Even the earliest historical records mention spinning and weaving. All types of woven fabric, from ship sails to the fine linens of Egypt, were hand-spun and hand-woven. For generations, hand spinning (on either a simple drop spindle or a spinning wheel) was a routine activity carried out in the home and in guilds that provided an essential part of life. Today, in places like South America, spinners still use the drop-spindle on a daily basis. Reviving the traditional skill of spinning has allowed us to use cotton, flax and wool from the sheep and alpaca that we have raised, in order to spin thread for weaving on our looms to produce hand-spun and hand-woven clothes. In our classes we teach you how to prepare your fibers and to spin wool, cotton and flax using either a drop spindle, support spindle or a wheel. After each class you will take home the skeins of yarn that you have spun for yourself. In one of our classes, you have the opportunity to spin a skein of wool and then learn how to weave yourself a scarf using your yarn. So you go home with a hand-spun, hand-woven scarf! If you are already a weaver or a knitter, and you learn how to spin, you will be able to spin your own unique yarn to use in your projects.

For Spinning classes, please call Fiber Crafts at 254-300-2436 for availability.