KNITTING and CROCHET

 

I-CORD CAST ON AND CORRUGATED RIB, Venessa Bentley. HALF DAY (3 hrs). Friday, Mar. 20, 9:30-12:30. CLASS 101

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Trimming a Fair Isle jumper or cardigan with corrugated ribbing feels a lot like pulling out a big box of crayons, and just fooling around! It is the perfect canvas for colour play, and a beautiful frame for our Fair Isle artwork. During this 3 hour hands-on workshop students will learn to cast on using an I-cord, then sample a few different ways to work a corrugated rib. Form, function, and application will be discussed, with knitted samples on hand to take a look at.

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SKILLS: Intermediate, comfort with stranded colour work knitting

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EQUIPMENT: a variety of small amounts, approximately 5 grams of Shetland wool such as Harrisville or Jamieson’s in different colours (at least 5), one main colour of the same yarn, in a larger amount (approximately 10 grams). Bringing more than one main colour is fine, too. You will be working a few samples. Gauge needles (likely 3 mm or 3.25 mm) , your knitting accessories kit.

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MATERIAL COST: $0, you will receive a booklet of notes and tags for your samples.

 

THREE SMALL BOWLS, Charming and Practical, Venessa Bentley. HALF DAY. Saturday, Mar. 21, 8:30-12:30. CLASS 102

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All you need is your hook! Working in the round, come and hook some simply plain and beautiful small bowls with rustic colour changing wool that will be provided for you. During this 4 hour hands-on workshop students will learn to work shaped round pieces in a variety of sizes. This will be a great class for a confident beginner.

 

SKILLS: comfort using a hook and making basic crochet stitches

 

EQUIPMENT: students will need to bring a 4.25 mm hook

 

MATERIAL COST: tbc

 

EMBROIDERY

 

MAMA AND DAUGHTER, CROSS STITCH SAMPLER. Heather McKinnon. HALF DAY. Friday, Mar.20, 1-5. CLASS 103

Get started on your stitching journey and learn the basics of cross stitch embroidery. Mama and Daughter is a cross-stitch chart designed by Debbie Anderson. The kit includes an alternate colour for the daughter orca as well as a complete alphabet and number chart to personalize your embroidery. This design can be made into a wall hanging, pillow, or pocket for a tote bag.

 

SKILLS: beginner, this class is for anyone who is new to the technique or requires guidance in reading or understanding stitch diagrams and patterns. Assistance and repeated directions will be provided.

 

EQUIPMENT: small, sharp embroidery scissors and a needle threader if you are challenged with threading a needle.

 

MATERIAL COSTS: $40 paid in advance via e-transfer or at front desk on Friday. Cost includes complete kit, instructions, chart, hoop, Aida cloth, cotton lining fabric, needle and DMC embroidery floss.

 

LINE DANCING ORCA, SURFACE COUCHING. Heather McKinnon. HALF DAY. Saturday, Mar.21, 8:30-12:30. CLASS 104

 

Join Heather for a four-hour beginner’s class in surface embroidery featuring rayon gimp couched down with invisible thread. Couching stitch is an ancient technique where a thicker thread is attached to a fabric surface using fine threads. Couching has many uses including defining borders or creating textured patterns. You will learn how to transfer your design onto the fabric and then see the design begin to emerge as you apply the gimp using the humble couching stitch.

 

SKILL: beginner

 

EQUIPMENT: small, sharp embroidery scissors and a needle threader if you are challenged with threading a needle.

 

MATERIAL COST: $25 paid in advance via e-transfer or at front desk on Saturday. Cost includes complete kit, instructions, design, hoop, silk Duchesse fabric, lining cotton, backing felt, needle, fibres (gimp, invisible thread, sewing thread), and ribbon for the hanger.

