Las Arañas 2013 Workshops

Las Arañas Spinners and Weavers Guild sponsors educational workshops each year. The costs shown below are the member's costs. Non-members can take the workshops but there is an additional fee.

Susan McFarland is owner of Susan’s Fiber Shop in Columbus, Wisconsin. She is a rep for several carders. The carding portion will cover how to card various fibers—Merino, rabbit, Corriedale & Romney; blend fibers to make art batts using nylon, Silk thrums & threads sparkle the batt with glitz fibers. Work with dyed Merino roving to create rainbows of colors. There are various ways to place the fiber on the carder to create a colorful batt. Bring fibers that you wish to learn how to card. We will also go over how to clean and care for the carder and how to separate and wash a fleece to prepare it for carding. Core spun: twist & twist pull & spin. We will create yarns that are made from having a core of wool yarn or make your own core. The yarns we create will be silks or wool. Learn how to core locks of fiber and twist the locks into excellent new colorful yarns. Tail spun: Take the long lustrous locks of Teeswater-Lincoln or any long wool breed. Twist & Twist to create a luscious fun loving tail spun yarn. Add yarns with your locks. Have fun making the yarn. Bring spinning wheel, also if you have a large flyer & orifice & extra bobbins. Lazy Kate. Hand cards or combs.

Registration Form for Carding & Core/Long Tail Spinning

March 1-2 by Susan McFarland

NAME:__________________________

PHONE:_________________________

EMAIL:_________________________

Registration opens Monday, January 7 and closes Friday, February 22. The cost is $100. Please send a $25 deposit (made out to Las Aranas) to Liz McMaster, 2901 Hyder

In this workshop you will be weaving and then dyeing a scarf using Woven Shibori techniques.

Woven Shibori is a technique developed by Catharine Ellis. It is a way to produce loomcontrolled patterning. Traditionally, Japanese Shibori stitches are sewn by hand in cloth and gathered. The pleats that result from gathering, form a resist when dyed. A unique effect can be obtained to embellish the surface of fabric.

In woven shibori there is no hand stitching! The fabric and gathering threads are produced on the loom. The floats that produce the gathering threads can be small inlays or selvage to selvage wefts. When the cloth is removed from the loom, the supplementary gathering threads are gathered tightly. The cloth is then dyed after which the gathering threads are removed from the cloth. The result is an image of the pattern in the cloth with rich tones and gradations of color where the dye penetrated.

Participants must be able to thread a loom and weave a simple project

Requirements include a 4-shaft or more loom, warp yarn for at least 1 scarf (10/2 tencel or 10/2 cotton in white), 2 shuttles & 2 bobbins.

You should plan to wear cloths suitable for the dyeing process, also bring rubber or vinyl gloves and a mask for the dyeing process.

Cost for the workshop is $180 plus a $10. materials fee which covers dye and all dyeing materials to dye paint the scarves.

If you plan to take the workshop and would like to house Dottie (this includes furnishing her breakfast and lunch each day and dinner on Thursday night), then the cost of the workshop is free. The workshop members will take her to dinner on Friday and Saturday nights and the Guild will pick up her tab for those dinners. Contact Myra Chang-Thompson if you are interested.

There is a limit of 15 for this workshop. There are still some openings. The workshop will be held at Village Wools. Further information about the workshop will be sent after you sign-up for the workshop.

Registration Form for Woven Shibori Workshop April 26-28 with Dottie Weir

NAME:__________________________ PHONE:_________________________

EMAIL:_________________________ TYPE LOOM: Floor ____ Table ____ NUMBER OF SHAFTS _____

Registration opens Monday, March 4 and closes Monday, April 15. The cost is $180. Please send a $50 deposit (made out to Las Aranas) to Liz McMaster, 2901 Hyder Ave. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106.