Introduction to Spinning Flax on a Spinning Wheel
About Introduction to Spinning Flax on a Spinning Wheel
Have you been using a spinning wheel to spin protein fibers (wool, camelid, or silk), and are curious about spinning flax? This class will give you the chance to start exploring this interesting bast fiber. In addition to discussing fiber preparation techniques and the types of flax fibers available to spinners today, the class will cover spinning singles yarn, why to ply your yarn (or not), and some common issues encountered while spinning this fiber.
What will students learn:
What students will learn: Students will be introduced to the methods used to process flax from plant to spinning fiber, along with the characteristics of flax tow, top, and line flax. They will learn how to dress a distaff or spin from a towel in their lap, and spin singles using the draw type of their choice. Spinning flax wet versus dry, plying, winding off onto a niddy noddy or other item, and setting the twist and scouring will be discussed as well. Common problems (joining new fiber, yarn breaking, lumpy spots, and others) will be discussed. Students will be encouraged to ask questions and experiment in the session, and sent home with flax tow, top, and line flax to continue practicing with.
Materials, Equipment, and Supplies the Student Must Bring to Class
Spinning wheel that the student is comfortable using (required), notebook or other notetaking device (optional).
Materials Kit and Kit Description
Your class registration fee includes a materials kit with a value of $55 which includes:
Small towel; dowel/ribbon distaff; bowl for water; 2 ounces flax tow; 2 ounces flax top; strick of line flax.
Pre-class Homework
No homework prior to class.
Class Cap
The capacity for this workshop is 6 students.
Age Range
Minimum age requirement for workshop: 15
Skill Level
Intermediate
What skills or knowledge do students need to take this workshop?
How to spin with a spinning wheel (including how to adjust the ratio and tension of their spinning wheel). A basic grasp of the different spinning draw types.
Contact the Teacher
Send a direct message from the teacher's profile page with any questions you might have about the class.
When
Single 3-hour live in-person workshop
Class Location
Dorton Arena at the NC State Fairgrounds
How It Works
Register and enroll above. Enrollment is not complete until payment is made on the next page, by credit card or Paypal via our secure platform. Enrolled students will receive an immediate email confirmation of enrollment..
Refund Policy: To cancel an enrollment or request a refund, contact [email protected]. For 30+ days before, we refund 95%. Between 30 and 5 days, receive a 75% refund. No refunds within 5 days of class start date.
Hannah Smith
Hannah Smith is a fiber artist, living historian, and archaeologist (but not necessarily in that order). She has been knitting and spinning for over a decade, after learning to spin at the local yarn shop in her college town in Pennsylvania.
Back to Carolina FiberFestAbout Lessonface, PBC & the Carolina FiberFest
Lessonface's mission is to help students achieve their goals while treating teachers equitably. Since 2012, we've hosted more than 30,000 students and 2,000 teachers for over 500,000 music, language, and arts lessons and classes online. The 19th annual Carolina FiberFest is March 14-15, 2025 in the Expo Center at the NC State Fairgrounds. Workshops will be held in the Dorton Arena March 13-15, 2025.