Workshops

Have Dyepot, Will Travel!
Bjo Trimble and Theresa Wollenstein are available to teach natural dyeing at your fiber event or yarn shop. Her extensive knowledge of historical dyeing techniques is helpful for re-enactors of all eras. Contact Bjo for more information!

One-Day Fiber Frolic - Saturday, August 7, 2010

Day-long "mini-retreat" with instruction available in natural dyeing, weaving, spinning and probably anything else you want to ask about! Bring your fiber, handspun, yarn or fabric to dye and any unfinished projects you need assistance with.

Children old enough to participate in fiber arts are welcome. Parents are solely responsible for their children.

When: Saturday, August 7, 2010. 10am-6pm.

Location:
La Crescenta Woman's Club
4004 La Crescenta Ave
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Map of location

Cost: $25.00 if registered by July 19, $30 at the door
Covers the cost of dyes, mordants, stove fuel, food and drinks.

Pre-registration is preferred - walk-ins are always welcome but may not get their choice of classes.

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Registration & Payment

Vendors

Griffin Dyeworks
Two Hearts Entwined Pottery
Unicorn Fiber Arts
Dizzy Ewe

Vendors are expected to pay the Frolic entry fee since we put no restriction on taking a class or engaging in any of the activities, and you get lunch plus hot and cold beverages. In addition, there's a per-table (or 4'x8' table space) fee of $10, and because of space limitations, there's a 2 table maximum.

There is space for you to pass out flyers or business cards, however - feel free to network as much as you'd like!

Register Today!

Classes

We all have fiber knowledge that we can share with others. In that spirit, the strength of the Griffin Dyeworks' events is the informal class.

These classes are available on a drop in basis - as long as the instructor isn't otherwise occupied, they're available to help out!

All attendees are welcome to share their knowledge in an informal class: short or long. If you're interested in being available to teach an informal class, please email our .

Spinning Circle
Bring your wheel or drop spindles and spin with us - share your tips & techniques with others or get advice! Open to all skill levels. Loaner spindles available to try!

Bijeaux Tapestry Embroidery
The Bayeux Tapestry is a 230 foot long embroidered fabric that relates the story of the Battle of Hastings, which took place in 1066 in England. It was created by the long labor of legions of skilled seamsters hundreds of years ago. We invite all Fiber Retreat Attendees to come add a few stitches (or an entire embroidered figure!) to our own version called the Bijeaux ("BEE-joe") Tapestry, named after our Founder, Bjo Trimble. You can take part in this community project by embroidering from a rainbow of handspun, naturally dyed yarns, and help tell the story of shearing sheep, dyeing the fiber and spinning the yarn. The Bijeaux Tapestry will be available all day, stitch between your classes and dyepot sessions.

Scheduled Classes

These classes are several hours long. The teachers will provide materials for a project that students can work on throughout the day. There may be a fee for the class to cover the teacher's material costs for practice kits (these are requested to be kept under $10).

Some teachers may have deluxe kits available for a higher price. If you enjoyed the new skill you learned, please consider supporting your teacher!

Morning Classes - 10:00am-1pm

10am-Noon Mordanting for Natural Dyes by Bjo Trimble
Class will cover the 4 major historical mordants: alum, copper, iron and tin. No experience or pre-requisite needed to learn which mineral salts are used to make natural dyes bond to fiber. We will mordant fiber samples for the afternoon natural dye workshop or for future dye sessions. Some sample fiber will be supplied in the class fee. Yardage is difficult to dye without streaks or spots.

Class Fee: $5 (includes all materials)
Class Length: 2 hours
Limited to 12 students
Students should bring: Sturdy aprons, shoes that can be dripped on, hair tie-back, small 100% natural fiber items to mordant: skeins of yarn, totes, thin blouses, T-shirt, 1 or 2 yards of fabric but NO sweatshirts, sweaters, bluejeans, backpacks or heavy fabric as they soak up too much dye.
Child Friendly!

Spinning with Drop Spindle, Treadle Wheel by Roberta Brubaker
Personalized, patient instruction on spinning with a drop spindle or spinning wheel. We will have several loaner wheels available. You will have plenty of time to get the hang of spinning, including fiber preparation, carding, handling different types of fiber and plying several spun fibers into yarn. We can also help you oil and tune up your spinning wheel to ensure it is running nicely.

Making your own Tablets or Cards by Thomas Brownell
Taking the next step from Inkle to card weaving? Make a set of 36 cards that are yours!

Class Fee: $10
Limited to 10 students
Students should bring: : 30cm ruler or a 12 inch ruler with cm markings, Fisker paper cutter (12 in) if you have one.

Ikat on an Inkle Loom by Cynthia Konow-Brownell
In this class, we will prepare three warp bundles that will be space dyed. Once placed on the inkle loom, each bundle can be manipulated. After that, the weaver can proceed with creating a band using inkle techniques or tablet weaving.

