This Bulk Package includes all 4 webinars to the four part series of Wool: The Long and the Fine of it! Webinars

• Entire Series (OHS Members) $60
• Entire Series (Non-Members) $80

CLICK HERE to Buy an Optional Fibre Pack for Webinar #2 for $40 (Limited Quantities Available + Must purchase by March 14, 2024) 

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Webinar 1: Raising the Long and Fine of it: Two Farm’s Perspectives with Brendan Gaynor, The Gaynor Homestead, and Kate Michalska, St. Isidore Farm

Speakers: Brendan Gaynor, The Gaynor Homestead, and Kate Michalska, St. Isidore Farm
Date: Sunday, March 17, 2024 @ 2pm EST

Description: Come along on a fibre lover’s journey as we explore wool’s long and fine spectrum. In this first webinar of our 4-part series, we will learn of the humble beginnings of a luxurious fine wool from producer Brendan Gaynor, of The Gaynor Homestead, and his flock of Rambouillets. Representing our long and lustrous wool is Kate Michalska of St. Isidore Farm, with her fibre flock of Lincolns. These two wool producers will share with us a day in the life on their perspective farms, their successes and challenges in raising fibre flocks, and their future prospects. If you want to see some adorable sheep, this one is for you!

Speakers

Brendan Gaynor, The Gaynor Homestead

Bio: The Gaynor Homestead was founded in 2014 by Tara and Brendan Gaynor. The farm features a fibre focused flock of Rambouillet and production focused flock of Rideau sheep on its rolling 60 acres just outside of Dorchester, Ontario (near London). Together with their children, Tara and Brendan produce annual batches of fine wool products including fleeces, combed top, and yarns.

Website: http://www.gaynorhomestead.com
Email: info@gaynorhomestead.com
Instagram:  @thegaynorhomestead
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GaynorHomestead/
Twitter: @gaynorhomestead
Ravelry: GaynorHomestead

Kate Michalska, St. Isidore Farm

Bio: Kate Michalska of St. Isidore Farm is a weaver, spinner, and shepherdess. She has been raising Lincoln Longwools for 30 years with her husband, Andrew. The farm features a fibre focused flock on 196 acres of forest, pasture and hay fields just outside Yarker, Ontario (near Kingston). Last year, she and fellow fibre artist Jaana Parks, formerly of the Piggery Gallery, Newburgh, created the Little Longwool Company, the woolly side of St. Isidore Farm. Jaana brings enthusiasm for Lincoln fibre in hand spinning, weaving, and organically processing skins as well as a fantastic knowledge of social media!

Website: www.littlelongwoolcompany.com or www.stisidorefarm.net
Email: littlelongwoolcompoany@gmail.com or stisidorefarm.net@gmail.com
Instagram:  @littlelongwoolcompany
Facebook: facebook.com/littlelongwoolcompany or facebook.com/p/St-Isidore-Farm-100064371052127/
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/littlelongwoolco

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Webinar 2: Spinning long and fine wools – Hands-On Workshop with Barbara Kendrick

Speaker: Barbara Kendrick
Date: Sunday, April 14, 2024 @ 2pm ET

CLICK HERE to Buy an Optional Fibre Pack for Webinar #2 for $40 (Limited Quantities Available + Must purchase by March 14, 2024) 

Description: After learning about the Long and Fine aspects of wool, one may wonder what the next steps are in our fibre adventure. Calling on the expertise of OHS spinning certificate graduate Barbara Kendrick, she will present a demonstration of preparing and spinning two different wools: a fine Rambouillet from The Gaynor Homestead, and a Lincoln Longwool from St. Isidore Farm. As an added twist, Barbara will spin both washed fleece and prepared roving, using the fibre pack (available for purchase) as an example. Purchase of the fibre pack is recommended but not required.

