Workshops

Workshops for 2021 Fiber Fair

SAFETY FIRST. The Tip of the Mitt Fiber Fair is operating in accordance with CDC guidelines regarding Covid-19.

This year class sizes inside the EQ Building at the Fairgrounds have been limited.
To contribute to our community safety, we ask that everyone wear face masks when inside Fiber Fair facilities, participating in classes, or within close range to others.
We also ask that you wash your hands often and utilize hand sanitizer.

Thank you for your cooperation – we will get through this together!

Friday - June 4th

Sew and Dye a Skirt by Hand with Tina Bury

Friday, June 4th

10am to 5pm (with 1 hour lunch break)

Do you wish you could sew your own clothes, perfectly fitted to your body and style, but it seems too daunting?

Let’s slow the process down, learn the construction, work on fit and sew by hand…no machines required.

In this class we’ll sew a perfectly fitted Skirt, altering the pattern with your unique measurements and style.

Then we’ll learn and practice the hand stitches needed for construction.

Finally, we’ll take your garment and drop it into the natural dye bath, that we brewed up while sewing and chatting, to give it life.

You’ll leave with a handsewn, well-fitting skirt that you dyed with plants!.

Skill Level: Beginner

Supplies provided: Fabric, needles, thread, sewing pattern, instruction manual, natural dyes – all materials

Length: 6hrs

Minimum # of students:5 // Maximum: 10

$95 fee includes all materials.

Saturday - June 5th

Raising Angora Rabbits for Fiber with Monique Kinney

Saturday, June 5th

9:30am - Noon

Would you like to raise your own fiber but don’t have space for large livestock?

Consider raising angora rabbits. Their wool is known for its softness, being lighter and warmer than most other wools, and its halo effect.

Angora comes in a wide variety of natural colors as well as an incredibly bright white that takes dye well. The first section of the class will be all about the fiber. We’ll discuss the different breeds of wool rabbits, take a look at micron count and spinning fineness, and experience fiber from all 5 breeds of Angora.

This is the perfect opportunity to feel the differences yourself, compare the colors, check out wool, spun yarn, and finished Angora creations. We will discuss different uses of Angora wool and its applications in various garments, with some mention about popular fiber blends.

In the second section of the class we will look at the rabbits themselves. We will cover rabbit anatomy, wool anatomy, housing and care requirements, and more. You will learn will goes into actually having Angoras, what to expect, and some options for marketing fiber.

After a short break we will cover grooming and each participant will get hands on experience grooming and harvesting one of my Angora rabbits. You will leave with some fiber from the rabbit you’ve groomed, handouts, an electronic copy of the notes and presentation, and an afternoon of fun memories.

Supply list: none

Skill Level: Beginner

Length: 2.5hrs

Minimum # of students: 3 // Maximum: 10

$25 fee includes all materials.

Making Dorset Buttons with Deirdre Darr

Saturday, June 5th

3:30pm - 5:00pm

Dorset Buttons are a handmade, woven button which originated in Dorset County, England in the 17th century. These lovely buttons can be made with silk, embroidery floss, or yarn, and embellished with beads.

Use Dorset Buttons as embellishments on clothing, bags, furniture, or even make into a pendant for a necklace.

Supply List: Blunt-nosed tapestry needle, suitable for fingering weight yarn and scissors

Optional materials to bring: your favorite hand dyed fingering weight yarn (at least 3 yards) and matching beads for fingering weight

Materials Provided: button forms, fingering weight yarn in various colors, beads

Skill Level: Beginner

Length: 1.5hrs

Minimum # of students for class to go: 1 // Maximum: 10

$20 fee includes all materials.

Sunday - June 6th

Continental Knitting with Kelly Shively

Sunday, June 6th

10am - 12pm

Have you always wanted to learn Continental knitting? It’s the method where you “pick” the yarn from your left hand to make stitches, rather than “throwing” it with your right.

