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Online Workshop Registration
opens April 6, 2013

Friday, June 21, 2013
Morning Workshops

Razor’s Edge     25 students
Dan Wilson
    Friday, June 21, 8:00 am-noon
    Cost: $65, plus $8 materials fee for handouts
    Experience Level: No experience required
    Can’t trim feet cuz the hoof trimmers are too dull? Struggling with hand shears? Come to this workshop and learn how to get a perfectly sharp edge on all the dull surfaces in your life. Learn the theory of a sharp edge and get some hands-on experience sharpening your tools under the watchful eye of this expert sharpener. Your trimming, shearing, cutting, chopping, and pruning life won’t be the same. (This workshop is extremely helpful if you will also be taking the “Shearing on Your Own” workshop on Sunday.)
   Materials Needed: Bring any tools you would like to sharpen or have evaluated.

Beginning Nuno Felting     15 students
Carin Engen
    Friday, June 21, 9:00 am-noon
    Cost: $55; plus $27 materials fee. Students may purchase a rolling kit from the instructor at the end of class for $20.
    Experience Level: Please be aware that felting is strenuous work and is hard on the back.
    The class will explore making a lightweight fabric using natural fibers including merino wool, tussah and bombyx silk, and mohair. Learn how each of these fibers has its own problems and how to “make them work.” During the process the fibers actually migrate through the fabric. If you don’t cover the entire fabric, a secondary pattern happens because the fibers shrink, but the fabric doesn’t, creating lots of pucker. I will share my 15 years of experience and experiments—good and bad. An extensive hand-out is included.
   Materials Needed: An old towel, scissors, and a dish pan.

How Do I Warp a Loom?     15 students
Judie Overbeek
    Friday, June 21, 9am-noon
    Cost:$55, no materials fee
    Experience Level: Beginner
    If you’re just learning to weave, this might be your first question. This class will demonstrate how to wind a warp using a warping board. You will observe the process of securing all those strings and getting them properly aligned on the loom. During these demonstrations there will be opportunities for you to have your hands in the process. You are encouraged to photograph or video the process for future reference. In addition, we will take a close look at a weaving draft and de-mystify the secret code of weavers. You should be able to go home and warp without tears!
   Materials Needed: Bring a camera, notebook and questions about weaving which may have arisen in your explorations to date.

Eeeks! Steeks!        25 students
Mary Scott Huff
    Friday, June 21, 9am-noon
    Cost: $55, no materials fee
    Experience Level: Strong beginner/intermediate, with experience working in the round.
    Stranded colorwork knitting is lots of fun: Working in the round, easy shaping, and minimal seaming; but how do you get from knitted tubes to people-shaped garments? Easy: Make Steeks! Steeks are areas of knitting designed to be cut (gasp!) with shears and then finished with knitting. Steeks allow knitters to work in three dimensions, creating garments that fit! Scared to slice into your work? Not after this class with Mary Scott Huff. Mary will guide you through three techniques for marking, securing, and cutting open your steek. You will also learn various ways to finish the cut steek edges.
    Materials Needed: Please bring 3-5 contrasting colors of DK weight yarn and 16" (40 cm) circular needles to match. Aim for a gauge in the neighborhood of 6 sts/in on size 4 (3.5mm) needles. Gauge is approximate because stranding will change it as we work. Also bring a set of DPN in the same size as your circular.
    Please Note: This workshop has optional homework. Please be sure to download the workshop materials list so you can complete it.

Friday, June 21, 2013
All Day Workshops

Color Tricks in Spinning       25 students         Class filled
Janel Laidman
    Friday, June 21, 9am-noon and 1-4pm
    Cost: $100 plus $28 materials fee
    This workshop is a systematic approach to getting the color effects you want out of your painted roving. The final look of your skein is determined by how you choose to spin, ply and combine the yarn. Students will analyze various ways of dyeing fiber and learn multiple techniques for achieving different color effects from the same roving. Emphasis is on spinning and plying techniques, not combing or carding. Students will learn at least five distinct methods to spin a painted roving and achieve different color effects.
    Materials Needed: Students should have a working spinning wheel, 3 bobbins and a lazy kate. It is possible to do this class on a spindle; however, students might not get enough spun to see all of the color effects.

