Fiber Arts

The Adirondack Folk School would like to expand the use and joy of our weaving studio with a week long Open Studio experience. This is an advanced class and our Introduction to Weaving course is a pre-requisite. The Open Studio is designed for the novice weaver who would like to plan and weave a project of their choice. This will require a conversation (phone, email or text) with Janet prior to the class to calculate your yarn requirements or for the school to provide materials at an additional material cost. On Day 1 you will wind and warp your loom and as a group share your project ideas and dress your loom for weaving. Janet will be there to support you as needed in the process of warping and threading. Days 2-5 will be for open weaving in the company of your fellow weavers.

No weaving experience is necessary! You will be making a Rag Rug using recycled fabric. Many colors and designs of fabrics will be available for you to choose from. The looms are dressed and ready to go: all you need to do is bring your creative spirit and you will leave with a finished one-of-a-kind rug that you have designed and woven yourself. Your rug will be 24? wide and can be up to 45? long.

AFS UFO Studio, formerly known as Sewing Circle, is an out of this world opportunity for fiber artists to come and complete the UnFinished Objects floating around their home. UFO Studio is free to attend, and though it is non-instructional, peer-to-peer help is always available. All forms of projects are welcome ? bring your unfinished weaving, sewing, embroidery, rug hooking, knitting, crocheting, felting, or any other project that involves fiber handwork. AFS has a couple of sewing machines, small looms, and hand tools available but please feel free to bring your own!

Many handwoven patterns look best with traditional hemstitching completed on the loom at the start and finish of your project. Four styles of hemstitching will be demonstrated and practiced. Handouts will be provided to help you use the hemstitching techniques on future projects. Hemstitching can be used on both floor looms and rigid heddle looms.

This is a weave structure well known to weavers and Lee's Surrender is a beautiful example of the structure. Overshot requires two shuttles and a bit more concentration to complete. The instructor will demonstrate the step by step process and help you to understand the pattern. Please note: This is an advanced class. Finishing Touches for the Handweaver is a prerequisite for this class.

This is a weave structure well known to weavers and Lee's Surrender is a beautiful example of the structure. Overshot requires two shuttles and a bit more concentration to complete. The instructor will demonstrate the step by step process and help you to understand the pattern. Please note: This is an advanced class. Finishing Touches for the Handweaver is a prerequisite for this class.

In this class you will use two variegated yarns to create a scarf with color that will look like it was designed by a master weaver. The basic weaving techniques on a rigid heddle loom will be demonstrated. You will make a 54" scarf with fringe.

Want to try out weaving on a floor loom? This class starts with a loom all set up and ready to go - no prior weaving experience is needed! Keep the winter chill away with a scarf you weave yourself. Each class will include an introduction to the loom and instruction on how to operate it. Several color choices will be available. You'll be weaving away in no time!

You will start with strips and create a 9-Patch square. With a few cuts and twists you will create a new block. Several block designs will be demonstrated. The fun begins when we see the variety of blocks created with different colors and twists.

Want to try out weaving on a floor loom? This class starts with a loom all set up and ready to go - no prior weaving experience is needed! Keep the winter chill away with a scarf you weave yourself. Each class will include an introduction to the loom and instruction on how to operate it. Several color choices will be available. You'll be weaving away in no time!

AFS UFO Studio, formerly known as Sewing Circle, is an out of this world opportunity for fiber artists to come and complete the UnFinished Objects floating around their home. UFO Studio is free to attend, and though it is non-instructional, peer-to-peer help is always available. All forms of projects are welcome ? bring your unfinished weaving, sewing, embroidery, rug hooking, knitting, crocheting, felting, or any other project that involves fiber handwork. AFS has a couple of sewing machines, small looms, and hand tools available but please feel free to bring your own!

Spinning, the ancient art of twisting fibers to make yarn or thread, still thrives today, and this workshop will show you how to bring its magic into your own creative practice. In this workshop, you will learn how to spin wool using spindles and a spinning wheel and hear stories and folklore about spinning while you practice. You will learn the basics of spinning, how to work with the properties of wool, and how to ply and finish the yarn you have spun. No experience is necessary.