Flights of Fancy – Adventures in Spinning Silk

Taught by Kim McKenna

This workshop is sure to delight the senses as you sample a flight of five silks sourced from India and China, countries steeped in rich textile traditions.

From India, students will be introduced to three intriguing silks. Each of these silks possesses its own unique natural colour, lustre and hand. White eri silk has a soft cashmere-like hand and pearlescent glow. Peduncle tasar silk has a toothy, flax-like hand and a metallic lustre, reminiscent of oil-rubbed bronze. Muga silk is a lovely natural golden colour with a lustre that scintillates when used in fabrics.

From China, we have two tussah silk preparations. Natural-coloured tussah is a light honey-gold colour with a lustre similar to, but slightly softer than, that of Bombyx. Bleached tussah resembles Bombyx in hand and lustre, but is more vanilla, than white colour.

Do you have silk in your stash you are afraid of ruining and are saving until your spinning is “good enough”? This workshop will help. Just like fleece from different sheep breeds, not all silkworms produce silk with the same characteristics.

In this workshop you will learn: the characteristics of the different silks in your materials kit and the subtle adjustments required to your wheel and spinning technique to handle soft, fine, slippery silk fibre.

What could be better than a day spent exploring and mastering the spinning of these exquisite luxurious non-mulberry silk fibres?

Workshop fee includes all fiber ready for you to begin spinning: 20 grams each of Peduncle Tasar, Natural Coloured Tussah, Bleached Tussah, Eri and Muga silk.

Check out the suggested Equipment/Supply List to bring to the workshop.

Maximum number of participants: 12

Must be able to spin a continuous yarn and have a solid working knowledge with respect to their wheel.

Curiosity is what propels me. My fibre journey is a delicate balance between science and art. Research helps me to understand the intrinsic nature of my materials and practice helps me to improve upon the mechanics of skill. There is a point, however, where I must turn my mind off and allow my hands and intuition to guide me.

I have had articles published in both Spin Off and PLY magazines. Other highlights in my journey include:

• Working with Treenway Silks where I was instrumental in the development of the Salt Spring Island Series, a line of hand-painted tussah silk roving.
• In 2013/14 I was the faculty member in charge of the Spinning and Dyeing Program at Place des Arts in Coquitlam, B.C.
• In 2019, I was invited by Diana Sanderson to join her team of weavers at The Silk Weaving Studio on Granville Island, Vancouver, Canada. As well as weaving I help to critique new spinning fibres sourced by Sanjo Silks and teach their on-line silk spinning workshops.
• In 2021, Felicia Lo invited me to teach at the School of SweetGeorgia (SOS), an online membership-based fibre arts school.

Artist’s website: www.claddaghfibrearts.com

$185.00

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