List of All Classes &
Their Availability
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Color Key:
- Class Filled
- Class & Wait List Filled
- Class Cancelled
Friday Classes
Morning Classes- Beginning Inkle Loom Weaving – Leslie Verts
- Learn to Spin Using a Turkish Style Spindle – Amelia Garripoli
- Ooops! Correcting Mistakes and Learning to “Read” Your Knitting – Harry Wells
- Spinning Tweed – Judith MacKenzie
- Woolen Watercolors – Tammy Jordan
- Beginning Rigid Heddle – Diane McKinnon
- Beginning Wheel Spinning – Linda Hansen
- Dye Your Own Gradient Yarn - Terry Mattison
- Exploring the Drum Carder – Henry and Roy Clemes
- Spinpossible – Mission Objective: Spinning 201 – Next Steps – Michael Kelson
- Water, Time and Patience: Creating a Wet Felt Hat – Sara Gibson
- Lovely Twists and Turns – Harry Wells
- Needle Felted Sheep or Goat – Anna Anderson
- Perfect Pairs – Blending Wool with Exotic Fibers – Judith MacKenzie
- Pine Needle Basket – Jaqui Eicher
- Upgrade Your Power Spinning – Amelia Garripoli
Saturday Classes
Morning Classes- Basic Core Spinning – Charan Sachar
- Short Row Magic – Harry Wells
- Spinning the Orenburg Way – Galina Khmeleva
- Spinning Your Dream Yarn – Judith MacKenzie
- Spinpossible – Mission Objective: Doing More with Less – Michael Kelson
- The ABCs of Drop Spindling – Teresa Waldo
- Advanced Pick-up Inkle Weaving – Leslie Verts
- Adventures in Drum Carding – Henry and Roy Clemes
- Design and Dye Your Own Warp – Terry Mattison
- Fiber Prep 101 – Tammy Jordan
- One Pot Dye Wonder! – Diane McKinnon
- Colorwork the Easy Way: Mosaic Knitting – Harry Wells
- Fundamental Elements and Pattern Design for Orenburg Lace Knitting – Galina Khmeleva
- Short Steps to Long Draw – Ruth Northrop
- Spinpossible – Mission Objective: Spinning for Sweaters – Michael Kelson
- Supported Spindle Spinning – Teresa Waldo
- The Art of Plying – Judith MacKenzie
Sunday Classes
Morning Classes- 2-D Needle-Felted Sheep Faced Tote Bag or Pillow – Anna Anderson
- Amigurumi Antics! – Teresa Waldo
- Artsy Nuno Scarf – Lauralee DeLuca
- Defining Sustainability in Apparel and Textiles to Harness It as a Marketing Tool for Your Fiber or Farm Business – Allen Mesick
- Exploring Fiber from Foreign Breeds – Lois Olund
- Intro to Blending Boards – Henry and Roy Clemes
- Intro to Mushroom Dyeing – Sara Gibson
- Russian Style Continental Knitting – Galina Khmeleva
- Spinning Cabled Yarns – Judith MacKenzie
- Advanced Inkle Weaving 2 – Leslie Verts
- Delightful Drafting – Ruth Northrop
- Grafting with a Russian Twist – Galina Khmeleva
- Kumi-What?! Kumihimo – Diane McKinnon
- Make a Pine Needle Basket – Jaqui Eicher
- Spinning Silk Hankies without Tears – Barbara diJeannene
- Spinning the Long Wools – Lauralee DeLuca
- Stranded Knitting with Portuguese Purling – Teresa Waldo
- Turkish Spindle Productivity – Amelia Garripoli
Workshop Descriptions
FRIDAY, JUNE 28, MORNING CLASSES
Beginning Inkle Loom Weaving
Leslie Verts15 studentsFriday, June 28, 9am-12pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $10 – handouts
Class Description: Students will learn to warp their looms and begin weaving a band. This is an easy and fun way to make bookmarks, belts, guitar straps, suspenders, etc.
Skill Level Required: Beginner
Students Bring: Need a functioning inkle loom and inkle weaving shuttle; need two colors (white and a dark color) of 5/2 or 3/2 cotton thread.
Instructor's Bio: Leslie has been inkle weaving since 2003 and is the leader of the Eugene Weaving Guild Inkle Group. She has taught inkle weaving twice previously at BSG and to private classes and individuals.
Learn to Spin Using a Turkish Style Spindle
Amelia Garripoli16 studentsFriday, June 28, 9am-12pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $10 – includes a colorful Turkish style spindle and prepared wool for spinning.
