If you are interested in knowing where I will be teaching in the fairly near future, see the list below, although be sure to confirm with the event’s website: some of these may still be in the planning stage, although far enough along that I know I’ll be there (global situations permitting), even if what I’ll be teaching is not fully confirmed.
If you would like to know more about the Explore 4 events (listed by date in sequence on this page), they have their own section.
If you are interested in obtaining information on what is involved in having me teach at your event, head over here. I can only accept a small number of invitations each year; I do aim for geographic diversity.
COVID-19 note
While COVID-19 is a factor in our lives, all of the in-person events are subject to change. Because I and many participants are in vulnerable (often doubly vulnerable) categories, I will be asking that all participants in my classes or workshops:
- be effectively masked when indoors (good mask, nose and mouth covered).
- physically distance as much as is feasible during the event.
Fortunately, the events we have held under these conditions have gone really well. Thanks to everyone who has participated and followed the guidelines!
For general information on the virus trajectory (my attempt at a crystal ball), I read a number of sources. One that has been especially useful is Your Local Epidemiologist. It’s more detailed than you need unless, like me, you’re trying to read the future in a murky crystal ball. But the author does a great job of translating what’s going on.
And now here’s what I hope to be up to in the remainder of 2022 and in 2023, fingers crossed. . . .
November 7–10, 2022 ♦ Washington state
Explore 4 Fall Fiber Retreat, Friday Harbor, Washington
Crossbred wools: two-way crossbred fleeces and their contributing ram/ewe sources
See Explore 4 pages. Arrive the 6th, depart the 11th.
March 20–23, 2023 ♦ Washington state
Explore 4 Spring Fiber Retreat, Four-by-four format, Friday Harbor, Washington
Four days, four breeds: one per day. I go for variety in both types and histories. If you’re interested in which breeds will be at a given retreat, get in touch and I can give you a best guess. No guarantees, though, because one time a featured breed had to be changed while I was traveling to the retreat because we had a last-minute sourcing problem. . . .
As of November 2023, there are five open spaces in this retreat.
See Explore 4 pages. Arrive the 19th, depart the 24th.
April 2023 ♦ Missouri
PLYAway, Kansas City, Missouri
One-day workshop on the Down wools (April 19)
One-day workshop called “A handful of woolly mules and their cousins” (April 20)
One-day workshop on Coopworth, Corriedale, and Cormo: about telling those C breeds apart and following the development of modern wool breeds (April 22)
May 2023 ♦ Maryland
Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, West Friendship, Maryland
Two-day workshop on the Down wools (May 3–4)
One-day workshop on Gotlands (May 5)
A barn walk some time on the weekend
There will be two sessions of Explore 4 in Fall 2023.
The topic is SHETLANDS and the material will be the same for both. The first session is waiting-list only as of November 2022.
November 6–9, 2023 ♦ Washington state
Explore 4 Fall Fiber Retreat, Friday Harbor, Washington
Topic: Shetlands option 1
See Explore 4 pages. Arrive the 5th, depart the 10th. This session is waiting-list only.
November 13–16, 2023 ♦ Washington state
Explore 4 Fall Fiber Retreat, Friday Harbor, Washington
Topic: Shetlands option 2
See Explore 4 pages. Arrive the 12th, depart the 17th.
Previous free-for-all topics have included:
- Shetlands
- Gotlands (with Faith Hagenhofer)
- The classic English longwools
- The Down wools
- Primitive breeds
- Spinning for weaving
- Color blending from primaries
- Crossbred wools (why and how: lots of different ways crosses happen)
- Crossbred wools (two-way crosses: results, and the ram/ewe contributing breeds)
- Yarn structures + fiber qualities (with Sarah Anderson)
