Black Sheep Gathering

List of All Classes &
Their Availability

    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
All-Day Classes
  • 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
Afternoon Classes
  • 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
All-Day Classes
  • 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
Afternoon Classes
  • 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 Numo 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
All-Day Classes
  • Advanced Inkle Weaving 2 – Leslie Verts
  • Delightful Drafting – Ruth Northrop
Afternoon Classes
  • 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

SUNDAY, JUNE 30, MORNING CLASSES

2-D Needle-Felted Sheep Face Tote Bag or Pillow
Anna Anderson 20 students
Sunday, June 30, 9am-12pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $50 – students will take home a reusable foam mat, three felting needles, finger protectors. Printed instructions, and a completed tote bag or pillow.
Class Description: Students will create a 2-D needle felted sheep face with flowers and butterflies on a tote bag or pillow (their choice) and learn the basics of needle felting and attaching longwool locks to create a beautiful, unique project.
Skill Level Required: No experience necessary. This class is suitable for students with zero to beginning needle-felting experi-ence.
Students Bring: All materials are provided.
Instructor's Bio: See Needle-Felted Sheep or Goat in Friday's afternoon listing for bio.
Amigurumi Antics!
Teresa Waldo 20 students
Sunday, June 30, 9am-12pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $15 – Includes a pattern, eyes, embroidery floss, stuffing material, and handouts.
Class Description: Join the Amigurumi Antics! Amigurumi is the extremely popular art of crocheting or knitting small, stuffed yarn creatures and things. The term comes from two Japanese words "ami" meaning crocheted or knitted, and "tugurium" which means stuffed doll. The word, "Antics" was added to the title of this class because it is so fun to crochet little 3D creatures that come alive right before your eyes. In this class we will be creating a little sheep while we learn, discuss, and practice the following skills/techniques of crocheting Amigurumi: basic stitches, increasing and decreasing stitches, adding new yarn / color, and finishing techniques. Once you have crocheted this little sheep you will be prepared to join the millions of other crocheters that have fallen down the Amigurumi rabbit hole!
Skill Level Required: Able to single crochet.
Students Bring: Please bring approximately 100 yards of yarn for the main body (sheep color), 50 yards for the face (contrasting sheep color), and 25 yards of black for the feet, size F crochet hook, scissors, several crochet markers, and large eyed needle.
Instructor's Bio: See the ABCs of Drop Spindling in Saturday's morning listing for bio.
Artsy Nuno Scarf
Lauralee DeLuca 10 students
Sunday, June 30, 9am-12pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $25 – includes art batt, silk scarf, and extra decorating fibers.
Class Description: Create a beautiful scarf using Art Batts and the wet felting technique. Students will get to decorate their scarves with fun bits of other fibers, including locks, silk and Angelina. Each scarf will be a unique piece of wearable art.
Skill Level Required: Beginner
Students Bring: A full sized towel and a tea or hand towel.
Instructor's Bio: Lauralee has been a production spinner since a customer placed an order to spin Golden Retriever fur in 1983. She started a dog fur spinning business a couple of years later and is still enjoying spinning dog fur. Lauralee spins in the "Paula Simmons /Celia Quinn style. Because she dyes everything in sight, she has very little white yarn. When Lauralee learned felting in 1986 and it expanded her horizons tremendously. She has taught in venues throughout Alaska, and the PNW, including NwSFA Conference, Fiber Fusion, Fiber Expo, OFFF, local yarn stores and more.
Defining Sustainability in Apparel and Textiles to Harness It as a Marketing Tool for Your Fiber or Farm Business
Allen Mesick 30 students
Sunday, June 30, 9am-12pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: none
Class Description: Sustainability in the apparel and textile industry is an emerging movement which increasingly influences consumer behavior, especially in younger generations. "Farm to Fork" is a common and sought after campaign in the food industry, and "farm to fashion" is quickly gaining global momentum. The term "sustainability" may seem like an uncharted frontier for businesses these days, especially with the lack of government regulations and green-washing abound. Discover how sustainability is being de-fined in the apparel industry and learn how to harness its potential to market your business whether you sell materials, finished products, or raise livestock. Explore the multifaceted landscape of sustainability, where concepts such as natural fibers, natural colors, locally sourced materials, small farm raised resources, eco-friendly, and pro-social initiatives are the driving forces of progress.
