Full Day Class
Wednesday, April 19th
9am-5pm with 12pm-2pm break

There are six core Down wools (and in this class you’ll learn why those six qualify). The fleeces from these breeds are too often discarded (burned, composted, stuck in bags in a barn loft), because mass-production processes don’t like them.

For the handspinner (and the enlightened small-mill operator), the Down wools are treasures with combined qualities that can’t be replicated by any other group of breeds. They are lofty and bouncy, durable enough to be used for everyday textiles, soft enough for many people to wear next-to-skin, and amenable to a number of preparation techniques—and they can be machine-washed and -dried without any industrial processing like superwash treatment.

Come play with Dorset Down, Hampshire Down, Oxford Down, Shropshire, Southdown, and Suffolk wools, beginning with clean fleece. (Note: Four of the six are rare breeds—Dorset Down, Oxford Down, Shropshire, and Southdown.)

Material Fee: $35

Level: can spin a single and ply