Author: COWFG Admin

This event has been cancelled due to the Ohio Department of Health’s Stay-At-Home order to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and flatten the curve of those who develop the COVID-19 disease.

Friday, May 15, 2020 – 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Cedar Ridge Lodge, Franklin County Metroparks
1775 Darby Creek Dr., Galloway
Click here for a map and directions.

We are so excited to welcome Esther Rodgers to Ohio for the first time!!

Ever wonder how to make that cloud of expensive cashmere go as far as possible, or how to spin those fun textured yarns?  In this corespinning class you’ll learn how to do both! Combining the fun with the function, corespinning is a wonderful way to make the most of your expensive fibers, as well as preserve texture and spin those funky art yarns – even the expensive tailspun yarns! As a bonus in this class we will talk about how these corespun yarns are used in knitting. Patterns will be provided, as well as knitted and woven samples will be available for examination and discussion. Carding textured art batts will also be demonstrated. 

Students must be able to spin a single and ply on a wheel.

Students should bring their wheel, bobbins, lazy kate, assorted carded fibers (batts, rolags, roving), any other loose fiber (farm wool/locks/fleece), scissors, a tapestry needle, a niddy noddy and any add in’s they’d like to corespin into yarn. (sequins, ribbon, pom poms, etc)

Included materials are: unusual fibers and add in’s.

The cost for this workshop is $85, which includes materials!
Registration for this workshop closes March 31!

Esther is a full time fiber artist from Mebane NC, known for her creative art yarns, and her unique fiber preparation. She is constantly innovating her spinning techniques to create new textures and is on the cutting edge in terms of yarn design. She loves to design and spin concept yarns from an inspiration and tell stories with her yarns. Esther is also a SAORI weaver and creative knitter which gives her the perspective of how these extra special yarns can be used. She challenges herself by creating garments and other items out of her yarns and woven cloth.
Esther is very conscious of where her fiber comes from, sourcing her wool from local and friendly farms, directly from wonderful shepherds with happy animals, and is often seen lugging, pulling and otherwise schlepping as many bags as she can manage from the fleece shows she visits. She is a master of packing fleeces into suitcases, boxes and otherwise figuring out how to get it all home since she “never plans to buy any”.
Esther is an enthusiastic and patient teacher; possessing both national and international teaching experience. She enjoys the adventure of traveling around, sharing her techniques and fun. Some of the events she has taught at include Iceland spinners group, MAFA, John C Campbell Folk School, Interweave YarnFest, PlyAway, New York Sheep and Wool (Rhinebeck), Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival (SAFF), Stitches South and Stitches Midwest and Majacraft Camp in New Zealand. She loves to challenge her students to embrace their design elements rather than “mistakes” and to learn from each new spin.
Esther has 2 new streaming videos out through Interweave Press, along with 2 Interweave videos- How to Spin Art Yarn and Carding and Combing wool for Color progressions. She also has a Craftsy class on Fiber Preparation for Spinning. Esther is a regular contributor to PLY, Spin Off and Handwoven magazines, and was included in Ashley Martineau’s 2013 book, “Spinning and Dyeing yarn” and , Lexi Boeger’s 2012 book “Handspun, New Spins on Traditional Techniques.”

You can find Esther’s workshop schedule and peruse her tutorials and general chatter at
www.jazzturtle.com . She also sells her yarn and fiber at www.jazzturtle.etsy.com .

What Esther’s Students say about her work:
“Really an excellent class and very knowledgeable teacher. Esther was patient and knew how to get the class going despite students being at different levels of experience. I am looking forward to taking more of her classes in the future.” ~ SAFF student, NC
“what an awesome workshop last saturday morning. I wish I could have stayed to take your tailspinning workshop too!! Kudos for being generous and confident and organized and spontaneous. Your class on color blending touched on so many topics and tools giving me lots to think about!” ~ Karen S., NY
“Esther’s class has given me permission to not follow rules, to fight the need to do what is expected. We are encouraged to trust our muse, to go blindly into the world of all things fiber and, to create great rolling strands. It’s worth doing again every couple of years just to give ourselves permission to play!” ~ Cynthia W. GA

This event has passed.