Graduated Shades from a Single Pot        ***Class Cancelled ***
Ruth Northrup
    Friday, June 21, 9am-noon and 1-4pm

Traditional Wool Combing        12 students
Lynn Ruggles
    Friday, June 21, 9am-noon and 1-4pm
    Cost: $100, plus $5 materials fee
Traditional wool combs may look like weapons from the Middle Ages, but they are extremely useful and productive tools for preparing gorgeous, smooth top for spinning. This class will cover the basics of combing on several different styles of combs (English, Viking and Russian), using a variety of different fleeces. Each student will have a chance to use each type of comb. You will also learn how to prepare fleece for combing and how to spin the top that you produce.
    Materials Needed:Wool combs will be supplied, but if you already have a set bring them to class.

Friday, June 21, 2013
Afternoon Workshops

Holes & Ruffles: a Lightweight Wool Scarf        12 students
Carin Engen
    Friday, June 21, 1-5pm
    Cost: $65 plus $30 materials fee for wool, embellishments and tools.
    Make a drape-able, lightweight, sturdy wool scarf without using a fabric backing. The trick is in the layout of the fibers—not too thick and not too thin. Learn to manipulate the layout of the wool fibers to achieve a ripple effect if you like or make strategic holes for a “fake” cut-out effect. Carin has experimented with this technique for years and finally has it “down.”
    Materials Needed: Dish pan, two old towels, scissors and a rolling kit if you have one. Students may purchase a rolling kit from the instructor at the end of class for $20.

A Survey of Sheep Color Pattern Genetics        25 students
Margaret Howard
    Friday, June 21, 1-4pm
    Cost: $55, no materials fee
    A short review of basic genetics will be followed by a Power Point™ presentation of lamb photos showing various color pattern combinations: Lots of hands-on visual exercises for students. Come and explore the many color patterns available for you to use in your fleece production. "The Coat of Many Colors" book will be available for purchase ($65).
    Materials Needed: Note taking supplies. Participants may bring lamb photos to the class for genetic pairing proposals.

Russian-Style Continental Knitting        20 students        Class filled
Galina Khmeleva
    Friday, June 21, 1-4pm
    Cost: $55, no materials fee 
    Are you stuck in the past—still throwing your yarn—maybe even experiencing wrist discomfort? Learn this subtle Russian variation of the classic continental knitting method. It’s fast. It’s easy. It’s oh-so forgiving on your wrists! You’ll wonder why you waited so long to make the switch.
    Materials Needed: Favorite needles, any style, sizes 0-3 US; Fingering/sport weight, non-textured yarn (no acrylics/cotton); note-taking materials (including a pencil).

Sample a Fleece in a Flash        25 students
Judie Overbeek
    Friday, June 21, 1-4pm
    Cost: $55 plus $10 materials fee
    Experience Level: Beyond beginner to experienced
    For a spinner, buying an irresistible fleece can be a great experience. But at some point it needs to be converted into something useful! The best use of a fleece can be determined by doing a series of quick samples to see how it behaves with different preparations and spinning techniques. You can have a very good snapshot of the possibilities in a short time with the methods used in this class. We’ll look at several fleeces and sample from each. Time permitting you may be able to spin enough of your favorite yarn to knit a swatch. No one really likes to sample, but it’s time well spent and this technique makes it efficient and quick.
    Materials Needed: Spinning wheel you are familiar with in good working order, several bobbins, tensioned Lazy Kate, knitting needles for worsted weight yarn, notebook and pencil, wheel maintenance kit. If you borrow a wheel, make sure to give it a trial run before you bring it to class.

Two Strings = Not Scary         25 students
Mary Scott Huff
    Friday, June 21, 1-4pm    
    Cost: $55, no materials fee
    Experience Level: Intermediate/advanced
    In this introduction to stranded colorwork, we will learn the basic moves for handling two strands at the same time, and what is special about the construction of stranded colorwork. We will practice stranding by swatching in class, and then begin a stranded colorwork hat pattern. No stranded knitting experience is necessary!
    Materials Needed: Three knitted swatches, crochet hook (any size), three yards fingering weight wool yarn, hand-sewing needle, thread and sharp Dressmaker shears.
    Please Note: This workshop has optional homework. Please be sure to download the workshop materials list so you can complete it.

