In this workshop you will discover the joy of spinning fleece with a simple drop spindle, taught by an experienced spinner and teacher.

The plan for the day…

• Welcome and introductions over a cuppa. Looking at why the students have chosen to learn to spin.
• A short history of spinning, the drop spindle and spinning wheel and the drop spindle’s attraction.
• Explanation of fleece – choice and variety and the anatomy of a drop spindle and how to choose one. A brief introduction as to how to prepare fleece for spinning.
• Demonstration of the processes in beginning to spin and hands on learning.
• Lunch.
• Development of skills at the level of each student.
• Exploration of the use of different styles of spindles and different fibres.
• The next stages – how to ply and how to wash skeins to ‘fix’ the twist in the yarn.
• Questions and where to go from here…

Tutor : Amy Ford

The tutor for the day is Amy Ford who runs Sheepish Woollens from her small sheep farm in West Wales.

Amy started spinning over a decade ago, and since then has taught groups and individuals and provided demonstrations at many events including for the staff at Adam Henson’s farm and at Wool Days and Open Farm Sunday events.

She is a great enthusiast of both Drop Spindle Spinning and Wheel Spinning and is passionate about teaching drop spindling as it is such a fabulous tool with an incredible history, small and portable and inexpensive to purchase.

Places are limited to 8 participants and must be booked in advance.