Ready to take your spinning to the next level? Or maybe you just want to feel like a fairy-tale character at a Renaissance festival? Either way, welcome to wheel spinning! This class is all about learning to use a spinning wheel, understanding different types of wool, and figuring out why spinners are so weirdly obsessed with sheep breeds.

You’ll get hands-on time with different types of wheels, learn the secrets of selecting a wool prep, and finally understand what words like “scotch tension” and “double drive” actually mean. We’ll cover all the spinning basics—how to start, how to stop, and how to keep your wheel from dragging you into an accidental cardio workout.

By the end of class, you’ll be turning fluff into yarn and feeling ridiculously accomplished. Fair warning: this might be the start of a deep and expensive obsession.

Date/Time: Saturday, September 27, 2025 1:30-4:30 PM

Skill Level: Beginner-Friendly (No Experience Needed—Just a Sense of Adventure!)

Class Schedule:

Hour 1: Meet the Wool & the Wheels

• Hands-on wool exploration: squish, sniff, and compare different breeds
• Carded vs. combed fiber—what’s the difference, and why does it matter?
• Meet the wheels! Trying different styles and learning how they work

Hour 2: Wheel Wrangling & First Spins

• Treadling without feeling like you’re about to launch into orbi
• How to feed fiber into the wheel (instead of letting it get sucked in like a wool-hungry vortex)
• Fixing the “HELP, EVERYTHING IS TWISTING” problem
• Common newbie mistakes and how to avoid them (like the dreaded overspinning, aka making yarn that could double as wire)

Hour 3: Finding Your Rhythm & Making Yarn

• Getting into the groove (literally) and learning to spin with confidence
• Plying basics: how to combine singles without making a tangled mess
• What to do with your finished yarn (besides staring at it proudly)
• Q&A and extra practice time—because muscle memory takes time!

Takeaways:

• A fiber guide with tips, tricks, and a breakdown of different wool types
• A newfound appreciation for people who spin entire sweaters by hand
• The satisfaction of making your very own yarn (even if it’s a little lumpy—charm, right?)

A Very Important
and Slightly Dramatic Warning 

Spinning wheels are enablers. Side effects of this class may include:

• Falling hopelessly in love with a particular type of wheel and immediately scheming how to afford one.
• Saying things like “It’s not hoarding, it’s a fiber stash” with alarming frequency.
• Experiencing deep emotional attachment to your first hand-spun yarn, no matter how wonky it looks.
• An uncontrollable need to research rare sheep breeds at 2 AM.
• Suddenly believing you could shear a sheep and process the wool yourself (spoiler: it’s harder than it looks).

If you find yourself justifying why your dining room is now a fiber studio, congratulations—you’re officially one of us. Welcome to the spinning rabbit hole. It’s deep, cozy, and full of wool.

Are you ready to get spinning? Let’s do this!

Debbie Mancuso