We’re offering Yarn School and Felt School back-to-back again this fall. You can enroll for one or both, and if you sign up for both, you get a free overnight stay and meals Sunday night with a free bonus 4-hour dye lab session Sunday afternoon!
REGISTER HERE!
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?
Enjoy a long weekend packed with lessons and supervised hands-on practice dyeing fiber and spinning yarn. It’s wonderful workshop for all skill levels. Novice yarn makers will build fundamentals, while experienced students focus on improving and picking up new techniques. Everyone will go home with a huge spinning fiber stash they’ve dyed themselves, plus a sweet goodie bag!
You’ll get the chance to practice your craft with people who share your passion. Take a full slate of mini-workshops, or just pick those of interest to you and while away your time knitting on the porch, crocheting on the swing set, or spinning in the old maple-floor gymnasium.
Teachers: Classes will be taught by Adrian Bizilia of Hello Yarn and Jennifer Schermerhorn of Settlers Farm. Nikol from Art Club will demonstrate drum carding.
Fiber Animals: Bonus field trips, visits, and Q&As from local fiber animal growers Alpacas of Wildcat Hollow, Laura’s Pygoras, and Little Angora House on the Prairie. You’ll also get snuzzles from our own little flock featuring chocolate Romeny Fudgy the Whale and her white Romeny lamb Jayne Cobb; white Merino Agnes and her two black lambs Hokey Pokey and Ronnie; and Shetland wethers Mr. Shivers and Uncle Honeybunch, the attention hogs of the flock.
The $450 workshop fee includes EVERYTHING–classes, supplies, equipment use, your room, meals & snacks & a great goodie bag including a special Yarn School colorway by Hello Yarn. We’ve even included installment plans to help with your budget.
Yarn School Photo Pools on Flickr:
Yarn School Spring 2009
Yarn School Fall 2008
Yarn School Spring 2008
Yarn School ‘07
Yarn School 2007
Yarn School (2006)
YARN SCHOOL FAQ
What experience do I need? All levels are welcome. Complete novices can learn all the basics, while more experienced spinners/dyers can refine their techniques and enjoy the great work space.
Do I need my own wheel? We have plenty of student wheels. If you do bring your own wheel, you’ll get your choice of an exclusive Hello Yarn colorway made just for Yarn School (4 oz), or 1 pound of undyed wool fiber to dye yourself.
What do I bring? Most importantly, bring yourself & a love of fiber. Optional: your wheel (=free bonus fiber) or spindle, accessories, interesting fiber you want help spinning, your own handspun yarn or items made of handspun to display in our gallery (take them home afterward, of course), and any destashed or personal yarn, fiber, or equipment you’d like to sell, trade, or give away at the Swap & Shop (we’ll set up a honor-system student store after Thursday night’s Swap & Shop). We’ll also have a student store. If you want to shop, bring your checkbook or cash–but everything’s included, so no shopping necessary (if such a thing can be said!).
Which airport should I use? Kansas City, MO (airport code MCI) if you want to take the shuttle. If you’re planning to rent a car, you can also try Wichita (a little over 2 hours’ drive) or Oklahoma City (about 4 hrs).
Note: Several regional lines service MCI, so if you’re not finding good rates, check Frontier, Southwest, Midwest, etc. They’re not always listed on expedia, etc.
What’s up with the shuttle? We’ll have a limited number of spots going to/from the Kansas City International Airport for Fiber School. The shuttle is $30 round trip and reservations are non-refundable after the general registration deadline. Use the times below to schedule your flights. We’ll be arriving to the airport about an hour before the stated departure time, so your check-in time is already built in.
- YARN SCHOOL ONLY: Arrive by 3pm Thurs 9/30; depart after 3pm Sun 10/3
- YARN SCHOOL + DYE LAB: Arrive by 3pm Thurs 9/30; depart after 11am Mon 10/4
- FELT SCHOOL ONLY: Arrive by 10am Mon 10/4; depart after noon Wed 10/6
- YARN SCHOOL + FELT SCHOOL (w/ Free Dye Lab): Arrive by 3pm Thurs 9/30; depart after noon Wed 10/6
How far is Harveyville? About 2 hours from Kansas City or the Kansas City International Airport, an hour from Lawrence, 35 minutes from Topeka.
If you’re driving from farther way, please use our directions, as GPS/Google maps/Mapquest may route you down rough or impassable dirt roads.
ROOM OPTIONS/DISCOUNTS
STANDARD DOUBLE ROOM This is the default Yarn School room included in your tuition. Shared double in a large former classroom. These rooms have two double or queen sized beds. You may choose your roommate, or we can assign. If you have more than two in your group but don’t want to share a group room or you all want the larger beds, we can give you adjacent rooms or reconfigure rooms with up to 4 full/queen beds.
GROUP ROOM (-$50): 6 - 8 singles in a large room (dorm/hostel-style). Let us know if you’re coming with a friend, so we can make sure you’re in the same room.
PRIVATE ROOM (+$100): Just little old you. These are usually cozier rooms with singles or doubles.
TIME OUT ROOM (+$50): This is a private room, but because it’s upstairs and overlooks the gym, and noise can be unpredictable, it’s half the normal private rate.
BYOW FIBER BONUS Bring your own wheel and get your choice of an extra pound of undyed wool or a 4 oz bundle of an exclusive colorway of Hello Yarn Handdyed Fiber, free!