Class Description: Have you wanted to spin, but desire to be mobile? Let's assemble our spindles and get you started! Amelisa's fun, can-do personality will set you on the road to making yarn with her create Turkish-style spindle. You will learn all the basics of handling prepared fiber, drafting and twisting it into yarn, building your first yarn turtle, then your second, and wrap up with plying your first skeinlet. You will have a new skill and a new spindle to take away from this workshop.
Skill Level Required: Beginners
Students Bring: Spindles will be provided for use during class with the option to purchase.
Instructor's Bio: Amelia's purchase of a house with two llamas in 2001 began her incredible journey of fiber-discovery: spinning, spindles, rare breeds, weaving, dyeing, nålbinding, circular sock machines and revisiting her roots of knitting, crochet, needlepoint and sewing. Her collection of fleeces grew to well over 100 when she had a fiber mill, and her love of discovering new / old tools has kept her spindle collection growing! The bright spot during Covid was teaching e-spinning over zoom, leading to more discoveries. Amelias teaches at Black Sheep Gathering, OFFF, and other shows, shops, and guilds. She wrote Productive Spindling and Power Spinning published two spindle videos with Spin•Off, and has written for Spin•Off magazine, Ply and Knitty, as well as blogging as askthebellwether.com. These days you can find Ameli a "fibering" across America as a full-time nomad.
Ooops! Correcting Mistakes and Learning to "Read" Your Knitting
Harry Wells20 studentsFriday, June 28, 9am-12pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $2 – includes printed materials
Class Description: This class is specifically designed for less experienced knitters and is all about knitting literacy, being able to "read your knitting." You will leave class a more competent, informed knitter. Ever look at your knitting and say, "Whathappened there?," or picked up your knitting project and wondered "Where am I in this pattern?" – how many decreases / increases have I worked, what row was I on, etc.? And why did this end up too big / small?? Ever panicked as a dropped stitch ran down your knitting not knowing what to do? Take this class! Divided into two sections, "Knowing Where You Are" and "Identifying and Correct-ing Mistakes," this class teaches how to "read" your knitting – to recognize what you are looking at, where you are, and what to do next, whether that is correcting a problem or moving ahead!
Skill Level Required: Beginner – students must be proficient at casting on with basic long tail cast-on without assistance and be able to knit and purl.
Students Bring: Worsted weight wool or wool blend yarn in light color (no dark colors), size 7 straight or 16" circular needles, stitch markers, locking stitch markers, or knitter's pins, Knitter's repair hook or a crochet hook (size F or G is best), ruler, tape measure or Knit-chek (recommended), tapestry needle, scissors, perle cotton or fingering weight waste yarn Homework: 2 swatches using worsted weight yarn in light or medium color and size 7 needle: cast-on 20 stitches for each swatch. Work each swatch for 4". Make one stockinette stitch swatch (knit a row, purl a row, repeat both rows) and one garter stitch swatch (knit every row). Bind off and block the swatches.
Instructor's Bio: Teaching and knitting are passions for Harry. In 2010, he retired from being a university professor to pursue his passion for knitting professionally, teaching a myriad of classes at knitting conferences and fiber festivals on the regional circuit. Harry's extensive experience in classroom presentation and prepa-ration makes for an organized and engaging learning experience, whether virtually or in-person. He enjoys designing knitwear with an aesthetic that emphasizes texture and linear flow. Check out his designs and knitting blog at www.goodforaboy.com. He is Knitteryninja on Ravelry, @harrywellsknits on Instagram, and Good for a Boy on Facebook.
Spinning Tweed
Judith MacKenzie 18 studentsFriday, June 28, 9am-12pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $20 – includes all fibers used in class
Class Description: This rugged cloth from Scotland has a timeless charm. Worn now by royalty and working class alike, it was originally the cloth of peasants. It is still made from the primitive Shetland sheep, often using wool that has been recycled and mixed with new fleeces, giving the fabric a wonderful texture. It is a good yarn for both weavers and knitters.
Skill Level Required: Students should have a good working rela-tionship with your wheel or e-Spinner and be capable of spinning a continuous thread.
Students Bring: Students should bring their wheel and all its parts – even the ones you don't use.
Instructor's Bio: Judith MacKenzie has spun, woven, and knit for many years. Her love of textiles has led her to many places, including Peru and Turkey. She has taught throughout North America and Europe. Judith is a frequent contributor to Spin•Off, Handwoven, Piecework and Interweave Knits. She has ten DVDs, Judith has three books published on spinning: Teach Your Self Handspinning, The Intentional Spinner, and Rare Luxury Fibers. She lives happily ever after on the wild northwest coast of America.
