Sheep Days - Demonstration

Sali A. and Cinde P. set up their spinning wheels
at the Pioneer Museum for Sheep Day
April 2018
(photo by Sandy W.) 

Cinde P. shows children how the wool from sheep is turned into yarn
and then into cloth or clothing
Sheep Day - Pioneer Museum in Lander, WY
April 2018
(photo by Sandy W.)

Sali A. answers questions from the children who
watched her spin at the Pioneer Museum
in Lander, WY on Sheep Day
April 2018
(photo by Sandy W.)

Another photo was shared in an earlier post

Spring Retreat - Tail Spin Yarn

(click image to enlarge)

Corrine G. Laura B., Dawna H. and Sandy W. learned the technique of creating Tail Spin yarn from Colleen J. on Saturday, May 5, 2018

Oiling a Spinning Wheel

Creating Art Yarn

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Whether your taste is more traditional or you’re interested in creating innovative, eye-catching yarn styles, you’ll love the techniques and tips to inspire all spinning enthusiasts to unleash their creative spirit. 

In Interweave's free ebook, Spinning Novelty Yarn: Tips and Techniques for Creating Art Yarn, you’ll find a number of techniques to add to your repertoire for spinning designer yarns—or any yarns.

How to Ply Yarn

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A plied yarn is stronger, more consistent, and more stable than the singles from which it is made. Also, in the ply structure, more of the individual fibers are covered and protected from abrasive wear, light and chemical damage. Whether you’re learning for the first time, want to weigh the benefits of single- vs. multiple-ply yarn, or want tips for plying on a drop spindle, Interweave's free eBook is packed with helpful tips for spinners of all skill levels.

The book contains tips from Maggie Casey, Judith MacKenzie, Rita Buchanan and other spinning masters. The free eBook contains a wealth of information for the beginning spinner and experienced spinner.

Directory of Fiber Resources

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Interweave originally offered the Natural Fiber Directory as a pull-out section in the Spin-Off magazine, but now it is a free e-book Natural Fiber Directory that can be downloaded on a tablet or smart phone. 

It's a  one-stop, easy-to-take-with-you listings of fiber resources from around the world. These listings are important for searching for the perfect fleece for a project, and also for the spinning community as a whole.

Spinning Wheel Maintenance

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Birkeland Brothers Wool (British Columbia) invited Richard Ashford (New Zealand) to their shop to speak about maintaining a spinning wheel.

Richard Ashford's maintenance tips are shared on this post.

Sage Ridge Mill & Critters' Retreat

An amazing day of Natural Fibery fun Workshops & FREE Demos for You

June 24, 25 & 26th, 2016

This will be hosted on a Working Wyoming Fiber Ranch – 

SageRidge Mill & Critters

Located in Clearmont, Wyoming at 

239 Thompson Creek Rd

Bring your Tent or Camper!  

We will have some campers available on a first come- first serve basis. 

Clear Creek Stop in Clearmont has three cabins available for overnight rental

Other motel accomadations are available 30 miles away in Historic Buffalo, Wyoming.

Come and enjoy an experience of working with natural fibers, helping to make a connection with the animals that produce your fiber and learning from producers who raise the fibers you love!

(We will only be working with Natural/Local Fibers at this event) 

Class prices vary from $15 to $75 depending.  

Pre-Registration is preferred this year 

but 

Sign-up the day of the event at the check-in will be available for most classes.

There will be classes (and Demos) in Weaving, Needle Felting, Wet Felting, Spinning (wheel and drop spindle), Natural Plant Dyeing, Knitting, Crochet, and whatever else these clever natural fiber producers can bring with them to teach us!

Lunch will be provided (FREE): make your own sandwich from 12 – 1 pm.

Dinner will be at 5:30 pm over the campfire both evenings.  Dinner is $10.00 per person ($6.00 for children under 12) but is FREE if you register (at the gate) & enjoy 2 classes!

Marshmallows over the campfire are FREE

Classes are available for passerby observation FREE of charge, but to participate, you must register for the class.  Again our main focus is to use and enjoy naturally grown regional fibers down to the LAST bag! 

Community Work (Gossip) Area – FREE

Call us at 307-758-4616 to reserve your space to come and have fun with us in the Wyoming Prairie.  

Or email Linda at sageridge@rangeweb.net.  

If you want to see “the place” and get a feel for our “working ranch” and what you might expect to experience and appropriate gear to bring with you, go to www.sageridge.net. 

Back to the Ranch…. It’s time to experience where your Fiber comes from….

Schacht Ladybug Review

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If you are interested in spinning, you may want to check out the reviews online of various wheels before you purchase. Knitty (Fall 2008) shared a review of the Schacht Ladybug spinning wheel. The review can be found here.

Before purchasing a wheel, contact the Fremont Fiber Guild (email address in the righthand column) and talk to guild members who are spinners. Our members use a variety of spinning wheels and can offer advice.

Long Draw Spinning

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According to the Craftsy blog, spinning long draw is a great way to create light, soft, fluffy yarn. As you spin, air is trapped between the fibers, which creates a warm, nicely insulating yarn. Long draw spinning can be a bit frustrating at first, because you need to manage your fiber and twist a little differently than in short draw spinning, but it’s a lovely method once you get your rhythm down. You can spin long draw with wool, silk, alpaca and other types of fibers.

Craftsy's photo tutorial found here demonstrates the technique of Long Draw spinning with wool.

Spinning Wheel Spa Day

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Is your wheel long due for some tender loving care?

Knitty's photo tutorial will guide you through the steps that will make your spinning wheel feel and perform better. 

Spinning Wheel Maintenance

Are you aware that Schacht has several videos on YouTube that can help you with maintenance of your Schacht looms, wheels, etc. The videos demonstrate how to oil your wheel, change a drive belt, adjust the loom, install apron cords, assembling equipment, and more

Schacht YouTube videos