LECTURES free with admission

FRIDAY

Unbraided: Spinning Colour, Rachel Smith. Friday, March 13, 10:30-11:30. 

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 hand spinner. Based on Rachel and Katrina Stewart's book, Unbraided: The Art and Science of Spinning Colour, this lecture 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. We will look at samples spun from those different methods, explore colour theory, and finally, challenge ourselves to think outside the box about how to combine different colourways in combination spins. 

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My brain on crafts: the neuroscience of crafting or why knitting/spinning/weaving makes me feel so good, Diana Twiss. Friday, March 13, 2:30-3:30.

A playful and yet thoughtful exploration of what is going on in our brains when we engage in creative pursuits while making the case for the importance of creativity. This lecture is part memoir following Diana's own creative journey and part exploration of why fibre arts production is good for us. Diana is inspired by the neuroscience that shows how creative activity activates several part of our brain and leads to the productions of "feel good" hormones. She is also greatly inspired by the work of Brene Brown who wrote: "I'm not very creative' doesn't work. There's no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don't. Unused creativity isn't benign. It lives within us until it's expressed, neglected to death, or suffocated by resentment and fear". Come join Diana and learn why this is true. 

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SATURDAY

Mono Dyeing for protein fibres using plant and animal dyes, Linda Spence. Saturday, March 14, 10:30-11:30.

Mono dyeing is a method preferred by Linda when working with animal fibres. This one step process, rather than mordanting then dyeing, reduces the chances of felting your fibre by 50%. This lecture will be accompanied by a host of fibre and colour samples for attendees to look through. 

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Colour in weaving, Kelsey Tremblett. Saturday, March 14, 12-1 pm.

We have all had that one incredibly disappointing project. The one where you picked out yarns in all of those fantastic colours, warped our loom, wove your cloth and rolled out the fabric from the beam only to find that the colours that once delighted you have now turned to mud. In this lecture we will look at colour theory, and how the unique structures in weaving affect how colour is perceived. With a variety of different woven samples Kelsey will provide the tools and knowledge needed to make more informed colour and design choices in your future weaving projects. 

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Turn your hobby into a profitable side hussle (aka why you should charge $500 to knit a sweater), Ponnie Matin Pelchat. Saturday, March 14, 2:30-3:30. 

Interested in making money from your knitting? Wondering how much to charge? This is probably the number one question Ponnie is asked by entrepreneurial knitters. Join her as she discusses how to price our items so you enjoy knitting for a profit. This talk is both suited for artists currently selling their work and those who are pondering if they should, can or if it's worth it. 

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