 |
2009
Classes for Fiber Lovers
The
2009 class schedule for Shepherd's Harvest is now set. We
have many interesting classes and workshops presented by
talented and capable instructors, including:
Patsy
Zawistoski
 This
year we are very excited to have Patsy teach two workshops.
She will be teaching a “High Tech Fiber” workshop
on spinning rayon, nylon, soysilk, bamboo, tencel and much
more. Also, a “Luxury American Fiber” workshop:
an in-depth look into llama, alpaca, cashmere, mohair, camel
and angora bunny fibers. These are great opportunities for
expanding your spinning knowledge and technique.
Read
more about Patsy here: www.spinninguru.com
Annie
Modesitt
 Annie
will be returning to our festival this year. Annie is a
well known knitwear designer and author. Her classes were
such a hit last year that we had to bring her back. This
year sign up for Annie’s “New Directions in
Knitting Color” class and her “Lovely Your Lace”
class.
Read
more about Annie here: www.anniemodesitt.com
Steven
Berg
 “The
Glitter Knitter” and owner of The Yarn Garage will
be teaching this year! Steven will make “Reduce, Reuse,
and Recycle” mean something completely different to
you after attending this class.
Read
more about Steven here: www.yarngarage.com
Letty
Klein
Letty
Klein has been making custom braided rugs from roving for
over 10 years and has been a shepherd for well over 25 years.
Together with her business partner, Ann Brown, they published
a book: The Shepherd’s Rug – a braided rug
from roving, now in its second printing.
Read
more about Letty here: www.plfkarakuls.com
We are
no longer accepting class registrations and online and payment
for class registration using  .
We would not have the opportunity to properly attend to
your registration as we are busy getting things ready for
the Festival and may not have computer access.
You
can still register for classes at the Festival for any classes
that are not already filled. Go to Building A. There you
will be able to register and pay for your classes -- please
cash or checks only.
NOTE:
Materials fees, if any, are to be paid to the instructors
at the time of the class.
We endeavor to keep the class
openings listed here as current as possible. However, since
we accept class registrations both online and by other means,
it is possible that the available slots listed here may
be slightly inaccurate. If you need immediate feedback on
class availability, please contact Aisha Formanski
email: class.info@shepherdsharvestfestival.org
This
class listing is current as of 12:01 PM May 7, 2009.
Some of the instructors have provided an image of the class
project. We have included a thumbnail of those images in the
class description. Click on the image to view a larger version.
| Saturday May 9 Classes |
|
Luxury
American Fibers – Patsy Zawistoski
| Saturday, May 9 |
9
am-4 pm |
6
hours, 1 hour lunch |
| Max # Students: 15 |
Skill
Level: Intermediate |
| Class
fee: $90 |
Materials
fee: $15 |
|
Materials
fee includes the "Luxury Fibers"
booklet, fibers for spinning, and worksheets.
Today
we have such a wide variety of luxury fibers raised
here in our own country. US-grown fibers offer greater
options for preparation and spinning along with their
own particular challenges. Fibers covered include
Llama, Alpaca, Cashmere, Mohair, Camel and Angora
Bunny fibers. Learn how to choose the fiber and the
yarn for your next project.
List
of equipment and supplies the students need to bring
to both classes: a good working wheel or
a variety of spindles in different weights, hand cards,
about a dozen 3X5 file cards and sandwich baggies,
hand towel, scissors, and note paper. A hole punch
or tape for attaching sample yarns or fibers is also
helpful. And, don’t forget to bring your usual
oil and tools for your wheel!
Patsy
Zawistoski enjoys all the possibilities
of creating with handspun yarns. She has enjoyed every
facet of textiles since learning sewing as a 4th grader
and weaving as a new bride. Twenty-some years ago,
she taught herself to spin and has been spinning ever
since. Patsy earned her COE Certificate of Excellence
in Handspinning from the Handweavers Guild of America
(1985), plus a Master's Certificate (1987) for her
study "Spinning Novelty Yarns for Use as Warp."
Her articles have been featured in fiber magazines,
most recently in New Zealand’s Creative
Fiber: "The Top Ten Questions on Twist:
Understanding Twist Forward and Backward".
