Seaweed Scarf Workshop or Underestimating the Challenge of Shingles

My Chloe in my Seaweed Scarf

Two Saturdays ago I taught a workshop to five students I call the Seaweed Scarf (the workshop, not the students).  It was scheduled from 10 to 4 PM.  We had the season's worst blizzard the day before, and my fingers were crossed all day, hoping that two students traveling from different parts of New York City would make it.  I had ordered space dyed superfine merino and silk top for this class, and stashed them away so students would have first choice of colors.

detail of my hand carded blend of colors, space dyed Bombyx Silk to

There were a few surprises for me over the course of the workshop.  Things I hadn't anticipated.

I attempted to keep things simple by calculating the weight of wool we'd need for the project, in advance.  I referred to a notebook where I've logged the weight and dimensions of scarves I've made, and notes to remind myself what I thought about the results.  I chose the scarf I had noted as my "favorite weight" and planned for this workshop accordingly.  I was shooting for a lightweight, evenly felted scarf of space dyed wool with a layout of silk top on the surface. 

My prototype Seaweed Scarf was wet felted of a hand carded blend of merino top in greens, with space dyed silk top roving on the surface.

Lisa laying out her first layer

Lee laying out her first layer

I had everyone go through the exercise of calculating their layout size, based on the desired finished scarf dimensions, and we marked the area with painter's tape or marking pen on their work tables.

Judy zipping along

Sara

I showed them the wool and silk, telling them that they had to arm wrestle for the colors they wanted (it wasn't necessary).  Everyone divided their wool into four equal parts, one for each layer.   I demonstrated my method for making fine, even shingle layers, and let them begin.  Part way through the first layer, it became clear that there was no way they would have enough wool for all four layers.  Even though they were trying to make their layers thin, it was not going to be enough.

Sara on her first layer

We switched to Plan B:  Every one was given more wool, and some students decided to make their scarf with three layers.  Because we didn't have more wool to match all the scarves, some felters used merino wool in a solid color, and laid it out in the center layer to make the color transition subtle. 

Grete preparing her silk layer

Sara's wet down, ready to roll

Some also chose the option to lay out only three layers, instead of four, as the day grew longer.   They were willing to accept uneven shrinkage, and the results proved that four layers laid out in alternating directions does give more even shrinkage than three layers (because two layers wind up in one direction, and only one layer will be in the opposite direction).

Lee rolling along

Sara squishy rolling

Lee

Lisa

Sara

It took a very long time to carefully lay out this project.  After the wool lay out was finished, we laid out the silk layer, and that took preparation time.  My two local students decided to return a second day to finish, rather than rush.  I didn't anticipate it would take so long.  I hadn't recorded that in my notes!  In truth, this "scarf" is more of a wrap size, I don't know why I hadn't anticipated that it would take extra time.  I had some very meticulous beginners, their results were stunning and everyone was happy.

Grete

It was a good reminder to me that felt can not be rushed to fit our time frame; and that it's important to go willingly with the flow in the end- it's likely others will flow along with you.

A big thank you to my flowing students for their great attitude and creative persistence.

Art Felt Techniques Workshop & NY's Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival

I'm moving forward in my blog catch up! 

I'm offering Art Felts workshop at my Luckystone Feltworks Studio in Glens Falls January 15 and 16, 2011.  Please check my web site for details. 

Here are images from the workshop when I first presented at Rhinebeck this year.  It was one of the most rewarding in terms of how the students took off with it. What they did seemed to so intuitively express their creativity.  Exactly the thing I'd hoped for.

As usual, it was cold and much windier than usual but we stayed warm!  Our workshop was placed in a tent between two others, so we were protected on two sides, and had flaps that kept undoing on the other two sides.  Luckily, I had a resourceful group with me who kept things retied, and the festival crew kept trying to keep things under wraps so to speak.  We'd hear crashing all about, us but not inside, and we managed to keep dry!  And June, one of our participants even brought home made soup (and amazing chocolate cake) for all!

June with soup!

The best things about Rhinebeck:

• People all around you "get" fiber.   When you walk the grounds, they ask to take photos of you in your felt coat (instead of wondering what planet you're from).  It's like you're part of a club. 
• There is an enthusiasm in the air that begins in cyber space through blogs and social networking sites like Ravelry.  Sort of like a rock concert but everyone's sober but pumped.
• The shopping.  (There are wayyyy too many fiber shopping opportunities).
• The location.  The bathrooms even have floral arrangements and are clean.  The trees are flush with fall color, there are pumpkins, children, horses pulling wagons and there's great food every where.
• There are beautiful sheep.  The source of our obsession. .. what I used to long to find on every road trip, is there on display, all primped, primed and looking lovely.  (My favorite was a Shetland named "George Clooney"  See, they get us.)

