If you have never been to Mary's farm in the rolling hills of Virginia yet, you are in for a very special treat! A magical tree-lined meandering driveway will take you through the stone and iron gate towards the fairy tale like setting of the farm house and barn. A gorgeous environment for an afternoon of weaving! You'll also be able to see first hand the alpaca fertilizer tea Mary has developed.

If you are looking for a complete workshop in hand processing your own alpaca fleeces, consider attending my How To Train Your Fiber workshop on Saturday. It's an entire weekend filled with alpaca, fiber, new friends, and fun!

Weaving was always so enticing to me until I realised that warping is something I did not at all enjoy, so when I took a short triloom weaving class several years ago it was love at first sight!  It is simple, quick, beautiful, and best of all - it is instant gratification. Whether you weave on a 12 inch loom or a 7 foot loom, the technique is the same.

During this 4 hour workshop you will learn to weave on a triloom using the continuous strand method (an entire skein of yarn without cutting, except for fringe) while making a fabulous fringed shawlette on a 2.5 foot loom. Imaging the shawls you will be able to weave afterwards, either to sell or as gifts for family and friends, from either commercial or hand spun yarns.

Materials:
All class materials including a triloom, yarn and tools are provided.

And a little something SPECIAL...
Participants normally work with alpaca or fisherman's wool for this workshop, but this time everyone is being treated to something very special! This time we will work with Mary's Special Reserve yarn - this particular line is a blend of baby alpaca and pearl infused rose fiber, fresh off the production line, and hand dyed by me. A skein of your choice is included in this workshop! (additional skeins may be purchased to take home afterwards.)

Tips:
- Wear comfortable clothing, but nothing with knitted long sleeves as these may catch on the nails on the loom
- Bring your cell phone to share your creations with your Facebook friends during class, it will also serve as a tool to measure the fringe. I also allow you to video my demonstrations so that you can refer back to it later.
- Bring business cards to share - after all, we need to create a support network!

At the conclusion of the workshop you will have the opportunity to purchase the loom you worked on for the discounted price of $50.

Take a look at the other fiber workshops at Mary's Alpaca this same weekend:

How To Train Your Fiber workshop all day Saturday (9 July)

About Roo Kline A graphic artist by trade, Roo Kline became involved with alpacas in 2006 and shortly after purchasing her own herd in early 2007, the 'Moonwood Farm' fiber studio was launched, gathering a following of spinners and fiber artists who fell in love with her luxuriously handcrafted spinning fibers and supplies. Since 2010 Roo has been teaching her personal techniques and style to others, especially those who love and/or raise alpacas.  She has instructed at Magical Farms, fiber festivals and alpaca shows, local yarn shops, has been featured on several videocasts, has provided her spinning fibers for classes of renowned spinning teachers and has written fiber related articles for American Livestock Magazine.     She was the creator of Alpaca Fiber Solutions and judges the occassional Fiber Arts & Skein competition and spin-off. She lives with her husband and 11 year old son in Huntsville, AL. Email Roo Roo on Facebook Moonwood Farm on Facebook

 

Alpaca owners and fiber artists... Did you know that all workshops and classes are TAX DEDUCTIBLE? They fall under 'education'!

images on this page (c) 2007-2016 Roo Kline and Mary's Alpaca
triloom woven shawls and photos (c) Vicki Ramsey and Roo Kline