FACILITY (General info & pictures here.)
ROOMS Most of the guest rooms are large (average 700-900sf) former classrooms charming schoolroom details (chalkboards, maps) and tons of natural light. Private rooms are typically smaller rooms (former offices and teachers’ lounges). All of our beds have new, quality mattresses, cotton linens, and down blankets or comforters (cotton blankets instead on request).
BATHROOMS AND SHOWERS are shared (the original school facilities). Towels and washcloths are provided.
MASSAGE On-site massage is available by appointment from massage therapist and teacher June Jones. She has over 30 years of experience in a variety of modalities, from Swedish to therapeutic to prenatal massage. $35 for a half hour or $60 for a full hour.
MEALS
BREAKFAST is continental, so come early to chat and knit, or sneak back to your room with coffee and a little something if you’re not a morning person. Breakfast includes coffee and tea, waffles, fruit, cold cereal, yogurt, pastries, toast, etc.
LUNCH is served buffet style.
DINNER is served buffet or family style. As always, you’re free to enjoy the group or fix a plate and skip out, if you’d prefer a little solitude.
SNACKS (chips, popcorn, cookies, candy, fruit, etc.) are available free around the clock.
SPECIAL DIETS We can accommodate vegetarian and vegan diets–-just let us know in advance.
If you’re bringing your own special snacks or beverages, you may keep them in one of the group fridges.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Thursday
Check-in runs 4-7pm. No early birds, please! Settle into your rooms and lockers, get your goodies and TWO POUNDS of undyed fiber for Friday’s Dye Lab, then set up your wheel in the gym or explore the grounds.
Airport Shuttles will start making the rounds at 3pm (or sooner if everyone’s flights are earlier–we’ll update you the week prior).
Thursday Night’s Swap & Shop.
Thursday evening, we’ll have an hors d’oeuvre supper/cocktail hour so you can mix and mingle with your fellow students. Our fiber library will be on display for your perusal/inspiration.
And if you have a destashing resolution, be sure to cull your stash for yarn, fiber, or tools from home for a Stash Swap & Shop. We’ll have tags for anyone who wants to participate. You can swap, sell, or just give it away (orphaned yarn will go into this). You can also buy special Hello Yarn, Settlers Farm and Art Club spinning fiber, luxury fiber, and additional undyed fiber to dye and take home.
We’ll have a relaxed drop spindling session, which helps newbies understand principles of drafting and twist before they tackle the wheels.
Friday
After breakfast, we’ll break into two groups. Half will hit the Dye Lab (in the schools’ old Home Ec/Science room), and the other half will hit the Fiber Stations in the Gym.
The Dye Lab is stocked with a rainbow of acid dyes, crock pots, roasters, and microwaves. You’ll how to mix stock solutions, learn some color theory and acid dyeing basics, get a demonstration of several dyeing methods, including immersion, painting, microwave, and crockpot dyeing. Then you’ll dye up your undyed wool into a big stash of spinning fiber to take home.
Down in the gym, we’ll cover hand carding, combing, raw fiber and drum carding. Try out all the techniques yourself with fiber from our wonderful fiber buffet!
The fiber buffet includes a wide assortment of fibers and colors, from brightly dyed wool tops to yarn bits, silk noils, bamboo, sparkle, tencel, angelina, corn fiber, wool and mohair locks, sari silk, and feathers! Spin the results on Saturday or take them home.
We’ll break for lunch with a field trip to a local alpaca ranch, Alpacas in Wildcat Hollow, where you’ll get to meet the adorable alpacas and hard-working Marema guardian dogs, sample Ed’s wonderful cooking, and purchase local fiber if you wish.
For the afternoon session, groups switch dye/prep sessions. After dinner, you can spin, knit, card up some more fiber, or just relax and chat.
Saturday
Saturday’s for spinning! We’ll cover wheel and maintenance basics, then split into two groups (beginners and intermediate/advanced).
Weather permitting, our lunch break will be outdoors and will include a special visit from some local fiber critters, pygora goats from Laura’s Pygoras and angora rabbits from Little Angora House on the Prairie. You’ll learn about raising these sweet fiber animals.
Afternoon workshops will focus on planning your yarn, plying, inclduing navajo ply, and spinning luxury fibers.
After dinner, we’ll draw for door prizes. Then you can spin, knit, prep more fiber, or just relax.
Sunday
We’ll wrap up the workshop with more spinning. Work on your fundamentals, get feedback on your progress, or try your hand at some wilder techniques.
Mini-workshops will focus on specialty techniques and art yarns. Hooray yarn!
Shuttle riders will head out after lunch, and Dye Lab students will relax or spin until 2pm.
Adrian leads the Dye Lab from 2-6pm.
After dinner, spin, knit, card, or just relax.
Monday
Dye Lab shuttle riders will have an early breakfast then head out first thing. If you’re staying for Felt School, your fiber journey continues!
Yarn School photos by Robyn Eden, Jennifer Miller, Sarah Kincaid & John Wise.
REGISTER HERE!
GOODIES CONTRIBUTORS
GOODIES FAIRIES!
Special thanks to the following vendors for contributing fabulous treats to workshop goodie bags! If you’re interested in contributing and sampling your wares with students of upcoming workshops, email nikol at harveyvilleproject.com.
2010 Goodies Fairies:
