Spiral Studio Workshops
- Feltmaking – basic, includes colour blending and design
- Fleece tapestry technique
- Two-shaft weaving
- Inkle braid weaving
- Introduction to weaving – basic skills, up to six-shaft
- Specific techniques for various projects, includes nuno and hatmaking
Tutors in:
- SAORI Weaving – Introductory Workshop
- SAORI Weaving – Follow-up Workshop
Workshops
- Introduction to felt making
- Weaving 101
- Weaving structures and colour
- Texture in weaving
- Dyeing
- Custom workshops
I have been weaving for almost 30 years and knitting from the age of 4 – even longer! These days I am happiest when seated at a loom, although I still knit as a hobby. Some years ago I went to Unitec to complete a Diploma of Design in the then existing Craft School. The three years then extended to four and I emerged with a Design Degree eager to set up my own studio. I now split my time between weaving and teaching and love every minute.
I’ve been concentrating on weaving flat weave floor rugs for the last three or four years, but in the last year I’ve been playing around again with small pieces of fabric. I often weave on my eight-shaft jack loom in the morning and on the rug loom in the afternoon.
Workshops
- Design – 8 x two-hour lessons, or 2 x six-hour lessons
- Drawing for Non Drawers
- Drawing as a Springboard for Design
- Using Abstraction to Help Design
WORKSHOPS
- Hand knitting techniques
- Lace knitting
- Dorset buttons
- Beginner spinning
- The use of colour in knitting
Workshops
Classes tailored to individual/group requirements.
- Growing good wool for handcraft use
- Selection and preparation of wool for handcraft use
- ‘Adventures with Wool’ (on farm workshop)
- Dyeing and use of colour
- Spinning
- Knitting and knitting without a pattern
- Diagonal weaving
- Basic weaving
- Needle felting
- Wet felting
- Rug hooking
WORKSHOPS
- Understanding basic weaving
- Double weave
- All levels of crochet
- Learning to read crochet patterns
I learned to knit as a child and was lucky to attend a school that had rigid heddle box looms and really enjoyed weaving. I later learned to crochet, tatt and macramé but it was when my lounge suite needed recovering and I found NZSWWS in 1972 that my crafts flourished. I availed myself of many workshops to hone my skills in spinning, weaving and dyeing and made many lasting friendships. In the 1990’s I learned locker hooking, pine needle weaving, needle woven beadwork and embroidery, felting and latterly kumihimo Japanese braiding. It is now very gratifying to share the different facets of these skills in various workshops tailored to requests.
WORKSHOPS
- Bead weaving
- Beginner Kumihimo
- Crochet including Tunisian
- Diagonal weaving
- Dorset buttons
- Felting including nuno and lace felt
- Inkle Weaving
- Knitting
- Locker Hooking
- Navajo and bead crochet
- Needlewoven beadwork
- Pine Needlework
- Spinning
- Weaving
Workshops
Creative Knitting
- Patchwork knitting. Interlocking squares to build up a shape (3 hours)
- Embellishments. Use up those pretty scraps in interesting ways. (3 hours)
- Edgings with a Difference (3 hours)
Beginner Spinning
- Covering wheel care, fleece selection, fleece preparation, worsted and woollen spinning, washing and a brief outline of how to use handspun yarns. 10/12 hours
- Using a hackle: Preparing fibres for semi worsted spinning, blending fibres and colours. 3 hours.