Category: classes

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New Classes Added: Indigo Shibori Classes

Come to the farm and learn how to prepare your cotton napkins in the Japanese Shibori way. You will dip and dye in the indigo pot for truly unique cloth napkins for your own table or for your very best friend. You will leave with a set of 4 indigo dyed napkins that you made yourself. You will go from a blank canvas to beautiful napkins for your table or for a gift.

This class starts at 1:30pm and ends 3:30-4pm

Want to book an indigo party? Just gather 2-4 friends and we’ll pick a date that works for you. You can make it a birthday party, a retirement party or just a great day at the farm with your friends.

There is a 2 student minimum for this class.  If the 2 person minimum is not met, you will receive a refund through Paypal.  Cancellations with refund will be accepted  to 14 days prior to the class and are non-refundable after that date.

Instructor Bio:

Lisa has been dyeing for over 30 years. She started her dye explorations by dyeing warps for ikat weavings. She taught these techniques all over Los Angeles. After moving to Maryland and buying the farm, she has concentrated on dyeing yarn and spinning fiber for sale. Her expertise in dyeing shows in her colorways and expertise in all systems of dyeing.

Click here to enroll

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Starting 2022 Out Right

After two roller coaster years, I have great hopes for 2022. Well, I have to admit, I am an optimist. I always have high hopes for the new year and the new month and even the new week.

I love new beginnings. I love dreaming about new projects and new writing and new podcasts. I know that many of you have that same love of beginnings. I know because it is so exciting to pick out yarn and a pattern and casting on that new project. I know that feeling of great expectations at the start of a project.

These winter months are usually pretty quiet around here. These are times that I can take a new class and learn some new skills. If you are like me and want to learn new dyeing skills, if you’ve always wanted to try dyeing. I have 2 great classes available to you online. You can learn to dye yarn specifically dyeing for self striping socks here. OR you can learn to dye roving for spinning or felting here. Each class is a 4 week, entirely self guided class. You can watch the videos at your leisure. There are 4 modules that you have up to 1 year to complete.

BFL roving to spin or felt
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Why I Love Online Learning

I have to confess, I’m a lifelong learner. I love to explore new ideas and new techniques. I am currently taking a 10 week intense natural dye class. I’ve taken a lot of in-person natural dyeing classes. I always learn something but I never incorporate that new learning into my dyeing practice. If you have been following me, you know that I am adding a naturally dyed Fibershed line of yarn to my store offerings. So I have got to work this into my practice.

Here’s the epiphany that I had this week. In this class I am taking, I am totally responsible for EVERY part of it. If I make mistakes, they are mine to fix. If I have a question, of course I can ask the instructors or my fellow students. But ultimately I am doing all the work. It isn’t divvied up between all the members of the class. So this time I am really learning it. I’m learning it all.

So in this past year, I have developed 2 dyeing e-classes for people who want to learn to dye. These classes are each 4 weeks. Dyeability 1 is about dyeing yarn with an emphasis on self striping socks and Dyeability 2 is about dyeing roving for spinning or felting. Each class is on sale for $49 (regular price is $99). You can find more information here about both courses.

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Newly Added! In Person Spinning Class

Are you a fiber lover? Have you dreamed about making your own yarn? Now that vaccinations are in place and the virus is starting to wane. I am going to start offering my in-person classes to a small select group of people. 

This spinning class will be limited to 2 people at a time.  Depending on the weather, we may be able to do this outside on the porch unmasked. Or if we need to be indoors we will wear masks at least until that mandate is lifted.  I will be offering this once a month for the next few months.  If my dates don’t work for you, please contact me and we can work out an alternate date or time.

blue green marled merino yarn

This is a 3 hour class offered from 1-4pm on each of the dates.  You don’t need to bring anything, I have spinning wheels and spindles for you to use.  If you do have equipment that you would like to use, just let me know.

Really early FGF dyeing

You will learn how to prepare the fiber for spinning. You will learn how to use a spinning wheel and/or a spindle to make yarn from roving.  If there is time, you will also learn how to ply your yarn too.

You can reserve your spot here.

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Have you always?

I love to learn new things. Have you always wanted to learn how to dye or how to spin or how to knit socks two at a time? During this time of social distancing, I’ve turned my popular dyeing classes into an online course. And because I have the luxury of time, I’ve added a lot of extra lessons that are available only in the online class.

Dye Self Striping Yarn

My online classes are rich with lessons that will develop your dyeing skills and also your color confidence. You will be able to tune in at a time that makes sense to you. You can view and review the lessons as many times as you wish.  But you aren’t doing this completely in a vacuum, there are weekly Q&A sessions and a discussion board to communicate with me and other students in the class.  You will end up with colorful skeins that you can use to knit socks, shawls or anything really.

Yes, you can dye yarn like this!!

The next 4 week Dyeability class will be starting on April 5th. This is Dyeability 1: Self Striping Yarn for Socks or Shawls. Click here to find out more about it. The class is usually $99. But, I am currently offering a $20 discount with the coupon code iheartyarn. Sign up and and gather your materials and we will have a great time dyeing yarn in April!!

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Always a sock on the needles

That’s my motto. I always have a pair of socks on the needles at my house. Oh did I tell you that I knit them 2 at a time on one circular needle? Well I do. I learned to do this many years ago. I prefer this for so many reasons. First, I hate DPN’s. I have a hard time managing stitches on them and typically lose stitches off the back side of the needles. Secondly, I never have to worry about the second sock syndrome. I will always have a matching or someone matching pair of socks. They will be the same length and the same width. The gauge will be the same for both socks.

