Workshop Details

 

Ever wondered how wool-based fabric or yarn is made from scratch? Have you been curious about how Babydoll Southdown wool feels and spins? Or just want to learn how to spin wool? In this workshop, you will learn every step involved to make yarn from a sheep (ewe is a female sheep) - how to choose a good fleece for spinning, how to skirt a fleece (removing debris and unusable parts), how to wash and dry a fleece, how to card or comb wool, and finally how to spin the wool into yarn! This is a workshop primarily aimed at beginners, or anyone who has never processed raw wool before. 

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Learn about:​​

• The steps involved in how yarn is made from sheep

• The differences between wool from different sheep breeds

• How to select a good fleece and sort good wool for spinning

• How to wash wool (raw fleece) at home

• Different wool preparation methods and their results

 

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Receive lots of hands-on experience with:

• How to prepare washed wool for spinning (i.e. hand carding, drum carding, combing)

• How to spin on a drop spindle 

• How to spin on spinning wheels

• How to adjust spinning techniques for different wools

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What you'll go home with:

• Handouts and instructions on wool preparation for spinning

• Babydoll Southdown wool (washed) enough to get you started on spinning right away

• One drop spindle

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Workshop Schedule

This workshop is one day that consists of two parts, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning part will be at Hundred Fruit Farm for raw wool preparation (fleece on sheep, fleece skirting, and washing), and the afternoon part will be at Twist Knitting & Spinning (a five minute drive from the farm). Participants can either bring a lunch and eat it on the farm, or grab a lunch from somewhere nearby and meet at Twist afterwards.

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- 9:30: Meeting and introduction at Hundred Fruit Farm

- 10:00 - 10:30: Meet the sheep

- 10:30 - 11:30: Fleece selection, skirting

- 11:30 - 12:30: Fleece washing methods

- 12:30 - 1:15: Lunch* break at Hundred Fruit Farm

- 1:30: Meet at Twist Knitting & Spinning

- 1:30 - 2:30: Basics of carding, combing

- 2:30 - 4:00: Basics of spinning (drop spindle & spinning wheel)

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* Lunch is BYO, but we will provide coffee, tea, and snacks

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Workshop Instructors

This workshop will be hosted by both Sunghee from Hundred Fruit Farm and Debby from Twist Knitting and Spinning.

 

Sunghee Kim. Sunghee is the co-owner and co-founder of Hundred Fruit Farm. She has been raising and breeding Babydoll Southdown sheep for 5 years and fell in love with their wool for its softness and easiness of spinning. She is passionate about raising awareness and increasing accessibility to locally sourced wool for its sustainability and functionality. Sunghee is excited to share what she has learned about preparing and spinning Babydoll Southdown wool at home, so more people can appreciate the breed and increase the sustainability of this breed in regenerative small farm systems like Hundred Fruit Farm.

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Debby Brady. Debby has owned Twist Knitting and Spinning in Lahaska, PA since it opened in 2005. Specializing in knitting, spinning, and weaving, the shop is one of the few left in the region to cater to fiber enthusiasts. Debby's love of fiber arts began when she learned to knit at a very young age on her family farm where she still lives with her family, horses, Border Leicester sheep, dogs, and occasionally a llama or two. Before opening the shop, Debby was a full-time mother after teaching high school math at a local private school. She spent her twenties in Colorado, where she earned her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees, and was never far from horses, sheep, and cattle.

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Workshop Cost

The cost of the workshop is $105/person, and each participant goes home with a drop spindle and Babydoll Southdown wool that's prepared for spinning - so you can start making your own yarn as soon as you get home!

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Refund policy: If you cancel your registration at least one week in advance, you will receive a full refund (minus Eventbrite fees which cannot be refunded). Cancellations between 24 hours and 7 days in advance will receive a 50% refund (minus Eventbrite fees). Cancellations with less than 24 hours notice or no-shows are non-refundable.

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How do I register?

You can register and pay for the workshop at our Eventbrite page by clicking on the button below.