Classes at the Farm
Hand spinners, learn how to blend colors on a drum carder for various effects, including color blending, making self-striping batts and adding a bit of bling to art batts. This is a demonstration with time at the end for hands-on work, including making your own art batt. Class fee includes fiber for one art batt. Additional fiber may be purchased. $25/person.
Dyeing Yarn with Nature, July 21st
Learn to dye yarn with a veriety of natural dyes from local plants as well as purchased dye material, such as Cochineal and Tumeric. A box lunch and dye recipes are included. You'll dye enough yarn to make a scarf and make a dye sample card. $75/person.
Fiber Processing, July 29th
Discover fiber preparation, starting with skirting an alpaca fleece, then washing it and finally, learning how to card the fiber. This is a great class for hand spinners that want to know what to do with all those raw fleeces they purchased. $50/person.
Katie Allman Rug Hooking Class, September 27th
McGown-certified rug hooking teacher Katie Allman is coming to the farm to teach a free-spirited, no rules type of rug hooking class in the style of Canadian Artist Deanne Fitzpatrick. Students have their choice of two 12"x16" patterns: Poppies on the Edge of Town or Boat & Shacks. Class fee is $50 and includes instruction & color planning, your pattern on burlap, lunch and a talk/slide show by Katie on her rugs and her adventurous trip to Nova Scotia. Please bring your own frame, hook and scissors. Add $15 if you would rather have a linen pattern.
Beginning Primitive Rug Hooking, October 6th
Primitive rug hooking is the simple act of pulling loops through a background to create beautiful wall or floor coverings. This is not the 1970s latch hook you remember. This is a true North American art form. There is a materials fee of $50 for your backing, cut wool, hook and gbeginning frame. $30/person.
Needle Felting Christmas Ornaments, November 10th
From Santa faces to snowmen and candy canes, spend a morning making unique ornaments for your Christmas tree or to tie onto special holiday packages. $25/person.
Learn to Spin, November 18th
This spindle class will teach you the basics of spinning wool with a spindle to produce a single ply yarn. There is a materials fee of $19 (payable the day of class), which includes a drop spindle and 2 ounces of wool for spinning, plus written instructions to take home. $25/person.
None of these classes say anything about bringing your No. 2 pencils, trapper notebook or graphing calculator. They do require you to bring a sense of adventure and a desire to learn something new.
You can register for any (or all!) of the classes here.
So grab a friend and spend a day learning a new craft. I promise we won't separate you for talking too much in class. (Gee, I have no idea where that idea came from. It's not as if it actually ever happened to me in real school.)
