Patricia Gillies has led spinning workshops in topics ranging from fibre prep to spinning luxury blends to spindle spinning. She has taught beginner spinning to small groups and in one-on-one settings. Patricia is a graduate, with distinction, from the Master Spinner program at Olds College in Alberta. For her in-depth study at Olds, Patricia specialized in spinning luxury blends. She is accomplished in preparing, spinning and dyeing fibre from a broad range of sheep breeds – from downs to longwools – and in working with such fibres as alpaca, llama, bison, cashmere, angora and flax. Patricia is an active member of the Guelph Guild of Handweavers and Spinners.
Contact:
Guelph, Ontario
Tel: 519-993-4238
[email protected]
philura.com
Workshop – Spinning Luxury Fibres
In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to prepare, spin and finish luxury fibres such as angora, cashmere and yak. They will also learn how to maximize their fibre investment by blending luxury fibres with other fibres such as cotton, silk and Merino, with a focus on the attributes each brings to the blend. This workshop is designed for spinners who can competently spin a two-ply yarn.
Participants should bring a spinning wheel, hand carders (108 tpi, if available), a niddy noddy, a pocket digital scale (capable of measuring in 0.1-gram increments), sharp scissors (with medium to long blades) and 6mm wooden knitting needles.