Workshop List

Half-Day Workshops

Consistent Singles for Spinners Spinning a single that is consistent in both twist and grist is something every spinner strives for. This workshop will offer tips for finding your rhythm in drafting and treadling, along with ways to better control your fibre source to make a more consistent single. We will also spend some time exploring joining methods and ways to correct common spinning errors as we work.

Diameter Control for Spinners Whether we’re beginners or experienced spinners, we all sometimes find ourselves making the same yarn over and over again. Changing the diameter of our yarn is an easy way to break out of our “default” spinning, but that’s often easier said than done. This workshop will explore all the ways we can change up the size of our yarn and shake up our spinning. We’ll look at changing your diameter without changing how you spin by changing the way we set up our spinning wheels and how we use our fibre, then talk about planning for different diameters. There will be a discussion of how grist and diameter overlap and how they are different and ways to use understanding both to change the size and shape of any yarn.

The Right Twist How much twist does a yarn need? It depends! Master Spinner Michelle Boyd will lead us through an exploration of the twist we need to make the best of our chosen fibres and the decisions we can make before we start to spin a yarn for any end use. We will make three samples with differences in both singles and ply twists to lay the foundation for intermediate to experienced spinners to continue sampling to find exactly the right twist for the yarn they want to make.

A Flight of Drafts There are several ways to draft fibres into yarn, but which one does what? This taster of drafting styles will look at the four most basic ways to draft while spinning: short forward draw, short backward draw, long draw, and drafting from the fold. We will make several samples and explore the variations of these drafts as we work so you can see how each draft results in different yarn styles and you can choose the draft that works for you and your yarn.

Made to Measure There are all sorts of cool tools to use to measure your yarn, but how do we use them properly? And then what do those measurements mean and why do they matter? Bring your yarn, your tools, and a notebook— we’ll look at twist angle, twists per inch, yarn diameter tools, yarn balances and maybe even do a little math to see how your yarn measures up!

Approaching Alpaca There is nothing quite like the luxury of handspun alpaca, but the fibre can sometimes be a little finicky. This workshop will introduce you to several approaches to spinning alpaca that will maximize this unique fibre and help spinners avoid some of the common pitfalls that come with this fibre, too.

Just the Flax Turn straw into gold! This workshop offers a friendly introduction to spinning flax for both weaving and knitting. The differences between line and tow flax will be explored, along with a variety of different spinning methods to get the yarn you want for your project.

Spindle Spinning—Suspended Spindles Curious about spinning, but not quite ready to take the plunge on buying a wheel? Or maybe you just want your spinning to be more portable. This introduction to the art of spinning on a suspended (drop spindle) offers you a chance to try your hand at making your own yarn for knitting or crochet. And for those who already know how to spin, this class offers a simple, elegant approach to spindle spinning. This workshop offers a relaxed approach to this ancient tool that will make taking your spinning with you as you go about your day a joy.

Spindle Spinning—Supported Spindles Portable and versatile, supported spindles offer us another option for taking our spinning along with us. This introduction to spinning on supported spindles will cover the different styles of spindles and their uses, along with fibre selection and preparation tips for successful spinning.

Corespinning Corespinning is an easy way to add bulk and texture to your yarns, while still making practical yarns. This workshop will lead you through making 3 styles of corespun yarn, from smooth and sturdy to wild and woolly. Core spinning does not follow the traditional methods of spinning and plying yarns and offers an opportunity to expand your spinning skills beyond the usual Plain Jane yarns we first learn to make. The class includes spinning wheel set-up, core yarns, fibre selection, and hands-on sampling of the techniques.

Three Ways to Boucle From simple to complex, there are lots of way to make the textured yarns known as boucles. This workshop will introduce spinners of all levels of experience to methods for making “flame” boucle, looped boucle, and knot boucle using a variety of materials.

Crepes and Cables Take your spinning beyond two-ply yarns with crepe and cable structures. Plied yarns, plied again with singles or other yarns create strong and stable texture in your knitting or weaving, as well as giving you an amazing range of options for colour play. This workshop will mix and match fibres to introduce you to a variety of yarn structures outside of standard plying techniques.

One Day Workshops

Twist for Spectacular Singles The singles we spin can make or break our yarn, so let’s spin spectacular singles. This workshop takes a deep dive into all the ways we can make smooth, consistent singles that will build exactly the yarn you want to spin. We will choose fibre preparations that will make our spinning easier and more controlled, then look at the best ways to spin woollen and worsted yarns. Even twist distribution, different drafting styles, and diameter control will all be explored and you will go home with the best singles you’ve ever spun! (This class is a perfect pairing with Twist for Perfect Plying, too!)

Twist for Perfect Plying Plying is so much more than just twisting our singles together. It stabilizes and elevates our yarn, making it stronger, more elastic, and balanced so it will behave in any cloth we want to make from it. Learn how to ply two different types of balanced yarn and explore all the ways twist can raise your plying from passable to perfect.

Twist to Knit Use twist to up your knitting (or crochet) game! We can knit and crochet with any yarn we make, but some projects work out better than others, depending on the yarn we spin and use. Step boldly into technical spinning with an exploration of the potential of twist to make a range of yarns from fine to fat, in both woollen and worsted styles. Plan yarns for the best results, choose fibres and preps, control tpi and diameter, and wind up with exactly the yarn you want for that next special knit. This workshop is based on Michelle’s popular book Twist and will give participants a chance to explore the book with hands-on exercises.

A Long Look at Long-Draw The long-draw drafting method is useful so much more than just making airy woollen yarns. This workshop will explore every aspect of long-draw, including choosing the best fibre preparations, using different styles of long draws to alter yarn characteristics, and long draw spinning for cotton and luxury fibres. Techniques for consistent grist and adding durability to woollen yarns will be explored, along with a variety of finishing techniques to expand the spinner’s understanding of the versatility of this style of spinning.

Two Day Workshops

Yarn Design, From Fleece to Finish Whether you’re a beginning spinner or someone who has been spinning for years, you are a yarn designer. The choices we make, from fibres through drafting plying, and finishing all come together to design our yarn. This workshop will guide spinners through the choices can make and take an in-depth look at how each choice affects the final yarn so we can use them to plan the perfect yarn for each project. From Plain Jane knitting yarns to complex art yarns, this workshop will give you the tools you need to design exactly the yarn you want.