Speaker:

Barbara Kendrick

Bio: I live in an off-grid log house in Muskoka with my husband, 2 labradors, 2 cats, 16 chickens, and a shed full of fleece. Her spinning journey began in the mid 1970s with the purchase of a beautiful CPW and lessons through Burr House – during which I felt as though I had done this before. I soon added many different wheels to my collection, including my workhorse – a Lendrum. In the late 1990s, Wendy Bateman encouraged me to take the OHS Spinning Certificate course. The knowledge that I acquired during the program changed the way I spin, helping me to choose the best techniques to achieve my end results. After six years, in 2017, I graduated with distinction. I have instructed for the Spinning Certificate program for a number of years, as well as teaching many new members of my guild how to spin using various techniques. Fleece is my addiction…every spring I visit my favourite sheep farms to collect more for my stash in the barn. I prefer first or second clip of a soft-to-medium fleece, for garments that can be worn next to the skin. I love the whole process: from the smell and feel of a farm fresh fleece, through the washing, sorting, and carding. I have been an active member of the Pine Cone Treadlers for many years, building lifelong friendships with a bunch of overly creative minds sharing what we love.

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Webinar 3: A Trip to Wave Fibre Mill with Wave Weir & Heather Darlington of Wave Fibre Mill

Speakers: Wave Weir & Heather Darlington of Wave Fibre Mill
Date: Tuesday, May 21, 2024 @ 7pm ET

Description: Do you wonder how long and fine wools are milled? Us too! Wave Fibre Mill is the third presenter in our series, stepping us through the process of moving from raw fleece to prepared roving and beyond! Wave and Heather will give us a virtual tour of their semi-worsted spinning and weaving mill, starting from raw fibre entering the mill, and ending with finished garments. They will also share what their first-hand experience has been in milling both long and fine wools on their mill’s vintage equipment. If you’ve ever wondered if your fleece is mill- worthy, bring your questions and learn straight from the source.

Speakers:

Wave Weir & Heather Darlington of Wave Fibre Mill

Bio: Mill owner, Wave Weir, found herself unable to source natural fibre yardage, of a quality and quantity for garment production, from within her Fibreshed. Realizing that here in Canada there is an abundant supply of wool, a renewable resource, but only limited facilities to process it, she started Wave Fibre Mill, a Northern Ontario semi-worsted spinning and weaving mill north of Toronto.

The mill processes wool and wool/exotic fibre blends for farmers from across Canada. However, all fabric and yarn used in the mill’s own brand is fibre grown in Ontario, purchased from small to mid-sized farms with sustainable, regenerative, responsible practices and processed in-house at the mill. All of the whites, grays, browns and blacks in the fabric and yarn are the undyed naturally grown colours of the wool, alpaca and mohair. Any colours being developed beyond that are small-batch dyed with plants grown in Ontario gardens, responsibly harvested from Ontario fields or purchased from Canadian suppliers.

Heather Darlington, the Mill Manager, has been operating a sheep farm for approximately twenty years and has run her own business – Pondering Rock Farm. An accomplished spinner, weaver, knitter, felter and sewer, Heather has taught extensively as well as selling commercially spun local fleece through her business. She now contributes her abundant expertise to the success of Wave Fibre Mill.

Website: https://wavefibremill.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wave-Fibre-Mill-
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wavefibremill
Email: wavefibremill@gmail.com

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Webinar 4: Weaving with Long and Fine wool with Deborah Livingston-Lowe of Upper Canada Weaving

Speaker: Deborah Livingston-Lowe
Date: Saturday, June 29, 2024 @ 10 am ET

Description: Weaving with wool can feel a bit mystifying but in this final webinar of our series, we are in good hands. Deborah Livingston-Lowe, of Upper Canada Weaving, will share a practical approach to weaving with Ontario Fine and Long wools. Starting with commercial yarn as a baseline and comparison for weaving, she will move us into working with more locally sourced, breed specific wools. This finale will complete our journey from Farm to Fabric, the fine and the long of it.

Speaker:

Deborah Livingston-Lowe

Bio: Deborah Livingston-Lowe is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD), where she majored in woven textiles. Her early interest in handloom weaving and spinning grew into historic weaving, historical research, textile conservation and restoration. She has worked in many capacities in the discipline of historic textiles over the past 30 years, including researching the production and uses of hand-woven cloth in 19th century Ontario. Her work in textiles continues to be multidisciplinary as she works with designers to create textiles for fashion and interiors and with museums to reproduce textiles.

Website: www.uppercanadaweaving.com