Here are the descriptions for the workshops that will be offered at the 2012 Michigan Fiber Festival on THURSDAY. You can register online at the Michigan Fiber Festival Website or send in a hard copy registration if you have the Fiberline magazine. Any questions should be directed to the Michigan Fiber Festival office. We will post the remaining workshop descriptions for the remainder of the festival in a separate post.
Workshop schedule for
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Thursday All Day 9AM ~ 4PM
#201 Spinning to Match that Yarn
Patsy Zawistoski
How did they? or could I make that yarn? Inquiring
minds want to know. Patsy’s secret yarn decoder
answers your first question.
Then you will learn how to use your spinning skills to
answer the second question. Working in pairs, students
will decode yarn samples to understand the combination
of techniques and fiber needed to re-create the yarns.
Selecting the best fiber, the correct prep, setting up your
wheel, and using just the right amount of twist will have
you spinning that yarn
Class Level: Experienced beginner or Intermediate
Class Limit: 12
Material Fees: : $10.00 Fee covers: yarns & fibers
Participants should bring with them: Scissors, Scotch
tape , Magnifying glass or reading glasses if needed
(very important) A good working wheel – scotch brake or
double drive recommended. Hand cards, Hand combs,
About a dozen 3X5 cards and sandwich baggies, A holepunch for attaching sample yarns and fibers to the
worksheet, An old towel, Also bring oil, screwdriver, and
other tools for your wheel, in case they are needed.
Optional – calculator, McMorran Balance
#202 Nordic Christmas Stocking Kathleen Taylor
Students will learn yarn wrangling and chart reading
while making a 14" long, toe-up, stranded Christmas
Stocking, with an afterthought heel. Students knit the toe
in advance and in class, will knit past the waste-yarn
heel marking, and then knit an afterthought heel. It is not
likely that all students will finish their stockings in class,
but they should have the tools and information to
finish on their own. No previous stranding or sock
knitting experience required.
Class Level: Students must be comfortable with knitting
in the round. No Fair Isle, or stranded knitting, or sockknitting experience needed
Class Limit: 15
Material Fees: None
Participants should bring with them: Size 8 dpns (or long
circs if they’re Magic Loopers), and 2- 50gr balls of solid
worsted weight yarn highly contrasting colors, several
yards of contrasting waste yarn, stitch markers, safety
pin, several post-it notes. Homework
required
Homework:
Pre-Knit Stocking Toe: With Size 8 needles and dark
worsted weight yarn, CO 20 sts. Divide on needles as desired,
without twisting the sts, join. Rnd 1: K; Rnd 2: (K 4, Inc 1),
rep around. Rnd 3: K; Rnd 4: (K 5, Inc 1) rep around. Repeat
those 2 rnds, working 1 more st before the inc on each even
rnd, until there are 50 sts
(that should work out- 5 increases on each increase rnd
starting with 20 sts, will take us to 50).
#203 Spinning Lace Beth Smith
Do you dream of hanspun lace shawls?
This class will get you spinning finer than you thought
possible. You’ll learn the mechanics of spinning lace -
wheel set up, type of draw, ratios and ply for the lace
you want to make. We’ll also look at the wide range of
fibers we can use for spinning lace weight yarns
including mill preps and lace yarns from raw fleece, from
the finest of fibers like cashmere to wools you never
would have thought of for lace. You’ll learn how different
fiber preps will give different results, and how to best
utilize those hand combs and blend fibers on your
handcards. This is a really fun class. Bring some of your
smaller needles in case of a need for swatching!
Class Level: Intermediate to advanced
Class Limit: 20
Material Fees:$30.00
Participants should bring with them: You should bring a
spinning wheel in good working order, three bobbins, a
lazy kate, and combs, cards and a flick if you have them.
If you don’t have them a few will be available in class to
borrow.
