These hands-on workshops will have a limited number of students, ensuring that everyone gets the necessary individualized attention!  

Beginning Spinning
Beverly Meade will teach beginning students how to spin alpaca from roving on spinning wheels.  She will teach some simple techniques and provide hints to make spinning enjoyable and relaxing.  Wheels will be provided for your use or you can bring your own.  Roving will be provided.
Beverly Meade          Course: Beginning Spinning Beverly Meade has been an artist for many years.  She has worked with alpaca for over ten years.  She has received grants from the Cultural Resources Council of the Arts to teach spinning.  She received several blue ribbons and judges Choice Award at the 2005 F2F for articles that she handspun and finished into garments.  Beverly works full time at A+ Alpaca Fiber Mill creating roving and yarn for its customers.  Beverly enjoys teaching and working with breeders from spinning to yarns and fiber and their usage.
Max: 9 students	Skill level: Beginner	Workshop Cost: $40.00	Time: 8:30AM - 12:30PM
Felted Slippers
Ann Merriwether will teach a fun felted slipper class. In this class you will learn to combine basic needle felting techniques with wet felting.  You don't need to be able to sew or knit! Using a foam slipper form, you’ll shape a basic slipper using needle felting. We will then put the slipper on your foot and wet felt it to just your size! (This involves getting a nice foot massage for added fun.)  We will go over different decoration options.   Participants will keep the reusable slipper form, needles and instructions so they can make more slippers on their own.  They will get some nice fiber to make the slippers too.  Participants may use Ann’s fiber blends or bring their own to use during the workshop.  Warning: felting can be addictive - once you start you may not be able to stop!
Ann Merriwether          Courses: Felted Slippers  and Felted Birdhouses Ann Merriwether is a fiber enthusiast who lives with her husband and two daughters on an alpaca farm in Vestal New York.  Her work is entirely handmade by either dry felting (needle felting) or wet felting.  She uses the wool, fur and fiber from the animal residents of Nyala Farm, the farm she co-owns with her husband.  Nyala Farm is currently home to 35 alpaca, 7 Wensleydale sheep, 3 Jacob's sheep and 3 angora rabbits. The fur, wool and fiber are harvested causing no injury to the  animals.  All wool, fur and fiber in her art is washed, combed and hand-dyed right on the farm.  With these wonderful fiber resources, she makes dolls, ornaments, hats, Christmas stockings, slippers, mittens and wall art.  She also gives felting lessons and sells kits to make a variety of felted art items.  Ann loves to get folks interested in felting!
Max: 15 students	Skill level: Beginner	Workshop Cost: $50.00	Time: 8:30AM - 12:30PM
Locker Hooking with Alpaca
Learn the old Australian craft of Locker Hooking and make an 8” x 8” hot pad. Cindy Cuykendall will utilize natural colored alpaca rovings with a special needle and mesh canvas to create a patterned hot pad.  The technique learned can be used to create chair pads, rugs, placemats and many other objects.  A locker hooking tool has a crochet hook on one end and a large needle eye on the other. The crochet end is used to pull loops of your roving through the holes in the canvas mesh. After you've pulled up a few loops onto the hook, then the needle eye, threaded with yarn or cord, is pulled through the loops, locking them in place.  Join us in this class and learn this easy craft technique to create special items that can be added to your farm products inventory.
Cindy Cuykendall          Course: Locker Hooking with Alpaca Cindy Cuykendall has been raising alpacas (Song Meadows Alpacas) and creating things from their fleece for five  years.  A former school counselor, Cindy is now a full-time alpaca breeder and fiber artist.  She enjoys spinning, knitting, dying, felting and weaving.
Max: 15 students	Skill level: Beginner	Workshop Cost: $50.00	Time: 8:30AM - 12:30PM
Weaving Without a Loom
J. Lesley McClelland will be the instructor.  In this class you will learn several primitive weaving techniques resulting in bands or strips that can be used as decorative edging, for belts or straps, to fashion halters or lead ropes, and many other possibilities.  With stick weaving you will learn to create a plain band that can be used for a belt, strap or scarf, and can be embellished with various types of embroidery.  Each participant will receive a set of 7 medium weaving sticks and enough yarn to create a small cell phone pouch to be embellished with a yarn needle and contrasting yarns (also provided). Card weaving allows you to create simple patterns and complex designs of woven material that can be used for many purposes, based on the weaving material chosen.  Finer materials create a band that is suitable for embellishments or edging on fancy clothing, while bulkier materials can be used to make belts or flat ropes and strapping of impressive strength.  Complex card weaving patterns can create intricate designs of celtic knots, kivrim-style swirls or lettering.  Each participant will receive a set of 10 weaving cards, a clamp for attaching the work to a stable surface, and enough yarn to create a strip of several simple patterns. Participants will also receive a booklet explaining techniques taught and a small bibliography for further study.
