Workshops

Workshops for 2020 Fiber Fair

Friday - June 5th

Sew and Dye a Skirt by Hand with Tina Bury

Friday, June 5th

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: 15

$95 fee includes all materials.

Saturday - June 6th

Raising Angora Rabbits for Fiber with Monique Kinney

Saturday, June 6th

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

Skill Level: Beginner

Students need to bring: nothing

Length: 2.5hrs

Minimum # of students: 3 // Maximum: 15

$25 fee includes all materials.

Drum Carding for Beginners with Liz Fagel

Saturday, June 6th

12:30pm - 3:30pm

We will card luxury batts using silky fibers such as alpaca, silk and bamboo. We will go over prepping for smooth batts and how to blend on the drum carder.

Students can bring their drum carder to class if they desire. I will also have two drum carders available that students can take turns using. Each student will leave with one batt of their own to be used for spinning or felting.

Materials students need to bring: drum carder if they have one.

Materials provided: alpaca, silk and other fibers for blending

Length: 3hrs

Minimum # of students: 1 // Maximum: 12

$40 fee includes all materials.

A Taste of Knitting with Deirdre Darr

Saturday, June 5th

3:30pm - 5:00pm

In this class you will learn the first steps in knitting: cast on stitches and the knit stitch.

Skill Level: beginner

Supplies provided: Size 8 straight bamboo needles and worsted weight wool yarn

Supplies students need to bring: EXCITEMENT TO LEARN KNITTING! 🙂

Length: 1.5hrs

Minimum # of students for class to go: 1 // Maximum: 6

$30 fee includes all materials.

Sunday - June 7th

Beginning Wheel Spinning with Kelly Shively

Sunday, June 7th

10am - 1pm

Have you got a spinning wheel sitting around your house calling to you— but you never found the time or courage to answer??

Well, now is your moment. Bring your wheel in and let me help you get started. It’s not hard— you’ve got this! Bring whatever you want to spin— wool roving would be best. If you haven’t got any, there will be some available at class. Let’s make yarn!!

I will help you get control of your wheel, and time permitting, maybe even get some plying in… but we will at least cover those points verbally. If you already spin, but just want a little help, or you need questions answered, we can do that too!

Skill Level: Beginner

Students need to bring: Spinning wheel and roving. Roving will also be available for purchase.

Length: 3hrs

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

$35 fee includes all materials.

Intro to Thrumming with Monique Kinney

Sunday, June 7th

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.

Skill Level: Students should know how to knit & pearl

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

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

$25 fee includes all materials.

Meet the Instructors

Deirdre Darr

I learned how to knit over 20 years ago and have taught dozens of students. In 2018 I started to formally teach knitting classes through my business Wool Knit Together. Also in 2018 I started hand dyeing yarn and that developed into Fangirl Hand Dyed Yarn.

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.

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.

Visit Her Website

Liz Fagel

Liz Fagel has been raising Alpacas in Ocqueoc, Michigan since 2006 with her husband. She is a fiber artist who loves alpaca yarn and hand-makes their fiber into finished products. She preps, spins, knits, felts and weaves everything alpaca.

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.