Skill Level Required: None – This will be a PowerPoint lecture-style presentation.
Students Bring: Note-taking materials if you choose.
Instructor's Bio: Allen Mesick bred and showed natural colored Angora goats in central California and marketed his flock's mohair to niche artisan markets from hand spinners to doll artists. Allen is currently finishing a master's degree in International Apparel Mer-chandising and Management from CalPoly Pomona where his interests focus on the agricultural side of apparel, specifically the integration of natural colored fiber as a no-dye alternative in the growing sustainable fashion movement. His thesis is developed around natural colored mohair samples collected from the goats he worked with and loved for more than 20 years on his farm.
Exploring Fiber from Foreign Breeds
Lois Olund 10 students
Sunday, June 30, 9am-12pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $20 – samples of 15 different breeds of sheep and handouts.
Class Description: In this class you will learn about 15 breeds of sheep from other counties and try spinning their fiber.
Skill Level Required: Students should be proficient on a wheel or spindles.
Students Bring: A wheel in good working order that you are comfortable with, 3-4 empty bobbins, ball winder if you have one, hand cards if you have them.
Instructor's Bio: Lois has been a weaver, a spinner and sheep breeder in Oregon for over 45 years. She researched and created the 131sheep breed study box and a 278-page workbook.
Intro to Blending Boards
Roy Clemes 16 students
Sunday, June 30, 9am-12pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $30 – includes all fiber carded during class and use of blending boards and other equipment.
Class Description: In 2001, Henry and Roy Clemes were ap-proached by Gwen Powell to create a new tool that eventually became the wildly popular Blending Board. In this class you will learn basic techniques and use of a blending board from one of its designers. The class will not only demonstrate the versatility of the blending board – blending fibers of various types, lengths, and colors – but also the strength of the blending board – quickly preparing fibers in rolags for woolen spinning. All carding and blending will be done on Clemes and Clemes Blending Boards with each student getting to use their own boards. All materials, boards, and tools will be provided by instructors.
Skill Level Required: Beginner – no blending board experience necessary.
Students Bring: None – but should bring an attitude for learning. All tools and materials will be provided by instructors for use in class.
Instructor's Bio: See Exploring the Drum Carder in Friday's all-day listing for bio.
Intro to Mushroom Dyeing
Sara Gibson 20 students
Sunday, June 30, 9am-12pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $10 – includes fiber, handouts, and sample cards
Class Description: Join Sara for an in-depth introduction to dyeing protein based fiber with west coast fungi and lichens. This class will cover types of west coast fungi and lichens to produce a rainbow of colorful dyes. The lesson includes how to prepare fibers for the dye pot, how to source dye fungi and lichens, and how to use and store mushrooms for dyeing. There will be a dye demo and an opportunity for participants to create a sample card of dyes produced.
Skill Level Required: No experience necessary. This class is suitable for all skill levels.
Students Bring: All materials are provided by instructor.
Instructor's Bio: See Water, Time and Patience – Creating a Wet Felted Hat in Friday's all-day listing for bio.
Russian Style Continental Knitting
Galina Khmeleva 15 students
Sunday, June 30, 9am-12pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: none
Class Description: Are you stuck in the past … still throwing your yarn, maybe even experiencing wrist discomfort? Let Galina Khmeleva, lace knitter extraordinaire; teach you this subtle Russian variation of the classic continental knitting method. It is easy, it is fast, and it is so forgiving on your wrists! You will wonder why you waited so long to make the switch!
Skill Level Required: Knitting experience helpful, should be able to do knit/purl stitch, yarn overs and k2tog
Students Bring: Your favorite knitting needles any style sizes 0-3, fingering/sport weight non-textured yarn (no acrylics/cottons). Note taking materials (including pencils).
Instructor's Bio: See Spinning the Orenburg Way in Saturday's morning listing for bio.

SUNDAY, JUNE 30, ALL-DAY CLASSES

Spinning Cabled Yarns
Judith MacKenzie 16 students
Sunday, June 30, 9am-12pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $120 – includes all fiber
Class Description: Cables are an incredibly useful and beautiful yarn structure. They are strong and stable, a great choice for making good sock yarn or a wonderful warp. They are the basis for almost every novelty yarn. Cables can be made of the very finest cashmere or stainless steel and gold threads. Cables produce endlessly fasci-nating color effects, and they can be used to mix incompatible yarns effectively. You could make a different cable yarn for every day of the year. All this, in a simple structure that has only a few simple rules. What could be more fun! Experience level: Must be able to spin a continuous thread and have a good relationship with their wheel.
Students Bring: Students should bring their wheel (or spindle) and all its parts – even the ones you don't use, niddy-noddy, lazy-kate, measuring tape, scissors and handcards – if you have them. Knitting needles in a range that you like to knit with.
Instructor's Bio: See Spinning Tweed in Friday's morning listing for bio.
Advanced Inkle Weaving 2
Leslie Verts 15 students
Sunday, June 29, 9am-12pm and 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $150 Plus Materials Fee: $10 – includes handouts and heddles
Class Description: Students will learn Stellar Weaving pattern design in Inkle weaving. This is a special method of doing pickup work.
Skill Level Required: Advanced
Students Bring: Need functioning inkle loom with a tension bar, inkle weaving shuttle; need three colors (white with a dark color [black, and dark brown, blue, red or purple] and a bright contrast color) of 5/2 cotton thread.
Instructor's Bio: See Beginning Inkle Weaving in Friday's morn-ing listing for bio.
Delightful Drafting
Ruth Northrop 14 students
Sunday, June 29, 9am-12pm and 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $150 Plus Materials Fee: $30 includes all fiber to be used in class, handouts, and record keeping material
Class Description: This class is the perfect place for you to explore different drafting techniques in a low pressure environment. In the morning we will break down the skill of long draw into simple successful steps. Then we'll add short draw and over-the-fold and apply all three of these to different types of wool, cotton and silk.
Skill Level Required: Must be able to spin a continuous single.
Students Bring: Spinning wheel in good working order and that you are comfortable with, 2-3 empty bobbins, a ball winder if you have one.
Instructor's Bio: See Short Steps to Long Draw in Saturday's afternoon listing for bio.

SUNDAY, JUNE 30, AFTERNOON CLASSES

Grafting with a Russian Twist and More!
Galina Khmeleva 15 students
Sunday, June 30, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: none
Class Description: Those innovative Russian knitters devised a simple, yet effective method for grafting. You will find it so unique and versatile; you will use it on all your future knitting projects. From start to finish, Galina will teach students creative cast-ons to fit every occasion. And a Russian bind-off that will leave you in amazement. And if your seams are anything but seamless, this class is for you. These techniques will make your knitting more enjoyable and seem effortless.
Skill Level Required: Knitting experience helpful, should be able to do knit/purl stitch, yarn-overs and k2tog
Students Bring: Your favorite knitting needles appropriate for yarn size. Two contrasting colors of fingering/sport weight yarn (no acrylics or cottons). Note taking materials.
Instructor's Bio: See Spinning the Orenburg Way in Saturday's morning listing for bio.
Kumi-what? Kumihimo!
Diane McKinnon 12 students
Sunday, June 30, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $20 – includes all yarn, Kumihimo disc, hardware for in-class project, additional materials for another similar project of student's choice to be completed outside of class, and detailed handout.
Class Description: This easy to learn, ancient Japanese braiding technique is as addictive as it is fun. We'll use a foam Kumihimo disc to hold colored cords or yarns that will be manipulated in a sequence to create braids of many different designs. This is a very portable fiber craft and best of all, it is TSA approved! This class is designed to teach the basics of Kumihimo including the tools, yarn selection, various braiding sequences, and ideas for uses of the finished braids. You will leave the class with a completed Kumihimo braided key chain or wrist distaff, enough materials to complete a second key chain, wrist distaff, or bracelet on your own, and the ability to design your own future Kumihimo projects.
Skill Level Required: All level students from beginners to ad-vanced who have an interest in learning how to do a Kumihimo braid.
Students Bring: Scissors and note talking materials.
Instructor's Bio: See Beginning Rigid Heddle Loom Weaving in Friday's all-day listing for bio.
Make a Pine Needle Basket
Jaqui Eicher 8 students
Sunday, June 30, 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: Beginner.
Students Bring: Students should bring their own scissors for clipping waxed thread.
Instructor's Bio: See Pine Needle Basket in Friday's afternoon listing for bio.
Spinning Silk Hankies without Tears
Barbara diJeannene 15 students
Sunday, June 30, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $10 includes silk hankies for spinning in class
Class Description: Do you have a pile of gorgeous dyed silk hankies sitting around? Have you tried that "poke a hole in the center and stretch them out" method only to end up with a tangled mess? Come to this class and learn to spin silk hankies without a lot of fuss. I teach this class using a spindle, but it can be done on a wheel also. Skills required: Students should be comfortable spinning a con-tinuous thread on whichever spinning method / device they bring to class.
Students Bring: Bring your favorite spindle (at least 1 oz. in weight), or a wheel you are comfortable using and note taking supplies.
Instructor's Bio: Barbara started spinning in the early 80s and learned that handspun yarns stack up quickly. Weaving seemed to use a lot of yarn, so a loom appeared and then another! Spinning and weaving have been her passion ever since.
Spinning the Long Wools
Lauralee DeLuca 12 students
Sunday, June 30, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $25 – includes a hearty amount of long wools, and an informative handout.
Class Description: This class is an overview of spinning the glorious long wool breeds s such as, BFL, Border Leicester, Lincoln, Cotswold, Wensleydale, Teeswater, Romney and others. We will discuss most of the common breeds, the best way to spin them, and the properties of each while spinning samples of nine different breeds. Students will have a chance to spin combed top, flicked, and carded wools.
Skill Level Required: Beginner
Students Bring: Bring a wheel or e-Spinner you are comfortable with and in good working order, hand cards or flicker if you have them, the instructor will bring several tools for use in class.
Instructor's Bio: See Artsy Nuno Scarf in Sunday's morning listing for bio.
Stranded Knitting with Portuguese Purling
Teresa Waldo 20 students
Sunday, June 30, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $55 Plus Materials Fee: $12 – Instructor will provide two patterns/handouts, and two Portuguese hooks
Class Description: Do you get frustrated with your yarns when you knit with more than one strand? Does your carpal tunnel, arthritis, or joint pain flair up when you knit for long periods of time? Do your yarn floats come out too tight or too loose? The solution to these problems lies in an ancient form of knitting known as Incan, Turkish, Around the Neck, or Portuguese knitting. Come learn a new way to do stranded knitting with just a flick of your thumb. You will be amazed at how ergonomically comfortable this method is, how even your stitches and floats are, and how easy it is to manage your two colors of yarn with no tangling. You may never again want to do stranded colorwork any other way. We will be knitting the two color Blossom Dreams Headband using the Portuguese purl stitch and working with the wrong side of our work facing us. Our yarns will be tensioned by two hooks attached to our shirts. The Blossom Dream Headband has picot edging and a floral stranded knitting pattern that was designed specifically for this class.
Skill Level Required: Able to knit and purl.
Students Bring: Please bring 100 yards of worsted weight yarn for your background color (solid or semi-solid), 75 yards of contrasting yarn for the floral pattern (hand-painted or variegated, gradient, or semi-solid), size 7" – 16" circular knitting needles, tapestry needle, scissors, stitch markers, Homework: Prior to class you will need to complete the following: Using your background color, cast on 96 stitches using the long tail cast on. Join to work in the round, Purl 6 rounds.
Instructor's Bio: See the ABCs of Drop Spindling in Saturday's morning listing for bio.
Turkish Spindle Productivity
Amelia Garripoli 18 students
Sunday, June 30, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Cost: $80 Plus Materials Fee: $5 – includes fiber for spinning.
Class Description: The amazing versatility of a Turkish spindle has won me over to the low-whorl world. There is so much that can be done with this spindle, from cleverly starting without a leader, to meditatively winding a gorgeous turtle and safely traveling without breaking the shaft. We will explore how to maximize both our productivity with this tool and the versatility it brings to our spinning kit.
Skill Level Required: Students must already be able to spin a consistent yarn on a spindle, wheel or e-Spinner.
Students Bring: If you have a Turkish spindle you want to use or fiber you want to explore, bring them; the instructor will provide spindles for use in class as needed.
Instructor's Bio: See Learn to Spin Using a Turkish Style Spindle in Friday's morning listing for bio.

SHEEP SHOW

Judge: Richard Jacobsen
Le Grand, California

I am a 4th generation sheep producer, primarily as a seed-stock producer. My grandfathers and dad raised competitive sheep here in California, going back to the 1940s.Read More.

ANGORA GOAT SHOW

Judge: Allen Mesick
Huntington Beach, California

Allen Mesick of Eureka! Mohair Farm, has bred and showed white and natural colored Angora goats for over 20 years. His Angora goats have brought home many Champion and overall Grand Champion awards. Read More.

FLEECE SHOW

Wool and Alpaca Judge: Dr. Geof Ruppert
Fairfield, Pennsylvania

Geof Ruppert has been judging sheep and fleeces since he was fresh out of veterinary school. Inspired in part by his mother's love of fiber arts, Dr. Ruppert began raising Corriedales in the 1970s.  Read More.

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FIBER ARTS AND YARN SHOW

Judge: Laura Todd
Neotsu, Oregon

Laura has judged fiber arts for county fairs, taught knitting since 2007, and has been awarded ribbons and multiple best-in-show awards for fiber arts at numerous festivals and fairs nationwide, including three Black Sheep Cups at BSG.Read More.