Woolen Watercolors
Tammy Jordan 15 studentsFriday, June 28, 9am-12pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $25 – includes frame with mat, felting foam, multi-tool felting needle, single felting needle, access to colored fiber and a detailed step-by-step resource guide. Students will take all materials used in class home with them.
Class Description: Come create your very own masterpiece while learning to paint with wool. We'll start with needle-felting your design, building color and textures, and then we'll finish it off with a steam wet-felt before matting and framing your work. Everything you need will be provided for this class; you bring your love of color and a willingness to learn and create!
Skill Level Required: Beginner – no prior painting or needle-felting experience is required.
Students Bring: All supplies are provided by instructor. Students are welcome to bring their own favorite felting needles if they would like but it is not required. Homework: None
Instructor's Bio: Tammy is a fourth generation fiber artist who enjoys sharing her passion with everyone she meets. She has a fiber arts business, "Goldieknots Montana," specializing in Montana grown wools, yarns, spinning fibers, and "Made in Montana" gift items. Prior to moving to Montana, Tammy lived in Southern California and The Pocono Mountains, where she was a Humane Education Specialist for SPCA. Her teaching style is fun, creative and interactive. When she's not in her studio creating, spinning, knitting, or felting, you can find her spending time with her dogs, sheep, horse and other critters.
FRIDAY, JUNE 28, ALL-DAY CLASSES
Beginning Rigid Heddle Loom Weaving
Diane McKinnon 12 studentsFriday, June 28, 9am-12pm and 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $150 Plus Materials Fee: $15 – includes all yarns for class project, use of extra weaving equipment and tools during class and a detailed handout.
Class Description: Learn how to make the most of the Rigid Heddle Loom! These wonderful looms make it easy to weave just about anywhere and anytime. They are a relatively inexpensive way to get into weaving and are lightweight, portable, and practical. They can be used to make everything from everyday useful things such as hand towels to luxurious shawls for that 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 prepare and calculate 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 on your own to weave a variety of handwoven projects.
Skill Level Required: All levels from beginning to advanced.
Students Bring: Rigid Heddle loom that is ASSEMBLED and ready to weave on. If you have any questions, please contact me to discuss it. All extra equipment that came with the loom, shuttle (instructor will bring extras), scissors, tape measure, pen/pencil. NO Harrisville Easy Weaver looms please (I've had some unassembled as well as really poor to completely unusable looms show up in class).
Instructor's Bio: Diane McKinnon is an avid weaver and spinner who especially enjoys seeing her students discover their own poten-tial as they have fun with fibers. Her first loom was a rigid heddle loom. She has a long history of weaving study. She teaches at BSG, NwRSA's (now NwSFA) annual conference, Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival, and holds regular fiber classes at her home studio –The Thistle Patch Fiber Studio. She was selected as an Invitational Artist for 2012 at Oregon Flock and Fiber. Diane is an enthusiastic spinner, and she uses her collection of looms to weave her special yarns into unique hand-woven items. She especially enjoys sharing the wonders of weaving with beginning weavers.
Beginning Wheel Spinning
Linda Hansen 10 studentsFriday, June 28, 9am-12pm and 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $150 Plus Materials Fee: $45 – includes all fiber and handouts
Class Description: Have you been wanting to learn to spin? This class will get you started spinning on a wheel. From first steps to making your own yarn, we'll also touch on basic wheel mechanics and maintenance as well as primer information on fibers. We'll be using prepared wool to learn the magic of spinning and plying yarn.
Skill Level Required: Beginner
Students Bring: A well-functioning spinning wheel.
Instructor's Bio: Besides managing her small sheep farm, Linda is a partner with The Bellwether Wool Company. Linda brings her teaching skills and experience as a livestock and wool judge to sharing her passion for the fiber arts. Linda has taught spinning and music privately and in workshops.
Dye Your Own Gradient Yarn
Terry Mattison 12 studentsFriday, June 28, 9am-12pm and 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $150 Plus Materials Fee: $45 – includes worsted weight wool yarn, dyes, plastic wrap.
Class Description: Design your own gradient of knitting yarn, either a range from one hue to another, or a depth of shade gradient. Students will then formulate their dye recipes and dye 7 (60) yard mini-skeins of worsted weight wool. We will be hand painting the skeins and steaming them to set the dye. We will discuss how this can be applied to dyeing fiber to spin a gradient as well.
Skill Level Required: None
Students Bring: Apron, gloves, sketchbook, pencil, eraser, colored pencils or crayons, three or four one-inch wide foam brushes and a roll of paper towels.
