Sheep to Shawl in the Ozarks

This whirlwind four-day class gives you a start at many different fiber arts. You’ll start with shearing the sheep, learn to spin yarn, and finish by learning the weaving skills to take you where-ever your passion leads in fiber arts.

Tools and additional fiber – trilooms, small looms, spindles, spinning wheels, niddy-noddy's, hand cards and dyes will be available to use during class and may be available to purchase at the Ozark Folk Center Fiber Arts Shop.

Total class cost $211, includes all includes fibers, yarns, dyes, and handouts. Equipment that will be available to use in class includes drop spindles, spinning wheels, carders, and looms.

This class is for students ages 16 and up. Call the park at 870-269-3854 for more information.

Class includes
Spinning, shearing, carding, fleece washing

• Learn to spin on a drop spindle (you will continue to spin throughout the other sections)
• Shearing sheep (wool) ; discuss other fibers - angora goat (mohair); angora rabbit, cotton, flax, chiengora, purrgora, quiviut, etc. Includes skirting and fleece sorting.
• Fleece washing on the outdoor stage
• Fleece rinsing and drying
• Carding and blending
• Daily homework - spin as much yarn as you can.
• Different spinning techniques for different yarn types, learn to ply

Dyeing, dye types and uses, yarn types and uses

• Dye roving and skeins with acid dyes and in roaster.
• Koolaid dyeing
• Natural dyeing bois d’arc; cochineal, madder
• Yarn painting

Weaving, Felting, Finishing

• Loom types and uses, loom tour of the spinning and weaving shop
• Learn to weave on the triangle loom, rigid heddle loom, cardboard loom, peg loom, etc. with practice yarn
• Weaving and crochet techniques with your handspun yarn
• Make a dryer ball
• Create felted soap
• Learn basic needle felting
• Joining and finishing techniques

Lodging is available in the park at our Cabins at Dry Creek, newly remodeled duplex hotel-style rooms. There is a Folk School discount for students booking more than 3 days. Call the Cabins office at 800-264-3655 to book with the discount. To book rooms for less than 3 days, click here.

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Meet the Teacher

Jeanette Larson has been a fiber artist all her life, weaving the threads of her art through her careers in journalism and management. She has marketed her art through Renaissance Festivals, craft shows, boutiques, and galleries since 1987. In 2006, the fates collaborated to send her to the Mountain View, Arkansas area and settle her as Craft Director at the Ozark Folk Center, where her passion for folk arts and people who use their hands to create has brought new life to the old ways. Jeanette is a juried member of the Arkansas Craft Guild and the Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour. Learn more about the class in this video.