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Fiber Workshops at Steam Valley
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| Workshops at the Farm |
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Classes are held at the farm to incorporate learning about the animals in addition to exploring the art of spinning. Whether you watch the Angora goats at play or the lustrous Border Leicester sheep, you are sure to be enchanted by the animals. Come enjoy life on the farm while you learn the art of spinning your own yarn. |
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| Annual Spring Farm Tour |
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Our Spring Farm Tour will be held on May 10, 2008
from 10 am - 3 pm.
Free Tours of the barns to see the lambs and goat kids.
Fiber Arts Demonstrations.
Children Welcome.
Rain or Shine
Directions to the farm are at the bottom of this page.
For more information contact Phylleri at 570-998-2221
Or email <svmfiber@uplink.net> |
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| Fiber Artist & Shepherdess |
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Phylleri Ball has been a Fiber Artist for 3 decades, with experience in spinning, dyeing, fiber processing, knitting, crocheting, weaving and felting. Her passion for fiber began with learning to crochet while travelling about the country in a homemade truck camper. Her younger sister, who wove professionally for 20 years, gave Phylleri her first fiber animal, an Angora Rabbit. Then followed the spinning, dyeing and later the weaving lessons by the same sister.
Phylleri and her family moved to Steam Valley Mountain in 1998 with 5 Angora Goats, a Border Collie, one barn cat and a half dozen Angora Rabbits. Their peak year, the farm had 117 head of sheep and goats. Back to a managable size, the summer head count is closer to 70 head of Angora Goats, Nubian Goats and Border Leicester Sheep.
Ten years of processing the fiber from her herd of Angoras and flock of sheep has enhanced Phylleri's skill and appreciation for fiber processing. Additional fleeces are purchased, with Steam Valley washing and dyeing about 100 fleeces each year. Dyeing, being one of Phylleri's key passions, lead to developing her own line of Hand-Dyed Yarn. Since what land is not grazed by the goats and sheep has either a garden or native plants that are good for dyeing, plant dyeing is also a part of her fiber skills.
Phylleri's first spinning wheel was a clunky used Clemes & Clemes, purchased when her eldest son as a baby. Today, her prefered wheel for spinning knitting yarns is a Schacht. Rug yarn spun from the coarser Mohair is done on a Louet. With most any wheel that is functional, Phylleri can produce a yarn. Phylleri, with her sons' and husband's help, has assembled countless Ashford wheels. So if your wheel needs a basic part like a spring or drive band, Phylleri is likely to know how to fix it.
With a joy of teaching and learning from her students, Phylleri is enthusiastic in her delivery. She reaches to meet each student at the level of their abilities and encourages them to be persistant. Her teaching motto is, "There are many paths to find God. There are at least as many different ways to spin a yarn. Find the way that works for you, because there is no right or wrong way to spin. The goal is for you to be happy with the yarn that you produce."
Steam Valley schedules one day workshops on spinning, fiber processing, synthetic dyeing and natural dyeing. Workshop descriptions and schedule is listed below.
Phylleri Ball also offers private instruction in spinning, dyeing, animal husbandry and goat cheese making. Contact her for arranging private instruction. |
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| Course Descriptions and Fees |
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Drop Spindling
April 5, 2008
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Workshop Fee: $65.00 Lunch Included.
Students may bring their own drop spindle or purchase one for use at the class.
The spindle class will begin with basic skills of spinning wool with a spindle to produce a single ply yarn. Advance skills will include plying, skeining and preparing your yarn for knitting or future projects..
Beginning Spinning Wheel Workshop
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Workshop Fee: $75.00 Lunch Included.
Material Requirement: Students need to provide a spinning wheel or call in advance to reserve the use of a wheel during the workshop.
Course Description: This workshop begins with learning to spin wool roving into yarn. You will learn the skill of drafting, producing a balanced yarn, and plying techniques. Fiber preparation of wool fleece, using hand carders or a flicker brush is followed by spinning from your own prepared fiber.
Fiber Processing
Sunday, May 25, 2008
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Workshop Fee: $75.00 Lunch Included.
Material Requirement: Students need to provide a spinning wheel or call in advance to reserve the use of a wheel during the workshop.
Course Description: This class will explore fiber preparation from skirting a fleece to carding techniques. Learn how to wash a fleece and how carding methods affect your yarn. If you have raw fiber that you want to learn how to wash and process, bring a sample to the class. In the second half of the class, we will explore yarn spun using different carding techniques.
Dyeing Wool Workshop
Sunday, July 6, 2008
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Workshop Fee: $75.00 Lunch Included.
Material Requirement: Optional - Bring 1 oz. handspun skeins of yarn to sample colors from the various dye pots.
Commercial yarn & roving samples for dyeing are provided.
Course Description: We will dye washed fleece, roving and yarn with synthetic dyes. Emphasis is on students mastering the overall dyeing process so they can proceed to do dyeing projects at home.
Natural Dyeing Workshop
Sunday, July 20, 2008
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Workshop Fee: $75.00 Lunch Included.
Material Donation: Please bring local natural dye plants that you would like to share with the class. Most material must be presoaked & cooked, so contact us for instructions. Common Examples: Yellow onion skins, Marigolds, Coreopsis, Black Walnut Hulls, Goldenrod, Yarrow, etc.
