7.15 & 7.16.23 Cotton Spinning Made Easy with Joan Ruane

Saturday & Sunday, July 15th & 16th - 10:00am to 4:00pm

Joan Ruane has been teaching spinning classes for over 40 years!  We are so lucky to have her for a visit to Maine.

This two-day workshop is designed for spinners of all levels, as long as you are able to keep your wheel spinning consistently in the clockwise direction.  Joan will dispel the myth that spinning cotton is hard... she will show you the way!

Class size is limited to 10 students.

Day 1:  

• introduction to cotton; kinds and properties
• carding cotton and making punis
• adjusting and understanding your wheel
• techniques of spinning cotton from a puni, off the seed, sliver, and lint (ginned cotton)
• intro to the takli spindle for those who want to learn

Day 2:

• review carding and spinning cotton
• basic plying techniques
• finishing techniques and spinning
• discuss how to dye/paint on cotton fiber
• discuss designing cotton yarn for projects and how to use them
• intro to the charkha 

Materials included: 4 ounces each of three different easy to spin cottons + 8 ounces of ginned cotton (approximately $60 in materials)

Please Bring:

• a spinning wheel in good working condition. No bulky spinners.  Bobbin driven wheels (like some Louets) are not recommended (PortFiber wheels are always available to rent)
  
• lazy kate
• extra bobbins (need at least 3 total)
• wheel maintenance kit (oil, extra belt, threading hook, etc)
• hand carders - cotton preferred, but wool acceptable (some shop carders available for use and/or purchase)
• niddy noddy
• dark lap cloth
• scissors
• lunch (we'll take a mid-day break)
• spinning chair or chair cushion (optional)
• ball winder (optional) + 2 toilet paper cores
• charkha (optional if you have one and want help with it)

About Joan:

First a professional teacher and then a spinner, Joan Ruane has been teaching spinning classes throughout the US, Canada, UK, and New Zealand since 1980.  Active in local and regional guilds, she has also owned and operated fiber shops in both Florida and Arizona.  Joan has published cotton newsletters, written articles for fiber magazines, and has published three DVDs:  Cotton Spinning Made Easy, Cotton Spinning with a Takli, and Spinning Hemp with Joan.  She has republished Hand Spinning Cotton by Harry and Olive Linder, bringing it up to date with modern techniques.  In 2015, Joan published the much needed Beginning Cotton Spinning on the Wheel workbook.  Here DVDs can be streamed through www.taprootvideo.com.  Joan's website is www.cottonspinning.com.

Cancelation Policy:

If you cancel more than 30 days before the beginning of class, we will offer you store credit in the amount of the class.  Cancelation with 30 days or fewer notice will result in the forfeiture of your entire course fee.  However, if we are able to fill your spot, we will offer store credit in the amount of the class.

If we cancel a class, you can choose to receive a full refund or store credit.