Lectures & Demonstrations

10:00 – 10:50 am  |  Needle Felting Little Sheep Brooches
Sheri Bulluck, CR. Needles and wool come together to create this sheep brooch. Make one – take it home! Ages 9 & up.
Class cost: Free | Class location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Sheri is an art educator who started a love affair with fibers when she made her first latch hook rug as an 8 year old. It started with yarn, moved to fabrics and then, when she discovered needle felting in 2014, she added wool to her “collection” of fibers. She opened her own studio, A Fiber in the Woods, where she teachers felting and watercolor to adults and children.

10:00 – 10:50 am  |  Diversity of Wool: A Hands On Tour Through “Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook”
Sarah Dunham-Miliotis, LH. The world of wool is vast – with dozens (if not hundreds!) of different sheep breeds available to choose from, how do you know which wool is right for your project? In this lecture we’ll examine both raw and spun wool samples from nearly 100 breeds of sheep (and 10 other fiber critters!) from our extensive study collection and get to know “The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook” – one of the most comprehensive resources available on the subject. We’ll look at different categories of wool, highlight both popular and rare breeds, and discuss the basic properties of wool such as micron count, crimp, luster and staple length and how these relate to the finished yarn/project.
Class cost: Free | Class location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Sarah has been working with fibers – knitting, spinning and a bit of weaving – for over 25 years. She is a member of the NH Spinners and Dyers Guild and the Northeast Handspinner’s Association, and over the years has shared her love of fiber arts with the public at a number of schools, non-profits, libraries and community fairs in NH. She also has a background in archaeology and environmental education and is a homeschooling mom, avid gardener and “nature nerd.”

11:00 – 11:50 am  |  Felted Bobbin Beads
Ruth Boisvert, CR. I’ll be using old sewing machines Bobbins and wrapping the spools with wool felted strips. I’m in love with the results.
Class cost: Free | Class location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Ruth has an BFA from the School for American Craftsmen in Rochester, New York. After moving to Maine her career took a detour into the corporate world but she continued to study ceramics and fiber art at the Maine College of Art. Ruth’s fiber art and pottery have been marketed in many shows and in Gallery 302 in Bridgton, Maine for years. Ruth has been busy teaching felting in Portland, Gallery 302 and fiber festivals throughout New England.

11:00 – 11:50 am  |  Felt Recycling
Sue Carey, LH. Upfelt a sweater, t-shirt, blanket, scarf, or other material. Clothing, blankets, etc can make a great canvas for creative needle felting. Anything that is woven or felted and consists mostly of natural fibers such as linen, cotton, or wool is suitable to use. The design can be large or small or used to cover a stain or tear. Recycled material is also great for making unique wall hangings.In this Demo, we will cover tools and equipment used to upfelt. Participants will be able to try this technique on demonstration material.
Class cost: Free | Class location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Sue Carey and her family have raised Cotswold Sheep for 30 thirty years. She is active in the local Sheep Producers group and is a former Sheep 4-H leader. Sue has taught needle felting throughout the Northeast for over 25 years. Her teaching credentials include the New England Fiber Festival, Fletcher Farm School for the Arts and Crafts, Gallery at the Vault and the Chaffee Art Center. Through her instructions, She has introduced both children and adults to the creative world of felting. For more information on Sue’s crafting go to marblemeadows.com.

12:00 – 12:50 pm  |  Growing and Caring For Your Own Fleece
Nadine Chounet, FB. An overview of how to manager your flock and care for your growing fleeces to get the best possible wool for your breed of sheep.
Class cost: Free | Class location: Fleece Barn
Instructor bio: Nadine owns ‘Painted Knoll Farm’ and raised registered Shetland sheep for over 30 years. She continually worked to improve the breed from easy to handle healthy sheep to gorgeous and clean fleeces that Shetlands are known for producing. Over the years she has given lessons and talks and demos as it is something that she has always enjoyed.

12:00 – 12:50 pm  |  A Practical Guide To Hay For Small Farms
Ted Sartell. LH. Topics include types of hay, hay fields, making and storing hay, buying and selling hay, and feeding hay.
Class cost: Free | Class location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Ted Sartell grew up on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania where he developed a lifelong passion for farming. In 1994 he and his wife acquired an old farm in Temple NH and started raising Oxford sheep as 4-H projects for their children. The sheep are still there today, though the farm operations expanded in 2016 when he added a Jersey cow. Ted now has a licensed micro-dairy and creamery, milking four cows, and selling milk, yogurt and cheeses made on the farm. Ted has been making hay ever since his youth making hay in Pennsylvania. Today he does 50+ acres of hay from his own field and other nearby fields. Many of the fields he uses had to be restored from a non-productive state. Ted doesn’t use any herbicides or chemical fertilizers on the fields. He makes both small square bales and dry round bales for the sheep, dairy cows, and a guard donkey. In a good year he is able to meet his goal of producing all the hay he needs from two, and occasionally three, cuttings from his fields.