I'm not the Shetland

sheep judging

The bad things about Rhinebeck:

• The shopping.  When you take a weekend workshop, that is when the vendors sell, while you are rolling and throwing your felt.  I try to adjust to this by taking a class vote: who wants to shop at lunch and when, for how long?  I remind them they'd be crazy to vote no, but promise to be there to teach.  I also remind them how far behind they could get, or not...

Johanna's layout

detail of Johanna's piece

This year I had a very dedicated student from Columbia, SA.  She was a graduate of a design program.  She'd felted, but explained that she only had "wool" available where she lives.  No breed identified, no choices, very coarse stuff.  She arrived late in the heavy traffic and was wrongly admonished not to interrupt our workshop.  I noticed her peeking into the tent several times, but she did not enter until our lunch break.  We all felt awful for her, but she took it in stride and flew through the workshop.  I gave her a crash course in all techniques I could think of.  This is her work.

Johanna and her art felt

Johanna doing hand work

Our Visitors Nicola Brown, (Robin), Heather Stump Karlheim

Nicola photographs Diane's work

detail of Diane's piece

I encourage special friends to drop in on us at Rhinebeck, those I know won't disrupt things and might add a spark.  We had a visit from my friend Heather (also a blogger- woollove) whom I met in MI at The Creative Felt Gathering.  She brought along visiting feltmaker Nicola Brown, from Ireland. I was familiar with Nicola from cyber space- her blog Clasheen, and Facebook.  It was like we'd all known each other forever.  We shared dinner in a group and fitted in about a weeks worth of fiber talk in a couple of hours.  They visited our workshop through out the weekend to watch the progression of work.  I hope it was fun for all of us.

Diane's art felt

June stitching

June's art felt

Detail of Donna's piece

Donna embellishing from her stash

Sherry working on her piece

Donna, Sherry, Diane, June

The Rhinebeck Scene

Robin Blakney-Carlson, art felt no.4

Robin Blakney-Carlson, art felt no.1

Robin Blakney-Carlson, art felt no.2

Robin Blakney-Carlson, art felt no.3

Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival

We had a great  response at the fiber festival held at Washington County Fair Grounds.  Harry helped me load the cars and answer questions at the booth.  Couldn't have done without his help.  He's gotten very good at felt talk.  It was trial by fire when I came down with the flu before my first open studio.  He stepped up to the plate and won a gold star from me, but this is where I know he'd rather be, with his bike on a mountian:

In its second year, this fiber event about doubled in the number of vendors.  Nothing like the sea of people at Rhinebeck, but the visitors seemed happy about that!  We took a lot of names on the Luckystone email list, and it was great to learn that everyone seemed familiar with the Shirt Factory- home to my studio.  There has been a big effort to promote and improve the building to increase visitation and improve the visitor's experience and it appears to be paying off.  The general feedback is "what a cool place".

Demo- took me much longer than I expected to finish a nuno scarf.  I should have known it would... I enjoy the methodical but spontaneous lay out process.  I laid out a fine layer of merino and silk on shibori dyed silk fabric for my demo.  Answering questions and the usual interruptions in public slowed me down even slower.  My plan was to demo nuno in the morning and make bracelets with kids in the afternoon.  I kept to schedule but it took me both mornings to finish the scarf. It's always funny to answer how we get the wool to stick to the fabric and let people know that no, it isn't boiled.

I displayed a lot of felt as examples of workshop topics I teach.  Strong interest in the felted and stitched pieces I had out as samples for the Artfelt Techniques workshop I'll be teaching at Rhinebeck's NY Sheep and Wool Festival in October.  I think people relate to stitched work more readily than felt alone.  I believe it is the element of the familiar.   I planned the workshop to encourage people to have confidence to explore.  An alternative to feeling that they aren't artistic... I just want them to feel when they create their felt.  Always my band wagon, to coax people to trust in their abilities, if they have an instinct to try.

I owe a word of thanks to Fiona Duthie who included info about my studio and a blurb I wrote about teaching at these two NY fiber festivals in her Fall 2010 issue of Living Crafts Guide to Fall Fiber Festivals in the US.  A couple of visitors to  my booth came from reading the article in this Canadian publication.  (Fiona was a student at the June felting retreat I organized at Silver Bay with Polly and Sachiko).
I apologize that this wasn't posted after I wrote it.  Still learning about posting  technicalities!