Join Wild Hand at the shop and warehouse our favorite yarny neighbors, Kelbourne Woolens, for Wild Blend, Spin, and Sound: One-Day Retreat focused on beginner fiber blending skills and beginner+ wheel spinning skills. Led by Wild Hand friend and Jersey City based hand-dyer and spinner, Keira Wiggins, this one-day retreat will cover getting to know your wheel, honing in on your drafting technique, treadling tips, plying techniques, and tips for consistency.

In addition to wheel spinning, students will learn the fundamentals of preparing fiber using a drum carder, blending board, and hand cards. Keira will guide you through the process of blending color and experimenting with texture to create your own beautiful batts and rolags (that you can pop over to your wheel and spin with right away;)! This is a great workshop for folks that work with wool, especially spinners looking to create yarn from wool that is truly one-of-a-kind. If you've been considering investing in a drum carder, blending board, or hand carders this would be a great way to give it a test run. There will be lots of hands-on support and plenty of time to learn, practice, play, connect, and grow in your skillset over this magical day of blending and spinning. 

Lunch will be provides as well as afternoon tea from our friends at Earthside Provisions leading into a very special late afternoon Sound Bath and spin led by the amazing LaShaun Soft (Neroli Soft) of Earthen Fiber. Students will quietly spin (or rest on the ground, whatever you feel like!) while LaShaun moves us through a beautiful sound bath created with the motion and meditiaion of wheel spinning in mind. The sound bath is included in your retreat day fee! If you'd like to sign-up for only the sound bath and spin we do have a few spots held for this; please register here. Folks that were not a part of the retreat day will arrive to join us for the sound bath. LaShaun is a spinner and fiber artist; we are so excited to support her merging of these peaceful and restorative modalities!

Allow yourself to drift in the space where craft is medicine. In the space where you allow yourself to mindfully connect to the essence of spinning. During our sound bath time together the power of the sound bath will allow you to be deeply connected to your practice. 

We'll feed ya! In between spins and blends, Wild Hand will keep you fed, hydrated, and caffeinated all day with local coffee to start the day, a delicious healthy lunch (from Earthside Provisions) as well as afternoon snacks and tea. Your workshop fee includes everything!! When you register we will ask for any dietary considerations and anything else you need to feel safe and comfortable.

About the space! Wild Hand is a little small for a room full of wheels and blending equipment so we're partnering on this retreat with our friends down the road (literally just blocks away from the shop) Kelbourne Woolens. Kate & Courtney have been so gracious to open up their space for the weekend for our group of spinners. We will spin in their warehouse space among a whole lotta yarn and color inspiration. We're so grateful to have these folks in our corner.

If you have questions before registering please feel free to email Liz at liz@wild-hand.com and she can get you all the answers you need for a fun day! If you're planning to travel from out of town for this retreat we are happy to offer local reccomendations for where to stay, eat, wander, bike, shop, hike, meditate, stretch, and more!

Skills + Materials
This is a beginner+/intermediate workshop and spinners should have some basic experience with spinning yarn on a spinning wheel. You should plan bring your own spinning wheel. If you'd like to rent a wheel from Wild Hand for $25 please reach out as soon as possible (we have a limited number of shop spinning wheels to rent out). You will also need to bring 1-2 empty bobbins and a niddy noddy. We will will supply plenty of fiber curated just for this workshop and you're welcome to bring some of your own as well (but not at all neccesary!). You will also have time to stop by Wild Hand after the workshop and use your 10% student discount on spinning supplies and/or equipment!

Community Commitment
We're looking forward to sharing space with you! If you haven't had a chance to read our Community Commitment, pop over to the website and read about how we agree to share space. Feel free to reach out to the shop if you have any questions along the way - we're excited to welcome you wherever you may be on the learning curve.

Cancellation + Make-up Policy
We absolutely understand that things come up and you may need to cancel your registration. You may always transfer your registration to another student (just let us know in advance!). If you need to cancel your registration within one week of the workshop we are happy to offer a 50% store credit refund; cancellations made less than one week in advance will not be refunded. We are unable to offer make-ups or exchanges for missed workshop session(s).

Student Discount
Students get a one-time 10% student discount that is active at the first workshop session and expires two weeks following the final workshop session. You will receive your discount code at the first first session.