Activity – Batt Making!
Is this activity for you?
- I love to spin, but I’ve never made my own batts.
- I’ve bought batts to spin at shows and shops, but never made one.
- I’ve never spun from a batt before, and I’d love to have one to try.
- I’m interested in owning a table top carder, but I’d like to try one first.
Participants Will:
- Receive handouts – including: On carding, Safety/How to use the carder, spinning from a batt
- Open access to our buffet of different fibers and colors to make your batt
- See demonstration and instruction as needed
- Receive the material for making their first batt
- View/Use hand-cards and more than one size of table top carder.
Description:
We’ve held this activity has traditionally in small groups – as a social, fiber fun thing to do for hand spinners and other fiber crafters. However, it can be done with as few as one person and up to about 10. It takes a few – 10ish minutes for a person to make one batt (no real time limit), however, someone not used to turning the handle will not likely want to do it solidly for an hour. So, small groups where participants bring their wheel and take turns on the two carders usually works very well. All the materials for the first batt are supplied in the cost of the activity, after the first one it is a charge of $4/oz. (Most batts novice batts are not too heavy.) We have a fairly impressive buffet of natural and man made fibers to put into your batt in a wide array of colors (no less than 3 dozen at any one time). Possibilities include, but not limited to: local wools, llama, alpaca, mohair, naturally colored mohair, cotton, silk, fire star, angelina, and a number of different roving blends.
Class Location –
Avalon Springs Farm in Mount Airy, MD USA.
Class taught In-Person and Hands-on. Some time outside on the farm and some inside in the studio.
Schedule & Students –
This is a 1.5 hour activity. (You may sign up for more than session at a time.)
Location is our farm, inside in the studio/shop.
Facilities include bathroom. Nothing is specifically handicap accessible, but we are happy to try to accommodate. For any special needs, please inquire. We will try.
Vaccination for COVID 19 is required; please present card/doc. upon arrival.
Classes/Activities run on Sundays from 1:00 pm ’till 4:00 pm. Please use “Contact Us” button to pick a date and time. This is run by appointment only.
Student number minimum is 1, maximum is 10. One 4-H student, under the age of 16, may attend for Free with Paid & Accompanying adult. Home-School Co-op’s please feel welcome to inquire about a group rate.
To Sign Up – Go to our CONTACT tab, please let us know, your name, the number of students, any preferences for dates. We will then work with you to schedule your class or activity, and then it is suggested you pay. Payment is due on/before the class or activity date & time. For cancellations, we ask for a 48 hour notice.
