Making your own yarn opens the door to a whole world of textural possibilities: smooth durable sock yarns, warm and fuzzy yarns for mittens and scarves, and soft airy yarn for the perfect shawl or sweater. And yet, beginning spinners often find themselves stuck spinning the same yarn over and over and over… If this sounds like you, this class is your ticket out of a “default yarn” rut and towards creating yarns suited for any knit, crochet, or weaving project you can dream of! 

In this 3-day class, we’ll explore techniques to spin wool into an array of textures along the classic handspinning spectrum ranging from Woolen (warm and airy) to Worsted (smooth and drapey, not to be confused with worsted weight yarn). Students will try different sheep breeds, fiber preparation methods, and approaches to drafting, creating a sample booklet of yarns to use in their craft practice. 

Students should be able to independently spin and ply yarn prior to class. This class is designed to teach intermediate techniques to students who have some experience with making yarn. It doesn’t have to be extensive experience—we’ll certainly recap the fundamentals together in class. Spinners who are brand new to handspinning will struggle to keep up with the techniques this class is designed to teach. Students who are a bit rusty, intrepid spindle spinners who would like to try out spinning on a wheel, and students who use an e-spinner are all an excellent fit for this class. If you have any questions, please reach out to instructor Riley Kleve via email (rkleve@northhouse.org). 

Spinning wheels will be available to borrow during class (please email info@northhouse.org if you need one), but if you have one at home it’s highly recommended that you bring it to use during class in order to practice new techniques on the wheel you are most familiar with. 

Instructor Riley Kleve will be available in the classroom from 3-5pm on Thursday, July 10 to assist students with wheel selection and troubleshooting. If you are borrowing a wheel for class use or have any issues with a wheel you are bringing from home, please drop in during this window so everyone is ready to go once class starts on Friday. 

Students age 16+ may sign up for this class.

Required Tools 

• All required tools and materials will be available in class.

Optional Tools 

• Spinning wheel, spindle, or e-spinner you use at home
• Hand tools for fiber processing: hand carders, flick carder, hand combs. 
• Spinning footwear of your choice: slippers, socks, or shoes with a soft sole are most common. Hard-soled shoes and sandals tend to be much more difficult to spin in. 
• Basket, bucket, or bowl to contain your fiber as you work
• Stool or chair you prefer to use while spinning
• Lap cloth
• Non-skid pad 
• Notebook and writing tool of your choice
• Crochet hook or knitting needles