Weaving with Hand Spun Yarns CHANGED TO AUGUST 12TH

Want to know what else you can do with your beautifully spun yarn? Or maybe you have an idea of the kind of fabric you want to produce but not sure the best fibre or technique to use? Come and spend a few hours with Jenny from Jennifer Anne Studios and Theresa from the Spinning Barn to understand and learn more about the qualities, properties and amazing potential of combining your hand-spinning knowledge with the limitless possibilities of weaving!

Having just completed her Masters in Textile Design innovation specialising in woven fabrics, Jenny has researched and explored the relationship between fibre and cloth, understanding the various properties, finishing requirements and sustainable impact of a range of fibre and materials.

Being an avid spinner herself, Jenny enjoys breaking the boundaries and "rules" of the crafts and exploring the wonderful and unique outcomes that can be created. Passionate about the environment, and aware of the negative impact from the textiles industry, Jenny encourages her students to be open minded to less harmful fibres such as synthetics and cotton, exploring a range of fibres you may never have even thought of!

We will explore the different types of yarns you have produced or ideas you have and look at ways of developing it into woven cloth. Whether that's on a tapestry loom, rigid heddle loom or table loom.

For example, if you have spun a chunky 100% wool yarn it's important to understand what type of cloth you want to create from this. Whether you want a thick felted cloth or a looser, softer draped fabric depends on how you set up your warp, how dense you weave, the structures you weave and so on. But ultimately it is in the finishing of the cloth that solidifies the cloths purpose and use. Using the same example, washing the cloth at a high temperature with friction and agitation will felt the whole cloth, but if you only used the wool yarn in the weft in some sections and another yarn that doesn't felt such as linen in other areas, you could create a very interesting textured cloth.

This is just one example of course, any fibre can be looked into depending on what you want to achieve/explore, such as silk, viscose or something a bit different such as banana fibre or nettle. Fibre aside, there are also other exciting possibilities that can be discovered with the combined knowledge of spinning and weaving, such as using passive and energised yarns, the process of using purposefully over-spun yarn to have a high twist paired with an evenly spun yarn can create really interesting woven fabric when used correctly. The possibilities are endless!

NOTE: You will need to bring your loom and hand spun yarns. Looms may be available to borrow or purchase but do please ask before hand.

Places are limited to allow for sufficient space and support of your tutor so do book soon.

Refreshments will be available but do please bring a packed lunch.

TO BOOK : Please follow this link