Creative Fibre Correspondence Courses

Designer Yarns

Click to register for a designer yarns course.

Certificate in Designer Yarns 1

Tutor:  Suzy Brown
Duration:  Six months

Course fee (inclusive of GST):

New Zealand Member
PDF download: NZD170.00   
Printed material: NZD200.00

Overseas Member
PDF download: NZD195.00

This course is a comprehensive introduction to designer yarns. You will learn what designer yarns are and what makes them different from other kinds of yarns. You will build a toolbox of techniques in fibre preparation and spinning and get the opportunity to experiment and explore within a design process. To get the most out of your study, access to the internet is recommended. The course material includes links to online videos and you are encouraged to share your progress and questions in a private Facebook group.

This course is for experienced spinners. Students will have either successfully completed the Creative Fibre Certificate in Hand spinning 1 – Wool, or have an existing understanding of washing and preparing fibre for spinning, a good understanding of what woolen and worsted yarns are, and can successfully spin a balanced two-ply yarn.

Learning Outcomes
On successfully completing this course you will be able to:
• Know what designer yarns are.
• Understand how fibre choices and preparation choices influence the yarn you can create.
• Explore and master a range of spinning techniques to develop skills and knowledge you can draw from later in your yarn design.
• Reflect on and critique your own yarns and yarn experiments in a way that helps you improve and develop them further.

For this course you will need access to a range of fibre preparation tools e.g. set of combs or hand cards, a drum carder and blending board, a range of fibres that can be used for sample yarns, a variety of washed locks, roving, and commercial top or sliver.

Certificate in Designer Yarns 2

Tutor:  Suzy Brown
Duration:  Six months

Course fee (inclusive of GST):

New Zealand Member
PDF download: NZD170.00   
Printed material: NZD200.00

Overseas Member
PDF download: NZD195.00

Prerequisite: You have successfully completed Creative Fibre’s correspondence course Designer Yarns 1.

The Certificate in Designer Yarns 2 builds on knowledge and skills of the foundation course Certificate in Designer Yarns 1. You will plan and design your own designer yarn, based on a theme of your choice, transforming ideas/concepts into a tangible and beautifully designed yarn. This is a blended learning course. To get the most out of your study, access to the Internet is recommended. The written course material includes links to online videos and you are encouraged to share your progress and ask questions in a private Facebook group. 

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course you will be able to:

  • Consolidate and build on basic spinning techniques which you learned and practiced in the first course, Designer Yarns 1.
  • Understand how to turn a concept, idea, or emotion into a tangible expression using yarn.
  • Plan a design process to create a unique yarn, from fibre preparation to finished yarn.
  • Create a designer yarn that will demonstrate mastery of techniques and expresses your concept and theme.

For this course you will need access to a range of fibre preparation tools e.g. set of combs or hand cards, a drum carder and blending board, a range of fibres that can be used for sample yarns, a variety of washed locks, roving, and commercial top or sliver.