1:00 – 1:50 pm  |  The Magic of Indigo: From Seed to Harvest to Dyeing a Handspun Garmet
Odediah Skolnick, CR. Did your fresh indigo leaf vat, not produce the color you planned, or you got completely stopped after harvest? This demo is for you!
Class cost: Free | Class location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Odediah is constantly creating open spaces for a free exchange of spinning techniques where other fiber spinners can develop opportunity and freedom in their handspinning.

1:00 – 1:50 pm  |  Maintenance, and Preventive Maintenance Tips For Your Spinning Wheel
Beva and Steve Meagher. LH. This lecture will guide you in how to diagnose spinning wheel problems, make repairs on your spinning wheel, and assemble a travel tool kit. We will address: the conditioning of wood and metal parts, oiling and greases to use, how to make and install drive bands, and connectors along with guidance to diagnose spinning wheel problems. We will offer resources for materials needed to make repairs and adjustments.
Class cost: Free | Class location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Steve & Beva have been spinning for several years, and have collected and experienced many wheels. Steve is a woodworker who enjoys crafting support spindles, and assorted other fiber tools. Beva enjoys reconditioning sad, lonely spinning wheels, and seeing them gleam with life again.

2:00 – 2:50 pm  |  Getting a Fleece Ready For Spinning, Carding Vs Combing
Chris Majauckas, CR. Processing a fleece by hand? Most people know about Carding, but what did we do before carding? I’ll mostly talk about the process of Combing. I’ll talk about the differences and demonstrate some Combing techniques to produce fiber ready to spin. With Combing you can take the dirtiest fleece, that most people would consider throwing away, and turn it into nice clean Sliver ready for spinning.
Class cost: Free | Class location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Chris has been a Comb Maker for over 30 years.

2:00 – 2:50 pm  |  Wool Types and Aspects
Andrew Earle, LH. Want to start a fiber flock but don’t know what breed is best for your needs and landscape? Join me to discuss different pros and cons of various breeds for New England.
Class cost: Free | Class location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Andrew Earle, a native Vermonter grew up in many aspects of farming. From raising cows, goats, sheep, pigs and birds of all kinds. Andrew focuses on holistic animal management. He has also worked at Green Mountain Spinnery for about 9 years running the 1916 Whitin Carding Machine as well as maintaining the other machinery there. Andy is a certified US wool grader and natural fiber enthusiast. He and his family have their own homestead, Knit or Dye Woolery where they raise Fine Shetland/ Finn/ Merino sheep for hand dying and making into yarn to sell at Wool Festivals.

3:00 – 3:50 pm  |  Crazy Cowl
Ruth Boisvert, CR. Using super bulky wool I will create this crazy cowl in the 50 minute demo time!
Class cost: Free | Class location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Ruth has an BFA from the School for American Craftsmen in Rochester, New York. After moving to Maine her career took a detour into the corporate world but she continued to study ceramics and fiber art at the Maine College of Art. Ruth’s fiber art and pottery have been marketed in many shows and in Gallery 302 in Bridgton, Maine for years. Ruth has been busy teaching felting in Portland, Gallery 302 and fiber festivals throughout New England.

3:00 – 3:50 pm  |  Easy Care Tips for Older Ewes to Maintain Good Health and Fiber
Debra Kimball, LH. Learn about keeping older ewes healthy and producing good fleeces well into their teens as well as the other benefits of keeping older sheep on a farm.
Class cost: Free | Class location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Deb Kimball has been raising sheep and working with wool fiber for over 30 years. She enjoys spinning, knitting, and felting (both wet and needle felting) wool fibers.

4:00 – 4:50 pm  |  Beginning Crochet or Crochet For Knitters
Marilyn Valentine, CR. This demo will teach basic crochet stitches and/or crochet for knitters. Crochet hooks and 100% cotton yarn to use will get you started on a lovely washcloth/ dishcloth. Pair a washcloth with body wash or a fancy bar of soap and you have a sweet gift to give.
Class cost: Free | Class location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Marilyn Valentine has been crocheting for over 50 years since Grandma taught her via snail mail correspondence, and knitting for 30 years. She loves learning new techniques and teaching others how to knit and crochet and watching creativity take off.

4:00 – 4:50 pm  |  Yarn Substitution Without the Guesswork
Tiana St. James, LH. This lecture will show you how to choose a substitute yarn with confidence. We’ll explore yarn weights, fiber characteristics, gauge, and how different yarn constructions affect drape and durability so you can select a yarn that works well for your pattern.
Class cost: Free | Class location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Tiana St. James has been working in the fiber arts for more than 25 years and teaching for over two decades. She teaches at Aker Fiber Farm and loves helping students build confidence in fiber crafts. Tiana has a special passion for introducing beginners to spinning, knitting, and other fiber arts, making the learning process welcoming and enjoyable.