Sunday, March 15, 2020 – 1:00-5:00 pm

Spring Hollow Lodge, Franklin County Metroparks
1069 W. Main Street, Westerville, OH 43081
Click here for a map and directions.

Texture is an easy and fun technique to learn and execute on the rigid heddle loom!  Using a simple pick up stick and your fingertips, you can easily add sections of texture to your woven projects for a pop of visual interest or create a beautiful all-over textured fabric. 

Join us as Lois Wagner, owner and teacher at Fiber Fun Studio, leads us in creating a sampler that will introduce rigid heddle weavers the how-to behind Leno lace, Brooks Bouquet, Danish medallions, Spanish lace, in lay, and pinwheels.

Required Equipment & Materials:
Rigid Heddle Loom with 7.5 or 8 dpi heddle – warped on your own before class
2 shuttles
Worsted weight yarn in cotton, wool or wool blend in 2 different SOLID colors
pick up stick (these may be bought from Lois on the day of the workshop – please bring cash or checks)
table fork (yes, like out of your silverware drawer!)
scissors
Small crochet hook (size US C, D or E)

A warping plan and other preparation details will be sent to all who register.

Space for this workshop is limited to 10 students.

The cost for this workshop is $65.

You can find more about Lois on her Facebook page or her website.

This event has passed.

Saturday, February 15, 2020 – 2:30-4:30 pm

Dublin Branch, Columbus Metropolitan Library
75 N. High Street, Dublin, OH
Click here for a map and directions.

Let’s talk about sweaters. You love sweaters but struggle to get the exact fit that you want. Or maybe the fit is mostly right and there’s always one thing that’s off. Or maybe you’d love to make a sweater perfect for you (or someone else) but are too intimidated by the thought of changing anything in the pattern to even try. I’m here to help you realize that making garments that fit you is not that hard. In fact, once you know what to look out for anyone can do it.

We will start with a presentation and follow with a workshop. The presentation will cover the basics of what you need to know to get a good fit. We will talk about fabric characteristics, gauge, ease, measurements, sizing charts and more. Understanding these basic points will get you well on your way to making garments that fit you well. The points will be presented mostly in a knitting context but are universal enough that you can apply them to weaving and sewing projects as well.

In the workshop we will take the points discussed in the presentation and apply them to a real world example. We will all use the same basic knitted sweater design and work through how to adjust the pattern to get the best individualized fit for each student. Each student will learn how to take a detailed set of personal body measurements and will leave with their own set of measurements. We will discuss swatching, how to make a gauge swatch, how to measure gauge, how to read pattern schematics, ease, how to compare your desired garment measurements to the patterns finished measurements, how and why to adjust the pattern in certain areas for desired fit, and how to do some simple math to get us to the best fit. Let’s go make some well fitting sweaters!

This presentation and workshop are based in theory so students do not need to bring any special materials with them. Pen and paper for taking notes are enough. The teacher will provide class handouts, measurement worksheets, and copies of the sweater pattern for the workshop.

Space for this workshop is limited to 10 students.

One morning in 2004 Kathryn rolled over in bed and thought “I have to knit.” She didn’t know how, so she found a local yarn store, bought Debbie Stoller’s Stitch ‘n Bitch book, super bulky yarn and size 13 needles. Knitting has been a central part of her life ever since.
This passion for yarn and needles led to Kathryn working at Knitters Mercantile for 4 years. She was also one half of the former design duo of Quirky Bird Knits for 4 years. She discovered a love for teaching at the Merc and has taught at 614 Knit Studio and Yarnbyrds as well. Kathryn has taught a wide range of classes – from intensive beginning knitting to brioche to socks (and much more). Her passion is for sweaters and for adjusting patterns to suit the needs of each person. Kathryn works for county government during the day and is mom to two little girls. She is also a history nerd, a lover of period dramas, a spinner, a dyer, a beginning weaver, an optimistic gardener, and a practitioner of Ashtanga yoga. You can often find her plotting and planning how to get her girls (and sometimes her labrador) into as many hand knit items as possible.

You can find Kathryn’s fiber arts projects on Ravelry.

This event has passed.

