JC08 The Wonderful World of Wool Types
with Deb Robson
Wool comes in so many types. It can be soft enough for a baby’s skin, or warm enough to keep a winter blizzard at bay, or sturdy enough to be tromped underfoot for decades to come without showing signs of wear. It can be sleek or cushy. It can felt, or not. In a day full of contrasts and insights for spinners, we’ll examine a broad range of wools while we talk about why they’re so different from each other, what each is especially good for, and how to maximize the best qualities while enjoying the abundant possibilities. This class (which, coincidentally, will get you in the mood for the fleece sale) will blend a bit of wool science, a bit of history, and a lot of playing with fiber to see what it does in our hands.
Skill level: Ability to independently spin singles and make a two-ply yarn.
Participants bring: Wheel or spindle; nostepinne, ability to do Andean plying, or extra bobbins and Lazy Kate; combs, carders, flicker or any other fiber-prep tools of choice; optional—small zipper-lock bags; scotch tape or hole punch; knitting needles or crochet hooks.
About the instructor: Deb Robson was for many years the editor of Spin-Off Magazine and coordinated the Save the Sheep project and Handspun Treasures from Rare Wools. Recent projects include Handspinning Rare Wools (Interweave DVD, 2011), The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook: More than 200 Fibers from Animal to Spun Yarn (Storey Publishing, May 2011), and Know Your Wool (free Craftsy online course, 2012). She has taught at Maryland Sheep and Wool 2012, Madrona 2012, SOAR 2011, Convergence 2012, and many other places in North America and the U.K.
