Waking Up the Wheel

A Three-Day Traditional Wool Spinning Intensive with Martha Owen

Join international master spinner Martha Owen for an immersive three-day workshop exploring the complete journey from raw fleece to finished yarn. Designed for beginners through intermediate spinners, this hands-on course will build confidence with spinning wheels while developing a deeper understanding of wool preparation, fiber characteristics, and yarn construction.

From the start, participants will explore how raw wool is transformed into spinnable fiber before learning the fundamentals of spinning on a traditional wheel. Throughout the workshop, Martha will guide participants through drafting, treadling, spinning, plying, and creating yarns of different weights and structures while sharing the practical knowledge that comes from decades of experience.

The workshop also includes wheel setup and basic maintenance so participants can confidently care for their own wheels and keep them spinning smoothly long after the class is over. Participants will compare different fiber preparations including hand-carded wool, commercially prepared batts, and pencil roving to better understand how each influences the spinning process and the finished yarn. 

This workshop is especially relevant for members of the Coast Salish and Salish Weavers, Cowichan knitters, and the broader fiber arts community who wish to strengthen their wheel spinning skills in a welcoming and supportive learning environment. While the workshop focuses on traditional wheel spinning techniques rather than Indigenous spinning traditions, it has been designed to create a comfortable space for Indigenous fiber artists and anyone interested in building a solid foundation in spinning.

Participants should bring their own spinning wheel, regardless of make or model. Please let coordinators know if you don't have your own wheel and they will try to source one for you to use. Spinning wheels can also be rented through the Vancouver Weavers and Spinners Guild (www.gvws.com). Whether your wheel has been sitting idle for years or you're just beginning your spinning journey, you'll leave with practical skills, a deeper understanding of wool, and the confidence to make your wheel sing.

Biography:

Martha Owen is a Creative Programming Advisor at the john C Campbell Folkschool (folkschool.org) in Brasstown, North Carolina, in spinning, knitting, felt making, and dyeing. Her adventure in spinning and natural dyeing began at this very school in 1978. She has been teaching spinning, natural dyeing and knitting design since 1984. She taught her first class of 12 with a one-month old nursling in a wind up swing as her assistant. That baby is now 42! Since 1980 her extended family has included sheep (currently Shetland, Blue Face Leicester Crosses) and angora rabbits (French). Also a banjo player and known to tell a story or two Martha's interest in sheep and wool, music and dance has carried her literally and joyfully around the world. Her children say she is a wool nerd but her sheep say she is out-standing in her field!