Teachers

Judith MacKenzie

Judith MacKenzie is an internationally valued teacher, master weaver, spinner, and fiber artist now living in the State of Washington.  We love her for thinking outside of the box, teaching only that which she has proven through experience and combining textile knowledge and skill with patience, creativity, stories, history and allegory that hold it all together.  Judith is a regular Spin-Off author and has written two books: Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning and The Intentional Spinner.

Classes

Colour on Your Feet

Lovely, lovely fine wool in all the colors of the rainbow, dreamy painted rovings of cashmere and silk, batts as iridescent as a butterfly’s wing – spinners have the full color spectrum at their fingertips. In this class, we’ll combine the colors and fiber preparations that the market place has to offer with different spinning techniques to produce sock yarns that will have your feet dancing.

Class Level:Intermediate
Class Skills:Need to be able to make a relatively consistent yarn and understand plying basics.
Cost:$75
Class Length:3 Hours

Fleece on Your Feet (9:00-10:00)

Fleeces come in an endless, bountiful array.  Everything from a fleece strong enough to pull a truck out of a ditch to baby fine and delicate as a snowflake. They come in many different lengths and an astonishing range of colors. Some are shiny, some are smooth, and some are springy. How do we choose which fleece is best for making socks in general and which fleece will make the perfect sock yarn for the sock you specifically want to make.  We’ll discuss how to find the right breed, how to choose a good fleece and how to wash and prepare it to make the sock yarn of your dreams.

Lecture: Sunday 9:00am - 10:00am.

Class Level:All Levels
Cost:$25
Class Length:1 Hour Lecture

Sheep Feet

This class will make wonderful socks for your feet from the sheep of your choice.  We’ll look at a variety of fleeces that have great sock potential; we’ll look at what makes a good sock fleece, how to buy one and where that’s possible.  We’ll look at all the things you’ll need to know to spin from the fleece to your foot with grace and dexterity.

Class Level:Intermediate
Class Skills:Need to be able to make a relatively consistent yarn and understand plying basics.
Cost:$75
Class Length:3 Hours

Sock Exotica: Silk, Cashmere, and Friends

This class will show you how to spin and finish unusual fibers to make exquisite socks.  We’ll look at silk and silk blends, cashmere, and new fibers like Tencel and bamboo.

Class Level:Intermediate
Class Skills:Need to be able to make a relatively consistent yarn and understand plying basics.
Cost:$75
Class Length:3 hours

The Gentle Art of Spinning Socks

The only thing better than a handknit sock is one made from your own handspun.  This class is all about spinning a sock yarn that will make a pair of socks that will last longer than it took to spin and knit them.  It will help you decide what type of fiber to choose, how to prepare it, and how to spin it to make radiantly beautiful socks that will be a pleasure to make and a joy to wear.

Class Level:Intermediate
Class Skills:Students should be able to spin well enough to make a continuous thread and understand a bit about plying.
Cost:$150
Class Length:6 hours

The Great Canadian Wild and Woolly Slipper Sock

From my Grandmother’s pattern stash, this is the perfect sock for cuddles and comfort.  You can make it any size, from baby to bigfoot.  Elegant (that would be the pure cashmere version) to wild (mohair, beads and found objects) this sock will give you years of wearing pleasure.  We’ll learn how to size this pattern, how to create the pile lining from a variety of wonderful yarns and fibers including alpaca, cashmere and a beautiful wool silk blend.  I’ll bring plenty of lovely yarns in beautiful colors and we’ll have lots of materials to embellish to your heart’s content.

Class Level:Intermediate
Class Skills:This is a knitting class. Students should posess basic knitting skills like casting on, casting off, knitting, purling, increasing and decreasing.
Cost:$75
Class Length:3 Hours
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