Workshop Overview

In this beginner level workshop students will learn how to spin yarn on drop spindles, and discuss other types of handspinning as well.

Students will learn to spin yarn from wool grown right on the farm. Through this skill, students will create connections to one of humankind’s oldest and most essential skills practiced across every culture for many thousands of years. Students will have a taste of the kinship that comes from relationship to history and the natural world as well as the joy that comes from learning a skill with a group of like-minded fun people.

Students will learn about different styles of spindles from around the world.

As students spin, Prin will also demonstrate how to prepare raw wool for spinning. This workshop is unique in that students have the opportunity to learn the process of taking fleece from sheep to skein.

Skills + Techniques

Students will learn:

• Discuss “crimp” and “staple length” and the important role these play in spinning yarn
• Draft and apply twist
• Touch on plying and can go into more depth, depending on interest
• Washing and carding wool
• Yarn handling
• Blocking/setting twist

Instructor

Prin Van Gulden

Tools + Materials

Students should bring:

• Students will be provided everything needed to learn how to spin yarn on a drop spindle (Including a spindle to take home)
• If you already have a spinning wheel and want advice on how to use it, feel free to bring it along.
• We’ll be focused on drop spindle spinning in class, but Prin is happy to help with wheel troubleshooting if needed

Material Fee:

• $30.00 paid at time of workshop

COVID-19 

• Please read our COVID-19 Policy prior to registering
• We are honoring each instructor’s specific COVID-19 safety requests. For this workshop, your instructor reserves the right to require additional safety requirements depending on the state of the pandemic at the time of the workshop

Housing + Meals

Housing and meals will be available on-site in 2022. We will let all registered students know when housing registration is open. Spots will be first-come, first serve. The option to choose meals will be open to all students. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

$275.00 / per student