SPINNING AND DYEING SILK WORKSHOP
Silk is such a beautiful and lustrous fiber to spin!  This workshop will show you how to prepare and spin all the various forms of silk available to spinners today.  You will also learn how to dye silk.  Even though it is an expensive fiber relative to our wools and such, it takes MUCH less to produce light and airy products than wool!  So working with small amounts is a pleasure! 

SKILLS T BRING   You will need to have mastered the short fingered draft and the short and long point of twist draws. 

This workshop is a FULL DAY of spinning!  We usually start at 10am, break for lunch, finishing around 5pm 

COST    The workshop cost $60.00, plus there will be a $20.00 supply fee for a complete range of silk spinning fibers for sampling.

CLASS TOPICS

INTRO TO SILK

SILK FACTS - Sericulture
1.  Cocoon forms - cocoons, bells or caps, hankies, noil
2. Carded forms - combed top (roving and brick), carded slyer
3.  Silk facts - fiber length, strength and luster; spinning wheel requirements and adjustments

DEGUMMING COCOONS

1.  Removing sericin before spinning and from spun skeins

DYEING SILK

1.  Immersion, space dyeing, sprinkle dyeing
2.  One pot, crock pot, microwave

SPINNING SILK

1.  Fiber length, luster, spinning wheel adjustments - control yarns 
2.  Techniques for cocoon forms
3.  Techniques for carded forms
4.  To ply or not to ply, considerations of twist and luster

WET FINISHING

1.  Washing, setting twist
2.  Steaming
3.  Lustering

END PRODUCTS - THE MANY USES OF SILK

THE CARE OF SILK AND SILK BLEND FABRICS

BLENDING SILK WITH OTHER FIBERS

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