Working with Mohair: Washing Angora Fleece        25 students
Diane Coon
    Friday, June 21, 2-5pm
    Cost: $55 plus $3 materials fee for handouts
    Experience Level: All skill levels
    Participants will learn how to wash mohair to remove natural grease in order to “get it clean,” explore techniques for washing mohair that keep the locks from felting during the washing process, and learn which cleaning agents work best to produce a soft, silky fleece that results in the high luster that is so characteristic of mohair.
    Materials Needed: Bring a notebook and something to write with.

Online Workshop Registration
opens April 6, 2013

Saturday, June 22, 2012
Morning Workshops

Knittin’ Mittens on Two Circular Needles        25 students
Angela Davis
    Saturday, June 22, 9am-noon
    Cost: $55, plus $2 materials fee
    Mittens are a fun, quick, useful project. This method makes them even easier as two circular needles means fewer corners to turn. We will knit a mitten from the cuff down in class, including ribbing, creating a gusset (with the easiest M1 increase ever!), decreasing the top in a rounded shape or the traditional pointed shape, and discuss how to embellish your finished mitten with embroidery if you’d like. We will also discuss knitting mittens two-at-a-time on two circular needles. Mittens make great gifts and this is one good way to use up small amounts of handspun.
    Materials Needed: 2 balls of worsted-weight wool in the same color for plain mittens or in contrasting colors for striped mittens. Please make sure that your yarn is wound into a ball or cake and is ready to knit. If you would like fancy mittens with a fuzzy cuff, then bring some scraps of sparkly, ribbon-y, or fuzzy novelty yarn or a boucle, Angora, mohair or similar along with your 2 balls of worsted-weight yarn! Two matching (the same brand/style) US 6 (4mm) 24" long circular needles (with tips that are straight rather than angled) or a size that gives you gauge @ 22st/28 rows = 4" (10cm) in stockinette stitch.

Drafting 201                ***Class Cancelled ***
Ruth Northrup
    Saturday, June 22, 9am-1pm

Saturday, June 22, 2012
All Day Workshops

Felted Boots        10 students       Class & Wait List filled
Carin Engen   
    Saturday, June 22, 9am-noon and 1-4pm
    Cost: $100 plus $30 materials fee
    Learn the ancient process of wet felting while making your own shoes. It amazes me that you can make boots to fit starting with a bunch of fluffy wool that looks like cat hair! It is magic. Design your own look. Make them taller or shorter, choose color and design, add stitching, and learn how to use a resist to make a flap for better fitting, use your imagination and have fun with it.
    Materials Needed: Bring a plastic dish pan, two old towels, scissors and six buttons. Bring your design ideas as well. Please don’t wear your best clothes to the workshop. You will get wet and soapy while rubbing and finishing the boots on your feet.
    Warning, this method is a lot of work! Not for sissies.
    Soles are available online to fit your boots. You need to make the boots first and make a template before you order. Your instructor will give you that information.
    Please Note: This workshop has optional homework. Please be sure to download the workshop materials list so you can complete it if desired.

Painted Roving with Greener Shades Dyes        16 students
Nancy Finn
    Saturday, June 22, 9am-noon and 1-4pm
    Cost: $100 plus $45 materials fee
    Experience Level: It is recommended that people who sign up for this workshop know something about the color wheel or have taken my color wheel class.
    In the morning, we will be mixing colors to match color inspirations brought by the students and painting roving to spin at a later date. In the afternoon, students will dye yarns or fibers they bring from their own stash. We will also play with silk hankies.
    Materials Needed: Note-taking supplies

Beginning Rigid Heddle Loom             25 Students
Diane McKinnon
    Saturday, June 22, 9am-noon and 1-4pm
    Cost: $100; no materials fee
    Experience Level: All weavers from beginners to advanced who have an interest in learning how to weave on a rigid heddle loom. No prerequisites except a desire to learn.
    Learn how to make the most of the rigid heddle loom! These wonderful looms make it easy to weave just about anywhere, any time. They are a relatively inexpensive way to get into weaving and are lightweight, portable, and practical. They can be used to make everything from hand towels to luxurious shawls for an evening at the opera.
    This class is designed to teach the soup-to-nuts of weaving on a rigid heddle loom. We’ll cover how to select yarns and plan a project, how to calculate and prepare a warp, how to thread the loom, and how to weave the project. You will leave the class with a completed purse and the ability to use your rigid heddle loom to weave a variety of handwoven projects.
    Materials Needed: Rigid heddle loom that is assembled and ready to weave on. If you have any questions about the readiness of your loom, please contact me at DiMcKinnon@aol.com so we can discuss it. Bring all extra equipment that came with the loom; shuttle (or use of one of the instructor’s); scissors, tape measure, pen/pencil.