Optional - Bring 1 oz. handspun skeins of yarn to sample colors from the various dye pots.
Commercial yarn for dyeing will be provided.
Course Description: We will dye yarn with a variety of natural dyes. We will work with local plants as well as purchased dye stuff like Cochineal. Both casual dyeing - throw it in a pot and see what happens, as well as measured recipes will be explored. Handouts including dye recipes are included.
To register for a class contact us by email or phone.
<svmfiber@uplink.net>
Send $10.00 class deposit to:
Steam Valley Fiber Farm
2304 Steam Valley Road,
Trout Run, PA 17771
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| Calendar for 2008 |
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Annual Spring Farm Tour - May 10, 2008
10 AM - 3 PM
FREE
Beginning Spinning Wheel - Saturday, April 19, 2008
10 AM - 4 PM
$75.00
Fiber Processing Workshop - Sunday, May 25, 2008
Includes Spinning 10 AM - 4 PM
$75.00
Beginning Spinning Wheel - Sunday, June 15, 2008
10 AM - 4 PM
$75.00
Dyeing Wool Workshop - Sunday, July 6, 2008
10 AM - 4 PM
$75.00
Natural Dyeing Workshop - Sunday, July 20, 2008
9 AM - 4 PM
$75.00
To register for a class contact us by email or phone.
<svmfiber@uplink.net>
Send $10.00 class deposit to:
Steam Valley Fiber Farm
2304 Steam Valley Road,
Trout Run, PA 17771
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| Kids Summer Fiber Fun Workshops |
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Arrange a Fiber Fun Workshop for your group or family.
Adult participation is encourage, but the hands on activities are geared for the ages of the children.
Each Fiber Fun Workshop will include -
A Farm Tour to see the animals.
A Hands-On Activity to play wtih fiber.
A Visit to Steam Valley's Fiber Shop to see the baskets of colorful fleece and yarn.
Choose a Hands-On Activity to match the ages & ability of the children.
- Wet Felting for 2 years to adult. A bit messy, but easy to do.
- Needle Felting 8 years old minimum age. Parents or supervising adults must be present as needles are sharp.
- Drop Spindling for 8 years old and up. Learn to spin yarn on a spindle.
- Hand Carding by children with Spinning Wheel Demo.
Children (8 & up) hand card wool that is spun into yarn by Phylleri on a spinning wheel.
Fiber Fun Workshop is 2 - 4 hours long, depending on the Activity.
Cost is based on the size of the group, length of workshop and activity.
Contact Phylleri at 570-998-2221 for more information.
Or email <svmfiber@uplink.net>
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| Directions to the Farm |
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Directions to Steam Valley Fiber Farm:
We are located midway between Williamsport and Mansfield, PA just off Hwy15 (Future Interstate 99). Harrisburg, PA is about 2 1/2 hours to the south and Corning, NY is about 1 1/4 hours to the north of us.
*Directions Coming From The South*
From Williamsport take Hwy 15 North towards Mansfield. Our farm is about 22 miles north of Williamsport. As you pass the exit for Trout Run and Hwy 14 begin clocking your mileage. Turn right off of Hwy 15 onto Steam Valley Road at 6.5 miles north of Trout Run exit.
Steam Valley Road will come to an immediate T. Turn Right again. We are up the hill less than a 1/4 mile. There are 2 barns on the right side of the road with a white farmhouse opposite the barns.
Most Common Reasons people can't find us -
- Do Not take the Trout Run exit. Stay on Hwy15.
- There were 3 entrances to Steam Valley Road, but Hwy 15 is under construction. The two northern entrances at 6.5 miles and 7 miles north of Trout Run are open the moment I am writing this. This may change. Watch for detour signs in order to get onto Steam Valley Road.
- The entrances to our road are marked with street signs, not exit signs.
If you miss the turn onto Steam Valley road at 6.5 miles north of Trout Run, you have another chance. Go another half mile and turn right onto Steam Valley at 7 miles north from the Trout Run exit. Bear right at the split and the farm is 1/2 mile up the road. Our street address is 2304 Steam Valley Road.
If you missed the very last turn onto Steam Valley Road, then turn left when you see the signs for Hwy 184 and Fry Brothers Turkey Ranch. Then head back down the mountain. If you missed our road as you were heading north, then the directions below tell how you will access Steam Valley Road.
* Directions from the North*
Heading south on Hwy 15 from Mansfield we are about 8 miles south of the Liberty exit. The turnoff you take is 1/8 mile south of Hwy 184 and Fry’s Turkey Ranch. You should get into the left lane as you pass Fry's and make a left turn when you see the access sign to head northbound again on Hwy 15. This crossover is just a 1/8th mile south of Fry's. Cut straight across the northbound lanes and you are on Steam Valley Road. Bear right at the split and the farm is about 1/2 mile up the road. Just look for the barns on the right with a white house on the left, Border Collies, Maremma Livestock Guardian Dogs and lots of goats and sheep.
It is best to arrange an appointment if you are coming out to the farm to buy wheels, fiber or livestock. You are welcome to just stop by and see if we are home. If you have any questions feel free to call the Farm phone
570-998-2221.
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