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Workshops
Workshops taking place throughout Fibre Week are always a success.
Please note many of these workshops have mandatory supplies. To ensure that you’re ready for your class, check the the supplies list in the workshop details to know what you need to bring. Full course descriptions and fees are listed below. Registration opens March 1, 2021 @ 8:30am MST.
Friday, June 18, 2021
| Saturday, June 19, 2021
| Sunday, June 20, 2021
|
Continuing Education
403.556.4740
1.800.661.6537
coned@oldscollege.ca
Friday Workshops
Beginning SpinningThis class will cover basic mechanics of spinning wheels and how to make your wheel work for you. Using wool rovings and top, we’ll learn how to spin singles, how to ply those singles together, and how to get a balanced yarn. We’ll cover drafting both woolen and worsted, what the difference between the two is and when and where you might want to choose one method over the other. Topics Covered Include: Prerequisite: None | Oblique InterlacingOblique interlacing looks like plain weave on the bias. This is a free-end braiding technique, which means you can take it everywhere, and weave anywhere, any time. The technique can be used on a wide variety of yarns to create small items or very large ones. We focus on the method, what ‘irregularities’ (mistakes) look like, how to identify them, how to correct them, and how to avoid them in the first place …. or how to repeat the irregularity and call it a design element. The method can be used to create bags, scarfs, hats, vests … almost any garment! Samples will be on hand to inspire. Prerequisite: Reasonable eyesight and good use of the fingers of both hands |
Deflected Double Weave (DDW)Participants will learn about the basics of DDW, how to draft, yarns to use, and wet finishing to contribute to the final product. Done in a round robin format, students will leave the workshop with 4-5 samples. Weaving will be the major focus and consume most of the time. Prerequisite: Advanced Weaver - must know how to warp loom, follow a draft to weave a sample | Nuno Scarf, Dye and PaintingExplore a new painting medium. Learn how to felt a Nuno Scarf with merino wool on silk chiffon fabric that can be used as a canvas for painting on with wool dyes. Laurie will demonstrate how to create a variety of scarf designs that include learning how to piece silk and create holes. Paint it as if you were creating a watercolour. You will learn how to paint in layers and set them using a microwave. Understand how dyes work on dry and wet backgrounds and how wool and silk absorb the dye differently. Come with an idea or create spontaneously. Laurie has been working with wool dyes for 14 years. Prerequisite: None |
Wet Felted Bird Pod with Leah Cathleen DonaldWet felting is a method of creating art using wool as your medium. This felting method is thousands of years old and has a rich history in many cultures. In this workshop you will learn about different breeds of wool and their properties. We'll start by making a sample piece of felt to help us understand the unique, natural properties of wool. Each participant will then put their new-found knowledge to use making a hanging birdhouse. Wet felting is a hands-on, sometimes messy art process. Wear comfortable clothes that you can get wet and not worry about. Barbara Leighton, founder of the Leighton Art Centre, believed that every person is an artist - they just needed to find their right medium. Perhaps wool is yours. Try felting and find out! Prerequisite: None. This is a course for beginners and up. | Colour Spinning and PlaygroundJoin Diana for a full day of colour experimentation and fun in a workshop devoted to blending, and spinning up and assessing the results. In the first half we will use some portable tools for blending colour for spinning: hand carders, blending boards, and hackles. In the second part, we will spin it up and experiment with different spinning techniques to allow the colours to blend or stay true and reflect on our results. In addition to experimenting with different blending tools, you will learn colour theory in a practical and applied way. Prerequisite: Must be able to spin a continuous thread with a spinning wheel or spindle and have experience with a plying for a two-ply yarn. |
Introduction to Spinning Plant FibresCellulose fibres are a completely different animal – or plant, really! – than wool and other protein fibres, so put aside everything you know about spinning and learn to appreciate these fascinating fibres! Plant fibres are among the earliest fibres man ever spun, and can create wonderful yarns once you meet them in their comfort zone. This full-day class will help you leave behind your preconceptions about plant fibres, give you the tools and skills to learn to spin them, and introduce you to their long and fascinating history. Covering everything from extra-long flax to super-short cotton with a few stops in between, it will be a day of learning and experimentation that will leave you loving plant fibres at the end. Prerequisite: Working knowledge of spinning, able to spin both woollen and worsted drafts preferred. | Stitched Shibori and Indigo DyeingThis class will include an introduction to stitched shibori and the indigo dyeing vat. Prerequisite: Ability to sew stitches on fabric using a needle and thread. |