10:00 – 10:50 am  |  Try Your Hand Warping A Loom
Amanda Posner, CR. Are you curious to see what goes into threading a loom? Stop by this demonstration and see. I will be working on dressing a 4 harness loom, slaying the loom front to back and we will let folks sit and try there hand at it let’s see how much we can get done during the demonstration.
Class Cost: Free  |  Class Location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Amanda Posner is the founder and instructor at Crow’s Corner. She developed a life-long love of weaving in the 80s, when she started studying textiles at Cambridge School of Weston. She has also studied weaving at Harrisville Designs, Inc. and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). In 2023, she taught two introductory weaving courses at Scratch Supply Co. in Lebanon, NH. classes at her studio are for beginners with no experience or for those interested in moving up to multiple harness loom from ridge heddle looms and designed for those interested in learning the process of designing and warping a loom start to finish.

10:00 – 11:50 am  |  Spinning with a Distaff and The Spindle Spectrum from Ancient to Modern Day Application
Tameson O’Brien and Beva Meagher, LH. Interested in historical spinning? Demonstrating short-suspended (European) medieval style spindle spinning with long distaff. See the difference between a medieval spindle vs a drip spindle. A lecture with some demos on the Scottish Dealgan, Supported spindle and how to ply on it, historic (spindle) Great Wheel and demo on the modern spindle wheels.
Class Cost: Free  |  Class Location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Beva Meagher have been spinning for several years, and have collected and experienced many wheels. Beva enjoys reconditioning sad, lonely spinning wheels, and seeing them gleam with life again.

10:00 – 11:50 am  |  Try Your Hand Weaving On a Loom
Amanda Posner, CR. Do you think maybe weaving would be a great use for a huge fiber stash. We have a 4 harness loom warped and ready to try come by the demonstration and take a turn who knows you might have found your new favorite hobby!
Class Cost: Free  |  Class Location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Amanda Posner is the founder and instructor at Crow’s Corner. She developed a life-long love of weaving in the 80s, when she started studying textiles at Cambridge School of Weston. She has also studied weaving at Harrisville Designs, Inc. and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). In 2023, she taught two introductory weaving courses at Scratch Supply Co. in Lebanon, NH. classes at her studio are for beginners with no experience or for those interested in moving up to multiple harness loom from ridge heddle looms and designed for those interested in learning the process of designing and warping a loom start to finish.

12:00 – 12:50 pm  |  Needlefelting a Chibi Turtle
Britt Farrell, CR. Britt will be needlefelting little balls, then attaching them together to make the body of a turtle before using colored roving wool to color over it.
Class Cost: Free  |  Class Location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Britt is a graphic designer with experience in game design, art & animation, and writing. In 2014, Britt took zir younger cousin to a local craft fair, where they met a friendly needlefelter. They watched the woman needlefelting a fluffy sheep, and Britt’s cousin was fascinated by the prospect of being able to make her own “stuffed animals”. This looked like a fun new craft to do together, so Britt bought a starter kit and extra roving wool for them to use. It wasn’t long until at family gatherings, their other younger cousins started asking Britt to needlefelt their favorite animals and game characters, and to teach them how to needlefelt too. By 2019, Britt started doing paid commissions, and was teaching people how to make simple Poké Ball keychains at the anime convention ze volunteered at. Today, Britt specializes in using real species of animals as reference to needlefelt spiders, moths, dogs, cats, pigs, turtles, etc… as well as needlefelting more imaginative characters from sketches, like silly ghosts. mermaids, and monsters.

Website: ArachneButterfly.com

12:00 – 12:50 pm  |  Raising Jacob Sheep: History, Useful Facts, and a True Story
Paula Aarons, LH. This talk will give you some historical background for Jacob Sheep. I will cover heritage, uses, and the benefits of raising this heritage breed, especially for those interested in preservation and who are new to sheep husbandry. As with all good shepherds, there will also be stories that illuminate the varied personalities and traits of these delightful creatures.
Class Cost: Free  |  Class Location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Paula Aarons was born in Pittsburgh, PA and grew up surrounded by forests and farms. A young gymnast, she became a modern dancer and toured all over the world in Nikolais Dance Theatre, a NY based company in the mid to late 20th century. After her 8 year stint in NYC she moved to Keene NH where she received her M. Ed from Antioch New England and then taught in public schools as a classroom teacher, and later returned to dancing and was an arts educator for 10 years. Living on an old sheep farm in Gilsum NH, Paula and her husband Peter Granucci, an oil painter, decided to raise some sheep to reclaim their old pastures. They went from doing seasonal sheep for meat to having a permanent flock of Jacob and Romney sheep in 2013. Paula has grown the flock of seven originals to 24, and absolutely loves being a shepherd. The Dancing Pony Sheep Farm raises their sheep for wool and wool products, breedstock for other farms, and meat. Paula loves talking to anyone interested in raising sheep, reclaiming land, or the many wonders of wool and is happy to talk about the various processes anytime!