Instructor's Bio: Terry Mattison is an award-winning spinner and weaver who thinks being able to dye her own fibers and yarns gives her work more personality. She designs and weaves for Jane Stafford's School of Weaving and was selected as an invitational Artist for 2023 at Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival. Terry has over 30 years as an industry professional, matching color for clients nationwide. She works with both synthetic and natural dyes creating her own unique designs in her studio in Washington State.
Exploring the Drum Carder
Henry and Roy Clemes 16 studentsFriday, June 28, 9am-12pm and 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $150 Plus Materials Fee: $45 – includes use of a carder, all fiber carded during class and batt lifter refills for storing carded batts.
Class Description: Drum carders are a mystery to the average fiber artist: fiber is fed into the carder, ends up on the big drum, and something magical happens in between. In our "Exploring the Drum Carder" class, students begin the day the by learning the history of drum carders, how they work, and why they function the way they do. The fun goes hands-on for the rest of the day as we delve into the differences of woolen and worsted carding, explore the many tools that make drum carding more efficient and crank out four different batts. The first batt will be hand cranked before switching over to Electric Drive for the duration of the class. All materials, carders, and tools will be provided for use by instructors.
Skill Level Required: None
Students Bring: Students should bring an attitude for learning. All tools and materials will be provided by instructors.
Instructor's Bio: This class will be taught by the tag team of Henry and Roy Clemes. A lifelong woodworker and small business owner, Henry has been building fiber equipment for over 45 years and drum carders for 38 years. Roy grew up in his family's woodshop and is one of the few 30-year-olds with 25 years experience in his field. Together they have introduced many innovations to the fiber arts community and their equipment is known for being both thought-fully engineered but visually pleasing and durable as well. They regularly consult and instruct spinners, felters, fiber growers, and professional fiber artists in the use of drum carders for fiber prep.
Spinpossible-Mission Objective: Spinning 201 – Next Steps
Michael Kelson 16 studentsFriday, June 28, 9am-12pm and 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $150 plus Materials fee $20 – includes all fiber and samples used in class
Class Description: You've learned to spin! You can spin a consis-tent single. You've plied a skein – but what's next? This class will jump start you on to the next steps on you spinning journey, introducing a variety of techniques to help you get exactly the YARN YOU WANT! We'll start the day with basic wheel mechanics and adjustments. We'll discuss and sample a variety of breeds including the Merino family, Longwools, Down breeds, and some rare and unusual breeds from the Livestock Conservancy's "Shave ‘em to Save ‘em" pro-gram. We'll review woolen and worsted drafts and the differences they make in your final yarn. Finally, we will discuss plying and finishing your yarns.
Skill Level Required: Students must already have a good working relationship with your wheel. Be able to spin a consistent single and have some experience plying and finishing yarn.
Students Bring: Spinning wheel in good working condition with extra bobbins, lazy-kate (if you have one). Bring any tools you might like to use (handcards, mini-combs, etc.) and any fiber you would like to practice with.
Instructor's Bio: Michael Kelson (he/him/his) is the coordinator of the annual "Men's Fall Knitting Retreat" and the "Seattle Men Who Knit" meet up groups. He is passionate about sharing his love for spinning with beginning students. By day Michael is a software professional, but on weekends he's usually out and about with his e-Spinner in tow.
Water, Time and Patience: Creating a Wet Felted Hat
Sara Gibson 15 studentsFriday, June 28, 9am-12pm and 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $150 Plus Materials Fee: $15 includes soap, resist material, bubbles wrap, and approximately 3 oz. of wool
Class Description: Wet felting is often a multi-step process of coaxing wet wool fibers into a consolidated fabric. It is a very hands-on form of fiber arts requiring water, soap, slow and patient attention to detail and finally vigorous agitation of the piece during the fulling process. This class will explore the process of using resist to create an artistic felted hat to keep you warm and fashionable. Participants can choose from project designs that can be practical, whimsical, or somewhere in between. You will get to take home a completed project.
Skill Level Required: None
Students Bring: All materials are provided by instructor.
Instructor's Bio: Sara is a school garden coordinator for the Lincoln County School District by day and a fiber arts enthusiast by night. She specializes in dyeing local fibers with fungi and lichens foraged around her home in Siletz, Oregon. She has been a knitter for over 30 years and loves the process of creating from raw fleece to end products. Sara has been teaching wet felting and needle felting classes at mycology camps for the last 5 years and loves every second of it!