J. Lesley McClelland          Course: Weaving Without a Loom Lesley, a shepherdess and fiber artist, owns a small farm near Owego, NY with Icelandic sheep and Icelandic crosses, and other various livestock.  She is trying different cross-breedings, using Romney, Finn and Jacob lines to alter the qualities of the fiber for different purposes.  Lesley is also experimenting with mill-blended fibers to create new textures.  She specializes in spinning yarns from her own wool and hand-dying techniques, and has an avid interest in primitive and native fiber arts.  Her yarns are available through Tenderfoot Crafts in Candor, NY.
Max: 12 students	Skill level: Beginner	Workshop Cost: $48.00	Time: 8:30AM - 12:20PM
Weaving for Stress Release
Eileen Easterly, of Millpoint Emporium, will be the instructor. We all are challenged by stress in our lives. Learn to use weaving and the fiber arts to overcome the negative effects of tension and rediscover the joy in your life. This course may be of interest to both novice and experienced weavers, but will focus on the use of Japanese Saori weaving ("free-weaving") techniques to release your inner creativity and reduce stress. Materials fee includes: Frame loom, shuttle, pickup stick, yarn for your project and written instructions.
Eileen Easterly          Courses: Weaving for Stress Release  and Easy Tapestry Weaving Eileen Easterly has a love of weaving and fiber arts.  Her goal is to make the fiber arts fun and accessible to everyone.  She has a master's degree in education and 15 years experience teaching hands-on classes.  Eileen works with her husband, Mike, in their fiber arts-tools business, Millpoint Emporium (www.millpointemporium.com).  Her home is in Amsterdam, NY.
Max: 12 students	Skill level: Beginner	Workshop Cost: $75.00	Time: 8:30AM - 12:30PM
Nuno Felted Silk Scarf Class
Wini Labrecque will be the instructor.  Learn the basics of this wet felting technique while creating a beautiful felted fiber embellished silk scarf. Using dyed rovings, yarn snippets and threads we will create a design on a piece of silk gauze then apply soap, water and agitation to make the applied embellishments adhere to the silk. Finished scarf will still be wet when class is done so students should bring a gallon size zip lock type bag to put scarf into after class. Students should also bring 2 beach towels. Students should be able to stand for long periods of time and be able to tolerate using hands, fingers and upper arm strength for rolling the felt. You will take home an original silk scarf designed and made by you. Materials Needed: Students should bring 2 beach towels with them and a gallon size zip lock plastic bag.
Wini Labrecque          Courses: Nuno Felted Silk Scarf and Hand Painting Yarn Wini Labrecque has made fiber her profession: studying, training and evaluating its properties from both a scientific and hands-on approach.  As a textile artist, she has developed a solid background and interest in a wide variety of techniques for utilization of fiber from raw state to finished product.  Since the late 1980's, utilizing natural fibers, Wini has been spinning, weaving, knitting and felting.  Her handspun skeins and woven/knit goods are sold at area art festivals and in area specialty shops.  Once exposed to alpacas and their wonderful fiber, she has been utilizing and promoting the fiber to everyone who will listen. Her current projects include research and development of a Pennsylvania Preferred product from PAOBA member fiber and research and development of a washable/dryable alpaca blend yarn/fabric.  She is a strong supporter of the AFCNA and the coop model. Wini lectures on all aspects of fiber as well as teaching classes in beginning spinning, felting, and/or weaving to individuals or small groups. She is a Fiber Arts judge as well as a judge for hand spun and mill spun skein competitions, an AOBA apprentice fleece judge, and currently completing certification as a camelid fiber grader/sorter.