#204 The New Batik Susan Saunders
The multi-layers of Batik have fascinated me for years. It
is an ancient art that uses wax resists to create multilayered designs. New techniques are being used to mix
water-soluble soy wax and MX Fiber Reactive Dyes to
apply color and resists simultaneously to cloth. We will
create pastes for use with stencils. We will also use hot
wax with dye in it to paint and stamp material. With the
hot wax techniques we can paint thickened dye over the
rest of the material. Steam will be used to set the dyes
and then the wax will be removed. The final result will
amaze you. Quilters will find the techniques useful to
add depth to their cottons. Weavers will find the
techniques useful to add additional designs after their
pieces are woven. Anyone who wants a unique silk scarf
will have the enjoyment of creating it themselves.
Class Level: Beginning to Intermediate
Class Limit: 12
Material Fees: $20.00 Fee covers the following. Fiber
reactive dyes, soy wax, sodium alginate, glycerin,
Synthrapol, prepared materials, and 3 silk scarves. I will
have additional scarves for sale.
Participants should bring:. Dust mask, thin vinyl or latex
gloves, apron or old clothes, pail or tub. If you have
some stencils or stamps you want to try, please bring
them. If you wish to bring some of your own material,
soak it first in 1 cup soda ash and 1 gallon hot
water for 15 minutes if it is cellulose (cotton, rayon,
bamboo) and 1 cup distilled white vinegar and 1 gallon
hot water for 15 minutes if it is protein (silk). Hang to dry.
Do not put in a dryer.
#205 Backstrap Weaving Ruthanne Morningstar
Ever wonder how those beautiful Inca fabrics were
woven? Many of them were made on simple backstrap
looms using one of the oldest known weaving
techniques. If you’re a loom weaver, or just a Fiber Lover
who wants to learn something new, backstrap weaving is
for you. You’ll learn how to plan your project, set-up your
loom, do plain weaving, and pick up for patterning. Best
of all, you’ll go home with your own backstrap loom to
continue enjoying this ancient art form. Photos will be
posted on my Website –Ruthantics.com
Class Level: all levels
Class Limit:12
Material Fees: $30.00 Fee covers the following: All
materials will be supplied including a backstrap loom for
the student to take home.
Participants should bring with them: all provided by
Instructor
#206 Rigid Heddle Weaving Barb Gallagher
In the morning, students will first learn how to easily
warp their loom and weave a scarf. A more advanced
version will be available for those who are already
familiar with their loom. In the afternoon, we will review
and warp the loom again. This time we will warp
for a sampler where students will learn many different
finger controlled weaves such as Danish Medallions,
Leno, Brooks Bouquet, Spanish Lace and some pile
weaves as time permits. We will also spend some time
planning at least one future project, so students
should come with something in mind.
Class Level: Intermediate
Class Limit: 12
Material Fees: $ 30.00 Covers yarn for projects &
handouts
Participants should bring with them: an assembled rigid
heddle loom in working order plus the warping peg. 2
reeds will be helpful: a 7.5 or 8 dent reed plus a 12 or
12.5 dent reed. Also need other basic weaving supplies:
shuttles, threading tools, scissors, tape or ruler, blunt
tapestry needles, odds & ends of yarns, plus note taking
supplies.
Special instructions: Students should let me know their
level of experience so I can bring along appropriate
supplies. Looms and reeds can also be purchased from
me and I will deliver assembled looms to the workshop.
#207 The Shepherds Rug Letty Klein
This day-long workshop is for the fiber artist with a closet
full of fiber or the shepherd wishing to make something
from their wool sheep. Students will learn how to braid
roving, felt the braids, and sew the braids into a
beautiful, functional rug. In this class students will
complete a simple chair pad using minimal equipment.
We will braid in the morning, instructor will take the
braids to a Laundromat over lunch, and the afternoon
will be spent sewing. The techniques learned can then
be used to create their own beautiful rugs at home. This
is a great way to use up all that roving in your stash, you
know the stuff you don’t like to spin or you don’t like the
color or maybe it has started to felt.