FRIDAY, JUNE 28, AFTERNOON CLASSES
Lovely Twists and Turns: Knitting Cables
Harry Wells 20 studentsFriday, June 28, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $1 – includes printed materials
Class Description: Cables make some of the most stunning visual effects in knitting. Learn the basic cable cross and traveling stitches (to create diagonal lines), which will allow you to create visual effects of crossing, turning, honeycomb, braiding, and the like. Using over 25 swatch examples in class, we will compare different cabling effects and practice some of them. Cable symbols on charts will be covered, along with how to add some textures to simple rope cables.
Skill Level Required: Beginner – students must be proficient at casting on with basic long tail cast-on without assistance and be able to knit and purl.
Students Bring: Worsted weight wool yarn in light or medium color (no dark colors), size 7 needles, cable needle, locking stitch markers.
Instructor's Bio: See Oops! Correcting Mistakes and Reading Your Knitting in Friday's morning listing for bio.
Needle Felted Sheep or Angora Goat
Anna Anderson 20 studentsFriday June 28, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $80 plus Materials Fee: $25 – includes all fiber, a reusable foam mat, felting needles, finger protectors, and printed handouts
Class Description: Students will create a whimsical sheep or An-gora goat (their choice) and learn the basics of needle felting and attaching longwool locks to create their critter.
Skill Level Required: No experience required.
Students Bring: All materials are provided by the instructor.
Instructor's Bio: Anna's fiber art journey began in 2006 with the rescue of six Pygora goats. She began teaching fiber arts classes in 2010 and with a move to Montana, her fiber business blossomed. Anna currently lives in Superior, Montana with her husband, family, a calico cat, and a bunch of fiber and farm animals. Anna teaches fiber art classes in needle felting, wet felting, fiber prep, dying, drop spindle basics, and beginner spinning.
Perfect Pairs: Blending Wool with Exotic Fibers
Judith MacKenzie 18 studentsFriday, June 28, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $30 – includes all fibers used in class
Class Description: Want to extend that bit of Cashmere? Have a lovely Gotland fleece but not quite enough to make the sweater you dream of? Want to change the hand of a beautiful brown crossbred that is a bit rough? Come learn what fibers are compatible and what are not. Explore different methods of blending fibers and try a variety off blending tools. We will look at qualities of yak, silk, cashmere, camel, and what they can bring to a variety of different wools.
Skill Level Required: Students should have a good working rela-tionship with your wheel and be capable of spinning a consistent single.
Students Bring: Students should bring their wheel and all its parts – even the ones you don't use, four bobbins if you have them, hand cards (cotton ones if you have them), dog brushes, mini-combs if you have them and any tool you'd like to experiment with.
Instructor's Bio: See Spinning Tweed in Friday's morning listing for bio.
Pine Needle Basket
Jaqui Eicher 8 studentsFriday June 28, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $5 – includes waxed cotton thread, large needle for sewing, paper straws, shop towels, pine needles, and glycerin.
Class Description: Create your own small basket using waxed cotton thread, needle and local pine needles.
Skill Level Required: Beginning
Students Bring: Students should bring their own scissors for clipping waxed thread.
Instructor's Bio: Jaqui has taught music, drama, Art and Humani-ties along the I-5 corridor at various schools, including Jefferson Middle School and Myers Elementary. Born and educated in the Willamette Valley, Jaqui has never lived more than 40 miles from Albany. In 2014, she began to follow the artist's path and has been painting animals and landscapes with words as well as watercolor and acrylic paint. In 2020, Jaqui learned how to create pine needle baskets. She has been honing the craft since then, using pine needles she collects from all her favorite places.
Upgrade Your Power Spinning
Amelia Garripoli 18 studentsFriday June 28, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $8 – includes all fibers used in class and a sample card.
Class Description: Is it time to upgrade your power spinning?!Sure, you're making yarn, but have you explored your e-Spinner's capabilities? See what happens when you adjust tension, speed, and spinning style! We'll explore the impact of maintenance, twist, thickness, and even switching projects. Then we will discuss spin-ning different fibers on the e-Spinner as we explore spinning blends. Once we've tried out a few different techniques with singles, we'll delve into plying with your e-Spinner's new favorite plying tech-nique.
Skill Level Required: Students should already be spinning a consistent yarn on their e-Spinner – this is NOT a beginner class.
Students Bring: Students should bring an e-Spinner in working condition with 3 bobbins and a lazy-kate; your power cord or battery for your e-Spinner. It is ok if the bobbins are not empty. Bring an extension cord with a power strip if you have one.
Instructor's Bio: See Learn to Spin Using a Turkish Style Spindle in Friday's morning listing for bio.