Plying for Color        15 students        Class filled
Lynn Ruggles
    Saturday, June 22, 9am-noon and 1-4pm
    Cost: $100 plus $8 materials fee
    This class focuses on plying to achieve a bevy of color effects. You will start by converting single color singles into a variety of multi-color plied yarns. We will discuss ways to make your yarn “pop” and ways to enhance your color choices when you ply. Finally, you will use these plying techniques with space-dyed roving to further enhance your color spectrum.
    Materials Needed: Spinning wheel in good working order, 2-3 empty bobbins, lazy kate.

Beginning Spinning: I Really Want to Spin Straw into Gold    12 students
Laurie Weinsoft
    Saturday, June 22, 9am-noon and 1-4pm
    Cost: $100 plus $10 materials fee for washed carded wools, silks, mohair and one or two unwashed fleeces
    Experience Level: None
    Want to learn how to spin? This class will expose the new spinner to the spinning wheel, how it works and how to keep it spinning. We will explore and use a broad spectrum of spinning fibers starting with a variety of wools. We will learn how to select a hand-spinning fleece, as well as how to wash and prepare the wool for spinning. We will move forward as the class and your skills improve to spinning silks, mohair and blends of these fibers. The drum carder and hand cards will be available to try as time allows.
    Materials Needed: A spinning wheel in good working order with 3 empty bobbins. If you need to borrow a wheel, please contact Andrea Hudson at reg.blacksheep@gmail.com to make arrangements.

Saturday, June 22, 2012
Afternoon Workshops

How to Grow Good Pastures and Graze Them Properly     25 Students
Woody Lane
     Saturday, June 22, 12:30-4:30pm
     Cost: $65 plus $9 materials fee
     This will be a very practical workshop on how to best use your pastures for sheep and goats. We’ll cover the principles of good grazing, especially sustainable intensive grazing—when to open the gate, when to move the animals off the pasture, and how many animals a pasture can support. We’ll discuss different types of forages and how to identify them, choosing the best forages for your place, how to renovate and improve your pastures, use fences and place water and minerals. Also, some useful basics about soil fertility: what those fertilizer numbers mean and when to use fertilizers and lime. We will also include time for discussion specific to attendees’ farms.
     Materials Needed: Soil tests if you have them and a simple (hand-drawn) map of your farm.

Grafting with a Russian Twist & More!          20 Students        Class filled
Galina Khmeleva
     Saturday, June 22, 1-4pm
     Cost: $55, no materials fee
     Those innovative Russian knitters devised a simple, yet effective method for grafting. You will find it so unique and versatile that you will use it on all your knitting projects. If it seems that your seams are anything but seamless, this is the class for you. Grafting, from start to finish without breaking a sweat! You will learn creative cast-ons with a unique Russian bind-off that will leave you breathless. These techniques will make your knitting more enjoyable and seem effortless.
     Materials Needed: Needles appropriate for yarn size, two contrasting colors in fingering/sport weight yarn (no acrylics or cotton). 

Crochet & Knit with Roving                  ***Class Cancelled ***
Ruth Northrup
     Saturday, June 22, 1-4pm

