The information below lists 2026 lectures, demos and workshops.
Please note I am not taking on any further workshops or lectures for 2026.
SCHOOL OF SWEETGEORGIA (SOS) COUPON CODES
The SOS has given me permission to give my students access to one month free.
https://www.schoolofsweetgeorgia.com?aff=Claddagh&p=24497
If you decide to join SOS after a month, this link will get you 15% off an All-Access SOS membership.https://www.schoolofsweetgeorgia.com?aff=Claddagh&p=24498
RECENT ARTICLES
An Artist’s Approach to Carding Color: Build Palettes with Value Keys. Spin Off Magazine Winter, 2025.
How to Achieve Grist and Avoid Skewing Your Count. Article for SweetGeorgia Yarns, December 23, 2024.
The Many Styles of Spinning Drafts. Article for SweetGeorgia Yarns, December 7, 2024.
Minor Key Mitts: Blending for the Northman Mittens, Spin Off web article. November, 2024.
ONE HANDPAINTED BRAID, Six Ways.
Mid-Atlantic Fibre Association. April 30, May 7 & May 14, 2026, 1-4pm Eastern (via Lessonface)
Handpainted braids are wonderful sources of inspiration. Although much of the color work has been done by the dyer, it is up to you, the spinner, to effectively manage the color. In this workshop Kim will explain and demonstrate six color management techniques, which lend your handspun a greater sense of balance, proportion and unity. Using non-traditional methods, Kim will explain and demonstrate how she prepares rovings and rolags on blending boards and handcards. Her methods help to reduce waste, produce the smoothest fiber preparation possible, save time, manage color placement, and create repeatable color effects in handspun yarns.
Unlike an in-person workshop you will not prepare fibre and spin during each session. However, if you would like to put what you learn into practice Kim will be presenting two colour management techniques per week. Materials and equipment lists will be provided for those students who wish to practice what they have learned between classes.
An Orientation Session has been scheduled two weeks prior to the first class to answer any questions or concerns students may have regarding equipment.
Each session, including the Orientation Session, will be recorded and available for students to view for approximately 3 weeks.
ERI, The Silk with Humble Beginnings (via Zoom)
Vermont Weavers Guild. May 9, 2026. 10-11am
Eri sericulture was first introduced to India by the Tibeto-Burman peoples who migrated to the Indian subcontinent around 1,000 BC. When I first started spinning silk in the early 1980’s the harsh traditional degumming methods used to process eri rendered a weak, brittle silk with a short staple length and dull lustre. The result was a silk that felt more like cotton than silk.
The eri silk I work with today couldn’t be more different. With research and advances in technology eri silk is now almost as popular as Bombyx. A demineralization process and a gentler degumming process, coupled with changes to the fibre preparation method, have resulted in slivers containing longer staple lengths and fibre that is soft, silky and lustrous.
In this presentation I will briefly describe the life cycle of the eri silkworm, how silk is synthesized in the silk gland, and the main differences between Bombyx and eri. I will also share how I prepare, spin, and finish eri silk for weaving.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND STUNNING HAND-DYED YARNS
Montana Association of Weavers & Spinners, Cabin Fever Series. April, 2026.
This mini-workshop is designed for fibre artists who want to go beyond recipes and truly understand the dyeing process. Led by Kim, you’ll learn a little about the science behind dyeing wool with synthetic dyes and learn how to achieve consistent, solid and semi-solid colourfast results.
TOPICS INCLUDE:
Self-shade vs. Mixed Pigments: What they are, and how they affect colour mixing and predictability.
Mixing Dye Stock Solutions: How to properly mix a 1% Depth of Shade (DOS) dye stock solution for consistent results.
Adjusting Depth of Shade (DOS): How to create lighter or darker shades using a 1% DOS dye solution.
Auxiliary Materials: Understand the roles of acetic acid, Calgon, urea, sodium acetate, and Glauber’s salt; and when (or if) to use them.
Essential Equipment: What to consider when choosing tools and materials for reliable and safe dyeing.
Variables That Affect Dye Results: Learn how temperature, time, water quality, minerals, and pH impact dye take-up and final colour.
Dye Take-up & Bleeding: Strategies for maximizing dye take up and preventing colour bleeding.
By the end of the session, you’ll: have a deeper understanding of the dye process, learn how to avoid common pitfalls and become a more confident dyer; allow you to create your own stunning hand-dyed colours.
HAUNUI WOOL, Spinning (In-person)
Richmond Weavers and Spinners Guild. October 3 & 10, 2026.
