CLASSES & demos
What’s a fibre fest without a chance to see a fun demo or learn a new skill? We have some fun new classes for you all this year, such as a macrame wall hanging class, jumbo finger knitting, and a few favourites such as felting, crochet and spinning classes.
Registration closes this Saturday, so click through to register if you’re interested.
NOTE: If you have a pop-up blocker that’s causing you troubles with registration, you can also go directly to our Faking Sanity website to register (https://fakingsanity.square.site)
2024 Classes:
Drop Spindle Spinning
Instructor: Mary Tylosky
Registration Required: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.
Cost: $65 - includes 50g of wool, an info booklet and several breed samples, and use of spindle during class
Materials Required: A towel for the floor in front of you, so the spindle doesn’t break if/when you drop it
Pre-requisites: None
Time: 2.5 hours (11:30 am - 2:00 pm, classroom 2)
Description:
Faking Sanity will be providing 50g of wool and Mary will have spindles available to borrow for the class, as well as a reference leaflet with various wool samples to take home. All you need is a desire to learn to spin! This class has sold out every year and is always one of our most requested classes! Learn about different types of spindles, and the benefits of each, along with the basics of spinning.
CROCHET AMIGURUMI
Instructor: Jackie Moore
Registration Required: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.
Cost: $40 - includes original pattern by Jackie and all yarn required
Materials Required: A 3.5mm or 4mm crochet hook
Pre-requisites: Must know how to single crochet and perform single increase and decrease stitches
Time: 2 hours (11:30 am - 1:30 pm, classroom 3)
Description: Jackie of Amidorable Crochet designed an adorable plant amigurumi for this class. You’ll learn how to do increases and decreases, and crochet in the round to shape these awesome little creatures, as well as how to stuff and put them together, and finish them off to ensure maximum cuteness!
macrame a 3-feather wall hanging
Instructor: Rhian Pardy
Registration Required: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.
Cost: $85 (includes design, hoop, bead, driftwood, hanger, macrame cord in chosen colours, and scissors to borrow)
Materials Required: None, but can bring scissors or a favourite piece of driftwood or antler to incorporate
Pre-requisites: N/A
Time: 3 hours (2:00 pm - 5:00 pm, classroom 3)
Description: Rhian is coming to teach this fun class for a beautiful 3-feather macrame dream catcher and wall hanging. The class includes all the supplies you'll need, including a hoop, large decroative bead, driftwood, hanger, macrame cord in your chosen colours (Rhian will email you regarding your colour choice), and scissors to borrow. Learn about the structure, the knots, the supplies, and how to string a dream catcher.
finger knit a cozy lap blanket
Instructor: Connie Potratz (CC’s Creations)
Registration Required: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.
Cost: $75 - includes 3 balls of Bernat Blanket Big yarn
Materials Required: N/A
Pre-requisites: N/A
Time: 3 hours (11:30 am - 2:30 pm, classroom 1)
Description: Connie of CC's Creations will be teaching this fun class where you will learn to manually knit a blanket with just your hands and 3 balls of jumbo yarn. At the end of the class, you will have your very own, squishy lap blanket to take home and snuggle in!
Felting custom designs on fabric
Instructor: Lynsie Forster
Registration Required: SOLD OUT
Cost: $50 - includes all supplies (felting mat, felting needles, background felt cloth, and all wool)
Materials Required: None (but you may want to bring a thimble or two from home)
Pre-requisites: N/A
Time: 2.5 hours (2:30 pm - 5:00 pm, classroom 2)
Description: Learn about the tools and materials required for felting, as well as different ways to felt. Then, try your hand at felting your own design on a piece of felted wool cloth. All materials including the wool cloth, felting needles, felting pad/mat and all wool you require are included in the class. At the end, you can fold it in half and sew it up the side for a custom glasses or phone pouch, or use it flat as a coaster or trivet, and start planning your next project!
2023 Classes:
Drop Spindle Spinning
Instructor: Melanie Hellum
Registration: Required - CLASS FULL
Cost: $40- includes all fibre, and use of spindle during class
Materials Required: None
Pre-requisites: None
Time: 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm (back classroom #1)
Description:
Melanie will provide fibre from her own flock, and will have spindles available to borrow for this class. All you need is a desire to learn to spin! This class has sold out every year and is always one of our most requested classes!
Amigurumi Crochet
Instructor: Jackie Moore
Registration: Required
Cost: $40
Materials Required: 3.5mm crochet hook (3/4 mm ok if you crochet very loosely/tightly). Everything else is provided with the class.
Pre-requisites: Must know how to do a starting chain and single crochet
Time: 11:30 am - 2:30 pm (back classroom #2)
Description:
Jackie of Amidorable Crochet designed an adorable kitty pattern for this class. Stay tuned for a picture! You’ll learn how to do increases and decreases, and crochet in the round to shape these awesome little creatures, as well as how to stuff and put them together, and final details like adding faces to ensure maximum cuteness!
needle felting on fabric
Instructor: Lynsie Forster
Registration: Required
Cost: $30 (or $38 with a supply kit)
Materials: 2-3 felting needles, 1 piece of firm foam or brush-style felting pad, 1-2 thimbles (highly recommended - simple leather ones or standard sewing thimble). Bring your own or add a kit with your registration.