Fair Isle Knitting & Steeking          15 students         Class filled
Angela Davis
     Saturday, June 22, 1-5pm
     Cost: $65 plus $2 materials fee for handouts and contrasting yarn
     Experience Level: Confident beginner. Must be able to CO, knit in the round and understand basic pattern reading.
     Stranded color work or Fair Isle knitting is a wonderful, traditional way to create knitted pieces that are alive with color and pattern. Learn how to manage your colors, tension your yarn and knit a beautiful patterned wrist warmer in class. Then, after you have admired your knitting, let’s take a pair of scissors and CUT IT! Yes, steeking, or reinforcing and then cutting open a tube of Fair Isle knitting allows the knitter to knit elaborate color work in the round and then cut it open for a cardigan or sleeves. In class we will knit our wrist warmer, then cut a steek and make a button placket. The techniques learned in class will prepare you to knit color work with ease and steek with confidence!
     Materials Needed: Set of size 2 or 3 DPNs, pair (2 complete) circular needles, or one long circular needle (if you are a Magic Looper). One ball each of 3 or 4 colors of fingering weight wool (100% wool such as Jamieson’s Spindrift or similar type yarn); tapestry needle; sewing needle; 4-6 small, pretty buttons; small pair of sharp scissors.

Wool Friends: Blending for Divine Yarns          25 Students
Class & Wait List filled
Judith Mackenzie
     Saturday, June 22 2-5pm
     Cost: $55, no materials fee
     Experience Level: Students should be able to spin a continuous yarn and have a working relationship with their wheel.
     This workshop is designed to help you find the perfect partner for your favorite wool. We’ll learn what fibers are compatible and which are not. We’ll look at a number of ways to blend fibers together, including carding, combing and plying. We’ll use a wide variety of fibers including silk, yak, cashmere and alpaca to create yarns that will both look and feel divine.
     Materials Needed: Students should bring their wheel and all its parts. If possible, bring four bobbins, handcards, dog brush and mini- combs.  Bring four ounces of fleece that you are interested in making a blend with.

Online Workshop Registration
opens April 6, 2013

Sunday, June 23, 2013
Morning Workshops

Shearing on Your Own           30 Students
Susie Wilson
     Sunday, June 23, 8am-noon
     Cost: $65 plus $6 materials fee for handouts 
     This is one of the most popular classes for the would-be shearer. Susie guides you through the intricacies and fun of shearing your own animals. Learn how someone without previous experience can quickly learn to shear a sheep, goat, llama, etc. You’ll learn techniques and shearing patterns using both hand and electric clippers. Susie advises taking this class before buying any clippers. (Basic sharpening skills are critical to successful shearing, and Susie recommends also taking “The Razor’s Edge” workshop on Friday morning to learn them.)
     Please note: This class meets in the sheep barn. Check-in will be there.

Genetic Selection & the Angora Goat          25 Students
Amy Wolf
     Sunday, June 23, 8:30-11:30am
     Cost: $ 55 plus $5 materials fee for handouts and fleece samples
     Participants will learn how to increase herd uniformity and identify and understand characteristics for culling. They will also learn how to select and/or retain breeding stock based on personal goals for herd development and production. And they will have an understanding of how shrinkage in fleeces relates to producing profitable fleeces.
     Materials Needed: Bring a notebook and something to write with. There will be handouts. Participants will see mohair; fleece samples of the various grades of mohair will be available.

Beyond the Basics of Nuno Felting           15 Students
Carin Engen
     Sunday, June 23, 8:30am-12:30pm
     Cost: $65; Students may purchase a rolling kit from the instructor at the end of class for $20
     Experience Level: Beginning Nuno Felting is a requirement if you have no previous Nuno felting experience.
    After learning the basics and the importance of fabric and fiber, the second half of this workshop will cover design. Bring your creative energy because her samples will fill your head with so many ideas. Learn to use resists, do 3D design, create fringes and ruffles, how to do a design on both sides, extend the design off the scarf and more.
     Note: Students should be aware that felting is a strenuous physical activity.

Not Just For Grannies or Squares!          20 Students
Angela Davis
     Sunday, June 23, 9am-noon
     Cost: $55 plus $2 materials fee for handouts, contrasting yarn.
     Want to come learn the basics of crochet in a fun, lively workshop? If you can hold a pencil and count to three, then you can crochet! We will cover the basics of holding a crochet hook, tensioning your yarn, making a perfect slipknot, chain stitch, single and double crochet, changing colors, weaving in ends, and how to put all of these new skills together to crochet a pretty Granny Square. When you have cranked out a few Granny Squares in class, we will discuss joining them to create lovely projects like coasters, placemats, bags, pillow tops and afghans. We will also discuss how to take your new skills to the next level as we share many more project ideas.
     Materials Needed: Hook 5.0 mm (H); tennis-ball-sized balls of 4 different solid colors of worsted weight 100% wool; small scissors; tapestry needle.

