Courses

You eat meat, you love meat, but it is hard to find (and expensive to buy) meats prepared without unnecessary preservatives or from responsibly sourced animals.In this class you will revisit time honored skills that have fallen out of daily use and learn important lessons about how meats have been…

Discover the textile craft tradition known as nålbinding and explore its Scandinavian roots. As a course project, students choose to create their own pair of mittens, socks, or a syltemjölkskopp – a “milk strainer” cap. Or draw from tradition to inspire a project of your own design in consultation with…

Celebrate the oncoming winter by nålbinding neckwear. Nålbinding is an ancient form of fabric construction that dates back to the Iron and Bronze Ages and was used in many regions of the world. For hundreds of years, Scandinavians have used nålbinding techniques to make hats, socks, milk strainers and mittens.…

After a long winter, all northern creatures relish fresh spring breezes, emergent greenery and the flickering energy of the wild about to burst into bloom. Begin the new season with an inspiring session about attuning to Earth's cycles, foods, herbs and energies for your health and wellness this season. Learn…

Dip into the long history of natural dyes and discover the color choices they offer, mordanting techniques, the dyeing process, and some color theory. We will use readily available extract dyes like indigo, cochineal, quabracho red, logwood, pomegranate, fustic, and madder. First, we will dye yarn samples in each of…

Enjoy the “thrill of discovery” in the many colors which can be achieved, and the variation of color that can be found in nature's palette, by learning the complete subtleties of dyeing with natural materials. Dyeing with natural plants is more than a craft, it's a fascinating and inexpensive hobby.…

A turkey walked across the road. A leaf fell in the forest. So, what’s the big deal? Writing and storytelling can reveal the inspiration and joy found in nature. During this workshop participants explore how to gather and share these stories and their moment-to-moment magic with others. Jon Turk, author…

Tired of synthetic ‘fluff’? Clad your torso with the miracle fiber: wool. Learn the history of wool, why it works, and how to maximize its performance as clothing with outdoorwear designed by Kevin Kinney, owner of Empire Canvas Wear of Duluth. In this class you will learn the basics of…

Combine bead embroidery and needle felting to create a unique landscape “painting”. Learn the basics of both needle felting and bead embroidery in this two day workshop. Participants will bring a landscape image (photo, magazine image, postcard etc.) to inspire their beaded piece. First, we will create a simple needle…

Bring your holy wool socks back to life and bring your dull wool sweaters, shirts, skirts, hats to be transformed with colorful wool, a felting needle and a little imagination. Using a needle felting tool is a bit like using a paint brush but more forgiving and no experience is…

Nets aren’t just for catching fish! In this class you will learn an ancient technique to make a netted sack for everyday use. To make a net, you only need to learn to tie one knot. The craft of net making has remained unchanged for thousands of years, a universal…

If the idea of Scandinavian cuisine brings to mind only meatballs, lefse and lutefisk, it’s time to update your palate. In kitchens across the globe, chefs are approaching time-honored classics with a fresh eye, emphasizing seasonal and local ingredients and using innovative and adaptive approaches to classic cooking techniques. Join…

Healing traditions, like all craft, reflect the landscape and stories of the people who create them. Explore Norse and Saami-inspired herbal medicine in this workshop based around the handcrafting of seven herbal medicines, each tethered to a particular story and made from northern plants. Rooted in her own Nordic ancestry,…

In this one day course, students will learn to carve simple nordic-inspired designs on linoleum blocks and use permanent fabric inks to print the design on their fabric. By using a variety of design elements and shapes and colors in the printing process, a simple design can become a unique…

A North Shore favorite returns! Meredith Middleton, taking the reins for the retiring longtime instructor Molly Sharp, will offer an extended version of this popular course. The five day immersive experience will allow students to create a number of pieces, or work on more complicated projects. If you've ever collected…