From Sheep to Shawl

Join us for an exciting adventure into the world of fiber arts! This three-day adventure will cover natural dyeing, spinning fiber into yarn, and knitting. Whether this is your first time seeing a spinning wheel and knitting needles or if you have been spinning and knitting for years this is the class for you!

Natural Dyeing Friday

There is a whole rainbow of colors right outside your door! We can get beautiful colorfast dyes from the flowers we grow to the lichen growing on the trees, and so much more! Come learn how to extract color from nature into your fiber, yarn, and other natural fabrics.

1pm- 1:30pm Welcome & Agenda Talk

1:30pm-5pm Natural Dyeing Class

Spindle and Wheel Saturday

Discover the historical craft of hand carding and spinning on a spinning wheel. Beginning spinsters will strive to get the feel for the simple act of creating a continuous yarn and those with some prior experience will work to improve technique. Our class will include ample time for discussions of many topics, including sheep and wool, raw wool washing and preparation, hand carding and spinning basics. Play with color and fiber blends from the start and try some simple novelty yarn ideas. The adventure includes spinning on both a flyer wheel, point spindle and walking wheel. Students are encouraged to bring their own wheel in working order or borrow a wheel. Please let us know if you plan to bring your own wheel.

9am -10am Fleece Talk

10am -11am Hand & Drum Carding

11am -12:30pm Color blending on hand cards/ drum carder and advancing to wheels

12:30pm -1:30pm Lunch – Box lunch catered into Piney Woods Farm or bring a sack lunch

1:30pm -3:30pm Work on different wheels (or continue to work on carding/ color blending etc.)

3:30pm - 4pm Tea Break and guided walk/tour to sheep

4pm - 5pm Finish up spinning projects

Knitting Sunday

Grab some knitting needles and get ready to explore what fun you can have with yarn! Beginners will learn the basics and have a sampler to show off their new skills. Intermediate knitters will have fun creating a crescent shawl or hat. Experienced knitters will learn about stranded color work and advanced techniques.

9am -9:30am Go over knitting projects

10am -12pm Start knitting!

12pm -1pm Lunch – Box lunch catered into Piney Woods Farm or bring a sack lunch

1pm -4pm Finish up knitting projects

Students will have the option to continue on the spinning wheel at any time Sunday if that is their preference.

Meet the teachers:

Marth Owen

Martha began her adventure in spinning at the John C. Campbell Folk School in 1978. Since then, her extended family has included sheep (mostly Corriedale/ Merino, Romney, Shetland and a little, Blue-faced Leicester for fun) and French Angora rabbits. A banjo player known to tell a story or two, Martha’s interest in sheep and wool, music, and dance, have carried her quite literally and joyfully around the world. Her children say she is a wool nerd, but her sheep say she is outstanding in her field! Martha became a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild in 1988, and was co-owner of the Yarn Circle in Murphy, NC, a store catering to fiber enthusiasts. She has been teaching spinning, natural dyeing and knitting design since 1984.

Emolyn Liden

Emolyn grew up in Brasstown and learned the foundations of knitting without patterns at a young age. This led her to design her own knitwear and learn to spin and dye wool. Through her business, The Roving Knitter, she creates knitwear inspired by color and types of fiber. She teaches people of all ages to knit and bring their ideas to life. While living in southern Louisiana she was a part of the Louisiana guild worked with Acadian Brown Cotton weavers and growers, and taught art-integration and dance in elementary schools. Emolyn has exhibited her work at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, in open studio tours, and sells her hats in shops and at craft shows. She is currently enrolled in a two-year program in the Professional Crafts Program in Jewelry at Haywood Community College

Box Lunches can be purchased through Piney Woods Farm, or you are welcome to bring a sack lunch to enjoy at the Farm.

Welcome to Beautiful LaGrange, GA:

Where to stay in LaGrange

Great Restaurants and Places to Eat in LaGrange!

Cancelation Policy:

In the event that a ticket holder needs to cancel their reservation at least two weeks before class starts a refund minus a $5 processing fee will be issued. Refunds/credits will not be issued to the ticket holder who requests a cancelation within two weeks of the class start time or does not attend.

If less than 12 people enroll, the class will be cancelled, and a full refund will be issued.

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, every dollar spent at Piney Woods Farm is for charitable purposes. Our sustainable approach to farming equips us to help supply our local communities with organic, nutrient-dense goods and produce—to date, we’ve donated over 95,000 pounds of produce to community food banks and other charitable organizations!

Host or Publisher Piney Woods Farm