This is the pair on my needles right now. Truth be told, I haven’t knit on these for a month or so, since I’m focusing all my knitting time to my Shifty sweater. These socks are made with our Chinook Sock Base which is a blend of superwash merino, cashmere and nylon. And they are so soft and great. Because there’s nylon in there, they should were well too.

Want to learn how to knit socks 2 at a time? I have a class for that. Click here to find out about it. I have EARLY BIRD pricing on that until Sunday at midnight. The class is totally self study. There are 4 parts from cast on to bind off. And you have access for 60 days which should be plenty of time to knit your socks. You just need a skein of yarn (or a sock blank), a stitch marker and a circular needle of 32-40″ in length. I prefer to use size 1 US needles for fingering weight yarn. But pick the needles that work with the yarn you are using.

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Holiday Gifting: Experiences

For the last few years, I’ve enjoyed giving experiences rather than gifts. And some of my favorite gifts to receive have been experiences too. We’ve give tickets to plays and concerts. And these gifts have included spending that time with the recipients, like a double date. One year, Bill and I did nothing but experiences: a Holiday train ride, a scavenger hunt, a visit to an orchid show and tickets to a play. It was so much fun. A family member found a food tour in our own city, here in Frederick. We learned so much about our downtown area in food and also history.

Dye up sock yarn like this!!

I’m offering an experience for you to give or receive….I have been teaching dyeing in person for many, many years. I now have my classes available as an ecourse. Courses available now are two 4-week courses: Dyeing Self Striping Sock Yarn and Dyeing Wool Roving to Spin or Felt. These classes will begin at the start of 2021.

You could make dyed roving like this!

I also have a knitting class: Knitting Socks Two at a Time. This class is 4 parts and is self paced as you work through your socks.

I’ll be offering Black Friday-Cyber Monday deals on these classes. Interested? Sign up for my special Learn with Lisa email list to be the first to find out about these great offers on fun classes. Click here!!

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Back to School

As most of you know I was a public school teacher up until the end of the 2019 school year. I am feeling all the love for my dear teacher friends as schools here in Maryland open.  The public schools are starting our virtually.  That is hard. Really hard for families, teachers, administration and kids.  It is a whole different kind of school and a whole different kind of learning. So if you are a teacher or a parent of little ones, know that I’m thinking about you.  

More than January 1st, my year has always started when school started.  This started when I was a kid, new clothes, new subjects, new friends and new opportunities.  Do you feel this way too? 

Click here to register for class

What is on your list this time of year? Do you want to learn a new technique? Do you want to learn to dye? Are you willing to do some online learning? I’ve got 2 classes up and running right now and working on 2 more.  You can learn how to dye yarn. You can learn to knit socks 2 at a time.  Coming soon you can learn to dye roving to spin or use in felting and if you are a weaver, I’m also working on a warp painting class. 

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what are you doing this summer?

States are beginning to open up, they are. But life is still so different.  Will you go on a plane to a summer vacation? Will you drive somewhere instead? Will you go someplace really crowded like an amusement park or will you look to a more remote place like a National Park?  

I think we are staying home.  We are lucky in that we have 25 acres to roam around. We have Netflix and Podcasts. We have a nice garden and orchard so we don’t really have to go to a pick your own place.  

Throughout all of this time, I’ve been working on taking my in-person dye class and making it something that is totally online. It is filled with short classes that breaks down the process of dyeing self striping yarn and kettle dyed yarn. You will learn the two techniques. You will also build your color confidence with color exercises and experiences. There will be live Q and A sessions and a facebook group so that you can share your great yarn and swatches. And you can get all your questions answered.  

I’ll be opening registration in the next 2 weeks.  The class is $149 with an early bird discount for those of you who are quick to sign up.  

The class will start near the end of June so that those of you who have been home schooling do have something of a break. And speaking of home schooling. This class is definitely one you can take with your child.  There does need to be adult supervision. 

So express your colorful self and learn a new skill.  You can learn more about the class here.  And you can sign up for the class list on that page as well. The members pf this list get first crack at registration.  

Vaccine Colorway on Sparkly yarn
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Have you started something new?

As we start week 8 of the quarantine, I feel like people are starting to get antsy. There are more people out and about. There are more people in stores. More people on the street. And we still don’t know where this is going, how this is going to end.

These times have been trying. There is a new normal of telework and teleschool. And tele-yarn buying. It was just the virtual Maryland sheep and wool festival. It was a great success. Even with some glitches with websites, we all came together to see yummy yarns and fleeces and pottery and jewelry. While is wasn’t what we were used to, it was a good substitute.

For me, I’ve been starting new routines, healthy routines that I hope to continue after this. I’m spending more time outside, taking morning walks. Observing the changing seasons with beautiful trees and active birds. I’ve also carved out time to learn some new techniques through online classes and continuing to read and study color, wool, clothing construction and doing deep work. I’ve started meeting with friends on Zoom, showing our current projects and seeing the scenes on their farms. And even last week, we had a surprise retirement party on Zoom with participants from Oregon to California, Geneva to Mexico City, Colorado to Maryland. It was fun to see friends and family from around the globe.

What I’m really excited about is my new online dye class. It is a 5 week class that will lead you from blank white yarn to the self striping yarn that you’ve only dreamed of finding. This is a class for the absolute beginner. I’m nearly ready to open registration. If you want to be the first to know when you can register for it, just sign up for my special Learn with Lisa email list here.