Max: 20 students	Skill level: Beginner	Workshop Cost: $60.00	Time: 8:30AM - 12:30PM
Fleece Skirting
Cheryl Gehly will be the instructor.  Learn how to properly skirt a raw fleece to prepare it for showing or for processing.  Students will learn how to clean and prepare show fleeces in order to present it in the best possible manner at a fleece show. Bring your fleece to skirt and maybe enter it into the fleece show!  Cheryl is scheduled to judge white, fawn and brown huacaya fleeces so you cannot skirt a fleece of this color in the class and then enter it that fleece into the fleece show.  You can skirt black, grey, multi or indefinite or any suri fleeces and enter them into the show.
Cheryl Gehly          Course: Fleece Skirting Cheryl Gehly came to the alpaca world with a background of 25 years in education.  Her subsequent immersion and fascination with alpaca fleece arose from an innocent decision to volunteer with shearing back in 1998.  Once hooked, she pursued a desire to learn more and ultimately became an AOBA Certified Fleece Judge in 2002.   She has volunteered as a fleece show superintendent on several occasions and became a familiar face to many as she helped at numerous annual AOBA National Conference Fleece Shows.  She has subsequently been hired as the Fleece Show Superintendent for several fleece shows.  Cheryl has also volunteered her time with AOBA by being a member and chairperson of the Judge Training and Certification Committee.  In addition, she has shared her knowledge with judges and apprentices as an Instructor at JTCC sponsored Judge Training Clinics.  Cheryl was appointed as a member of the AOBA Judge Advisory Committee and is currently the chairperson.  She is also the fleece judge liaison to the Show Rules Committee and the Judge Training and Certification Committee.  Cheryl also gives breeder seminars around the country as well as judging multiple AOBA Certified Fleece Shows annually.
Max: 12 students	Skill level: Beginner	Workshop Cost: $40.00	Time: 1:30PM - 5:30PM
The Granny Square Revolution!
Regina Mason will be the instructor.  With the incredible supply of luxurious yarns available, you can make endless individualized pieces of wearable art with the old staple granny square! The good news? Your Granny won't recognize it! Participants will learn to crochet the granny square from the beginning,and will learn to build clothing out of completed squares. We will cover  fibers, color choice, gauge, and pattern reading.  Each participant should bring one skein of their favorite natural fiber (of course, alpaca is preferred) to use and share with other participants. Crochet hooks and  patterns for future projects provided.
Regina Mason          Course: The Granny Square Revolution Regina Mason, fiber artist, shepherdess, and homeschooling mother, holds  an M.Ed. with Waldorf and public education certifications. In The  Shepherd’s Child studio at BelleWeather Farm in rural New York, she teaches spinning, felting, knitting, weaving, heritage quilting and  Waldorf doll making. On the road, Regina brings homespun traditions to colleges, schools, homeschool collectives, conferences, fiber festivals, and historical events throughout the US. The Shepherd’s Child Handwork Studio romances an era gone by, offering ample opportunity to work with fiber and related tools spanning the last  150 years. Bringing old traditions into the modern era, we support the  artistic development of fiber craftspeople and students of all ages, at all levels of experience. Spinning, knitting, felting, weaving, or just hugging the sheep, every visitor can find an outlet to bring his creative vision to life. Regina lives at BelleWeather Farm, "a pleasant ten-hour drive from just about anywhere"
Max: 15 students	Skill level: Beginner	Workshop Cost: $40.00	Time: 1:30PM - 5:30PM
Knitting for the Non-Knitting
Chris Gilman will be the instructor. No knitting skills are required for this workshop, and you can learn how to create products to sell. This is an easy skill that can be done anywhere and in a short period of time. Students will learn to how to make hats, scarves, purses and other items using round knitting looms.  The basics for sweater making will be discussed as well.  A set of looms, tools and yarn for students to keep is included in the workshop fee.
Chris Gilman Courses: Knitting for the Non-Knitter cc
Max: 10 students	Skill level: Beginner	Workshop Cost: $50.00	Time: 1:30PM - 5:30PM
Easy Tapestry Weaving
Eileen Easterly Learn the centuries old art of creating pictures with yarn in a simple and easy way with  Eileen Easterly.  This workshop will introduce you to basic tapestry weaving techniques - focusing on design, building shapes, and methods to join colors.  Students will create a tapestry on a frame loom.  Materials included in workshop fee includes: frame loom, shuttle, pickup stick, yarn for your project and written instructions.