Fiber Processing without Tools          15 Students
Amelia Garripoli
     Sunday, June 23, 9am-noon
     Cost: $55 plus $4 materials fee
     Experience Level: Advanced beginner through experienced
     Love fleece, but don’t have the budget for fiber processing tools? Learn how to choose a fleece, skirt, wash and spin without further preparation. We will cover techniques to spin worsted to woolen with washed fleece. Reach the satisfaction of a yarn well-spun from a gorgeous Black Sheep Gathering fleece. Participants should be able to spin a consistent single. Wheel and spindle spinners welcome.
     Materials Needed: Spinning wheel in working condition with an empty bobbin, or spindles in several weights.

Get Your Cable On          20 Students
Fran Biel
     Sunday, June 23, 9am-noon
     Cost: $55, no materials fee
     Experience Level: Advanced beginner—students should be comfortable knitting, purling, and casting on.
     Cabling is a great technique to add interest and texture to virtually any piece of knitting. In this class, you’ll learn how to knit various cable stitches and also how to read cabling charts while working on a stitch sampler.
     Materials Needed: Please bring worsted-weight yarn, approximately 100 yards, and preferably of an animal fiber (not cotton or synthetic). Participants should also bring needles appropriate for working a gauge of 18-20 sts = 4 inches in stockinette stitch; cable needle, and stitch markers.

Spinning on an Airplane—Turkish Spindling          20 Students
Ilisha Helfman
     Sunday, June 23, 9am-noon
     Cost: $55 plus $2 materials fee for other fibers to try
     This class is an introduction to Turkish spindles, those marvelous little wonders that are part toy puzzles, part spinning tops, part spindles and part ball winders. There’s nothing lovelier than watching beautifully patterned layers of your handspun pile up on top of each other and then rediscovering each pattern as you use your yarn. Students will practice drafting and winding on, spinning S and Z strands, winding beautiful cops and spinning yarns with energy. Adding beads and sequins and spinning optional candy cane twists while plying multiple ways (with their advantages and disadvantages) will all be demonstrated. We will use both ends of a cop, use multiple cops, make and use a plying ball and learn chain plying. A finishing soak to set the twist, along with the advantages in some cases of not washing, will also be discussed. The instructor will introduce her triple panel knitted building block (inspired by a Tibetan apron) made from both balanced yarns and energized singles and will show possible uses for each. A follow-up class, The Chroma Hat, offered in the afternoon, makes great use of these triple panel blocks.
     Materials Needed: A Turkish spindle if you have one, and soft, washed and combed easy-to-pull wool fiber, preferably in mixed colors. Bluefaced Leicester (BFL) in colorful braids (carded roving) is readily available as are soft airy batts that have mixed wool fibers that are easy to pull apart. Combed cormo is another wonderful type of wool to start with if you have some at hand. BFL/silk/tencel/bamboo mixes are soft and pull easily too, as are some lovely art batts and merino fiber, but you might want to save those for your second attempt! Bring a small soft pillow or mat as a crash pad for your spindle in case of unexpected landings.
     Jenkins Swan spindles will be available to try out in class. Beautiful fiber and Turkish spindles in different sizes will be available at the Black Sheep Gathering marketplace for purchase. Most of the sizes will be okay for learning although a Swan (a large one) will be easiest. The tiniest Kuchulu spindles are dreamy to work with but are best to save for later.

Designing Yarns with Luster Longwools          16 Students
Class & Wait List filled
Judith MacKenzie
     Sunday, June 23, 9am-noon
     Cost: $55 plus materials fee: $15
     Experience Level: A basic understanding of spinning, be able to make a thread and understand plying.
     Who can resist the stunning beauty of luster long wool? Whether it’s the long silky locks of a silver Romney or the amazing ringlets of a Gotland lamb, this class of wool fibers is a handspinner’s source of constant joy and inspiration. We’ll look at how these beautiful fleeces can be used to create interesting yarns, how to make a variety of surfaces such as frosted yarns, core spun and encased. And, we’ll look at several types of yarn structures such as boucles and loop yarns for which these fleeces are famous. Breeds covered include Lincoln, Cotswold, Gotland, Wensleydale, Romney, and Border Leicester to mention a few. You will learn how to choose the right fleece for the right project and how to choose a good fleece.
     Materials Needed: Students should bring their wheel and all its parts. Bring 4 bobbins if possible. Handcards, dog brush, mini combs if possible.