 

SPINNING

 

SUPPORT SPINDLE SPINNING SEMINAR, Diana Twiss. HALF DAY. Saturday, Mar.21, 8:30-12:30. CLASS 105

 

Some of the most beautiful tools in the hand spinning world these days are the support spindles. Simple, elegant and (mostly) easy on the body, they are a wonderful way to make light airy yarn. This half-day session is designed as a seminar facilitated by Diana Twiss. In a seminar we learn from each other, share our tips and tricks, see a variety of spindles, and come away with an abundance of information and connections. It is for spindle spinners who want to learn more and want to connect with a community of spindle spinners. Bring your support spindle spinning questions, challenges, successes, and tips to this session and together we will figure it out and get you on your spindling way. If you have ever wanted to try making yarn this way or you are interested in knowing how these simple tools work, this session is for you. In this session, we will cover all the basics and more such as: getting started, choosing and preparing your fibre, flicking your spindle for a good long spin, drafting fibre, winding a good, stable cop, and removing the singles for plying, and plying yarn. Overall, we will be working together and sharing our experiences, so the learning will continue long after the seminar is over.

 

SKILLS: must be able to spin a continuous thread with a spindle or wheel – no experience with support spindles required, but hopefully those with expertise will join in.

 

EQUIPMENT: • If you own a support spindle (and bowl), bring them along. Students who don’t yet own a support spindle, can borrow some for the workshop. The instructor has a class set of support spindles and bowls, in various styles. • Hand carders (for fibre preparation segment). • Shoe box – to act as a lazy kate and storage box.

 

MATERIAL COST: $15, 50+ grams of fibres; plying ball. Payable to instructor in cash day of class.

 

BREAKING A BRAID, Rachel Smith. FULL DAY. Friday, Mar. 20, 9:30-5. CLASS 201

 

Have you ever attended a fibre festival or browsed in a shop and seen all the gorgeous colourways on hand painted top? Have you bought them and stashed them away to save so that you don’t ‘wreck’ the colourway? This feeling of paralysis around spinning our beautiful braids of fibre is part of learning and growing as a handspinner. This workshop is designed to break down some of that fear and trepidation. We explore several different ways of spinning combed top and examine the different results we attain when we make choices about how to spin the fibre from traditional 2- ply to 3-ply fractal spins. Throughout the day, we will spin our samples in using different methods, look at samples spun from those different methods and challenge ourselves with our final yarns to think outside the box about how to combine different colourways in combination spins.

 

This workshop is designed to augment the book, Unbraided: The Art and Science of Spinning Colour, written by Rachel Smith and Katrina Stewart. The participants do not need to own or have read the book to attend the workshop. Instead, it is meant to stand alone as part of an advanced spinner’s learning At the finish of the workshop, students will be able to: • Spin and sample semi-solid and split complement braids to create different effects, • Engage in discussions around durability and twist, exploring samples; • Spinning consistent singles, how to spin the yarn they want (different drafts to add/remove air), • Exploration of plying & guiding principles; and • Exploring different ways of finishing to achieve different yarns.

 

SKILLS: Students must be able to spin a long continuous thread and working knowledge of a spinning wheel

 

EQUIPMENT: Students will need a spinning wheel in good working order, ● Assorted accessories to improve your spinning experience: 3 bobbins, Orifice hook, spinning wheel oil, Lazy Kate, index cards, pencil/pen, scissors, spare brake band (have on hand - they always break at inopportune times) Recommended for the workshop, but certainly not necessary: ● Stash dive for those fibres in your stash you’d love to spin but are worried about ‘wrecking’ – now’s the time to spin them! ● Assorted accessories to improve your spinning experience: protractor, small ruler or wraps per inch tool, tape, and finally ● Questions that you would like to discuss and have answered!

 

MATERIAL COST: $25 for fibre braid (payable to instructor in cash day of class)

 

BLENDING BOARD BASICS AND BEYOND, Diana Twiss. HALF DAY. Saturday, Mar. 21, 1-5. CLASS 106 Blending Board Basics and Beyond is a half-day workshop designed to help you explore the creative potential of the blending board. Participants will learn a variety of techniques for the blending board, including how to layer colors, create textures, and add different fibre types to achieve desired effects. The workshop covers equipment setup, fibre and colour selection, and practice creating rolags, batts, and roving ready for spinning or felting, or any other fibre making goal. In the second half of the workshop, participants will move “beyond the basics.”

 

You will experiment with advanced techniques—such as gradient blends, texture effects using add-ins like silk, sparkle, and other wools. You will also experiment with other techniques for removing fibre from the blending board, like using a diz. Each attendee will leave with a collection of unique rolags, batts, and/or pulled roving, and the skills to design and create your own blends at home.

 

SKILLS: Beginner, helpful to have some knowledge about fibre, fleece, etc..