Eileen Easterly Courses: Weaving for Stress Release and Easy Tapestry Weaving Eileen Easterly has a love of weaving and fiber arts.  Her goal is to make the fiber arts fun and accessible to everyone.  She has a master's degree in education and 15 years experience teaching hands-on classes.  Eileen works with her husband, Mike, in their fiber arts-tools business, Millpoint Emporium (www.millpointemporium.com).  Her home is in Amsterdam, NY.
Max: 12 students	Skill level: Beginner	Workshop Cost: $75.00	Time: 1:30PM - 5:30PM
Felted Birdhouses
Ann Merriwether will teach a fun felted birdhouse class. Every wondered what to do with seconds and thirds that are just not nice enough for yarn?  How about making a home for the birds?  In this class you will learn to combine basic needle felting techniques with wet felting to make a really unique birdhouse.  You don't need to be able to sew or knit! Using some old plastic bags and bubble wrap for a form, you’ll shape the house part of your bird house using needle felting. We will use a larger form to shape the roof. We will go over different decoration options and wet felting to finish off the house.   Participants may use Ann’s fiber blends or bring their own to use during the workshop.  You will get enough fiber for two projects, a felting tool and needles.  Warning: felting can be addictive - once you start you may not be able to stop!
Ann Merriwether          Courses: Felted Slippers  and Felted Birdhouses Ann Merriwether is a fiber enthusiast who lives with her husband and two daughters on an alpaca farm in Vestal New York.  Her work is entirely handmade by either dry felting (needle felting) or wet felting.  She uses the wool, fur and fiber from the animal residents of Nyala Farm, the farm she co-owns with her husband.  Nyala Farm is currently home to 35 alpaca, 7 Wensleydale sheep, 3 Jacob's sheep and 3 angora rabbits. The fur, wool and fiber are harvested causing no injury to the  animals.  All wool, fur and fiber in her art is washed, combed and hand-dyed right on the farm.  With these wonderful fiber resources, she makes dolls, ornaments, hats, Christmas stockings, slippers, mittens and wall art.  She also gives felting lessons and sells kits to make a variety of felted art items.  Ann loves to get folks interested in felting!
Max: 12 students	Skill level: Beginner	Workshop Cost: $45.00	Time: 1:30PM - 5:30PM
Hand Painting Yarn
Wini Labrecque will be the instructor.  Join her for this fun, colorful class as you learn the basics of dyeing.  Handpainting your skeins gives you the opportunity to present something unique to your clients.   Participants will 'hand paint' a provided skein of 100% alpaca yarn using fiber reactive dyes then heat set the dyes using a microwave.  Small sampler skeins of alpaca blend yarns will also be provided to experiment and see the effect the dyes have on the blends.  Participants will take home their hand painted skeins of yarn along with the skills necessary to do the task at home.   Different dye materials will be discussed including the advantages/disadvantages of each along with different techniques of dying the skeins. Participants should bring a large zipper type plastic bag to take home your damp skeins in.  Wear clothes you are not afraid to get dye on!!!  Rubber gloves will be provided.  Dyes will be pre mixed so masks are not necessary (technique will be discussed).  An old towel is also recommended.
Wini Labrecque          Courses: Nunu Felted Silk Scarf and Hand Painting Yarn Wini Labrecque has made fiber her profession: studying, training and evaluating its properties from both a scientific and hands-on approach.  As a textile artist, she has developed a solid background and interest in a wide variety of techniques for utilization of fiber from raw state to finished product.  Since the late 1980's, utilizing natural fibers, Wini has been spinning, weaving, knitting and felting.  Her handspun skeins and woven/knit goods are sold at area art festivals and in area specialty shops.  Once exposed to alpacas and their wonderful fiber, she has been utilizing and promoting the fiber to everyone who will listen. Her current projects include research and development of a Pennsylvania Preferred product from PAOBA member fiber and research and development of a washable/dryable alpaca blend yarn/fabric.  She is a strong supporter of the AFCNA and the coop model. Wini lectures on all aspects of fiber as well as teaching classes in beginning spinning, felting, and/or weaving to individuals or small groups. She is a Fiber Arts judge as well as a judge for hand spun and mill spun skein competitions, an AOBA apprentice fleece judge, and currently completing certification as a camelid fiber grader/sorter.
Max: 20 students	Skill level: Beginner	Workshop Cost: $65.00	Time: 1:30PM - 5:30PM