Ever wonder where your clothes come from? Find out through Pohick's Sheep to Shawl series, where we will trace the process from start to finish - and invite you to learn how to acquire these ancient skills for yourself.  

Programs in this series: 

• Raising Sheep - Lisa Pregent, Senior Manager of Livestock at George Washington's Mount Vernon, will discuss how the estate's rare breed of sheep are bred, cared for, and sheared (February 22). 

• Spinning - We will explore spinning in greater depth and give participants a chance to use both a spinning wheel and a drop spindle (March 22). 

• Dyeing - Lindsay from Polymorph Dye Works will introduce us to the wonders of dyeing. Participants will have a chance to dye wool using professional acid dyes (April 5). 

• Felting (May 31; specific programming information TBA). 

• Weaving (June 28; specific programming information TBA).  

• Mending (likely in July; exact date and programming information TBA). 

• We'll cap off our series with a field trip to the magical Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival in Berryville, VA in late September. There we'll be able to get a first-hand look at the animals who provide us with their wool (including adorable baby lambs, goats, and rabbits), a chance to see spinners and weavers at work, and the opportunity to gape at (and perhaps invest in) a beautiful array of fiber-y goodness. (This is not an official FCPL-sponsored event.)

Related activities in the Pohick Makerspace (the POD): 

• Drop in at Pohick's Makerspace on Monday evenings from 7-8:30 for our Open Knit Night, where you can learn how to knit or just come to sit and knit with fellow crafters. 

• Learn how to crochet with Get Hooked on Crochet on Friday afternoons from 4-5:30. 

• Take your crochet skills to the next level with Amigurumi for Beginners from 2-4 on Friday afternoons. 

• Got yarn questions? Join us for Fiber Fridays to hang out and chat and/or ask our circle of experienced yarn folk to help you work out your knitting or crocheting problem. 

• Practice your skills in the POD during our open crafting time - check with the Pohick Info Desk to see when the POD will be open next.