1:00 – 1:50 pm  |  Magic Bead
Ruth Boisvert, CR. Watch how I layer wool roving, felt it, and cut it to squares. I then string these and show the results after it has gone thru a hot washing cycle or 2. You won’t believe the resulting orbs.
Class Cost: Free  |  Class Location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Ruth has an BFA from the School for American Craftsmen in Rochester, New York. After moving to Maine her career took a detour into the corporate world but she continued to study ceramics and fiber art at the Maine College of Art. Ruth’s fiber art and pottery have been marketed in many shows and in Gallery 302 in Bridgton, Maine for years. Ruth has been busy teaching felting in Portland, Gallery 302 and fiber festivals throughout New England.

1:00 – 1:50 pm  |  Marketing
Jonathan McCosh, LH.  This lecture will focus on how a fiber farm can best market to the general public for their products and venue.
Class Cost: Free  |  Class Location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Jonathan McCosh is a Professor at Colby-Sawyer College who teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in Marketing.   With his wife Kris they own a small fiber farm and Kris has a booth in the Working Crafts building at the annual Deerfield Fair.  He is also a volunteer scout leader and has worked with scouting groups on the Animal Science Merit Badge.

2:00 – 2:50 pm  |  Needlefelting a Ladybug with Wire Armature
Britt Farrell, CR. I will show how to carefully needlefelt around a pipe cleaner armature to make the legs and body of a ladybug.
Class Cost: Free  |  Class Location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Britt is a graphic designer with experience in game design, art & animation, and writing. In 2014, Britt took zir younger cousin to a local craft fair, where they met a friendly needlefelter. They watched the woman needlefelting a fluffy sheep, and Britt’s cousin was fascinated by the prospect of being able to make her own “stuffed animals”. This looked like a fun new craft to do together, so Britt bought a starter kit and extra roving wool for them to use. It wasn’t long until at family gatherings, their other younger cousins started asking Britt to needlefelt their favorite animals and game characters, and to teach them how to needlefelt too. By 2019, Britt started doing paid commissions, and was teaching people how to make simple Poké Ball keychains at the anime convention ze volunteered at. Today, Britt specializes in using real species of animals as reference to needlefelt spiders, moths, dogs, cats, pigs, turtles, etc… as well as needlefelting more imaginative characters from sketches, like silly ghosts. mermaids, and monsters.

Website: ArachneButterfly.com

2:00 – 2:50 pm  |  Working with Community Groups
Jonathan McCosh, LH. This lecture will focus on how to reach out and work with various community groups in your area.
Class Cost: Free  |  Class Location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Jonathan McCosh is a Professor at Colby-Sawyer College who teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in Marketing.   With his wife Kris they own a small fiber farm and Kris has a booth in the Working Crafts building at the annual Deerfield Fair.  He is also a volunteer scout leader and has worked with scouting groups on the Animal Science Merit Badge.

3:00 – 3:50 pm  |  Spinning with Consistency On An E Wheel
Amanda Posner, CR. I will demonstrate how I spin with my ashford e spinner aiming for a strong consistent warp for my looms. We will talk about worsted over woolen spinning when spinning for warps. When you try the e wheels you might discover how wonderful these little e wheels are when spinning for weaving.
Class Cost: Free  |  Class Location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Amanda Posner is the founder and instructor at Crow’s Corner. She developed a life-long love of weaving in the 80s, when she started studying textiles at Cambridge School of Weston. She has also studied weaving at Harrisville Designs, Inc. and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). In 2023, she taught two introductory weaving courses at Scratch Supply Co. in Lebanon, NH. classes at her studio are for beginners with no experience or for those interested in moving up to multiple harness loom from ridge heddle looms and designed for those interested in learning the process of designing and warping a loom start to finish.

3:00 – 3:50 pm  |  Common Emergencies For Sheep And Goats And Preventative Measures
Lauren DeGennaro, DVM, LH. Lecture overview of common emergencies of sheep and goats, including bloat, polioencephalomalacia, dystocia, and common toxicities.
Class Cost: Free  |  Class Location: Education Area
Instructor bio: Lauren is from Naugatuck, CT, and has always had a love for animals. She received her undergraduate degree from Boston College, where she majored in biochemistry and minored in theology.After college, she spent two years working as a veterinary assistant at a feline-exclusive veterinary clinic. She received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. After vet school, she completed a one-year equine internship at Genesee Valley Equine Clinic in Scottsville, NY. While not at the hospital, Lauren enjoys birding, hiking, and exploring the outdoors. She currently shares her home with her cat Misty and is happy to be back in New England.