Session/artefact to be observed/reviewed: Drop Spindle Spinning workshop
Size of student group: 6 second years
Observer: Derek Lawlor
Observee: Rosa Pearks – Weave Technician
What is the context of this session/artefact within the curriculum?
-Teaching 2nd years to spin using a drop spindle, as part of a day long yarn-making workshop. This is a skill they can use in the upcoming ‘ReWeave’ project where they may want to experiment with using their own yarns.
How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?
-I’ve been the technician in the workshop since they started in first year.
What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?
-Students will learn to card and spin yarn using a drop spindle
What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?
-Students will make some of their own yarn from wool roving
Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?
-Can be a little physically tricky to pick up/perfect spinning
How will students be informed of the observation/review?
-We can explain to them at the beginning of the sessions
What would you particularly like feedback on?
-General feedback? Unsure
How will feedback be exchanged?
-There may be a short break between workshops to discuss, if not we can discuss at the end of the day, after the workshops finish at 5pm
Part Two
The workshop was introduced by explaining the different activities taking place and timings for the day. A clear explanation of what would be learnt was followed by questions to students
Observer to note down observations, suggestions and questions:
“Have you done this type of workshop before”
“This is an introduction so you can spend more time afterwards developing what you have learnt today”
A demonstration was given of yarn making through the different stages, from separating fleece, spinning to carding including an explanation of tools and materials that would be used in the workshop. There was also a discussion over the difficulties of the process and what to do when something might go wrong.
There was a demonstration of hand movement involved in the yarn making which gave reassurance for students who may find it difficult to interpret from an explanation or diagram.
Students were positioned around a large table allowing you to walk around and speak to each student as the workshop progressed. This felt very inclusive allowing each student to have the same shared experience.
The Workshop was very positive and you were approachable with students, offering reassurance as you spoke to them individually, it felt very comfortable.
As walking around speaking to students you openly discussed the possibilities of what the spun yarn might be used for and asking students to think about how the process could be used in their current project.
Suggestions
It would have been good to see examples of spun yarns used within fabrics allowing students to visualise how they look in woven textiles.
References to past students/ designers who are using this technique and process could allow students to recognise further possibilities.
A handout and technical Moodle demonstration might be beneficial for students to have after the workshop.
Part Three
I’m pleased to hear that the learning environment I created felt comfortable and inclusive, as this is always how I aim for activities in the weave workshop to feel.
It’s also good to hear the instructions were clear and the demonstration was helpful. We only teach this workshop once a year so I sometimes feel my spinning skills are a little rusty, but it’s good to know my instructions were understandable.
I think all the suggestions are really great ideas and I would love to implement them all, the only slight problem, as usual, is time constraints. The spinning workshop is a very small part of the project and not an assessed element, so I don’t have much time to dedicate to this, however I think the suggestions would be possible to implement before the workshop next year.
It would be great to create some samples using spun yarn for when we next run this workshop and I think this would be really helpful for the students to see. Since spinning is a very slow process, it is often faster and more effective to use spun yarns as ‘accent yarns’ (only using them in small amounts). I think having some samples would demonstrate how it is possible to get exciting effects from using the yarn sparingly. I will try to weave some samples during the holidays using yarn I have spun, which we can show at next years spinning workshop.
I think having some imagery of past students and designers who work with spun yarn would also be good. I will collect some reference images, names, websites and Instagram accounts of past students who have used spinning in their collections, and continue to look out for hand spun yarn in future students’ collections. I will also do some more research into designers who have used handspun yarn in their work and again try to find some references for the students to look at.
While it could be helpful for me to create my own spinning video to upload to technical moodle, I think there may be more useful videos already on YouTube by people who have much more experience spinning than I do. I can collate some of these links into a padlet so students can access the most useful ones easily. Since students can only use the spinning equipment when they are in the weave workshop (they are not allowed to take carders or drop spindles home), I am happy to teach them again individually in-person. With this process I think it is easier for me to help students and improve technique if I can be there to see what they are doing. In the workshop next year, I will make it clear that I can teach them to spin again after the workshop if they need me to or if they forget.