Ontario Handspinning Seminar
Intentional Blending: Mixing Fibres Mindfully
Julia Lee
Why might you choose to mix different protein fibres? What are the benefits? How do you choose appropriate combinations? There are no hard-and-fast answers to these questions but Julia will guide you in considering the reasons for creating blends and how to be happy with the result. Participants will explore a variety of protein fibres (wool, alpaca, mohair, silk…) and consider appropriate blending partners for each of them.
Workshop Description
Bring the following: Spinning wheel in working order; several bobbins; lazy kate; hand carders (preferably fine: approx. 120 tpi).
Instructor Bio
Julia Lee is a dyer, spinner, knitter, teacher, mender, and weaver who lives in Toronto and sometimes Haliburton. She graduated from the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners’ Spinning Certificate course in 2000 and is now a coordinator and instructor for that program in Haliburton. Founder of Provenance Yarns and Textiles, Julia teaches spinning both one-on-one and at workshops around Ontario. She also spins on commission—often turning clients’ pet fur into beautiful custom yarns to create lasting mementos. Dedicated to encouraging fellow fibre artists to keep their carbon footprint small, Julia promotes and uses Ontario-grown fibres in her work and in Provenance’s monthly Fibre Club subscriptions. Julia knits or weaves her natural-fibre yarns into elegant or whimsical creations: garments, home textiles, and knitted tapestries. As the OHS Spinning Education Chair, Julia is active in creating a range of learning opportunities for spinners.
Saturday Afternoon
Workshop Schedule