Long Thread Media Workshops

Beyond the classic slick, white bombyx that many spinners know lies a group of unexpected and delightful silk: wild silks in red, gold, and brown hues, and short, textured bits of waste from processing “cultivated” silk. Unfamiliar to most handspinners, these fibers open new design options for unique yarns. With the right techniques, these can also be easier to spin than the silk you may have tried before.

The goal of this course is to help you build confidence, sample without stress, and spin beautiful silk yarns at your own pace.

In this course, renowned spinning teacher Judith MacKenzie brings her trademark warmth and inviting approach to demystify silks including tussah, red eri, peduncle, and dyed silk waste. She demonstrates creating carded blends for smooth or textured yarns, spinning marled singles for color variation, and selecting the best drafting and plying methods for your yarn.

As you watch you'll learn:

• 3 strategies for spinning silk successfully, including blending, marling, and tweed
• How to sample and choose a ply structure based on fiber, draft, and end use
• Tips on fundamental drafting methods 

Judith invites you to sample the richest array of silks that has been available to handspinners in our lifetime. Equipped with spinning fundamentals and expert tips, Spinning Wild & Unusual Silk will give you the skills and confidence to explore these fibers for yourself.

Included in the Course:

• More than 65 minutes of video instruction
• 6 bonus PDF downloads to build on skills learned during the course

Note: If you'd like to download this video, please visit shop.longthreadmedia.com (this page is for the streaming version of the video).