Finally…classes

I have finally started offering hand spinning classes. Now that I have a space that I share with other artists, I feel comfortable inviting people to come and learn the beautiful skill of creating yarn from wool!

So if you are visiting or live in La Serena, and you would like to learn how to hand spin, click on the classes link on the right, or visit our page Creatif.cl

Classes can be in English or Spanish, and there are a lot of other classes too, like ceramics, weaving, painting, paper mâché, and yoga…so many!

Opening night

Last night we officially opened Casa Escuela! With friends and family, food and drink, music and fire.

The day started early, preparing food and decorating the house with our art.

As our kids got out of school they joined us, adding to the festive feel of the house. Well, I am not sure festive is the right word to describe their running and jumping!

The evening was great, and we all had lots of fun. We may have ate and drank too much, and definitely laughed till our sides hurt, but it is not every day that you start a new adventure!

Casa Escuela is close to my mother-in-law’s house, so yesterday I was also able to walk over and visit her. This week she had her third session of chemotherapy. She is feeling a little tired, and experiencing a little hair loss, (and her fingertips feel like she is touching electricity), but overall she is doing well and maintaining a positive attitude. This makes me so happy.

And in case I needed something else to celebrate, WordPress informed me that yesterday was my four year blog anniversary! What a lot of changes from my first little craft studio to where I am now!

Starting with the studio

It has been a while since I have written about fibre fun. This is not because I have not been doing anything, quite the opposite. I have been doing so many different things that I don’t know where to start. I feel scattered, too many things to tell.

So I will start with my new studio. I have taken over the building where we used to make cheese and I love my new space.

I have lots of windows and light.

Electricity and water means I can listen to music and make a cup of tea.

My collection of woolly dolls to keep me company.

And a separate room for getting messy with felting and wool picking.

In this new space I can work on different projects at the same time. Like this weaving on my table loom.

With the four harnesses on this loom I can weave more complicated patterns, like the raised pattern on this scarf.

I have also been able to complete some projects that have been sitting around for a long time. A certain felting project that didn’t turn out right, (when felting doesn’t work) is finally finished.

I divided the strips into two colour groups and then wove them with a wool warp to make two separate wall hangings.

This month I have also been busy with my weaving class. We have been displaying are work at school shows.

There was a lot of interest in what we are doing, with a few sales and the possibility of new students.

 

Add teaching felting classes, and shearing, spinning and dyeing mohair, I have been quite busy.  But I will leave those for another post.

Grey autumn day

It is cold outside.

It is grey outside.

It is autumn, but we have very few trees here that change colour.

A little colour

Cats are curled up to stay warm.

Two of my too many cats

A grey woven poncho.

Close up of poncho made from woven squares

But all this grey is not stopping me from having fun with my weaving classes. And in June I will start teaching continous weaving at my daughter’s school. I have done this before, but it was mainly to the kids and included the whole wool process. Now it is for the mothers and teachers and will cover just weaving. I had the first meeting this week and there was a good show of people.

This will be a nice way to see how well I can teach in Spanish.  I shouldn’t be too nervous, my daughters have been at this school for over 10 years and I know most of the mothers, so I can focus on the teaching.

So, come on winter and more grey days, I am not afraid.  Perfect for snuggling down with some wool and making friends and family warm with gifts!

Misty morning