Beginning Drop Spindle Workshop
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Spinning a Yarn: Beginning Drop Spindle Workshop
Saturday, September 12th 1pm-2:30pm
at the Littlefield Celtic Center
1124 Cleveland Ave. Mount Vernon, WA
We will begin with the beginner-friendly park-and-draft method, then move on to controlling a suspended spindle, adding twist, winding yarn onto the spindle, and joining new fiber.
As you spin, Echo will share a brief history of the drop spindle, from its use around the world to its importance in Celtic societies and cultures. There will be plenty of storytelling along the way, including spinning folklore and fairy tales from Ireland, the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands, and beyond.
You will leave with your first handspun yarn, instructions for plying and setting the twist, and the skills you need to keep exploring the world of spinning on your own. Please expect your first yarn to be a wee bit uneven, or even lumpy! This is a normal part of learning how to spin. After all, as the old Irish proverb goes, ní den abhras an chéad snáithe.
Who Is This Workshop For?
This workshop is for complete beginners, makers curious about how yarn is made, history and folklore enthusiasts, and anyone interested in traditional crafts and stories. No previous spinning or fiber arts experience is required.
Drop spindle spinning uses repeated hand and wrist movements and requires coordination between both hands. It is easiest to learn while standing, but students are welcome to spin while seated.
You Will Learn How to:
-Spin using the park-and-draft method
-Spin while the spindle is suspended
-Add and control twist
-Wind yarn onto the spindle
-Join new fiber
-Troubleshoot common beginner problems
-Ply your yarn
-Set the twist after spinning or plying
Materials List
-A beginner-friendly drop spindle, such as a wooden top-whorl or bottom-whorl spindle
-2–4 ounces 100% wool top or batt, medium or coarse, with a minimum staple length of 3 inches
-Please do not bring fine or medium-fine wool, such as merino. Medium and coarse wools are easier to manage when you are first learning.
-Approximately 10 inches of yarn to use as a leader
Kits will also be available for purchase from Echo for $25 on the day of the class. Each kit includes a wooden top-whorl drop spindle, 2 ounces of medium wool, and a leader.
Instructor Bio
Echo Mae [she/hers] is one of the owners of Northwest Yarns & Mercantile in Bellingham, WA and a dedicated fan of fiber arts history and culture. When not encouraging anyone and everyone to learn a fiber art, dreaming up knitting patterns, or writing for her shop blog, Know Your Fiber, Echo can be found exploring fiber arts trends, culture, and history to share with her fiber arts community and with almost any person who will stand still long enough to listen to her talk about them.
Upcoming workshops at CAF from Echo Mae!
-Beginning Drop Spindle Spinning, 9/12 at 1pm
-Portable Frame Loom Weaving: Plaid Mug Rug, 10/18 at 1pm
-Beginning Embroidery: Tea Towel, 11/15 at 1pm
https://www.celticarts.org/event/beginning-drop-spindle-workshop
Saturday, September 12th 1pm-2:30pm
at the Littlefield Celtic Center
1124 Cleveland Ave. Mount Vernon, WA
We will begin with the beginner-friendly park-and-draft method, then move on to controlling a suspended spindle, adding twist, winding yarn onto the spindle, and joining new fiber.
As you spin, Echo will share a brief history of the drop spindle, from its use around the world to its importance in Celtic societies and cultures. There will be plenty of storytelling along the way, including spinning folklore and fairy tales from Ireland, the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands, and beyond.
You will leave with your first handspun yarn, instructions for plying and setting the twist, and the skills you need to keep exploring the world of spinning on your own. Please expect your first yarn to be a wee bit uneven, or even lumpy! This is a normal part of learning how to spin. After all, as the old Irish proverb goes, ní den abhras an chéad snáithe.
Who Is This Workshop For?
This workshop is for complete beginners, makers curious about how yarn is made, history and folklore enthusiasts, and anyone interested in traditional crafts and stories. No previous spinning or fiber arts experience is required.
Drop spindle spinning uses repeated hand and wrist movements and requires coordination between both hands. It is easiest to learn while standing, but students are welcome to spin while seated.
You Will Learn How to:
-Spin using the park-and-draft method
-Spin while the spindle is suspended
-Add and control twist
-Wind yarn onto the spindle
-Join new fiber
-Troubleshoot common beginner problems
-Ply your yarn
-Set the twist after spinning or plying
Materials List
-A beginner-friendly drop spindle, such as a wooden top-whorl or bottom-whorl spindle
-2–4 ounces 100% wool top or batt, medium or coarse, with a minimum staple length of 3 inches
-Please do not bring fine or medium-fine wool, such as merino. Medium and coarse wools are easier to manage when you are first learning.
-Approximately 10 inches of yarn to use as a leader
Kits will also be available for purchase from Echo for $25 on the day of the class. Each kit includes a wooden top-whorl drop spindle, 2 ounces of medium wool, and a leader.
Instructor Bio
Echo Mae [she/hers] is one of the owners of Northwest Yarns & Mercantile in Bellingham, WA and a dedicated fan of fiber arts history and culture. When not encouraging anyone and everyone to learn a fiber art, dreaming up knitting patterns, or writing for her shop blog, Know Your Fiber, Echo can be found exploring fiber arts trends, culture, and history to share with her fiber arts community and with almost any person who will stand still long enough to listen to her talk about them.
Upcoming workshops at CAF from Echo Mae!
-Beginning Drop Spindle Spinning, 9/12 at 1pm
-Portable Frame Loom Weaving: Plaid Mug Rug, 10/18 at 1pm
-Beginning Embroidery: Tea Towel, 11/15 at 1pm
https://www.celticarts.org/event/beginning-drop-spindle-workshop
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Where is it happening?
1124 Cleveland Ave, Mount Vernon, WA, United States, Washington 98273
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherCeltic Arts Foundation
