of weft. Cut into 1 1/2″ strips, it would be 960 inches( about 26 yards) of weft. You can sew each color of weft strips together, or join them as you weave, which does make the weaving slower. This is a great way to use up lots of small leftover wefts, too. Material Fee: No cost for the class, the only experience needed is ability to warp your loom. You will need to bring extra rug warp for headers, three shuttles, and scissors. I can bring a pre-warped loom if needed.

Flax Spinning with Bruce Engebretson

Along with a general history of linen in Nordic countries, students will learn about line, tow and sliver in general. Watch and take part in dressing several styles of distaff. Students will have an opportunity to try spinning tow from a distaff (maybe in a taking turns arrangement), and spinning line from their own spindle or spinning wheel and distaff.

Equipment needed: A spinning wheel and small vessel to hold water, ideally a soup can that can be held to or hung from the wheel with a string. If they have distaffs, they should bring them. Also, ” a belt or band that can go around the torso, at about the level of the navel, to hold a staff distaff if you don’t have one on the wheel”. The instructor will have staff distaffs they can use if they have no distaff, and they will be offered for sale along with tow distaffs. 20 dollars each. Materials fee: $25 will be for the flax.

Knit a Chunky Blanket with Diana Charboneau This class is offered again Saturday morning..not a 2 part class

Knit a chunky blanket without knitting needles! Your pets will love you forever and you may not be able to get them to stop hogging your new, wonderful creation! This class will guide you through creating a blanket using finger looping. Equipment Needed: Please bring a pair of scissors and 6 skeins of chunky blanket yarn. The yarn can be 2 different colors if you would like. The instructor will touch base with you before the class on which brands she recommends. You may not be able to finish your blanket in the class time but the instructor will show you how to finish the blanket off so you can finish it at home if needed. Welcome to your new addiction of knitting a blanket in a single afternoon!

Wool Sculpted Pumpkins with Barb Lyndgaard

October is the perfect time to harvest pumpkins! Why not felt a few? We will do a combination of wet felting and needle felting to sculpt the perfect pumpkin. No experience necessary.

Equipment Needed: It would be good to bring a towel for wet felting drips.

Material Fee: $10 or you are welcome to bring your own fiber to felt.

Shaft Switching Introduction with Judy Larson

Shaft Switching on a table loom using Jason Collingwood’s technique. The weavers will bring a pre-warped 4 harness table loom that has been set up according to specific directions sent out before the class. In the class, they will learn how to set up the shaft switching on their loom and weave a small mat or runner using the technique. There will also be an overview of other shaft switching techniques.

Each student will need to know how to warp their loom. No shaft switching experience is needed.

Equipment Needed: Each student will need to bring a four harness table loom pre-warped with rug warp, extra rug warp for headers, two contrasting colors of bulky yarn (2 oz. each), (or two colors of contrasting fabric, 1 yard each cut into 1 inch strips), two small flat shuttles, and a scissors.Material Fee: $5 fee for the handout and the open end pins to be used.

Designing Figures for 8 Shaft Looms with Helen Stoerzinger

Cards, towels, clothing, table runners, wall hangings, etc. can be entirely covered, or only border-decorated with the original figures you design. Students will see two dozen examples of the teacher’s original designs, plus a dozen designs published in 2001 Handwoven. Then design your own! Design on graph paper with pencils (& eraser) or bring your laptop computer that has either spreadsheets or weaving software. Most figures will be tall, narrow, and have left-right symmetry, like a carrot, a tulip, a lighthouse, a snowman and an ice cream cone.

Material fee: $1 for handout

Student should bring pencils and eraser, colored pencils and ink eraser that works with them. Optional laptop with spreadsheet or weaving software. Pictures of holiday decorations, seed catalogs, wild flower books and other interesting pictures or objects for inspiration. Optional images of woven figures in other techniques, such as krokbrag, bound weave or others.

SATURDAY MORNING

Ways to Spin Blended Tops (Without Ending Up with Mud) with Beth Freidman

Have you ever been tempted by the lovely colors of some blended tops, but when you took them home and spun them, the results were disappointing? Blended tops are increasingly popular for their reasonable cost and their variety, but they present challenges as well. In this class, students will learn a number of different ways to spin this preparation. Students must be able to spin a continuous single yarn.

Equipment needed: Spinning wheel, strongly recommend three bobbins and a lazy kate

Materials fee: $15

Inkle Weaving: Basics and Beyond with Peggy Baldwin

This class is appropriate for anyone wanting to learn more about weaving on an Inkle loom and for anyone just wanting to get together with other Inkle enthusiasts. The class will cover the importance of color choice, basic threading technique, Inkle pick-up with unheddled warps, and functional uses for woven inkle bands. We will look at ways to design patterns for Inkle weaving. I will bring an array of bands and their uses. Equipment Needed: A working Inkle loom with a belt shuttle and appropriate smooth cotton material. I recommend 5/2 or 3/2 perle cotton, cotton carpet warp or 8/4 cotton or cottolin. The colors chosen should include a dark value, light value and 2 or 3 bright accents. Also, a scissors and a rubbery mat (preferable) or C-clamp to hold the Inkle in place while working. Materials fee: $5

Knit a Chunky Blanket with Diana Charboneau

Equipment Needed: Please bring a pair of scissors and 6 skeins of chunky blanket yarn. The yarn can be 2 different colors if you would like. The instructor will touch base with you before the class on which brands she recommends. You may not be able to finish your blanket in the class time but the instructor will show you how to finish the blanket off so you can finish it at home if needed. Welcome to your new addiction of knitting a blanket in a single afternoon!