In
2002, Patsy, her husband Rich, mother-in-law Edith,
and the cats moved to Elk Grove Village, just west
of O'Hare Airport, Chicago, Illinois. She has taught
in Canada and New Zealand, and at various national
and local guilds, shops, community arts programs,
and conferences including SOAR and Convergence. |
You
may register for this class at the Festival in Building
A
|
|
Natural
Dyes–Reds! Glorious Reds! – Stefania
Isaacson
| Saturday, May 9 |
9
am-4 pm |
6
hours, 1 hour lunch |
| Max # Students: 15 |
|
| Class
fee: $50 |
Materials
fee: $30 |
|
Students
need to bring: apron, rubber gloves, several old towels,
paper towels, plastic baggies, hang tags, calculator,
pen and paper.
Reds
have always been the color of passion! In this class
we will explore nature's passion with a variety of
natural red dyes such as cochineal, lac, madder, quebracho,
and amaranthus. We will extend our palette by overdying
with indigo and fustic for a variety of purples and
oranges. The class will also cover some of the long
history of natural dyes, the color possibilities they
offer, mordanting techniques, the dyeing process,
and some color theory. Students will take home dyeing
instructions, many samples, and information on each
of the dyes used and source lists on where to get
them. This class is for everyone interested in natural
dyes, even those with no experience in them. Join
us for a fun day!
Stefania
Isaacson has been a life-long knitter,
and started spinning and dyeing to supply herself
with "the best yarns in the world!" She
got her Certificate of Excellence in Handspinning
from the Handweaver's Guild of America in 1997. Since
then she has opened her own business called Handspun
by Stefania and taught numerous workshops dealing
in natural dyes, spinning and basket-making. She has
spoken about the fiber arts to numerous groups, and
has appeared on Home & Garden TV as a guest on
the Carol Duvall Show. She sells handspun, natural
hand-dyed yarns, original knitting kits using her
own yarns and patterns, hand-dyed roving dyed with
natural dyes, and handmade baskets. She was previously
a high school English teacher, and now enjoys teaching
spinning, dyeing, and knitting to fiber enthusiasts. |
You
may register for this class at the Festival in Building
A
|
|
Drum
Carding - Beyond the Basics – Carol Wagner
| Saturday, May 9 |
9
am-noon |
3
hrs. |
| Max # Students: 10 |
Skill
Level: Beginner through Advanced; Experienced
level is recommended. |
| Class
fee: $25 |
Materials
fee: $20 |
|
Students
should bring a drum carder.
In
this half-day class, students will review basic methods
for using a drum carder. The main focus will be to
explore techniques for blending colors and fibers
to create truly unique yarns. Color inspires us and
enriches our lives: let's develop methods to help
us see colors around us and feel comfortable working
with them. So, let's be creative!
Carol
Wagner has been a spinner since 1988
and uses the yarns she produces in knitting, weaving,
and felting projects. She is passionate about fiber
and promotes quality production of the fiber to be
spun. The quality begins with the animal, includes
carding, and finally spinning excellence!
Carol and her husband Paul raise registered Coopworth
sheep and have a flock of approximately 200. They
also own Hidden Valley Woolen Mill near Valders, Wisconsin
where the goal is to assist the customer with the
creative process. |
|
|
Garden
Girl Basket – Ellie Lida
| Saturday,
May 9 |
9
am-12:30pm |
3.5
hrs. |
| Max
# Students: 10 |
Minimum
Age: 13 |
| Class
fee: $30 |
Materials
fee: $25 |
|
 Weaving
this basket could be the inspiration to collect in
one place your gardening gloves, hand tools, seed
packets, etc. Later, it becomes a harvest basket to
gather the garden/fruit harvest. The sturdiness of
the heavy rectangular hoop handle makes it a durable
“chore basket.” Small holes in the base
allow dirt particles to fall through. Everyone will
leave with a finished basket! This shallow basket
has a generous size of approximately 18” x 12”
x 6” high.
Ellie
Lida has a passion for weaving baskets
and has been teaching basket weaving for fifteen years.
She teaches classes through various community programs,
her home studio and special events. “It’s
just so much fun sharing something you love! Teaching
others to enjoy basket weaving is rewarding. Friendships
are forged as people share their stories and bond,
while weaving.” |
|
|
Mitered
Squares – Shelly Kang
| Saturday,
May 9 |
9
am-noon |
3
hrs. |
| Max
# Students: 10 |
Skill
Level: Advanced Beginner |
| Class
fee: $25 |
Materials
Fee: None - See list below |
 Shelly
Kang’s Mitered Square blanket has been making
waves on the Internet for the last couple of years,
and won the Sweepstakes at the Minnesota State Fair
in 2008. Learn how to put your collection of scraps
to good use in your own work of art – you can
choose to knit a scarf, baby blanket, queen-sized
afghan or anything in between.
