EHS GUILD MASTERCLASS WORKSHOP 

YARN AND FIBER MASTERCLASS WITH SUSAN CONOVER
SATURDAY 11TH FEBRUARY 2023 10AM – 2.30PM 

DELIVERED ONLINE BY ZOOM 

What Is Covered in This Workshop? 

Yarn Calculations Reeds and Sett Yarns in Use Fiber Properties 

Workshop Instructor: Susan Z. Conover 

Susan Conover began spinning and weaving in 1980 and spent the next four decades studying under numerous international teachers.  

Her focus has always been on the historic aspects of the craft. Since 2000 she has offered two to five-day courses in spinning and weaving from her home studio in Ohio. Her expertise has included being Operations Manager at Vävstuga Weaving School in Shelburne Falls, MA, for five years. She specializes in lectures and workshops for guilds and crafts schools throughout the country (and beyond).  

Susan is always willing to share her passion for weaving and spinning with her students!  

Reeds, Sett  

Susan will cover the puzzling topic of obtaining the correct sett when it comes to your next project. This lecture is filled with oodles of pertinent information for the handweaver of any experience level.  

The lecture begins with a short history, and maintenance of weaving reed (carbon and stainless steel) including storage solutions and rusty reed prevention and repair. Plus a nifty conversion chart for Imperial vs. metric reed sizing.

Susan then moves into the basics with: The master Yarn Chart, Reed Substitution Charts. 

Calculations for Yarns 

Susan will then move on to yarns: Yarn wrappings, Stretchy, stiff and handspun yarns, and obtaining the correct sett, Number of times the weft intersects the plane of the cloth in one repeat, Firm setts, slippery yarn setts and drapey setts, Calculating shrinkage in both warp and weft. 

A cameo project will be a “Sett Sampler” in plan weave that participants may enjoy weaving at home. 

The lecture will cover The Yarn Balance (aka the McMorran Balance), which is a handy device to measure the approximate yards per pound of a chosen yarn. A must for any handweaver who wants to identify the grist of their “stash”. 

Fiber Properties  

The second hour of the workshop will include fiber properties of cotton, flax, wool and silk. In addition, Susan will include weaving tips and tricks for each fiber. Fiber basics will include yarn counts (Tex, Dernier and Metric) plus The Golden Ratio, the Fibonacci sequence, and Lucas series.  

Record keeping techniques with a template for a Weaving Record Sheet, and creating your own “Wish Book” are some of the informative topics to be explored. 

Registration Details: 

Delivered by Zoom, for 2.5 hours with a 10 minute break between the  workshop presentation. 

Workshop fee $50, payable by e-transfer to EHSguild@gmail.com. Email helen_skelton@hotmail.com to register. (Guild policy is no refunds) 

Handouts will be provided as pdf by email. 

Workshop will be available on private YouTube channel for 7 days after  delivery date.

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