Tag: education

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

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

Saturday, November 16, 2019 – 8:30 am – 11:30 am

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

Learn 3 different Support Spindles of the World and keep the one you like the best to take home. We will practice the Navajo inspired Southwest Spindle, The Tibetan Spindle and the Compromise Russian Spindle. All of the Spindles have a non-traditional hook on the end with a consequent result: They are easy to learn and utilize. Additional spindles and bowls will be available for purchase.

Familiarity with basic spinning concepts would be helpful for this workshop!

Workshop cost is $100 – this includes your choice of spindle. All materials, supplies and use of tools are included.

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

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

Sunday, October 20, 2019 – 1:30-4:30 pm

Hilliard Branch, Columbus Metropolitan Library
Click here for a map and directions.

We will meet in The Hilliard Room. Enter the library and proceed upstairs (via staircase or elevator). The Hilliard Room is to the right of the stairs and escalator.

Have you always heard about a certain type of wheel and are curious how it spins? Are you in the market to buy a spinning wheel, but aren’t ready to take the plunge?

Come out and try ours!

We will have over a dozen different types of wheels for you to try! We will have fiber for you to spin, as well as information print-outs on each wheel so you can add your notes as you move from wheel to wheel.

Confirmed wheels:
Ashford: Kiwi, Traditional, Traveler, E-Spinner
Blue Bonnet: Honeybee
Columbine
Electric Eel: Nano
Hansen miniSpinner
Kromski: Prelude
Lendrum Original: standard flyer and Woolee Winder
Louet S15
Majacraft: Suzie, Aura
Merlin Tree: Hitchhiker
Schacht: Ladybug

Please note – we will all be spinning onto shared bobbins and your spinning will not be able to be pulled off of any wheel when you are finished.

Out of respect for those who are allowing us to try out their wheels:
no spinners will be allowed to spin while wearing shoes.
For sanitary reasons, please wear socks while spinning.

Space is limited to 24 ‘tasters’.

Cost for this event is $10.

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

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Hilliard Branch, Columbus Metropolitan Library
Click here for map & directions.

We will meet in The Hilliard Room. Enter the library and proceed upstairs (via staircase or elevator). The Hilliard Room is to the right of the stairs and escalator.

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

New Weavers Meeting

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 in touch with Donita or Terre for help renewing your membership online.

Meeting

At 1:00, we will gather for announcements and a presentation from member Jinney Becher on the basics of rug weaving.

I was born in Kentucky and attended Morehead State University earning 3 degrees in art and education.  I taught art at Midway College, a woman’s college near Lexington for 17 years.  Growing up my Mother was extremely capable in sewing and there was always fabric in our home.  While teaching Basic Design, I realized color and texture are my areas of expertise.  

Weaving has always fascinated me. While working on one of my degrees I studied weaving at University of Kentucky under Arturo Sandoval.  After moving to Ohio in 1991 and taking a class in Char Norman’s home, I started a small weaving business. Rugs are necessary and useful to anyone.  I could use my love of color and texture in this business.  I went to my first arts and crafts show in 1996 taking rugs and have continued upscaling materials from various sources to weave strong, usable, and durable rugs to this day. 

Jinney Becher

Donita & Julie have been hard at work, planning a year of great learning opportunities for our fiber community! Check out this overview!

Oct. 19
Presentation:
Get Started with Rug Weaving with veteran rug weaver Jinney Becher

Oct. 20
Spinning Wheel Smorgasbord – come and try different spinning wheels!

Nov. 16-17
A Spinning Weekend with The Dancing Goats: Robin Goatey 
Presentation:
Small Scale Sheep Keeping 
Trunk show after the presentation as well!
Workshops:
Spindles of the World (supported spindles)
Beginning Tapestry Weaving

Feb. 15
Presentation:
How to make a garment that FITS! with Kathryn Maynard
Workshop:
Starting to Succeed: a Sweater that Fits! with Kathryn Maynard

Mar. 14-15
A Rigid Heddle Weaving Weekend with Nancy Niemeyer 
Workshops:
Weave a V-Cowl (no sewing!)
Faux Painted Warp Scarf (intentional pooling)
Pick Up Techniques for Textured Weaving 

Mar. 21
Presentation:
Shetland Sheep and Wool with Shave ‘em to Save ‘em 
Shepherdess Keba Hitzeman, Innisfree on the Stillwater Farm

May 15-17
A Wild Weekend with Esther Rodgers
Presentation:
Love Art Yarn? What to do with it!!
Workshops:
Corespinning for Funk & Function
Wild Fiber: Getting Creative with Your Fiber Prep
Creative Exploration of Unspun Fiber in Weaving (any style loom!)
Wild Plying: Beehives, Bobbles, Crescents & Coils and How to Use Them!
Expressive Freestyle Weaving: Going Beyond The Edges!