We’re taking a break from workshops this year, but plan to resume in 2023. Sign up for our mailing list for a heads up when we update our calendar.
Felt School is held every year in early October, in conjunction with Yarn School. We can also offer private Felt School workshops at similar rates to groups of 6 or more.
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?
Explore in to the wonderful world of felt! Get hands-on experience and create projects with five main techniques: wet felting (flat & resist), nuno felting, recycled felting, shibori felting, and needle felting. You’ll go home with your own needle felting tools, an assortment of finished projects, and a felting goodie bag!
Teacher: Classes are taught by with Shannon Okey (aka knitgrrl), crafty maven, Cooperative Press publisher, and author of Felt Frenzy (and a whole lotta other craft books).
Fiber Animals: Free snuzzles from our chocolate Romney Fudgy the Whale and Shetland wether Uncle Honeybunch.
The workshop fee includes EVERYTHING-–2 FULL days of classes, supplies, equipment use, your room, meals & snacks & a great goodie bag.
Reboux hat by Shannon Okey
FELT SCHOOL FAQ
What experience do I need? All levels are welcome. We’ll explore several different techniques, and you’ll have time to practice your favorites in more depth.
What do I bring? Most importantly, bring yourself & a love of fiber.
Optional: accessories, interesting fiber you want to try (we’ll have a generous fiber buffet to graze for our projects), commercial or hand-knitted projects you’d like to felt, your own felt items to display in our gallery (take them home afterwards, of course), and any destashed or personal yarn, fiber, or equipment you’d like to sell, trade, or give away at the Swap Shop (an honor-system student store). If you want to shop, bring your checkbook or cash.
Shibori dimensional project made from recycled Fair Isle sweater.
Which airport should I use? Kansas City, MO (airport code MCI) or Topeka, KS (FOE) if you want to take the shuttle. If you’re planning to rent a car, you can also try Wichita (just over 2 hours) 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.
Can I come early? If you’re enrolled just in Felt School, you may come early (check in after 5pm Sunday) for an additional $75, which includes your dinner and breakfast. YOU MUST ARRANGE THIS A MINIMUM OF 2 WEEKS IN ADVANCE.
What’s up with the shuttle? Details and times to use as a guideline are listed on the registration page.
How far is Harveyville? About 2 hours from Kansas City or the Kansas City International Airport, an hour from Lawrence or Manhattan, 40 minutes from Topeka.
If you’re driving from farther way, please use our directions to doublecheck, as GPS/Google maps/Mapquest may try to route you down rough or impassable dirt roads.
Needle-felted embellishment on wool high-tops
ROOM OPTIONS
STANDARD DOUBLE ROOM This is the default Felt School room included in your tuition, a shared double/triple in a large former classroom. These rooms have 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.
PRIVATE ROOM: Just little old you. These are usually smaller rooms with singles or doubles.
FACILITY (MORE INFO & PHOTOS 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 cozier (former offices and teachers’ lounges). All of our beds have new, quality mattresses, cotton linens, and down blankets or comforters (cotton/down alternative blankets instead on request).
BATHROOMS AND SHOWERS are shared (the original school facilities + a single shower in the grade school). Towels and washcloths are provided.
MASSAGE On-site massage is available by appointment from massage therapist and teacher Cindy Jones.
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, fruit, cold cereal, yogurt, pastries, toast, etc.
LUNCH and DINNER are 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 vegetarians at no extra charge. Very specialized/exclusive diets (gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, vegan) are available at an extra charge, or you’re welcome to bring your own food.
If you’re bringing your own special snacks or beverages, you may keep them in one of the group fridges.
Cut felt & needlefelted flowers
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (varies by class interest)
MONDAY
Our first day will focus on unwoven wet techniques.
After the check in and lunch, we’ll dive in to wet felting. You’ll get an overview of the principles of what makes good felt, and a demonstration of wet felting using a bamboo roller blind. Then you’ll have a drum carding lesson and a session with the carders, grazing the fiber buffet of colored and natural wool, sparkle, sari silk, etc., to create one-of-a-kind fiber for your wet felting projects. Then make your own gorgeous felt scarf. Adventurous students can try shibori felting techniques.
Then we’ll tackle nuno felting, felting through fabric to create a delicate scarf or wrap.
Finally, we’ll start a resist project (mittens, booties, or purse), wet felting around a template, which you’ll be able to finish in your free time.
After dinner, students can relax, knit, play, or just curl up with a good book in their room.
TUESDAY
Tuesday starts with recycling! Check out a great assortment of remade items and learn clever tricks and artful techniques to make the most of your abandoned woolens. You’ll make your choice of recycled items (bag, drink coolers, slippers, oven mitts, etc.), which you can choose to embellish later with needle felting.
After lunch, we’ll cover needle felting. Start with a monogram or simple design, then move on to a small sculptured piece (like a fruit or flower pin), then to a larger project, like a hat or doll.
After dinner, relax, knit, or continue with your needle felting projects or resist project from the previous night.
(Students may check out after class Tuesday or relax and stay overnight for Wednesday morning checkout.)
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday morning, we’ll have breakfast, then say our goodbyes and head out with our new felted goodies. Folks planning to take the shuttle should book flights that leave at 11am or later.
Fine artist Betsy Timmer presents her work and demonstrates her techniques.