 

EQUIPMENT: • Blending board with dowels, and brushes. • Diz for pulling roving – instructor will have some available to borrow on the day • Box or plastic bags to store your rolags, batts, and rovings from the day

 

MATERIAL COSTS: $25, kit includes dyed Corriedale, and a variety of add-ins like silk and Angelina. Payable to instructor in cash day of class.

 

THE WOOL ROOM – FIBRE PROCESSING WITH MELLY KNITS Melissa Goulet HALF DAY. Saturday, Mar.21, 1-5. CLASS 107, FULL

 

Fibre Processing from beginning to end! Students will learn about what to look for when buying a raw fleece, how to skirt, the scouring process, picking wool and carding. There will also be discussion around blending and common wool issues with Q&A in real time. There will be lots of wool present in all its stages, many examples, lots to watch/touch/smell etc. Students will not be processing their own wool but rather going through all the stages with Melly, asking questions, having discussion and watching up close at how it all goes down. The goal is for a very immersive day with students leaving feeling confident and equipped to work through all the stages themselves.

 

SKILLS: None, any and all welcome 

 

EQUIPMENT: None

 

MATERIAL COST: $0

 

WEAVING

 

TAPESTRY SKILLS, HATCHING, Janna Vallee. HALF DAY. Saturday, Mar. 21, 1-5. CLASS 108

 

Tapestry is the art of weaving images, but did you know that one of its core techniques involves blending colours directly on the loom? This method, known as hatching, allows weavers to create light and shadow, suggest transparency, and seamlessly merge two or more colours—eliminating the need to dye additional yarns, a practice often referred to as the Economy of Colour. In this workshop, students will receive a crash course in hatching as they weave a small 4" x 6" tapestry, incorporating one or more shapes using the hatching technique

 

SKILLS: beginner, this workshop is beginner friendly. Never woven before? No problem!

 

EQUIPMENT: ● Everlea Loom ● Five naturally dyed Everlea Fingering Yarns ● Two weaving needles ● Cotton Seine Twine Warp Bobbin

 

MATERIAL COST: Janna will offer an online listing in her shop for students to choose and prepay for supplies. $33 fee is for yarn only (for students who already own an Everlea Mini Loom or Everlea Tapestry Loom).

 

INTRODUCTION TO RIGID HEDDLE WEAVING, Pearl Chow. HALF DAY. Friday, Mar.20, 8:30-12:30. CLASS 109

 

Learn the basics of weaving using a rigid heddle loom. Participants will be given a shortcuts and tips guide to take home. Please bring your rigid heddle loom (there will be only 3 available to use during class if you need one) and any yarns you would like to use for weft but a smooth strong yarn (cotton dishcloth or a double knit weight yarn) for warping.

 

SKILLS: beginner

 

EQUIPMENT: rigid heddle loom, 7.5 dpi reed and accessories. DK/Worsted weight yarn for project. *Some looms are available to borrow, please email us at fibreswest64@gmail.com to reserve one. If you wish to purchase a loom for the class, please email info@penelopefibrearts.com. We offer a 10% discount on the purchase of an Ashford Rigid Heddle looms if you are a registered student in this class.

 

MATERIAL COST: $15 Payable to instructor in cash day of class, or, bring 200 gms of DK to Worsted weight wool (*smooth yarn, not textured, lighter colours, not acrylic, approximately 200 yds to each 100 gm skein). If you are borrowing one of our looms, please bring colour fast yarn that will not stain the reed and loom.

 

FELTING 

 

BEGINNER NEEDLE FELTING, Pearl Chow. TWO HOURS, Friday, Mar.20, 1-3 pm OPTION 1 Learn to needle felt using wool roving and barbed needles to create animals, fruits, vegetables, or what you imagine. You will be taught safety tips and which wool fibres work best and easiest for projects. If 12 yrs. or younger, a guardian will also need to register.

 

SKILL: beginner

 

EQUIPMENT: supplied by instructor

 

MATERIAL COST: $15 for needles, fibre and block. Payable to instructor in cash day of class.

 

FELTED TEA COSY, Shari Bronson. HALF DAY. Friday, Mar.20, 8:30-12:30. CLASS 110 Have fun creating your own unique style felted tea cozy. You will learn how to use a resist, layout of fibres and various finishing techniques. Various embellishment and lining techniques will also be discussed. Suitable for all levels.