Class Level: all levels Class Limit: 18 Material
Fees: $15.00 Fee covers the following. All equipment
needed EXCEPT for roving
Participants should bring with them: Roving, any roving
except solid mohair, they will need about 1 pound total,
in two or more colors or shades if they have it. I will have
Natural colored and dyed roving in ¼ pound balls for
purchase, as well as copies of the book “The Shepherd’s
Rug”.
#208 Tisket Tasket make a Coil Basket
Sue Kawamoto
Using an ancient technique, students will learn how to
make a coil basket. With a core fiber provided, students
can use stash yarns, ribbons, hand spun, whatever
strikes their fancy. Interesting oddities like feathers and
or beads can be also wound into the basket to make it
unique. Once the technique is learned, students can
expand their knowledge of coil basketmaking and make
large pieces of their own. Class Level: all Class Limit: 12
Material Fees: $2.00 Fee covers the following: Ample
core material to finish the first basket
Participants should bring with them: Large darning
needle, stash yarns, bits of ribbons and handspun, items
to embellish the
basket. Beads, feathers and any other items that
students wish to include in their baskets should be
brought #209 Fashionable Fet Hats Suzanne Higgs
In this class we will create a one of a knit ultra light wool
felted hat using a flat resist. These hats will be highly
sculptural, elegant and so much fun to make. Main
surface elements will be included, including fabrics,
fibers and textures.
Class Level: all levels
Class Limit: 10
Material Fees: $25.00 for resists, wool, plastics and
soaps
Participants should bring with them: 2 or 3 old towels,
bucket for water, larger sponge, pool noodle, art yarns
and pins.
#210 Stylish Hat & Scarf Combo Heidi Bukoski
Students will make a “chook” style hat with a turned up
edge in the traditional wet felting method. Using a resist,
and applying a design of your choice, you will fit the hat
to your head. We will then make a lightweight scarf from
the same fibers using the same design elements so they
will match perfectly. This hat style looks good on most
everyone and is an easy, comfortable hat to wear. A
great way to show off your new found ability.
Class Level: Beginners are accepted, but some wet
felting experience is preferable.
Class Limit: 12
Material Fees: $30.00 Fee covers the following: All wool,
a felting mat and all other supplies
Participants should bring with them: A Towel
Thursday & Friday All Day ( Two Day Workshops)
#211 Beginning Weaving Ann Niemi
This beginning workshop will offer instructions in basic
weave structure, reading a draft, basic warping and
threading techniques, including sectional warping,
warping from front to back, use of warping tool such as
warping mill vs. warping board. Students will learn
calculating warp and weft, establishing correct sleying
and setts, tying on and starting to weave. Students will
need either table or floor loom: rentals may be available
thru the instructor. Students are encouraged to have
basic weaving texts to refer to once the class is
completed. Each student will know enough of hand
weaving to read a draft and weave on his or her own by
the end of the class. Table loom rental arrangements
thru the instructor can be made by calling Ann at 269
673 5204 in the evenings.
Class Level: Beginner
Class Limit: 10
Material Fees: $25.00 fee covers: heddling hook,
material needed to complete project, ie: threads. Looms
may be rented thru instructor by prior arrangement for
$20.00 Make arrangements early, quantities are limited.
Participants should bring with them: sharp scissors, and
weaving tools you may have and reference materials
you are familiar with to share or study. Recommeded
reading: Debbie Chandlers’ Learning to Weave and
Handwoven Companion by Interweave Press
Thursday A.M. 9AM ~ 12 noon
#220 Core Spinning Jill Turner
Some of the most interesting and creative yarns are core
spun. This workshop will explore many of the methods of
producing these
lovely yarns. They usually consist of a basic thread or
core yarn which will be partially exposed or completely
covered. Another
fiber, thread or yarn is then used to wrap around the
core in various ways. The variation and creativity
expressed in core yarns is
unlimited.
