Needle Felting with Doll Artist Shelly Lampshire-
Shelly has been featured in at least five major doll magazines in the last year.  She currently has a 6 page spread in the March issue of Teddy Bear Scene and has been invited to take part in the Doll and Teddy Bear Expo in Washington DC.  she also is the featured artist for March at the Southfield library for the Dr Seuss Birthday Celebration.  You can see her Seuss inspired dolls at the library!
So here she comes to teach a class at the Spinning Loft.  You can choose what style doll you'd like to make.  There may be a little homework involved so be sure to sign up early.
You can see her dolls and creations on her website at www.shellylampshire.com or check out her blog.

This class will be Saturday April 19th
10AM to 4:30PM
$90 per person
Class fee includes 2 felting needles and felting fibers
Also included is a CD of Shelly's class that she sells on her website for $65.00!

Dyeing Yarn with Natural Dyes

Learn how to dye yarn using the plant world.  A little chemistry, a little magic, and a lot of fun!

 Nature provides us with a rainbow of colors that show up in our everyday lives.  The art of making dyes from plants dates back centuries.  When settlers first came to America, they had to import their favorite dyes and fabrics.  After years of experimenting, they learned to use the plants around them for making colors.  Those colors and the plants they were made from survive today.  There are many flowers, berries, barks, leaves, nuts, and roots that will yield dyes.  

We will use dye pigments extracted from plants, barks, nuts, berries, and bugs to color yarns in this one-day session.  We will also talk about local plants that can be responsibly collected and used in season.

We will learn to prepare the yarn for dyeing, make the dye liquors, and dye mini skeins of yarn.  We will also experiment with various mordants and after bathes to enhance/vary colors.   In addition, we will discuss safe dyeing techniques and how to dispose of spent dye baths in a responsible and respectful manner. 

Prerequisites:  None

Materials:

You need:  Rubber gloves (thick kitchen gloves to protect your hands from heat and dye)

                   Wear old clothes (we are working with permanent dyes)

                   Notebook and pen or pencil

                   Thin permanent marker (black or blue) for labeling  

                   Masking tape (small roll) for labeling

Optional:    Apron (plastic or cloth) and a dust mask

 If you have any buckets or plastic dish washing pans we can use for the day, please bring them along. 

Also, please save and bring carrot tops, onion skins and /or avocado peels, Wash the avocado peels and let them dry (ask a restaurant to save them for you).

Propane camp stove or propane turkey fryer (if you have one). The more stoves we have, the more dyeing we can do!  Please let Beth know ahead of time if you can bring a working stove.

Enameled (no chips) or stainless dye pots. These cannot be used for foods after dyeing in them, so go to a thrift shop if you want to begin your dye studio.

Details: 

Kathryn Rowe Drescher, teacher.   Kathy is a dyer, weaver, knitter, and spinner from Traverse City/Rockford, with 30 years of dyeing and teaching experience.  She is looking forward to sharing her love of color and the magic of dye with us.

Saturday April 26,  2008,   10:00 am -  4:00 pm    

Workshop fee:  $80.00

Materials fee:   $14, payable to instructor on day of class, covers the cost of fuels, pre-wound sample yarn skeins, dyes, mordants, and handouts.               

Please bring a sack lunch.  Water and teas will be provided.      

The class is limited to 15 participants.

Beginning Spinning - This class is everything you need to get you going with your spinning. We will cover everything from making your prepared fiber easier to  to work with to suspended spindles to spinning and plying on a wheel and finishing your yarn.    Get in on this fun time.

Wednesdays April 16, 23, 30th and May 7th
6:00PM to 7:30PM
$80 per person plus materials
or
2 Fridays May 23 and 30th
6:00PM to 9:00PM
$80 per person plus materials

Don't forget - you can schedule lessons around your schedule if nothing fits on this schedule!

Intermediate Spinning
Interested in getting the yarn you want?   How do you use all of those whorl ratios?  Help with your specific problems? We will study how to manipulate yarn thicknesses.  We'll add a couple more drafting techniques to your skills. Lots more will be covered in this class.  This is the perfect way to continue on your path to the yarn of your dreams.

Thursdays April 24th, May 1, 15, 22nd
6:30PM to 8PM
$80.00 per person plus materials

Spinning For Lace -
Let's talk about good fibers for lace, ratios, wheel tweaking for comfortable take up, preparation of fine fleeces.  If you've been working on this or struggling with this or just have been wanting to try this class is for you.  It will be non threatening and relaxed and a good variety of fibers will be provided to give you a feel for what you might prefer spinning.

Saturday May 3rd
2PM to 6PM
$50

Breeds Spinning Study - This class meets 3 times and will cover the Fine Wool Breeds of sheep. We will look at Merino, Cormo, Polwarth and more.  We will learn the best methods of washing fine wools and techniques for preparing them for spinning so you can get that beautiful soft yarn you are looking for.  Generous samples of all wools are included in the class fee as well as a notebook for you to keep your records.

Saturdays May 17th, June 21st, July 12th
From 10AM to Noon
$90.00 Includes Materials

Lace Designer Sharon Winsauer

will be teaching a 6 week Lace Knitting class based on her Lace Sampler Scarf.
You know her from seeing her spectacular Heere Be Dragone Shawl.  You can see many of her lace designs here at her Etsy Shop.  She produces many beautiful shawl designs for Alpaca With a Twist.  She also has her very own Alpaca Farm called Aurora Alpacas.

Sharon is a very patient and kind teacher.  This class is good for anyone from beginning lace knitters to those wishing to hone their skills.  The goal is that you will have a finished sampler scarf by the end of the 6 week class.

Mondays May 19, 26, June 2, 9, 16, 23

6:30PM to 8:30 PM

Class Fee - $120 plus materials

Rigid Heddle Weaving

We'll do it all from learning how to find the yardage needed for a project to warping and hopefully a finished project by the end of the 4 week class.

Rigid Heddle weaving is fun and easy.  The equipment can be very affordable and you can use up your handspun faster than knitting:-)

Saturdays
May 17, 24, 31, and June 7
3:30 to 5:00PM
$80 per person plus materials

Summer Solstice Celebration

June 21st.  Celebrate the summer by spinning and fiber arting.  We'll spin and play on the porch.  Eat and talk and have an all around good times.  There will be prizes and a sale and plenty of surprises.

Details are in the works but save the date for this fun night

Janel Laidman!  She's coming in July!

Remember that Spin Off article about Fractal Stripes?  she's your girl.  I met her last year when she was teaching at SOAR and the things she does with colored and dyed rovings is truly magic.  the wonderful part is that she's willing to show you how to do it too!  Janel will be flying in from her home in California.  You can check out her website at www.Janellaidman.com or her blog - The Beebonnet Report.

There will be 2 classes.  You can choose or take them both.

Kitchen Sink Yarns - This class will be a blending class using fibers from the most beautiful to the most hideous.  We will blend these fibers together using drum carders to make batts that will spin into the most beautiful yarns you've ever seen.

Friday July 18th
6-9PM
$65.  There may be a materials fee - further information is coming

Getting the most from your painted roving. A systematic approach to spinning painted rovings to get the color effects you want from them instead of wondering why they turned out the way they did.

Saturday July 19th
9:30AM to 5:00PM
$110 per person

Sign up now and make sure you get your spot!