Silk Spinning Workshop on Salt Spring Island

Can you imagine anything more inspiring than a weekend immersed in silk spinning on Salt Spring Island, B.C.?

Join your host, Diana Sanderson, and instructor, Kim McKenna, on Salt Spring Island for a creative, relaxing weekend spent working with silk. The primary focus over the weekend will be learning to spin silk from different species of silkworm. To add to your enjoyment, Diana is opening up her dye studio to us. There we will work at two different indigo vats, transforming natural coloured muga, eri, tussah, tasar and Bombyx silk into otherworldly shades of blue.

Friday Night:

The weekend will begin getting to know one another over a complimentary welcome dinner by our host, Diana. After dinner we dive right in. First, Kim will get you acquainted with the silks in your materials kit. Then we will check your wheels to make sure they are tuned and ready for a weekend of silk spinning. Kim will also review how to prepare a small indigo vat at home and the process of indigo dyeing to prepare you for Saturday morning.

Saturday morning you will be introduced to the ancient art of indigo dyeing. One vat uses pre-reduced indigo crystals from Japan. The other vat is a natural bio-vat prepared with materials which can be sourced locally. At the vats, you will transform peduncle tasar, cocoon tasar, muga, tussah, Bombyx and eri silk from their natural colours into an array of inky blues or blue-greens. The colours achieved, their richness and depth are mesmerizing and breathtaking.

After a light lunch, our afternoon will be devoted to silk spinning. Kim will spend the afternoon helping you to understand the subtle adjustments needed to your spinning wheel, your fibre preparation and your spinning style to spin fine silk yarns. The variety of silk fibres you will be spinning include fibre from five species of silkworm namely tasar, muga, eri, tussah, and Bombyx.

A pot-luck dinner will wrap our day….and if the weather cooperates…..we will enjoy dinner on the deck over looking the water while listening to waves as they lap upon the shore.

Sunday

Sunday’s schedule: We will have a 9:30 am start, a complimentary light lunch around 12:30 pm and then wrap up the day between 3:30 and 4 pm.

Sunday morning we return to the wheels to spin more fibres from your materials kit. In addition Kim will share her:

• method for degumming carrier rod silk
• fibre prep and spinning method for spinning a lightweight yarn from silk carrier rods
• method for preparing Mawata hankies for weaving
• tips for colour management when working with handpainted sliver
• how to finish your handspun silk skeins

Prerequisites:

You must be able to confidently spin a continuous yarn using your default/signature spinning method. Your spinning wheel must be in working order and fully functional.

Workshop Registration fee: Your $350 CDN registration fee includes:

• a curated box of silk fibre and yarn which retails at $125 CDN
• two light lunches and
• a 20% discount coupon for in-person fibre and yarn purchases or email orders through Sanjo Silk. The coupon is valid through to September 15th, 2024. Please contact Diana if you’d like to use your coupon code and save on shipping by picking your order up at the workshop.

The curated materials kit includes silk fibre for the spinning portion of the workshop as well as yarns for indigo dyeing.

• 25 grams each of peduncle tasar, cocoon tasar, muga, tussah and white eri sliver
• 25 grams Bombyx sliver
• 50 grams of handpainted eri sliver
• 2 cocoons (two different species)
• 10 grams carrier rod silk
• 10 grams dyed Mawata silk
• 100 grams of assorted silk yarns for indigo dyeing

Registration opening: 9am March 4, 2024

Registration closing date: July 19th, 2024.

Maximum number of participants: 10

Important Note: Salt Spring Island is a popular destination in the summer months. Please make arrangements for a ferry reservation to and from Salt Spring Island and book your accommodation as soon as possible.

Cancellations:

We strive to create a well thought out and engaging experience for students within an intimate setting. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide refunds under any circumstances due to the time and preparation required in advance of the event. The event is fully transferable, and we’re happy to accommodate a friend or family member to come in your place. Please contact sanjosilk@gmail.com if you need to arrange for an alternate attendee.

Communication:

When you register, please provide an email address that you monitor regularly, to check for updates.

Contact Information

The Silk Weaving Studio

1531 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9

www.silkweavingstudio.com

www.sanjosilk.com

Bio

Curiosity is what propels Kim McKenna’s fiber journey. She likes to find innovative and better ways to use her equipment to make them multi-functional and more efficient. She also strives to constantly improve her spinning skills. Kim teaches workshops through SweetGeorgia Yarns, both in-person as well as through the online School of SweetGeorgia. Kim teaches silk-spinning workshops in person through Sanjo Silk and at retreats through The Silk Weaving Studio. You can follow her at claddaghfibrearts.com and on Instagram @claddaghfibrearts.