Seminar 2019 | Saturday Workshops
This year, all workshops are full day workshops.
A Whorled Tour of Fibre
Exploring Luxury Fibres from Around the World
Exploring Luxury Fibres from Around the World
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Cashmere: The Glamorous Goat | Barbara Scott
Cashmere is synonymous with luxury. Come and explore fibre preparation and spinning techniques to make the yarns of your dreams. After spending some time working with cashmere and cashmere blends, we will create some designer yarns to highlight cashmere’s softness and extend its sumptuous qualities. Equipment List:
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100% Silk from Cocoon to ? | Harriet Boon
Globetrotting – we’ll follow the ancient Silk Road from China through Central Asia to Europe and home. Our travels begin with cocoons from China, and using tools from Thailand to reel fine threads, also create and spin our own mawatas. Spin cocoons as is done in Kenya, add coloured wild silks from India to the basket. It is our plan to create and model a souvenir at our journey’s end. Equipment List: ● Spinning wheel with a standard flyer or a spindle ● 3 empty bobbins ● Hand Cards ● Lazy Kate ● Niddy Noddy ● Solid colour lap cloth or plain hand towel ● Knitting needles or crochet hook A spinner has the luxury of easy travel through fibres. Harriet Boon has enjoyed many such journeys since the early ‘70s. Sharing fibre lessons and learning from others has been her focus. |
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First Steps into the Wild! | Joan McKenzie
How wild have you been with your spinning?? Looking for more adventures? Have you met Cormo? CVM? The world of wool offers many opportunities, and is a great launching point to take your first steps into the Whorled World of Wild Fibres! Start the journey with some luxury wools, such as Cormo, CVM, Wensleydale or Lincoln. Then move onto blends with alpaca and baby camel. Wool blends are a great way to start your adventure, combining the familiar feel of wool with the exotic characteristics of other fibres. Appropriate spinning techniques will be shown for each fibre/fibre blend. This workshop is appropriate for beginner spinners and those with more experience too. Equipment List:
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Luxury on a Stick | Catharina Forbes
Spindles are the perfect tool for spinning luxury fibres. In this workshop we will spin a variety of fibres and blends using supported and/or suspended spindles. We will learn about the various properties of the fibres we spin and whether to blend or not. Plying techniques will also be covered, as well as what to do with your finished yarn. Equipment List:
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Luxurious Colour – Spinning Fine Ontario Wool | Julia Lee
Fine wool can be a luxury fibre, particularly if it comes in beautiful colours! Wool is also slightly easier to spin than the more slippery exotic fibres, so is an easy “gateway” for newer spinners. Among the finest Ontario wools available are Rambouillet, Norbuillet, Polwarth, and Bluefaced Leicester. Julia will dye some of these wools and guide participants in preparing and spinning them into fine plied yarns that are appropriate for many uses. After spinning the wool alone, participants will be invited to combine the fibre with small quantities of exotic fibre to produce exciting and unique yarns for accents or special projects. Equipment List:
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Off the Beaten Path: Discovering the Camelids | Beth Showalter
Our adventure begins by meeting the diverse fibre-bearing animals that make up the camelid family. In this workshop we will examine the different characteristics of these luxury fibres as we travel from the New World to the Old World. You will explore different fibre preparations, blends, spinning approaches and finishing methods to create a variety of beautiful handspun yarns. Come prepared to spin off the beaten path as we learn about the rich, historical and cultural roles this family of animals played for centuries and as their journey continues onwards! Equipment List: ● Wheel in good, working order with repair kit ● At least 3 to 4 empty bobbins ● Lazy Kate ● Hand Carders + Niddy Noddy ● Optional: Knitting needles(s) and/or crochet hook(s), ball winder, wool combs Beth Showalter has always found inspiration in textiles, fibres and history. She began her spinning journey 20 years ago at the Seminar and completed the OHS Spinning Certificate Program in 2014. Beth looks for ways to learn new techniques, share ideas and experiment with fibre whenever possible! |
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Amazing Angora | Eileen Land
Angora is a wonderful luxury fibre that comes from those cute fluffy rabbits. In this workshop we will be looking at the five breeds of angora rabbits and their fibre. We will spend time talking about the rabbits, how the fibre is collected, rabbit care and then work on spinning samples from all five breeds. In the afternoon we will be working on blending angora. While 100 percent angora yarn is fabulous, blending angora can produce wonderful yarns that enhance all the fibres use. We will work on blending in different ways with different fibres and tools. We will also touch on dyeing angora, the pros and cons. Come and play with this lovely fibre! Equipment List:
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The Luxury Side of Mohair | Donna Hancock
Mohair is one of those fibres that has a large range in micron count. This enables it to be strong enough for upholstery and fine enough to be a luxury fibre. The shine that mohair has also adds to its luxury. We will be creating a variety of blends using kid mohair to see the luxurious side of mohair. Equipment List:
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Introduction to Qiviuq | Kathy Morgan
Explore the unique characteristics of qiviuq – the underdown of the musk ox. Investigate the different processing methods - from raw down to wonderful roving. Then try your hand at spinning this luxury fibre. Equipment List:
was the recipient of the Ted Carson Award as top graduating student. When not busy in her studio, Kathy enjoys teaching and demonstrating to help broaden public awareness of the fibre arts. |
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Will it Blend?? | Tabi Ferguson
First, we will take a bit of a romp around the world, touching down where many luxury fibres originate. Then we will take a closer look at the unique and subtle qualities of each fibre so that we can make decisions on how to take advantage of them. We will be playing with cloud, roving and top to explore the challenges of blending and spinning these tiny, typically short fibres to create fantastic luxury yarns. Equipment List:
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