Class Level: Intermediate
Class Limit: 12
Material fee: $10.00 for additional materials and
handouts
Students Bring: spinning wheel in good working order,
handcarders, lazy kate or niddy noddy, ball winder if you
have one, extra bobbins and threads hand spun or
commercial and fibers you may wish to use.
#221 Fixing Errors in Knitting Suzanne Pufpaff
Reading Your Knitting and fixing errors without ripping
out the entire project. Baffled by the fabric you are
creating with your knitting needles? Uncertain how to
count stitches and rows in various pattern stitches? Not
sure what to do when the stitch count is off and can’t
figure out how to identify the error without just ripping
everything out. This is the workshop for you! The
instructor will assist each student to learn the basics of
knitting fabric construction and how to “read” the fabric to
determine stitch and row counts in multiple pattern
stitches. She will also help students with error
identification and how to “fix” errors without the need to
tear out rows and rows of knitting, only the area where
the error occurs will need to be reworked.
Class Level: all levels
Class Limit:12
Material Fees: None
Participants should bring with them: a 12 inch square
swatch of knitting in a pattern stitch of the student’s
choice still on the needles, a
crochet hook, stitch holder, notebook and pen for taking
notes. The instructor will have samples available of
various pattern stitches
for students to try counting.
#222 Balms, Butters & Blends Joy Castonguay
The Non-Idiot’s Guide to Creating Fabulous Skin Care
Products! Don’t fall for those expensive, high-end skin
care products... you can make it fresh for less!
Learn to maneuver your way through the fascinating
world of natural oils and butters, and how to use their
unique properties to create economical balms, creams
and blends that will soften, soothe and heal your skin.
Dare we say...”anti-aging?” Learn it here! Take home a
lip balm, a body butter and a lotion...created and scented
by you!
Class level: Beginner
Class limit: 15 Students (ages 16 years and up)
Materials fee: $15.00
Participants should bring with them: 2 cup Pyrex
measuring cup, 2 rubber or silicon spatulas, hand-held
blender.
Small box to carry your creations home
#223 Felt Underfoot (Traditional Rug) Kelly Brandt
Use wet felting techniques to create a durable rug that
will keep your feet nice and warm and make an artistic
statement as well!
Learn the pre felt technique to make lightly felted
“blanks.”. We will cut shapes from the prefelts to
decorate the rug early in the
felting process, baste them into place with a felting
needle, and then wet felt them into the final form.
Class Level: all levels
Class Limit: 20
Material Fees: $15.00 Felting mat, Fibers for the cover,
decorative fibers, use of felting tools, monograph
Participants should bring with them: An old towel for
soaking up soapy water, a large cellulose sponge,
Optional: dishwashing gloves if you do not like having
your hands in soapy water; any fibers or yarns of your
own that you might want to incorporate in your
project. Water to drink.
#224 Get Gauge (or NOT!) Nancy Shroyer
Gauge – a small word, 5 letters, 1 syllable, but it is the
KEY to a successful knitting project. It determines the fit,
drape and handle. Whose gauge is correct? The listed
gauge or the one you got? How does the content, # of
plies, structure of yarn affect the gauge. What if you use
the same yarn called for in the pattern, but can’t get their
gauge? What if you want to use a different yarn how can
you get the gauge? We will cover all of these questions
and more.
Class Level: All levels ~ Students should already know
how to knit and purl.
Class Limit: 12
Material Fees: $2.00 for handouts
Participants should bring with them: #7, #8, & #9
needles, 50 gram ball of worsted weight yarn in a light
color, wool or wool blend preferred that was used for the
homework. Calculator, tape measure, pen and paper.
Homework – Get Gauge
With size #8 (5mm), needles and any worsted weight
yarn, cast on 24 stitches. Work 4 rows in garter stitch
(knit every row).
]Row 1: knit
Row 2: knit 2, purl 20, knit 2
Work 4 inches for the above 2- row pattern, leave the
stitches on the needles and bring to class along with size
#7 (4.5mm) and #9 (5.5mm) needles.