Saturday, February 15, 2020 – 1:00 pm

Dublin Branch, Columbus Metropolitan Library
75 N. High Street, Dublin, OH
Click here for a map and directions.

Schedule of events:
11:00 – New Weavers Group
12:00 – Social Hour
1:00 – Meeting

New Weavers Group

This is a time to meet with other new weavers and pick the brains of some of our most experienced weavers! All are welcome.

Social Hour

Bring a lunch, catch up with a friend, or get to know a new member!

Meeting

Let’s talk about sweaters. You love sweaters but struggle to get the exact fit that you want. Or maybe the fit is mostly right and there’s always one thing that’s off. Or maybe you’d love to make a sweater perfect for you (or someone else) but are too intimidated by the thought of changing anything in the pattern to even try. I’m here to help you realize that making garments that fit you is not that hard. In fact, once you know what to look out for anyone can do it.

We will start with a presentation and follow with a workshop. The presentation will cover the basics of what you need to know to get a good fit. We will talk about fabric characteristics, gauge, ease, measurements, sizing charts and more. Understanding these basic points will get you well on your way to making garments that fit you well. The points will be presented mostly in a knitting context but are universal enough that you can apply them to weaving and sewing projects as well.

Click here for more info on Kathryn’s workshop!

One morning in 2004 Kathryn rolled over in bed and thought “I have to knit.” She didn’t know how, so she found a local yarn store, bought Debbie Stoller’s Stitch ‘n Bitch book, super bulky yarn and size 13 needles. Knitting has been a central part of her life ever since.
This passion for yarn and needles led to Kathryn working at Knitters Mercantile for 4 years. She was also one half of the former design duo of Quirky Bird Knits for 4 years. She discovered a love for teaching at the Merc and has taught at 614 Knit Studio and Yarnbyrds as well. Kathryn has taught a wide range of classes – from intensive beginning knitting to brioche to socks (and much more). Her passion is for sweaters and for adjusting patterns to suit the needs of each person. Kathryn works for county government during the day and is mom to two little girls. She is also a history nerd, a lover of period dramas, a spinner, a dyer, a beginning weaver, an optimistic gardener, and a practitioner of Ashtanga yoga. You can often find her plotting and planning how to get her girls (and sometimes her labrador) into as many hand knit items as possible.

You can find Kathryn’s fiber arts projects on Ravelry.

This event has passed. Please check out photos of the event on our Facebook!

Sunday, November 17, 2019 – 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Spring Hollow Lodge, Franklin County Metroparks
1069 W. Main Street, Westerville, OH 43081
Click here for a map and directions.

Learn how to create a woven tapestry with techniques taught by an accomplished tapestry weaver. In this class, you will learn weft facing weaving on a tapestry sampler frame. True tapestry has a weft facing weave and the warp disappears in the structure and packing of the weave. The goal for this class is to warp the little loom in the class and begin learning the technique of weft facing then joins and color shifts will be added.

Workshop cost is $130 – this includes a handcrafted tapestry loom for you to keep, warp thread, a beater fork and a tapestry needle.
Students are responsible for bringing a variety of yarn weights and preferred colors to the class. Dyed long wool locks also add interest and students are welcome to bring those as well.

Teresa and her husband Robin both retired from corporate-type jobs and bought a small farm in central Illinois. She has enjoyed fiber arts for most of her life: sewing since her teens, rug hooking since 1980 and spinning and weaving since 1994. Since retirement, her focus has been on expanding and improving on her fiber skills and learning to care for her flock of Finn and Shetland sheep.

Robin is an award-winning full-time festival craftsman working Fiber Festivals in the Midwest, having recently served as Instructor at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Inspired by Tolkien’s Legendarium, he started carving Ents, Wizards and Castles after reading the Hobbit four decades ago. Woodcarving, Woodturning, Hand Built Ceramics, Hot and Cold Glass, Coppersmithing, Enameling, Broom Making, Tool Making, Spinning & Navajo Style Weaving are current specialties. Teaching the Traditional Crafts is a passion. He also conducts a lively online trade in ‘Heirloom Quality Hand Made Fiber Tools’.

Find them online as The Dancing Goats!

Website – Instagram – Etsy – Amazon Handmade – YouTube