Needle Felted Sheep - WhiteCome learn the wonderful art of needle felting and create your own cute little felted sheep with nothing more than wool and felting needles (and lots of stabbing!) This is a versatile form of soft sculpture that can be used to make so many things. This workshop is suitable for beginners or those with some experience. Participants will receive a Felting kit (felting foam and felting needles) and enough coure wool, natural lamb curls, and glass eyes to make two little sheep. These sheep have a wire armature and wire is also included. Prerequisite: Any experience level | Needle Felted Sheep - ColoredCome learn the wonderful art of needle felting and create your own cute little felted sheep with nothing more than wool and felting needles (and lots of stabbing!) This is a versatile form of soft sculpture that can be used to make so many things. This workshop is suitable for beginners or those with some experience. Participants will receive a Felting kit (felting foam and felting needles) and enough coure wool, natural lamb curls, and glass eyes to make two little sheep. These sheep have a wire armature and wire is also included. Prerequisite: Any experience level |
Saturday Workshops
Introduction to Natural DyesNatural dyes can offer an eco-friendly source of colours ranging from pastels to brights, depending on the techniques used. This short introductory class will provide you with the basic knowledge needed to explore the craft of natural dyeing, including yarn preparation, gathering and preparing dye materials, and mordanting and modifying. Participants will have the opportunity to use three natural dyes and methods to lay the foundations for further learning at home. Prerequisite: No prior dyeing experience needed. | Sprang LaceLace is a piece of cloth with a pattern of holes. Learn techniques to make holes in your sprang cloth on purpose. The instructor has studied examples of sprang across North America and Europe, successfully recreating many of these. Learn to make lace stitches from a master. Pattern reading and pattern writing exercises will help you understand the structure, and free you to create your own designs. Prerequisite: Familiar with the basics of sprang: Knows how to warp a frame and can manage the basic interlinking stitch. |
Felted Tree LandscapeEach participant will make a large felted wool "Painting", of a landscape scene of their choice with lots of detail. Using different "painting with wool" techniques, we will be focusing on trees in this workshop, but I can also teach flowers, rocks, moons, depending on the class interest. You will then be shown various ways to mount or use your work of art when you take it home. This workshop is suitable for beginners or experienced felters as your wool painting can be as intricate or as simple as you like. We will be learning both needle felting and wet felting and using merino, silk and other embellishments. Prerequisite: Any experience level. | All About Worsted and WoollenThe difference between worsted and woollen is a fundamental concept and one that every spinner should understand. It relates both to fibre preparation and spinning technique, and having a good understanding of how these affect the character of your finished yarn will help you spin the right yarn for your project and fibre. Prerequisite: Working knowledge of spinning. |
Introduction to Weak Acid DyesWeak acid dyes are simple chemical dyes that give us bright, permanent colours on protein fibres like wool, alpaca, mohair, and silk. This workshop will give participants a hands-on opportunity to learn to mix and use these dyes safely to achieve a variety of effects. Solid colours, kettle dyes, and painted yarn techniques will be explored on both yarn and prepared spinning fibres, giving participants the basic knowledge to confidently dye their own yarns. Prerequisite: No prior dyeing experience is needed. | Making Yarn with Supported SpindlesSome of the most beautiful tools in the hand spinning world these days are the supported spindle. Simple, elegant and easy on the body, they are a wonderful way to make light airy yarn. If you have ever wanted to try making yarn this way, or just interested in knowing how these simple tools work, this workshop is for you. In the workshop you will be introduced to the various styles of supported spindles and shown what to look for when buying one. You will learn and practice all the skills needed to: get started, prepare your fibre, flick your spindle for a good long spin, draft your fibre, wind a good, stable cop, remove the singles for plying, and ply yarn. Prerequisite: Must have some experience with spinning, and be able to spin a continuous thread. This is not a class for someone with absolutely no experience spinning. |
Atypical Weaving: Hand Manipulations & FibresManipulations and Recycled Materials is a two-day workshop in which participants will explore numerous fibres and hand manipulations on a rigid heddle or table loom. At the end of the two-day session, participants will leave with a notebook of techniques and a cloth full of exciting options. Prerequisite: Basic knowledge of weaving. Previously completed at least 2 projects. | Yarn Construction for Fibre ArtistsHave you ever had a great pattern and great yarn that just didn’t work well together, whether commercial yarn or your own handspun? Don’t worry, we all have! Yarn construction makes certain yarns suitable for certain end uses and completely unsuitable for others. This half-day class will teach spinners about six different aspects of yarn construction and how they affect what your yarn is – and isn’t – good for once it is spun. You will also experiment with spinning outside your default zone and learn to be more deliberate about your choices of fibre and spinning techniques. Prerequisite: Working knowledge of spinning (wheel or spindle). |