#225 Knitting Petoskey Stone Medallions
Amy Tyler
The state stone of Michigan, the Petoskey stone, is
characterized by a variable hexagonal substructure. In
this workshop you will learn a way to knit a circular
medallion that has the appearance of the Petoskey
stone hexagon. These medallions can then be
incorporated into scarves, afghans, hats, wall hangings,
and more. We will cover a circular crochet cast-on,
working circularly with 2 circular needles, and 2-stitch
cable patterns.
Class Level: advanced beginning to intermediate knitting
skills
Class Limit: 15
Material Fees: $12.00 fee covers: samples for
examination, additional yarns, notebook with handouts
including written instructions for 2 versions of the
Petoskey stone medallion, sundry supplies.
Participants should bring with them: about 100-200
yards of yarn (1 or more colors), 2 circular knitting
needles of the same size (but can be of different lengths)
appropriate for the yarn, a crochet hook similar in size to
the needles, and a darning needle.
#226 Drumcarding the Basics & Beyond
Carol Wagner
Students will learn or review the basic methods for using
a drumcarder. They will also explore several techniques
for blending colors and fibers to create unique novelty
batts. A technique for creating a layered batt will be
presented. Students will experiment with an assortment
of fibers including wool (natural colored and dyed),
mohair, camelid, silk and other exotics. The focus of this
hands on workshop will be to make a variety of art batts
which spark the creativity of the students. There will be
time to play with the fibers and colors to reinforce the
techniques being taught.
Class Level: Beginner
Class Limit: 12
Material Fees: $20.00 The instructor will provide all the
fibers used in the workshop.
Participants should bring with them: drumcarder in good
working order. Also bring bags to carry the carded batts
home.
#227 Beginning Broom Making Bev Larson
Turkey Wing hand broom Try your hand at making a
small turkey wing whisk broom. Fun! Fun! Fun! Pictures
can be seen at www.beebeesbaskets.com after
January 1, 2012.
Class Level: All Levels
Class limit: 10
Material Fees: $15.00 Instructor will provide everything.
Participants should bring with them: desire to have fun!
Thursday P.M. 1 PM ~ 4 PM
#230 Saucy Soakers ~ Felting for Baby
(wet felt-flat layout) Kelly Brandt
With cloth diapering making a come-back, it is time to
remember one of the best properties of wool: its ability to
hold up to about 18% of its weight in liquid and not even
feel wet! A soaker is a traditional cover worn over
diapers instead of plastic pants. Use wet felt techniques
to create unique soakers for your favorite baby! Add
patterns, ruffles, or fun colors as you add design to a
basic soaker pattern with instructions included for
multiple sizes.
Class Level: Beginner
Class limit: 18
Material Fees: $15.00 for Felting mat, Fibers, multi size
pattern, decorative fibers, use of felting tools,
monograph
Participants should bring with them: An old towel for
soaking up soapy water, a large cellulose sponge.
Optional: dishwashing gloves if you do not like having
your hands in soapy water; any fibers or yarns of your
own that you might want to incorporate in your
project. Water to drink.
#231 Mechanics of Your Wheel Amy Tyler
Spinning wheels are marvelous machines! In this
workshop, we will cover the ways spinning wheels work.
There will be spinning exercises to help participants
make sense of drive mechanisms, drive ratios, take-up
tension, and wheel maintenance. Along the way,
participants will be introduced to concepts of mechanics
such as force, torque, angular momentum, and friction in
a non-mathematical way.
Class Level: advanced beginning to intermediate
spinning skills
Class Limit: 15
Material Fees: $12.00 for samples for examination,
fibers for spinning, notebook with handouts, sundry
supplies.
