Unusual Materials: From the Almost Familiar to the Odd

Unusual materials are both ancient and modern. Some will seem similar to yarns you have used before, others will be quite different. Horsehair, paper, straw, stems, unusual silks and plant and animal fiber yarns, and overtwisted yarns have been used for centuries. Elastics, plastics and stainless steel, copper, brass and synthetic metallic yarns are all newer. We’ll look at them all. Why use some of the more unusual materials available? How do you go about evaluating them? We will look at the properties of some more common and not so common materials and compare and contrast. There will be an opportunity to try out use of some of these materials.

Instructor Bio: Debbie Kaplan branched into weaving 20 years ago from a background in handspinning and knitting. Her knowledge of materials informs her work. For a number of years she has been working with collapse weave and unusual materials such as copper, steel, undegummed silk, and horsehair to obtain open, gauzy, surprising effects. She has also used more standard materials in novel ways. Thinking outside the box is a passion. Debbie’s work has been featured in SpinOff, Handwoven and the CW Journal. She has won awards at NEWS and Complex Weavers and been part of Convergence displays.

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Welcome, Weavers!
If you’re a weaver--beginner or pro--the Vermont Weavers Guild welcomes you. Plan to join us at one of our regular meetings at the Kimball House, Randolph, Vermont.