Natural Dye Class with Alethea Kenney (Part 1) THIS IS A 2 PERIOD CLASS

Attendees can bring items they would like to try dyeing in various dyepots. Items should be clean and ready to take dye but don’t need to be pre-mordanted unless you’d like to see what changes that can make in color. Some examples of items for dyeing include untreated wood buttons/beads, small amount of basketry material, yarns of many types (clean), shells, cotton, wool, silk, fabrics of various types or similar thing. If time and situation allow, we will try wild crafting materials to use as dyes. Handout includes basic information about mordants, modifiers and natural dyes history and processes. Equipment needed: Items to add to dye pots, protective clothing you don’t mind getting dirty (aprons, old clothes, etc), kitchen or nitrile gloves to protect your hands, an open mind and be prepared to have some vibrant fun.
Materials Cost: No cost to dye your reasonably small items

Finishing Touches for Your Toolbox with Loretta Stacy

Learn 3 types of hemstitching so when you cut your weaving from the loom, your item is securely finished. You will also learn how to incorporate hemstitching as a design feature.

Equipment needed: Students will bring to class a warped rigid heddle or shaft loom, 2 loaded bobbins and a shuttle, scissors. Students will be contacted prior to class with instructions. All levels of experience are welcome. Material Fee: $1 for handout

Seagrass Plant Pot Basket (Part 1) with Eve Sumsky THIS IS A 2 PERIOD CLASS

Use a recycled plastic container, (think cottage cheese or yogurt,) inside this basket to hold a plant. The basket is woven with reed and seagrass. A few color choices will be available for the reed. Finish your basket with a match-stick folded rim.

Beginners welcome.

Equipment Needed: I will have tools to share, you can bring a dish pan or bucket for water and an old towel. Or bring your own basket weaving tools (dish pan or bucket for water, old towel, measuring tape, heavier scissors, pencil, clothes pins or clips, straight weaving tool, and spoke weight)
Materials Fee: $22 (paid to teacher)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Natural Dye Class with Alethea Kenney (Part 2) THIS IS A 2 PERIOD CLASS

Come learn by experience about natural dyes and the range of colors you can get! Learn a bit about mordants, modifiers and the differences in colors when dyeing plant fibers vs animal fibers. This is a laid back class focusing on having fun learning by experience. Attendees can bring items they would like to try dyeing in various dyepots. Items should be clean and ready to take dye but don’t need to be pre-mordanted unless you’d like to see what changes that can make in color. Some examples of items for dyeing include untreated wood buttons/beads, small amount of basketry material, yarns of many types (clean), shells, cotton, wool, silk, fabrics of various types or similar thing. If time and situation allow, we will try wild crafting materials to use as dyes. Handout includes basic information about mordants, modifiers and natural dyes history and processes. Equipment needed: Items to add to dye pots, protective clothing you don’t mind getting dirty (aprons, old clothes, etc), kitchen or nitrile gloves to protect your hands, an open mind and be prepared to have some vibrant fun.
Materials Cost: No cost to dye your reasonably small items

Brioche for Beginners with Heather Schmidtke

A class for learning the brioche stitch which produces a thick, reversible fabric. This method involves using slipped stitches and yarn overs, resulting in a lofty, ribbed texture that is both warm and squishy. You will have the option of creating a hat or cowl with the materials provided. There will be a variety of colors to choose from for the class.

Students must know basic knitting stitches and have a working ability to knit

Equipment needed to participate: knitting needles – for the hat size 4 (either 16″ circular needles or 4 double point) for the cowl size 9 circular 24″ needlesMaterials fee to be paid by the student to the instructor: $25 for yarn

Kumihimo with Nicole Crist

Kumihimo, meaning “gathered threads”, is a traditional Japanese art form of complex – 16 strand braiding. In the past, Kumihimo braids were made on a marudi and used for many purposes, including decoration over an obi. Kumihimo braids are now being used for hoodie strings, shoelaces, friendship bracelets, key chains/fobs and more.

In this modern version, you will learn using a foam disc and bobbins. We will make a 16-strand braid to make a key fob.

Materials Fee: $30 – Includes: Kumihimo disc, 16 bobbins, weight, key fob hardware and yarn.

Optional: An ergonomic disc holder can be purchased for $6.00 Level of Experience: Beginner

Weavers’ Color Conundrums with Cathie Mayer

Are the colors in your weaving misbehaving? When you mix, combine or blend colors it just doesn’t turn out as you’d envisioned, despite your lovely yarn wrap?

There are several key principles that affect the color aspects of your finished cloth. Join us for a discussion of these principles, with examples, hands on exercises, and looking at particularly problematic drafts. (Psst – this is NOT a class on color theory or use of the color wheel).

Equipment Needed: Students bring a set of colored pencils.

Material Fee: $5 for handout