Please bring 2-3 ounces of smooth, light-colored worsted
weight yarn such as Cascade 220, in more than one
color, if you have it. Bring needles of an appropriate
size to go with it – somewhere between a 5 and
an 8 – you will need double-point needles for
the applied i-cord, but may also use straight or circular
needles for the squares, if you like. You can use
any weight yarn you like for the actual project, but
worsted weight is easiest for the practice we’ll
do in class. A sharp darning needle and scissors will
also be helpful.
Shelly Kang
is a fiber-obsessed stay-at-home mom of two preschoolers.
She stays sane by teaching knitting, designing patterns,
and blogging about it all at www.shellykang.com. |
You
may register for this class at the Festival in Building
A
|
|
New
Directions in Knitting With Color – Annie
Modesitt
| Saturday,
May 9 |
9
am-noon |
3
hrs. |
| Max
# Students: 12 |
Skill
Level: Beginning to Advanced |
| Class
fee: $45 |
Materials
Fee: None - See list below |
Each
student should bring: 4 contrasting colors of worsted
weight yarn, needles corresponding to the yarn.
Colorwork
is a wonderful thing, and so satisfying for a knitter!
Don’t be afraid, be bold and confident as you
take up your needles: enjoy the full range of colored
yarns that are all around you. In this class we will
learn how to “read” a colorwork chart
and learn the basics of changing colors in a row while
knitting. We will also discuss the differences between
Fair Isle and intarsia, and compare different methods
of carrying yarn across the back of the work.
Annie
Modesitt, author of Romantic Knits,
Confession of a Knitting Heretic, Knitting
Millinery and editor of the 2006 Accord Crochet
Pattern A Day Calendar and the collection of fiber
essays, Cheaper Than Therapy, has contributed
to many knitting books including Stitch N’
Bitch, Scarf Style, Wrap Style,
the Vogue Knitting Book, and Weekend Knitting
and Holiday Handknits. Twist & Loop,
and Men Who Knit And The Dogs Who Love Them
. Her knitting designs have appeared in Interweave
Knits, Vogue Knitting, Knitters Magazine, Cast On,
Family Circle Easy Knitting, McCall’s Needlework
and several family oriented magazines. Annie’s
the inventor of the astoundingly clever Flip Knit,
a low tech and portable alternative to knitting videos.
Annie
knits using the Combination Method and believes that
there truly is no wrong way to knit. She lives in
St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband, kids and assorted
pets |
|
|
Spiral
Flat Braided Rug – Cher Alexander
| Saturday,
May 9 |
9
am-noon |
3
hrs. |
| Max
# Students: 15 |
Minimum
Age: 12 and up |
| Class
fee: $25 |
Materials
Fee: $10 |
|
 Students
should bring: scissors.
Learn
a unique technique for braided rugs. There is no sewing.
You will see a spiral design appear as you braid.
The only thing you will need for class is a pair of
scissors and a good sense of humor.
Cher
Alexander is from Coleman, Wisconsin
and is a long time fiber artist. She likes to work
with children as they are not afraid to try anything
new and are our future artists. Tradition is important
to her but learning new things is not out of the questions.
The more you learn, the more you have to pass on. |
|
|
Wooly
Sculptured Vase – Margie Meehan
| Saturday,
May 9 |
9
am-noon |
3
hrs. |
| Max
# Students: 10 |
Age:
Adult |
| Class
fee: $25 |
Materials
Fee: $25 |
|
Students
should bring a pair of lightweight leather gloves
if your hands are sensitive.
Come
and join in the fun with this brand new class! You
will be the designer and handcrafter of your own project.
Using heaving wire as a core, and wool rovings of
either brightly hand-dyed colors or natural colors
you will be instructed on how to form all into a vase,
a basket, a utensil holder or whatever you decide.
Using fine wires to attach all, you will be able to
actually hand form your project by tightening or loosening
the attachment wires to give your project that “hand
crafted” look. Come be crafty!
Margie
Meehan is from Hopkinton, Iowa. Margie
and Pat Meehan, of Tipperary Farm, located in the
hills of NE Iowa, have been sheep producers for nearly
20 years and now raise Coopworth sheep and Tarentaise
cattle. Teaching fiber arts has been a love of Margie’s
for nearly 18 years, and you will find her sharing
her knowledge by teaching at several fiber festivals
across the Midwest. When not teaching at the festivals,
she is found vending at the Tipperary Fiber Studio
which includes beautiful covered Coopworth and Coopworth
X’d fleeces as well as her hand designed jewelry,
rovings and potpourri. |
|
|
The
Fetish For Felting: Needle Felt a Fringe, Monograms
& More (hands-on) - Carole
Wurst
| Saturday,
May 9 |
10
am-noon |
2
hrs. |
| Max
# Students: 8 |
Skill
level: beginner through advanced |
| Class
fee: $20 |
Materials
Fee: $10 |
|
Materials
Fee includes handouts & supplies to take home
and reuse.
