residential weekend course spinning & dyeing yarn from raw wool

venue: Redfield Community, Bucks

The aim of this unique course is to enable participants to take a raw sheep fleece and turn it into a garment. The course is run by Sarah Harris of Spinning Weal.

Subjects covered will include choosing a fleece, preparing it for spinning, spinning, plying, scouring, dyeing, knitting and caring for a finished garment. We will also touch on uses for parts of a fleece which might not be suitable for garments – rugs, tapestry weaving, composting etc. No part of a fleece need be wasted.

Students will be given a list of recommended books and websites to enable them to pursue wool crafts further, once the weekend is over. For example, students might want to obtain fleeces from specialist sources, or even start their own flock. The course will give a basic grounding in the subject, but will also inspire and direct students towards further exploration of a subject which can be a lifelong adventure.

The course will cover:

• health and safety issues relating to raw wool, and to spinning
• examination of a raw fleece, and handling of samples of different types of wool
• parts of a fleece, and their possible uses
• the four qualities of fleece – staple, count, lustre, crimp
• carding wool with hand carders, and introducing the use of the drop spindle
• spinning – using large wheels and treadle-driven flyer wheels
• making 2-ply yarn for scouring, dyeing and knitting
• making and using an indigo vat for dyeing
• different types of weaving
• knitting – choosing patterns and needles to suit handspun yarn

we start with a renewable resource - wool

wool is sorted, combed and spun by hand

simple garments can be knitted and worn