Linens: Seed to Cloth
Process flax, spin, and weave.
Optional additional days the following week give you more time to finish.
Instructor: Becky Ashenden
Dates offered 2020: Sep 8–11
Extra weaving week: Choose to stay on the following week for more weaving time! See below for details.
Extension dates: week of Sep 14
Weaving with linen can be very satisfying. As you beam, thread, and weave your own project, you will gain confidence working with this beautiful fiber and learn skills needed to keep it all going smoothly. Choose your main project from the assortment of possibilities listed on our Farmhouse Projects: Linen runners & squares page. Also weave on two shared looms.
Weave 3 projects
- Choose a special project of your own from our selections.
- Weave a rustic runner in plain weave showcasing your handspun linen yarns. This will be an exquisite piece not to be replicated.
- Weave linen damask on a drawloom and enjoy its texture and sheen.
Flax processing
Explore the entire process of growing flax, spinning yarn, and weaving it into cloth. Ground retting produces deep rich darker tones, while water retting produces a light creamy color. Every crop is different, and every retted batch comes out differently, giving an unbelievable array of colors and textures to weave with.
Spinning
You do not need to be an experienced spinner to enjoy this week. Flax is a long fiber, which makes it an excellent place to start. You are welcome to bring your own spinning wheel if you have one that you are comfortable with. We also have several spinning wheels of various styles for participants to try out. Linen is a magical fiber and this is a chance to get to know it intimately.
Stages of flax processing
- Ground retting (darker tones)
- Warm water retting (lighter tones)
- Breaking
- Scutching
- Hackling
- Distaff dressing
- Spinning
- Finishing
flax garden
diamond lace weave
flax harvest
checkerboard twill blocks
rippling
square lace weave
ground retting
daldräll (overshot)
drying retted flax
Sätergläntan twill
scutched flax
satin square
hackled and spun flax
rustic hand-spun runner
fine linens
fine linen damask
Location: Farm Studio
Prerequisites: Vävstuga Basics (Why does everyone need Basics?)
Max enrollment: 8
Course fee:
Week 1: $850 (includes all instruction and studio time, course handouts, lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Thu)
Week 2: $50/consecutive day for extra weaving time, no meals or instruction
Materials fee: by weight
Room & board:
Week 1: $450 (includes lodging Sun–Thu evenings, breakfast Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Wed)
Week 2: Students staying in the Water St lodging the first week of class will need to find other lodging for the 2nd "extra weaving" week. You may stay over Friday night at Water St for a lodging fee of $75, with checkout by 9:30 on Saturday morning. Meals may be purchased at our day student rate.
For more detail: See also costs & logistics, food & accommodations
Days offered: Five-day session, Mon–Fri. Optional extra weaving time for 2nd week.
Week 1 schedule: Studio open 8:30–6:00, instruction time 9:00–noon and 2:00–5:00. On Friday, for those enrolled for Week 1 only, instruction ends at noon and remaining warp lengths will be cut off and chained for you to take home. Checkout must be completed by 3:00.
Week 2 schedule: Extra weaving days start on Saturday and will be counted consecutively. (Any partial day and/or a missed day counts as a full day). Checkout must be completed by 3:00 on Friday.