Sunday, June 23, 2013
All Day Workshops

Spinning for Lace Knitting          20 Students
Galina Khmeleva
     Sunday, June 23, 9am-noon and 1-4pm
     Cost: $100 plus materials fee: $15
     Experience Level: Basic spinning experience
     You will be introduced to the magical handspinning techniques of Russian knitters that ultimately result in the creation of arguably the most luxurious shawls and scarves found in the knitting universe. In this workshop, the emphasis will be on spinning luxury fibers: cashmere, qiviut, pygora, buffalo, etc., and the significance of gauging the proper thickness and length of these fibers, while learning the more economical use of luxury fibers, helping you conserve precious yardage.
     Materials Needed: Note-taking material. Instructor will provide everything else necessary.

Sunday, June 23, 2013
Afternoon Workshops

Felted Hat          10 Students
Carin Engen
     Sunday, June 23, 1-4pm
     Cost: $55 plus materials fee: $20
     Experience Level: Beginners welcome
     Make a perfect-fitting cloche-style hat by learning how to size your own template and trying it on as you felt it. You’ll learn felting basics, as well as how to embellish your creation to make it even more special.
     Materials Needed: Bring two old towels and scissors.

Fourteen Fringes          18 Students
Amelia Garripoli
     Sunday, June 23, 1-4pm
     Cost: $55 plus materials fee: $8
     Have you learned only one or two fringe techniques? Looking for a new twist on ending your scarf? Let’s explore fourteen fringes and several tips for better fringing. This class requires no previous fringing experience and can be used by weavers and knitters alike. Bring your current unfringed project for suggestions and recommendations while you create a fringe sampler in class.
     Materials Needed: If you have them, scissors, fringe twister, rotary cutter and cutting mat. If not, extras will be available to use in class.

The Chroma Hat           20 Students
Ilisha Helfman
     Sunday, June 23, 1-4pm
     Cost: $55 no materials fee: A pattern for the hat comes with the class.
     Experience Level: Students need only know how to knit, purl and do a long-tail cast-on.
     This hat, designed by the instructor, employs triple panel blocks that were inspired by Tibetan aprons. This is a great stash buster using multiple colorways of hand-painted and/or hand-spun sock yarns. You can use 15 colorways for a colorful hat and can add even more colors into the panels or can make a very striking version using just two colors like black and white.
     There will be a discussion of the creation of corrugated forms and how this hat gets its distinctive crown-like shape. Many other concepts of Jazzknitting are incorporated into this hat and will be discussed as well. Intarsia, two-colored ribbing with two color bind-off, seaming, picking up stitches, tassel making, star crown decrease and working on multiple double-pointed needles (or two 24" circulars if you prefer) will be demonstrated as you embark on this project which is as much fun to make as it is to wear.
     Materials Required: Bring multiple leftovers of hand-painted or hand-spun plied sock yarns and a set of six wood or bamboo double-pointed size 1 needles (you may need a smaller or larger size to match gauge which is 7 stitches and 11.25 rows per inch). Sock yarns for this project should measure 17-19 wpi (wraps per inch).

Dyeing Natural Colored Fleece          16 Students        Class & Wait List filled
Judith MacKenzie
     Sunday, June 23, 1pm-4 pm
     Cost: $55 plus materials fee: $15
     Experience Level: None, just a love of color
     Love that beautiful silver fleece but want to intensify some of the colors? Bought that beautiful moorit Shetland and want a wider range of colors that will go perfectly with it?  Want the black Corriedale to look like a raven’s wing?  Come see what magic can happen between the fleece and the dye pot.
     Materials Needed: Students should bring their wheel and all its parts. Bring 4 bobbins if possible. Hand-cards, dog brush and mini combs, if possible.

Black Sheep Gathering, Inc.
PO Box 51092, Eugene, OR 97405
Phone: 503-804-0014
blacksheepgathering@gmail.com

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