Spinning Silk with Jeannine (Jenny) Bakriges

This weekend I took a 3-day workshop with Jeannine (Jenny) Bakriges, "Spinning Silken Fibers" at Peters Valley Craft Education Center in Sussex County, NJ. The setting is perfectly gorgeous, in the Highlands area of NW NJ. It's on land originally confiscated by the Federal Government but now part of the national parks system when the project to build a dam on the Delaware River was strenously opposed.





















Workshops are taught in abandoned, somewhat funky but always charming farmhouses. Our house, designated 'The Weaving Studio', is marked by a huge ball of yarn on the tree stump in the front yard. Because the classes are always small the intimate space works well. What must have been the little house's living room just accommodated seven spinning wheels and Jenny B.'s stash of goodies for us. The cool, breezy weather and clear light helped make it a idyllic setting. The "wet lab" is the former garage, brightly lit, well ventilated with running water and electricity.






I'll describe the full extent of the curriculum in my next post.