Carole describes how she knits wool fabric, felts
it, and uses templates to cut shapes for a variety
of projects. She also teaches the method of Needle
Felting (sometimes called Dry Felting) to add a monogram,
fringe or other embellishments to a garment. It can
even be used to help control floats on Fairisle knits.
You can get into the act too, by using the kit Carole
has available.Students should bring a pair of lightweight
leather gloves if your hands are sensitive.
Carole
C. Wurst
is a fiber artist, knitwear designer and instructor
who has traveled many places to teach knitting and
will be teaching in several states and Canada in 2009.
She enjoys showing people the wonderful world of knitting
and fiber arts. After knitting by hand for many years,
she started a business selling knitting machines and
yarns from her farm. In 1991 she moved to a large
storefront shop and warehouse at Rocking Horse Farm,
an historic farmstead. Carole’s store features
several complete lines of yarns, knitting needles
and knitting machines, books and software, spinning
wheels, needle felting supplies and more. Each year
her shop hosts a “Knitting Camp,” a “Sewing
& Embroidery Camp,” and the internationally
recognized September Seminar for Fiber Arts. Carole
promotes knitting and fashion knowledge by judging
textile shows in the Upper Midwest, including conference
judging with 4-H members where she evaluates both
constructed and purchased garments and needlework.
Carole has written for several knitting publications
and is the author of several knitting pattern, garment
construction, and fiber instruction books. |
You
may register for this class at the Festival in Building
A |
|
Angora
Rabbit Workshop -
Nancy Barnett
| Saturday,
May 9 |
1-4
pm |
3
hrs. |
| Max
# Students: 12 |
Age:
12 and up |
| Class
fee: $25 |
Materials
fee: $15 |
|
You
will receive all the fibers to spin and a nice notebook
with Angora information to take along with you.
This
is a hands-on workshop with a live Angora rabbit which
will be given away to a willing participant after
the class. You will learn how to groom and take care
of an Angora. You will be spinning French, English,
German and Satin wool and then plying it with a fiber
of your choice. We will compare the differences in
breeds.
Nancy
Barnett has been spinning and raising
sheep and Angora rabbits for over 20 years. She is
a popular teacher at many fiber events including Fiber
Retreat at Jefferson City, MO; The Fiber Event at
Greencastle, IN; Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival,
Jefferson, WI; The Southern Indiana Fiber Arts Festival
in Corydon, IN; and various other festivals throughout
Missouri. She raises English, French, and German Angora
rabbits and has a line of Angora/Wool socks for which
she has won a Sustainable Agriculture Grant. Nancy
and her husband, Bill, live in a 1935 rock schoolhouse
built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the Missouri
Ozarks. |
|
|
Beginning
Spinning, Wheel –
Melanie Galligher
| Saturday,
May 9 |
1-4
pm |
3
hrs. |
| Max
# Students: 6 |
No
experience is needed |
| Class
fee: $25 |
Materials
fee: $5 |
|
Students
will need to bring a spinning wheel in good working
condition. Spinning wool is provided.
Students
will learn the basics of spinning while utilizing
other pieces of equipment for the production of finished
yarn.
Spinning
characteristics of natural fibers will be discussed.
By the end of the class you should have a small skein
of useable yarn that can be used for knitting.
Melanie
Galligher is a knitter, spinner, dyer,
and weaver. She has been a knitter from a young age,
became interested in spinning years ago, and has not
been the same since! She became a member of the Grand
Rapids (MI) Spinner and Weavers Guild and then spent
a year as a committee member of the Michigan Fiber
Festival. She enjoys the process of spinning, experimenting
with fibers, and dyeing. These interests led her to
start her own company called Fiburzzz, producer of
Suri alpaca roving and yarn, pewter jewelry and Majacraft
Spinning wheels. She has taught Beginning Spinning
through the Caledonia, Michigan Adult Education program
and at the North Country Fiber Fair in South Dakota.