Making Yarn with Turkish SpindlesMaking yarn with a spindle is fairly straightforward, but people often wonder how to get started. In this workshop you will be introduced to the variety of styles of suspended (or drop) spindles, with a focus on the cross-piece spindle – also known as the Turkish spindle. Beautiful and highly portable, they are a great choice for your entry into the world of making yarn. You will see and try a variety of spindles, learn what to look for when buying a spindle, learn how to get started making yarn, preparing and drafting fibre, wrapping singles into a turtle (what’s that you say?) and plying to make yarn. Prerequisite: Must have some experience with spinning, and be able to spin a continuous thread. This is not a class for someone with absolutely no experience spinning. | Having a Blast with BastBast fibers (flax, bamboo bast, ramie, hemp) are amongst the most eco-friendly of spinning fibres. We will study the fiber characteristics and techniques for preparation, spinning and finishing. Used by themselves they form wonderful yarns, but their characteristics can also be modified through blending. A variety of yarns can be spun using blending, plying, and cabling. Fibers will be dyed with fiber reactive dyes. Prerequisite: An understanding of wheel mechanics and the ability to spin a continuous yarn. |
Sunday Workshops
Beginning WeavingThis class is designed for those who are brand new to weaving, as well as those who want to refresh their knowledge of four-harness loom weaving. Students will learn how to prepare a warp, put the warp on the loom and how to operate the loom. The "how-to’s" of planning a project, reading a draft, choosing materials and finishing a project will be covered. Your supplies will include a practice warp and enough yarn to weave a beautiful scarf. Prerequisite: None | Blending and Spinning Tweedy YarnsFrom soft heathers to speckled Donegal-style, tweedy yarns add depth and character to our knitted garments. Learn to combine colours for bright tweeds and mellow earthy tones, add in noils and neps for a flecked effect, and spin the yarns to take advantage of our preparations. Prerequisite: Students should be able to spin a continuous length of yarn comfortably. |
Be the Boss of Your YarnThis full-day workshop is all about busting through "default yarn" - that yarn you make over and over again despite attempts to do it differently. In this workshop you are going to work on techniques that will expand your yarn repertoire. You will experiment with and learn about the effect of twist on your singles and your plied yarns. You will also learn about yarn structure by making samples of soft singles, 2-ply, chained (Navajo ply), and cable yarns. You will earn strategies for making the yarn you want. At the end of the day, YOU will be the boss of your yarn. Prerequisite: Must have some experience with spinning, and be able to spin a continuous thread. This is not a class for someone with absolutely no experience spinning. | Felted Flower Landscape WorkshopEach participant will make a large felted wool 'Painting' of their choice with lots of detail. Using different "painting with wool" techniques, we will be focusing on flowers in this workshop, but I can also teach flowers, rocks, moons, depending on the class interest, You will then be shown various ways to mount or use your work of art when you take it home, This workshop is suitable for beginners or experienced felters as your wool painting can be as intricate or as simple as you like. We will be learning both needle felting and wet felting and using merino, silk and other embellishments. Prerequisite: Any experience level. |
Making Resists for Felt Hats and BagsLearn how to create a resist that is shape and dimensionally correct for your felt bag or hat project. Choose from many hat and bag styles presented. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of using the seamless resist technique and how to shape and sculpt wool. Bring your ideas or pictures showing the type of hat or bag style that inspires you. The hats and bags can be bold and sculptural or practical and all will be waterproof. You will be able to take your project home. You will learn how to felt by hand with tips and techniques that will make the felting process as easy and fast as possible. Prerequisite: None | Make a Wet Felted Vessel with Leah Cathleen DonaldWet felting is a method of creating art using wool as your medium. This felting method is thousands of years old and has a rich history in many cultures. In this workshop you will learn about different breeds of wool and their properties. We'll start by making a sample piece of felt to help us understand the unique, natural properties of wool. Each participant will then put their new-found knowledge to use making a felt bowl or vessel. Wet felting is a hands-on, sometimes messy art process. Wear comfortable clothes that you can get wet and not worry about. Barbara Leighton, founder of the Leighton Art Centre, believed that every person is an artist - they just needed to find their right medium. Perhaps wool is yours. Try felting and find out! Prerequisite: None. This is a course for beginners and up. |
Twist in the BalanceHow much ply twist makes a balanced yarn, anyway? Compare and contrast two ways of thinking about balanced plying. We will spin the singles and ply the yarns both ways, using a variety of fibre types. We’ll assess the yarns for durability, elasticity, and warmth to decide which style of balance we want for our projects. Warning: Participants may be exposed to small amounts of math and/or treadle counting. Prerequisite: Students should be able to spin a continuous yarn comfortably | Sprang TwiningAncient Egyptians were experts in sprang. We will take our inspiration from them, and explore ways to create some of these multi-coloured designs. Zig-zags, lozenges, discontinuous lines, and medallions are some of the possibilities, when thread pairs twine across a background of interlinking. The instructor will guide you through a series of simple steps so you, too can create amazing patterns all your own. Having replicated a number of these multi-coloured designs, the instructor will bring samples for students to examine, and will share her techniques and pattern writing method. Prerequisite: Familiar with the basics of sprang: Knows how to warp a frame and can manage the basic interlinking stitch. |
4500 - 50th Street Olds, AB, Canada T4H 1R6