Here's the plan:
The workshop will be two days, February 27th and 28th. That's a Friday and Saturday. We'll start both days at 10:00 and work through 3:00 with a break for lunch. After class you are welcome to stay and explore the farm, play with the animals, work in the Wool House, help me with chores...
Friday will cover fleece selection, skirting and washing. Since all of our 2014 fleeces have already been skirted and processed, Sheepmom is sending us a couple of her award winning Nistock Farm fleeces. A few of our sheep were a bit crabby about that, but when I explained that someone here would have to volunteer to be shorn early, they quickly said "Send 'em on!" ;-).
Saturday we'll process our freshly washed wool. I have a couple different types of combs, hand cards, flick cards and drum carders. We'll spend some time with each method, find what works best with different types of wool (and people!) and by the end of the day have some beautiful ready to spin fiber.
There will be some down time on Friday while the fleece is soaking, so feel free to bring your wheel, knitting... And if you don't have a wheel or a current knitting project and you'd like to learn, that would be a good time to give it a try!
Likewise, if you have some of your own fleece (or fleeces ;-) you'd like to evaluate and skirt, bring them along. Hopefully the weather will be gorgeous and sunny and warm, but if it's not, the skirting table will be set up in the heated tack room inside the barn :-).
Because late winter/early spring weather can be iffy in Kentucky and we might all end up stuck indoors, I think it would be best to limit the number of participants to four. The weather could very well be perfect, but you'd want to dress appropriately for how involved in the farm you'd like to be if it's not.
We have a good bakery in town who will be catering our food so there's no risk of having to eat my cooking. The B&B at The Old Boswell Place can accommodate several overnight guests and I can promise that will be a treat as well. There is also a decent small motel in Cynthiana.
Cost for the workshop will be $125 for the weekend and that will include coffee, tea, snacks and lunches. Please send me an email if you are interested. I can then send you more information about travel and accommodations...
Sound like fun? :-)
**I felt like I needed a "wool processing" picture to post with this so I scrolled back through the blog using that label and found the above picture of the sample of Maisie's pretty combed fleece. The title and first line of the post was Her Fleece Was White As Snow... except for all the grease, dirt, hay, straw, chicken feathers, dog hair, wild flowers, burrs, tree bark, fishing lures and shotgun shells... ;-).
Yep, that's about it :-D. Eight ounces of singles to go!
Yep, that's about it :-D. Eight ounces of singles to go!
13 comments:
This sounds wonderful. If I wasn't already signed up for a class on drop spindling for 2/28 where I live (in Maryland), I would be trying to figure out how to get down to meet you and the sheeps for your wonderful workshop! I hope it is so successful that you decide to do it again. Have fun!
Oh how I wish I lived closer. What a great deal! And it sounds like so much fun. The weather up here in New England is awful for the next couple of months so even a road trip would be tough. Have a wonderful time. I'm sure it will be a success!
Hmmmm. Could I commute from CA? Kidding -- I'm taking a class out here that weekend, but I KNOW that it won't be as much fun as yours! Lisa
Oh I wish I could go. Will you take lots of pictures and let us live a bit vicariously through you and your students? Pretty Please?
Sounds like a good time! Have fun :)
Winter Sheep Fix - gah! i live on the wrong side of the country for this one!
A miracle has happened. The teenager has agreed to feed the farm animals. If I can get my Friday work schedule covered, I'm coming as a day tripper. Are there any spots still open?
I wish I could come!
How I wish I could be there!!! It would be amazing to not only learn from you, but to visit your farm as well.... what a great idea and so jealous of those who can make it.
I know I have it, but can't find it :-/. Shoot me an email when you get a chance.
Absolutely! Maybe we'll even have a virtual cookie party :-).
1175 miles almost due east... Sounds like fun, but I can't make Feb. I will just have to try for the next one. Miss Maisie's fiber is really pretty. You are almost done spinning :-) Yea! Have you decided on a sweater pattern?
It sounds wonderful - especially with the Nistock fleeces (not that yours aren't lovely!), but alas, I just started my part-time to full-time seasonal job with a tax accounting firm. They would be a tad miffed if I took off. Maybe next year, if I know the dates before starting work, I can tell them "yep, I can work for you all *except* on this date."
Have fun, and please posts lots of photos. And yes, Maisie's fleece is lovely, all scoured, scrubbed, and combed. But don't let her know, or she might roll in even more leaves/burrs/feathers/goodness knows what with what she's wearing right now!
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