 

SKILL: beginner, ability to perform felting rolling actions by hand

 

EQUIPMENT: Two large bath towels, bubble wrap approximately 24" x 48" (small bubbles), clear lightweight plastic approximately 18" x 24", water bottle with holes punched in the lid or ball brauser, a bar of hand soap, olive oil is best, synthetic bath scrubber or plastic bag to scrub with, a sponge or cloth to wipe up water, large cookie sheet or rubber rug mat with sides to work on, dishpan and/or ice cream bucket, sharp scissors.

 

MATERIAL COST: $30, payable to instructor in cash day of class.

 

NUNO FELT SCARF, Shari Bronson. HALF DAY, Friday, Mar.20, 1-5. CLASS 111

 

Create a beautiful one of a kind scarf you will cherish for years to come! This will include layout techniques and tricks for working with silk, wool, and viscose fibres.

 

SKILLS: beginner, ability to perform felting rolling actions by hand

 

EQUIPMENT: Two large bath towels, bubble wrap approximately 12” x 84” (small bubbles), clear lightweight plastic approximately 12” x 84”, water bottle with holes punched in the lid or ball brauser, a bar of hand soap, olive oil is best, synthetic bath scrubber or plastic bag to scrub with, a sponge or cloth to wipe up water, dishpan and/or ice cream bucket, sharp scissors

 

MATERIAL COST: $35 payable to instructor in cash day of class.

 

FELTED WRIST WARMERS, Shari Bronson. HALF DAY. Saturday, Mar.21, 8:30-12:30. CLASS 112

 

Have fun creating a unique pair of wet felted wrist warmers to keep your hands warm and your fingers free for texting or driving! You will learn different methods of laying out fibre using a resist.

 

SKILLS: beginner, ability to perform felting rolling actions by hand

 

EQUIPMENT: Two large bath towels, bubble wrap approximately 18” x 48” (small bubbles), clear lightweight plastic approximately 18” x 24”, water bottle with holes punched in the lid or ball brauser, a bar of hand soap, olive oil is best, synthetic bath scrubber or plastic bag to scrub with, a sponge or cloth to wipe up water, large cookie sheet or rubber rug mat with sides to work on, dishpan and/or ice cream bucket, sharp scissors, pencil or pen.

 

MATERIAL COST: $30 payable to instructor in cash day of class.

 

WET FELTED HAT, Shari Bronson. HALF DAY. Saturday, Mar. 21, 1-5. CLASS 113, 5 spots left

 

Join Shari in creating a stunning felt hat. You will learn various methods of using resists, layout of fibre and new techniques that can be applied to form different styles. Suitable for all levels.

 

SKILL: beginner, ability to perform felting rolling actions by hand

 

EQUIPMENT: Two large bath towels, bubble wrap approximately 24” x 48” (small bubbles), clear lightweight plastic approximately 18” x 24”, water bottle with holes punched in the lid or ball brauser, a bar of hand soap, olive oil is best, synthetic bath scrubber or plastic bag to scrub with, a sponge or cloth to wipe up water, large cookie sheet or rubber rug mat with sides to work on, dishpan and/or ice cream bucket, sharp scissors, pencil or pen.

 

MATERIAL COST: $30 payable to instructor in cash day of class.

 

PUNCH NEEDLE

 

LEARN TO PUNCH NEEDLE COASTERS (and accidentally learn to make a rug while you’re at it!) , Sahm Jalbert. HALF DAY. Saturday, Mar.21, 1-5. CLASS 114

 

In this workshop, students will learn to make punch needle coasters. The class includes a complete kit with everything needed to make a set of four coasters in the pattern “Petals”. The punch needle tool included is an Oxford “Fine” for use with finer gauge yarns. Oxford tools are considered to be the best available. We will have time to make at least one coaster from start to finish and because the kit includes all needed materials and tools, students can complete the remaining three at home. Making a coaster is a lot like making a mini rug. We will compare the coaster method with rug making techniques and explore the possibilities. Students might even feel empowered to move on to rug making next!

 

SKILLS: Some punch needle experience an asset but confident beginners will likely be fine, too

 

EQUIPMENT: provided by instructor

 

MATERIAL COST: $35 for materials, payable prior to class via e-transfer or in cash at front desk on Sat.Mar.21.