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Workshops

The information below lists 2024 lectures, demos and workshops.

SPIN A HAND-DYED BRAID FIVE WAYS
School of SweetGeorgia (SOS) Course
Now available.

Handpainted braids are wonderful sources of inspiration. Even though the dyer has done much of the colour work for you, there are still many choices to make when preparing and spinning the braid. In this course, I demonstrate how you can achieve five different colour effects in your 2-ply handspun from one colourway. We explore fractal, gradient, raindrop, rill, and marled yarns. Spinning fractals and gradient yarns are not new to most of you. How I use my equipment to prepare them, is. In this workshop I share how I use my fibre preparation equipment in non-traditional ways to: reduce waste, produce the smoothest fibre preparation possible, save time, manage colour placement in a consistent manner and, last but not least, create different colour effects in my handspun.

If you like to play with colour, be sure to check out the SOS website.

With this link you can join SOS for one free month
Join the School of SweetGeorgia for one month free

This link will get you 15% off an All-Access membership to the SOS
Get 15% off an All-Access membership to the School of SweetGeorgia

SHETLAND VORTEX, Blending, preparing and spinning handpainted Shetland Braids
April 2024

Hosted by one of our local guilds, in this workshop I share how I use handpainted braids and value keys to create rolags. The method I present helps to draw your focus away from the colour and instead brings value to the forefront. Shifting your perspective helps you to create handspun skeins with a greater a sense of balance, proportion and unity.

FLIGHTS OF FANCY : ERI SILK, Lecture and demonstration on spinning eri silk
May 2024

In conjunction with The Silk Weaving Studio’s “Eri Explorations” exhibit, I will be presenting an informative slide show on the eri silkworm along with demos on how to spin eri silk on a spinning wheel, supported spindle and a top whorl/drop spindle.
Your $96 registration fee includes a curated box of eri silk and tea; from Sanjo Silk and O5 Tea, respectively.

One of the highlights of the silks in this kit is 100 grams of eri silk handpainted by Diana Sanderson. Kim will share her tips for colour management and yarn design to give you ideas for your own handpainted eri handspun adventure.

Come see what’s brewing and join us for a cup of tea and a morning steeped in eri silk. This event will be held at the beautiful and inspiring Silk Weaving Studio (next to the Sandbar courtyard) on Granville Island.

Registration opens on Eventbrite on January 10th.

JUNE, 2024
In June I am teaching two workshops hosted by a Guild in the Interior of beautiful British Columbia.

SPINNING CALISTHENICS
This workshop is for guild members looking to improve their skillset; people who want more from the yarn they spin. You will work with handpainted semi-solid fibre from Crafty JAKS while I share my best tips, tricks and techniques for spinning a consistent yarn. I won’t try to change your signature (default) spinning method. Instead, I will work with you, show you the subtle adjustments that can be made to both your wheel and your signature spinning method and hand you the keys to creating lovely, consistent handspun yarns.
As well as adjustments to your wheel and spinning technique you will explore the difference your fibre preparation method can make to the character of your yarn.

FLIGHTS OF FANCY
Most spinners are familiar with the silk from the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori. This lovely white coloured silk, has a glass like lustre and incredible drape. But there is more to silk than Bombyx. Just like fleece from different sheep breeds, not all silkworms produce silk with the same characteristics. Non-mulberry silkworms (often referred to as wild silk) offer us silk fibre in an array of natural colours, texture and lustre.
In this workshop I share my best tips, tricks and techniques for spinning: white eri, peduncle tasar, cocoon tasar and muga silk from India as well as natural-coloured and bleached tussah from China.

SALT SPRING ISLAND WORKSHOP
August 9, 10 & 11, 2024

Registration will be open in the near future and is available via Eventbrite.

Can you imagine anything more inspiring than a weekend immersed in silk spinning on Salt Spring Island, B.C.? 

Join your host, Diana Sanderson, and instructor, Kim McKenna, on Salt Spring Island for a creative, relaxing weekend spent working with silk. The primary focus over the weekend will be learning to spin silk from different species of silkworm. To add to your enjoyment, Diana is opening up her dye studio to us. There we will work at two different indigo vats, transforming natural coloured muga, eri, tussah, tasar and Bombyx silk into otherworldly shades of blue. 

Friday Night:

The weekend will begin getting to know one another over a complimentary welcome dinner by our host, Diana. After dinner we dive right in. First, Kim will get you acquainted with the silks in your materials kit. Then we will check your wheels to make sure they are tuned and ready for a weekend of silk spinning. Kim will also review how to prepare a small indigo vat at home and the process of indigo dyeing to prepare you for Saturday morning.

Saturday morning you will be introduced to the ancient art of indigo dyeing. One vat uses pre-reduced indigo crystals from Japan. The other vat is a natural bio-vat prepared with materials which can be sourced locally.  At the vats, you will transform peduncle tasar, cocoon tasar, muga, tussah, Bombyx and eri silk from their natural colours into an array of inky blues or blue-greens. The colours achieved, their richness and depth are mesmerizing and breathtaking. 

After a light lunch, our afternoon will be devoted to silk spinning. Kim will spend the afternoon helping you to understand the subtle adjustments needed to your spinning wheel, your fibre preparation and your spinning style to spin fine silk yarns. The variety of silk fibres you will be spinning include fibre from five species of silkworm namely tasar, muga, eri, tussah, and Bombyx.

A pot-luck dinner will wrap our day….and if the weather cooperates…..we will enjoy dinner on the deck over looking the water while listening to waves as they lap upon the shore.

Sunday 

Sunday’s schedule: We will have a 9:30 am start, a complimentary light lunch around 12:30 pm and then wrap up the day between 3:30 and 4 pm.

Sunday morning we return to the wheels to spin more fibres from your materials kit. In addition Kim will share her:

  • method for degumming carrier rod silk
  • fibre prep and spinning method for spinning a lightweight yarn from silk carrier rods
  • method for preparing Mawata hankies for weaving 
  • tips for colour management when working with handpainted sliver
  • how to finish your handspun silk skeins