In this workshop, we’ll be working with Haunui Wool—but what is Haunui Wool, exactly?
Haunui Wool comes from a flock originally developed by Fiona Gardner, who began selectively breeding her own spinning flock in the 1980s. Today, the flock is carefully managed by her daughter, Harriet, who carries on the family’s dedication to these remarkable sheep.
A registered trademark, Haunui Wool is prized for its range of natural colours, from soft off-white to rich, deep brown. The sheep are raised humanely and are never mulesed or over-shorn. Harriet remains committed to preserving both the wellbeing of the flock and the exceptional quality of their wool.
SPINNING WOOL/SILK BLENDS & SILK SLIVER
Sheepspot, October 17 & 25, 2026 (via Zoom)
https://www.sheepspot.com Online Workshop for Sheepspot members.
Whether you wish to deepen your skills or simply explore something new, this course is both an inspiring introduction and an open invitation to play, experiment, and learn more about silk and wool/silk blends.
Week One focuses on understanding and preparing wool/silk blends. I will review the difference between mulberry and non-mulberry silks, take a look at how silk is synthesized in the silk gland, and demonstrate my methods for preparing wool/silk blends using handcards and a blending board. These blends can then be spun using your tried and true signature spinning method (often called your “default” method).
If possible, I recommend working with a wool you’re already familiar with and limit silk content to no more than 25%. This allows you to clearly see and feel the qualities the silk brings to your handspun. When working with coarser wools in the 21–36 micron range, consider pairing them with tasar, tussah, or muga silk. Finer wools blend beautifully with mulberry (Bombyx) or eri silk.
In my experience, muga, eri, and tasar silks blend more readily into smooth, homogeneous wool blends and generally require fewer passes on fibre preparation equipment than Bombyx or tussah.
Week Two we shift our focus to working with 100% silk. Silk is best spun on the finer side and therefore requires more twist than wool/silk blends. To help you achieve a finely spun, balanced 2-ply silk yarn, I will make recommendations on fibre preparation, spinning technique, and subtle wheel adjustments.
Sheepspot Guild members will also receive notes on my Plying Through Rings method, along with my Wet Finishing techniques to help you continue your exploration of silk and wool/silk blends well beyond the workshop.
TAKE THE WHEEL, Thick, Thin & Totally on purpose
Langley Weavers & Spinners Guild. October 18 & November 1, 2026. (In-person)
This workshop is geared to Novice and Intermediate Spinners.
Do you sometimes feel like you are spinning blind? You know how to spin, but are not quite sure if the yarn will turn out the way you want? Let Kim help you to:
– get to know your wheel and how it functions
– dissect your Signature Yarn
– make small, intentional adjustments to spin thick or thin yarns on purpose
– tweak your spinning technique so your hands and wheel work together
– discover how fibre choice affects drafting, twist, and its part in the shaping of the final yarn
– understand the different choices to be made when spinning for thick or thin yarn
Day 1
In the morning Kim will:
– review each participant’s wheel and explain the little things that can be done to make it more efficient
– help you take a close look at your Signature Yarn and record how the fibre was prepared, spun, and finished.
– explain the purpose of a spin control card
In the afternoon you will:
– learn how to spin singles for a thick single-ply yarn and for a thick 2-ply yarn
– why the fibre in your materials kit was chosen for spinning thick yarn
– learn Kim’s finishing method for thick yarn
Day 2
We move on to spinning for fine yarns. In this session, you will learn:
– how to spin a fine 2-ply yarn
– why the fibre in your materials kit was chosen for spinning a fine yarn
– Kim’s finishing method for fine yarn
– Kim’s Plying Through Rings Method
JAZZY SCRAPS, Creating Wool Nepps from Handspun
Dallas Handweavers and Spinners Guild. November 14, 2026. 1-3pm (via Zoom)
This workshop will show you how to breathe life into small leftover scraps of handspun and fibre currently languishing in your stash. Kim will show you how she transforms small bits of handspun yarn and fibre into wool nepps, Nepps are tiny, felted wool balls that add texture, colour, and character to your spinning projects. We’ll explore simple techniques for creating and incorporating nepps into fibre preparations.
In this 2 hour workshop you will learn:
– how to choose the right yarn and fibre for making nepps
– how to make nepps
– how to incorporate these colourful add-ins into woollen and worsted fibre preparations
– the different characteristics of handspun yarns when spun woollen versus worsted