Carol’s interest in fiber and fabric began while growing up on a Michigan farm. She learned sewing, crochet, and embroidery from her mother, grandmother, and older sisters. Through her domestic and international travels she focused on local artisans and discovered the endless possibilities of fiber. Her fiber passion exploded when she started breeding alpacas, and now together with her husband operate Cross Wind Farm, where they raise purebred Bluefaced Leicester, Lincoln Longwool, and Romney sheep as well as Angora goats. Carol experiments with natural dye and is particularly interested in fiber preparation, fiber blending, and spinning using fiber from her animals and other quality fleeces that she picks up along the way.
Carol developed her skills through practice, classes, and workshops, and has won a number of awards for her handspun yarns. She is currently in the Master Spinner Program at Olds College in Alberta, Canada and is a member of two spinning guilds: Spinner’s Flock in Chelsea, MI and Flock University in East Lansing, MI. You can follow her fiber and farm activities at www.crosswindfarm.com/blog, Facebook (Cross Wind Farm LLC), or visit www.crosswindfarm.com.
Barb Gallagher - Weaving A Tapestry
Barb has been weaving since she stumbled upon a weaving studio in Los Angeles in 1971. She has a BA in Art from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she did her thesis on rug weaving. Her focus for the last 30 years has been primarily rugs, but she also enjoys weaving other useful items such as towels, scarves, shawls & throws. She also enjoys weaving tapestries especially when on the road. She’s been teaching weaving for more than 15 years. She also owns The Weavers Loft, which is a retail weaving, spinning & knitting supply shop as well as the home of her weaving studio.
She is an active member of the Weavers Guild of Greater Cincinnati as well as a member of the Miami Valley Weavers Guild, the Central Ohio Weavers Guild, BSSG, HGA, SWIFT, and SWA.
Kathy Moskal - Learn To Spin With A Drop Spindle & Wet Felted Scarf
Kathy learned to knit in childhood, and took it up again after moving to a farm in Chelsea, Michigan in 1998. She volunteers at WaterlooHistoricalMuseum demonstrating spinning on a wheel and drop spindle, felting and weaving. She raises fiber animals: alpacas, llamas, angora goats and angora rabbits on her small farm.
Kathy is a member of Spinners Flock in Chelsea, MI. She is also co-owner of Criations by Leslie, Custom Embroidery and their web-site is http://www.criations.com
Suzanne Pufpaff -Square Bottomed Wet Felted Tote
Suzanne has been involved with natural fibers and fabrics most of her life, beginning with 4-H knitting and sewing as a child, then raising most of the different fiber animals at one time or another as an adult. She knits, spins, weaves, sews, felts and has been running a small custom carding operation on her farm since 2002. She also writes instructional articles on felting and knitting, which are sold in many shops around the country as well as being published in many of the trade magazines. fibermill@yurtboutique.com
Jan Vanden Hout - Spinning Angora Rabbit Wool and Grooming and Care of the Angora Rabbit
Jan started spinning in 1980 and raising Angora rabbits in 1982. She has specialized with the English Angora for spinning and show. Jan is a 25 year member of American, Michigan State, Ann Arbor and National Angora Rabbit Breeders Associations. She is also a member of Spinners Flock in Chelsea, MI.
Jan has taught multiple groups how to spin Angora wool and has worked with 4H groups on grooming and care of their Angora rabbits. Over the years Jan has demonstrated spinning Angora wool at fairs and annual events in Michigan and Ohio; helped to get hand-spun yarns and finished items as entries at local fairs; and worked with people to expand their expertise in working with exotic fibers. Her motto is: "If it's fuzzy, spin it!"