Participants should bring with them: spinning wheel that
works with at least 1 bobbin
#232 Casting on for Great Beginnings
Nancy Shroyer
Are you stuck on Long tail cast on? In this workshop you
will learn 10 different ways to cast on for useful purposes
or for decorative edges. In this 3 hour class you will learn
the following ways to cast on: EZ, Knit On, Cable, Long
Tail purl, Norwegian, Twisted German, Tubular, Channel
Island, and Provisional. We will discuss which method is
best for which application.
Class Level: All levels Students should already know
how to knit and purl.
Class Limit: 12
Material Fees: $2.00 Fee covers: handouts
Participants should bring with them: #8 needles, 50 gram
ball of worsted weight yarn in a light color, wool or wool
blend preferred.
#233 Infusions, Decoctions, Ointments &
Tinctures Joy Castonguay
A Basic Guide to Using Herbs to Support Your Healthy
Lifestyle”A weed is an herb who’s use has not yet been
discovered.”...Discover the uses of and harness the
properties of plants that you may have in your yard to
create teas, tinctures and ointments to help you care for
yourself and your family. Amaze yourself and feel
empowered as you create natural remedies for life’s
common booboos that really work! Take home an
herbal tea ready to enjoy, a jar of your own herbal salve,
and one jar each of herbal tincture and infused herbal
oil.
Class Level: Beginner
Class Limit: 15 (ages 16 and up)
Material Fees: $15.00
Participants should bring with them: Two 8-oz. Jelly jars
with lid & screw-on band, Two rubber or silicon spatulas,
2-cup pyrex measuring cup & Small box to carry your
creations home
#234 Incorporating Lace into an Entrelac Shawl
Suzanne Pufpaff
An Entrelac project can be started using a set of base
triangles or just a single rectangle. Entrelac is also an
excellent way to get your feet wet in the area of lace
knitting. Each unit of the Entrelac structure stands alone
so the lace stitches used within the unit begin and
end in a very short period of time. Skills covered:
Review of backwards knitting, picking up stitches to
make both the front and back of the project look good,
how to choose a lace pattern to incorporate into
Entrelac, reading lace grafts, understanding how to
blend lace patterns with Entrelac.
Class Level: Intermediate
Class Limit: 12
Material Fees: $5.00 for handouts
Participants should bring with them: about 16 to 20 oz of
fingering weight yarn and size 6 circular needles.
# 235 Exploring Crochet Jill Turner
We will explore different crochet stitches, single stitch,
double stitch, triple stitch, Tunisian, Broomstick, etc. We
will practice different combinations of stitches and
discuss various uses for each. Tunisian Crochet
produces a fabric that looks very much like it was knitted
on one side. Broomstick offers a whole new dimension
Class Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Class Limit: 12.00
Material fee: $3.00 for handouts
Participants should bring with them: a crochet hook size
F or larger, at least two different color yarns, one knitting
needle and a desire to have fun.
#236 Painted Skeins Carol Wagner
Wild and Crazy Colors
Using a microwave and simple dyes, students will learn
a quick and easy technique to create novelty yarns.
Skeins will be hand-dyed using multiple colors in this
hands-on workshop designed to inspire the color lover in
all of us. This is a basic dye class and the focus will be
on yarns. However the techniques learned can be
translated to roving and batts.
Class Level: All levels
Class Limit: 10
Material fee: $20.00 The instructor will provide all yarn
and dyes used in the class.
Participants should bring with them: The students should
bring rubber gloves, and apron or wear old clothes and a
couple of quart sized ziplock bags.
#237 Josephine Knot (Basket) Bev Larson
Starting with a Josephine knot you will weave a basket
perfect for carrying your smaller projects in. Sizes will
vary but will be approximately 8 x 8 x 8. Pictures can be
seen at www.beebeesbaskets.com after January 1,
2012.
Class Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Class Limit: 10
Material fee: $15.00 for materials needed
Participants should bring with them :Instructor will
provide everything, unless they wish to weave some of
their own homespun yarn
into the baskets
Checking my calendar, I realized that in three weeks we'll be packing up to start the journey to the 2013 Michigan Fiber Festival. Wowza! Where has the time gone? 