Class Length: 3 hours
Limited to 5 students
Students should bring: Inkle loom, heddles or tablets for at least 40 warp ends, three plastic grocery bags, white cotton string (if tablet weaving, bring two balls), and a contrasting color of cotton string (again, if tablet weaving, bring two balls), weft yarn (if different from the other yarns mentioned), scissors, note taking materials, shuttle

Beginning Drop Spindle by Ruth Northrop
Learn to spin using a drop spindle. Loaners available!

Class Length: 1 hour

Basic Plying by Ruth Northrop
Now that you’ve spun a spindle or bobbin full of yarn – what’s next??

Class Length: 1 hour

Free Form Crochet by Dawn Jeffory-Nelson
FreeForm Crochet is the wonderfully freeing creation of clothing, fabric, accessories and the like through the creative and pattern-less attaching of fun crochet motifs and open work crochet. Patterns ARE used to create the motifs - but not the final product.

The class is for advanced beginning crocheters and above - able to single, double and treble crochet, and able to read simple motif patterns. We will be able to fashion the start of any number of possible creations from what we complete in class . . . and examples of different possibilities will be on hand. FreeForm is a wonderful way to play outside the box - there are no mistakes, and no hard and fast rules: just joyous, infinite possibilities of creativity!

Class Fee: $10
Class Length: 4 hours
Limited to 15 students
Child Friendly!

Nuno Felted Scarf by Therese Calhoun
Learn the technique of felting on a gauze type fabric. Apply wool on cotton cheese cloth and felt yourself a neck scarf.

Class Fee: $5 (includes all materials)
Class Length: 2 hours
Limited to 6 students
Child Friendly!

Afternoon Classes - 1:30pm-4:30pm

Knitting with BEADS! by Debbie Coyle
This is not a beginning knitting class.
Knit a beaded bookmark to learn the basics of knitting with beads. We will be knitting with Size 1 needles, using only the knit stitch. We will also be using the long tail cast on, it's a plus if students know that ahead of time, but it will taught in class.

Class Fee: $7 (includes all materials)
Class Length: 2 hours
Limited to 6 students

1:30pm-4:30pm Natural Dye Workshop by Bjo Trimble
Natural dyeing in several interesting colors will happen outside the building, under popup shade. There is no pre-requisite or experience level to taking this class, but knowledge of mordants is a Good Thing. Overdyeing will be explored to create even more colors. Yardage is difficult to dye without streaks or spots so if you wish to dye a small piece of yardage or article of clothing, plan on tie-dyeing it.

Class Fee: $10 (includes all materials)
Class Length: 3 hours
Limited to 12 students
Students should bring: Sturdy aprons, shoes that can be dripped on, hair tie-back, small 100% natural fiber items to mordant: skeins of yarn, totes, thin blouses, T-shirt, 1 or 2 yards of fabric but NO sweatshirts, sweaters, bluejeans, backpacks or heavy fabric as they soak up too much dye.
Child Friendly!

Spinning with a Diz / Designer Yarns by Therese Calhoun
What is a Diz? Have you ever used one? A Diz is a disc or oval made of wood, plastic, or cardboard with a hole in the middle. It assists in spinning a consistent yarn. From there, we'll learn to create a designer yarn using beads.

Class Fee: $5
Class Length: 2 hours
Limited to 5 students
Students should bring: Wheel and roving for spinning

Weaving Metal - The Art of Chain Maille by Jamie Santellano
Learn how to weave metal into the basic patterns by linking jump-rings and creating fabric “like” material. Each student will learn how to open and close jump-rings properly, position and hold pliers comfortably while weaving, and will have a finished bracelet at the end of class. No experience is needed.

Class Fee: $12
Class Length: 4 hours
Limited to 12 students
Students should bring: Note Taking supplies, and 2 pairs of Chain Nose Pliers. If the student does not have pliers I will have a few pairs on hand that they can loan for the class...some students may need to share. I will also have pliers, extra bags of jump-rings, and some kits on hand for purchase if students wish to practice at home.
Child Friendly

Intro to Card Weaving by Roberta Brubaker
Make that big jump from Inkle to Card/Tablet weaving and learn the basics of card weaving. Students will learn to “speed warp” their looms, and how to turn, rotate and flip the cards to get hundreds of different designs. Advanced students can use this same warping to learn how to create patterns and write words with string.

Class Length: 3 hours
Limited to 5 students
Students should bring: Students should bring empty loom, shuttle, 2 balls of 2 different colors of cord/yarn and 25 weaving cards. Students should know basic inkle weaving.

Naalbinding by Jim Comer
Basic Asle stich Nalbinding. This class covers introduction to nalbinding with how to start and how to continue a piece, increasing and decreasing, and how to finish a piece. Participants will create a small pouch to take home. No prerequisites. Yarn will be provided and needles are available to borrow, as well as purchase from Griffin Dyeworks.

Class Fee: $10
Class Length: 2 hours
Limited to 12 students
Child Friendly

Spinning Long Draw Method by Ruth Northrop
Did you know there was more than one way to spin? What is the best way to spin the fiber you have? Ruth can answer these and many more questions like this.

Class Length: 1 hour

Class Registration

Note: You must be registered for the event for your class request to be valid.

Please send your requests via email to whtgriffin@juno.com