She continues to encourage new spinners for the mental
and emotional rewards as well as maybe a new pair
of socks or a sweater.
|
|
|
Love
Your Lace! - Annie Modesitt
| Saturday,
May 9 |
1-4
pm |
3
hrs. |
| Max
# Students: 12 |
Skill
Level: Intermediate to Advanced |
| Class
fee: $45 |
Materials
fee: None |
See
list below. |
Each
student should bring: light colored worsted weight
yarn, needles corresponding to the yarn.
Learn
the basic theory behind knitting lace and perfect
your lace chart reading skills. Written instructions
can have typos, but with a chart what you see is what
you get which is why it’s the best option for
knitters who want to “see” what their
lace will look like before they take up their needles.
In this class we will knit a few simple lace panels,
and move onto a more difficult lace pattern for those
who feel ready for a challenge.
This class could change your entire knitting outlook!
Annie
Modesitt, author of Romantic Knits,
Confession of a Knitting Heretic, Knitting
Millinery and editor of the 2006 Accord Crochet
Pattern A Day Calendar and the collection of fiber
essays, Cheaper Than Therapy, has contributed
to many knitting books including Stitch N’
Bitch, Scarf Style, Wrap Style,
the Vogue Knitting Book, and Weekend Knitting
and Holiday Handknits. Twist & Loop,
and Men Who Knit And The Dogs Who Love Them
. Her knitting designs have appeared in Interweave
Knits, Vogue Knitting, Knitters Magazine, Cast On,
Family Circle Easy Knitting, McCall’s Needlework
and several family oriented magazines. Annie’s
the inventor of the astoundingly clever Flip Knit,
a low tech and portable alternative to knitting videos.
Annie
knits using the Combination Method and believes that
there truly is no wrong way to knit. She lives in
St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband, kids and assorted
pets. |
You
may register for this class at the Festival in Building
A
|
|
Saori
Free-Style Weaving -- Chiaki and Dan O’Brien
| Saturday,
May 9 |
1-4
pm |
3
hrs. |
| Max
# Students: 8 |
Age:
5 and above |
| Class
fee: $25 |
Materials
fee: $20 |
.
|
 Students
should bring a willingness to explore.
Saori
is very different from the traditional weaving: placing
more importance on free expression and creativity
than on technical skills or regularity of the woven
cloth. This is a therapeutic/healing weaving technique:
students in this class will relax, enjoy, explore,
and develop positive thinking through weaving.
Even
though there are only two harnesses, students can
still enjoy weaving with many colors, textures and
exploration! Students will be amazed how much they
can do with two harnesses.
The
warp will be set for students so they can start weaving
right away. Students will take home whatever length
they weave. The finished project might be a scarf,
table runner or wall hanging.
We
always try to do what only human beings can do, without
imitating machine-made products. No two weavers are
alike, so it is very natural that every single cloth,
freely woven by people with different personalities,
is beautiful in a different way. Irregular selvages
and accidental skips of thread add to the un-programmed
beauty of SAORI cloths: we admire this irregularity
as the unintentional beauty resulting from our natural
creativity.
Chiaki
and Dan O’Brien are both SAORI
Leaders Committee Certificate recipients. Chiaki worked
as an instructor for the SAORI head office in Japan,
and Dan is the only non-Japanese certified instructor.
They have taught at schools for artists in residence,
in several community education programs for people
with or without disabilities, at the Minnesota Children’s
Museum, at the North Country Fiber Fair (SD) and at
art shows. Chiaki’s woven items are sold at
the Mill District Arts Gallery in Downtown Minneapolis.
They have a studio in their home in Chaska, Minnesota. |
|
|
Bead
Embroidery –
Jennifer Sevlie Diederich
| Saturday,
May 9 |
1-3 pm |
2
hrs |
| Max
# Students: 12 |
|
|
| Class
fee: $20 |
Materials
fee: $5 |
|
During
this class you will learn the four basic stitches
needed for any bead embroidery project. Learn about
needles, thread and types of fabric stabilizer. We
will cover different bead sizes and types of beads
that are ideal for bead embroidery. There will be
many examples of how you can use bead embroidery from
clothing to home décor. This class is perfect
for the quilters wanting to surface embellish their
wall quilts before and after the quilt has been completed.
You will complete a small sampler of stitches to use
as reference for future projects.
Jennifer
Sevlie Diederich started out her professional
life as a nurse, became a teacher, and in between
things evolved into the well-established artist, beader
and seamstress she is today. She is a frequent speaker
and teacher at quilting, beading and sewing events.
Two pieces of her fiber, textile and beaded wall art
were featured at the 2006-2007 National Sewing Expo.
Jennifer's bead embellishments and jewelry designs
have been published by Interweave Press and Better
| |
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