This method will increase your speed, and give great options for two-handed stranded (try saying that three times fast) knitting.

Maybe you’ve never been comfortable holding the tension in your right hand. Maybe you’ve never knitted before at all!

So… if you want to learn to knit for the first time using this method, or you want to add to your skill set or have options for Colorwork—-this is the class to take.

Supply list:
All you need is scrap yarn, and needles that match. For beginning knitters, I recommend worsted weight and size 7 or 8 needles. Straights or circulars— it doesn’t matter. I would also recommend watching a long tail cast on video on YouTube. If you don’t get it— don’t worry. We’ll touch in it again if you need help.

(If you are interested in Colorwork techniques, bring two colors of yarn)

See you there! This is gonna be fun!

Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate (some knitting experience)

Length: 2hrs

Minimum # of students for class to go: 4 // Maximum: 10

$25 fee includes all materials.

Intro to Thrumming with Monique Kinney

Sunday, June 6th

1:30pm - 3:30pm

Learning to thrum adds an extra dimension to your knitting. It’s the perfect use for leftover roving to add warmth. Use thrumming to line your hats, mittens, socks, or collars.

We will be working on learning 2 different methods of thrumming, one that shows clearly and one that is somewhat hidden. We will be practicing with angora rabbit wool.

Supply list:
Students need to bring: Bring a skein of medium weight yarn and a pair of 5-6mm straight needles (approx US size 9)

Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate (should know how to knit/purl)

Length: 2hrs
Minimum # of students: 2 // Maximum: 6

$25 fee includes all materials.

Meet the Instructors

Deirdre Darr

Deirdre has been knitting for over 20 years and was pretty sure nothing would ever supplant that obsession until she dyed yarn.

She started Fangirl Hand Dyed Yarn in May 2018 and loves the challenge of creating colorways to meet a shop owner's vision or the visual representation of a song.

Deirdre will be teaching Making Dorset Buttons on Saturday.

Kelly Shively

A Petoskey native, Kelly Shively was born and raised on a farm east of town. Growing up with a knitting mother, she was introduced to knitting at an early age. It didn't take. But later in life, when she became the mother of three lovely little girls, she picked up the needles again. This time it was a success.

Now a knitter of 34 years, and a spinner of 30, she finds great peace and fulfillment in these crafts. She loves to teach, and feels like teaching helps keep her own excitement and love for fiber arts fresh.

Kelly has taught many northern Michigan women to knit and spin, and hopes to continue doing so. Her philosophy tends more toward relaxation and enjoyment, rather than a black and white Strict Rules philosophy.

"There are a lot of ways of doing this," she'll often say. Find the way that fits you and brings you joy, and stick with it.

Kelly will be teaching Continental Knitting on Saturday.

Tina Bury

I am a lifelong maker, from fiber to wood, I love working with natural materials to create things of beauty and utility. 13 years ago, I taught myself to sew clothing and fell in love. In the present day, I make most of my own clothes, drafting many of the patterns from scratch and have just begun to learn the art of knitting!

Creating is an empowering act, it allows you to take back your body, your style, your home and where you spend your money. It also allows us to connect with our heritage, connect to ourselves and to our community and to connect to future generations in the form of heirloom pieces. Handwork carries your story and your love. It’s all of this magic that I want to share with folks. I teach so that I can connect and share with others.

Tina will be teaching how to hand sew and dye a knit skirt on Friday

Visit Her Website

Monique Kinney

Monique Kinney is a stay-at-home mom to 3 children. Her family runs Kaninchen Farm, a small farm that raises French Angora and Silver Fox rabbits.

After raising rabbits for over 6 years, Monique has branched out from homeschooling children to teaching homesteading classes including some about raising angora rabbits for fiber, thrumming, and rain gardening. Monique enjoys spending the winter months knitting, sewing, and creating things for their homestead.

Monique will be teaching Raising Angora Rabbits for Fiber on Saturday and Intro to Thrumming on Sunday.