One of my areas of expertise as you know is dyeing. So I am teaching an all day class in dyeing with ProChemicals Washfast Dyes. We are going to learn how to make stock solutions, how to create dye formulas and more. I will dye 2 lbs in the class. One in a dyepot and the other in my favorite new tool a roaster. Then you'll have the rest of the day to try dyeing some fantastic rovings yourself. Its going to be blast.
My next class is on primitive breed fleeces. Since I raise Shetland sheep and they are a primitive breed I am well qualified for this one too. Primitives generally have at least 2 different coats so they post a dilemna for spinners. How do you process them to your best advantage. In this class I am covering several ways to handle a primitive fleece and suggestions on spinning them too. The fleeces that we will be working with are really awesome. I have one of my Shetlands, its Titans fleece and its pure white. The other two fleeces we will be working with are a white Icelandic that looked a lot like the shetland fleece. It is also gorgeous. The third was a real surprise for me. Its a Karakul lamb and it is so soft. Everyone who has seen it says its gorgeous and they were right. It is not scratchy at all. You definetly wouldn't need to use this for a rug. It would make a gorgeous sweater.
The third class that I am teaching is Designing a Mixed Warp Blanket. I had my first double woven blanket published in Spin Off Winter 1988. Here is a pic of the one currently on my loom,
In the mixed warp class, we are going to actually design the warp for a blanket in the reed. I will be bringing a box of my own handspun yarns and will show different ideas on how to use the yarns. I will be threading the reed in a random pattern. We will discuss ways to use stripes and blocks of color. I will also be talking about how to thread a blanket for double weave. With this weave structure you can double the width of your piece. I had one of my blankets published in Spin Off a few years ago. We'll talk about that experience and the process of getting your work submitted to Spin Off.
If you are in the area and are intrigued by any of these check out the website and sign up before classes fill up.
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2 comments:
I have a scarf that belonged to my Grandma with those colours .. It's a good memory for me.. Thankyou for posting the pic. I found the post interesting.. Peace, Kai.
That will be a beautiful blanket with such lovely colors. I make my blankets the same way, doublewoven with a mix of handspun yarns and really enjoy working that way. Thanks, I really enjoyed seeing your work and the fleeces too. Hope your classes are all successful.
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