Students will learn the art of needle felting and create three-dimensional wool sculptures using a special barbed needle. We will make pumpkins and other manner of gourds! Instruction will be hands-on and will include demonstrations.

Students between the ages of 9 and 12 are welcome to enroll with an adult.

Have you always wanted to learn how to knit, but didn’t know which pattern to choose?

A warm and Cozy Cowl is a wonderful first project to start your knitting journey. As you knit your cowl, you will learn how to cast on, knit, purl, increase, decrease, and bind off. At the end you will have a hand-knitted piece you can wear or give as a gift. In class, we will talk about knitting tools, yarn, and gauge.

This is a perfect class to take as we enter the winter months! You will leave with enough knowledge to start your next knitting project and stay cozy all season long!

Materials Information:

Please bring your yarn to the first class.

Circular needles will be provided and are included in the class fee, and will be yours to keep.

The Yarn suggested for the pattern is Super Bulky. You will need 175 to 200 yards to complete the project. A solid or tonal color is suggested for your first piece in order to see the stitches.

There are multiple local yarn stores in the area to buy yarn; Must Love Yarn, Northeast Fibers, The Makery, and Michaels.

Backstrap weaving is one of the oldest textile-making traditions in the world. Backstrap looms were used by the ancient Maya and Aztec cultures, and the fact that their descendants still use these looms today speaks to their functionality and importance. For anyone with hands that know patience, both plain and complex cloth can be woven with the simplest of tools: just a few sticks, some string, a flat sword of wood and a band of cloth around your back by which you can provide tension to the warp.  

Backstrap weaving is not something to be mastered in just a few hours, but in 8 weeks of two-hour class sessions, we will gain familiarity and ease with weaving plain and patterned cloth in this time-honored and traditional way. 

You will learn how to wind a warp, preserve its cross and set it up on sticks for weaving either a balanced-weave cloth or a warp-faced weave. You will learn how to make and use continuous heddles, key to developing greater ease in weaving. Those who wish will learn how to warp and weave figures on a plain ground in a complementary warp technique called pebble weave. 

You will learn how to read pattern charts and an innovative method that will enable you to chart your own designs in this technique. Hopefully you will weave a sturdy backstrap for yourself that will serve you for many years to come as well as several other sample projects as you explore weaving backstrap style in this class.

You will be expected to work at home on your weaving each week as there will be no open studios for this class. All yarn is provided. Backstrap kits are included in the cost of the class.

No Class on November 24th

This Learn to Crochet six-week class covers it all while you make a cozy, warm scarf to protect against the winter winds!

Students will enjoy learning a bit about the history of crochet as well as all of the fundamental skills needed to get started on projects. Areas covered will include, but are not limited to:~ types of crochet~ crochet stitches and building fabric~ granny squares~ switching colors~ yarn types~ pattern reading~ sewing and finishing

Each class will have time for teacher demonstration and active crocheting. By the conclusion of the course, students will have a completed scarf that highlights all of the acquired skills to admire!

~ Students should plan on crocheting in-between classes.

Once a weaver has learned the basics in tapestry weaving, it’s a natural next step to learn how to apply them to designs. Project planning, yarn choice, technique application… all of this and more will be covered in this class.

Each week a different weaving topic will be covered, and each student will have the opportunity to explore their weaving plans with the instructor and their group. In addition, small projects will be suggested for students to practice techniques that will take their weaving to a new level.

This is a class that can be taken as many times as one wants, as new issues and questions arise with any tapestry project a weaver takes on. There is also great camaraderie that forms amongst weavers as we expand into this art form.

Pre-requisite: Introductory to Tapestry Weaving or commensurate experience.

Materials needed for this class:

Tapestry loom
Preferred warp yarn
Preferred weft yarn
Weaving tools

If you are building your supplies stash and would like some suggestions on what to purchase, please reach out to fiber@shelburnecraftschool.org

NO CLASS on November 25th.

Learn how to wet felt over a resist to create a unique wool vessel. Participants will learn all of the steps required to make a sculptural piece of art using wool, water, soap, a plastic resist, and a bit of elbow grease.

Materials: Included

Please Bring: Students are asked to bring a large bath or beach towel that will be used in the wet felting process. 

In this 4 week introductory class we will create a chair pad or pillow using the Oxford Punch Needle and colorful yarn! No experience is necessary! You can choose to create your own pillow or follow a pattern from an Oxford Punch Needle kit. In class we will explore various punch needle techniques along with options for finishing your piece.

Pictured: personal design example

The materials fee will include yarn and monks cloth. Tools, such as Oxford punch Needles and Frame are provided to use during the sessions with an option to buy at the end of class.

NOTE: no class on November 5th

Making a hexicardigan is a super fun way to crochet a popular sweater that can be adapted in an almost infinite number of ways!

In this workshop, we will be beginning a hexicardi, and working through some of the common pitfalls that can trip people up, as well as exploring some of the ways that you can truly make the project your own.

This workshop is ideal for people who know how to make a granny square or know basic crochet stitches, or for more experienced crocheters who just feel stumped by this type of project!

Some materials will be available, though students who want to make a completed hexicardi in their preferred style should plan to bring their own tools and materials. This workshop will help you get your sweater started and give you some ideas for how you may want to finish it, and students should expect to take a partial project home to complete on their own. Get ready to get cozy, and have some fiber fun!