Duration: 90 minutes
Time: 11:30 am - 1 pm (back classrom #1)
Description:
Learn the basics of needle felting. Lynsie will discuss the different types of needle felting, the tools of the trade, and a bit about the fibre to use. You’ll be provided with a square of felted wool, and learn how to felt your own designs onto it. At the end of the class, you can fold the square in half and sew it together along the edge for a custom felt pouch for your glasses or phone, or use it flat as a trivet or potholder.
Spinning Demo
Instructor: Mary Tylosky
Registration: not required
Cost: free
Duration: short demos throughout the day
Time: 11 am - 5 pm
Description:
Just watch the demo and chat, or bring a wheel and spin along! Mary will be demonstrating spinning throughout the day, but there will be extra chairs so everyone can sit and relax. Bring your wheel or spindle and spin along throughout the day! It will be our very own Spinner’s Circle!
past class examples:
Intro to tapestry weaving: weave your own bag
Instructor: Cheryl Peebles
Are you interested in weaving, but want to try it before committing to a big loom purchases? This class is perfect for you! Learn 4 basic tapestry techniques (diagonals, blending or hatching, interlocking and dots/bars/checks). Using these techniques, you’ll create geometric images on your cloth, suitable as a wall hanging, or sewn up into your own woven passport wallet! Cheryl also sells weaving supplies, so if you love the class, check out her booth afterwards.
fix your knits class
Instructor: Jocelyn Shuman
Mistakes happen! It’s a fact of life and it’s no different in knitting. Rather than ripping out your hard work to fix the mistake that you made a dozen rows ago, learn how to fix the mistake on the fly!
This class will cover a variety of techniques to fix errors in your knitting without having to just rip back all the way. You’ll learn how to pick up dropped stitches on the needles (even several rows later), how to fix errors in lace and cable patterns, as well as correcting mistakes and pulls or runs in a finished project. Bring any projects you have with mistakes or issues that you have questions about, and Jocelyn will include as many of those issues in the class as she can as well.
reversible colour knitting
Instructor: Bonne Leiphart
Skills required: must be able to cast on and work the knit stitch (suitable for beginners)
Materials required:
two balls of yarn in different colours - worsted or dk weight is best. Choose solid colours with a high contrast for the workshop to see more clearly while learning
circular needles (any cable length, shorter is better) in a size that works with the yarn you've chosen
Time: 90 minutes
Learn a simple slip stitch technique to include colour in your knitting without a "right" and "wrong" side. This is particularly useful for scarves, shawls, throws and even afghans - anything where the work is visible on both sides. The colour contrast and textured look make this project appear far more complicated than it actually is.
In this 90 minute class, you’ll work on a two-colour scarf which you will be able to easily finish on your own - although help is just an email away if you need it. The pattern is included in the workshop; it includes the basic stitch as well as some suggested variations if you are feeling experimental. This is a quick and easy project and makes a nice gift for men, women or children.
Gauge, swatch and fit class
Instructor: Jocelyn Shuman
If you’re interested in garment knitting, but are worried about the final fit, this is the class for you. In this class, you’ll be discussing why gauge is so important and how it affects your finished project and yarn usage. You’ll learn how to ensure you end up with a garment that fits the way you want it to, and cover topics such as negative and positive ease, blocking techniques, and how your yarn’s fibre content will affect how it behaves in your garment. Jocelyn will also cover several tips, tricks and techniques that will allow you to get the most out of your swatches.
rug hooking demo
Demonstrator: Sue Davies
Sue will be demonstrating classic rug hooking with woven fabric pieces, as well as a more modern take using all the lovely yarns available these days. Pop by for 10 minutes to watch, or have a seat and try your hand at rug hooking for yourself - Sue will have various supplies available for you to try over the course of the hour!
ply on the fly knitting demo
Demonstrator: Cindy Dechief
Have you ever found yourself needing thicker yarn for a particular project, or loving the colours of one of your sock yarns, even though it’s too thin for the project you want to knit? Plying on the fly is a simple technique that allows you to use all that beautiful fingering weight at a worsted to aran gauge, without having to juggle two balls of yarn getting tangled together in your knitting bag. It’s magic (or perhaps, a spinning technique that works really well for this type of yarn management, too)!
chain plying demo
Demonstrator: Lou Lachance
Are you a spinner intrigued by the process of chain plying (also known as n-ply or Navajo ply)? Do you want a thicker yarn, but struggle to spin thicker singles? Are you always short on bobbins? Or maybe you want to keep the gradient of a braid intact? Then, chain plying is for you! This will be a 10 minute demo on an e-spinner, so you can focus on the hand movements required without being distracted by the drive wheel movement.