Kavelfrans (Minnesota Style) Class at the Weavers Guild

I taught an afternoon kavelfrans class at the Weavers Guild this week. Nine creative students came ready with ideas of projects to trim, open minds to learn, and as always happens in classes, questions and suggestions that left me with inspiration.

The majority of the class was about the method I’ve developed for using the sewing machine to create twisted fringe on a two-pronged fork to create the kavelfrans “fuzzy worm” edging for mittens, pillows, and more. We talked about which yarns are best and how to test them. I tried to impart everything I’ve learned in my experimentation about applying the lengths of fringe in various ways, steaming, and clipping.

Some people brought yarn they hoped to use, and they spent time seeing if it would full, or “bloom” nicely.  Susan Kolstad brought a heavy rug singles yarn, a mystery bargain yarn from the Textile Center Garage Sale.  It fluffed up very well. This photo shows the yarn and a kavelfrans at the beginning of the clipping stage.

A similar thicker singles yarn, Lopi Lett, was tested by Carol Carter, while Mary Skoy used a thin wool yarn to create lengths of fringe for tiny sweet mittens for her baby great-niece, Constance. I can’t wait to see the finished mittens; a photo is promised–with baby.

Several students attached short lengths of kavelfrans to pieces of wool to make a small pincushion. Linda Lusk’s bright gold kavelfrans is well on its way to finished clipping.  An interesting thing happened when Linda was steaming; the underlying piece of fabric also shrank and fulled, something I had never thought about before.

Jan Mostrom made a mega worm, layering several fringe lengths.  It became so very dense; perhaps the lesson was that density can be overdone….?

Karen Weiberg tested a yarn that was not all wool; perhaps it included a bit of silk.  It didn’t bloom greatly, but clipping and steaming produced a pretty effect with an enticing soft texture.

By the end of the short class, Bonnie Buzza had finished adding festive kavelfrans to a scarf she just made for her sister-in-law.  Ready for clipping and steaming!

It was a whirlwind class and I am very appreciative of my students, since this was the first time I taught the class in this format.  It went well, and I’m ready with improvements in the new year.

Today I finished a second glove that I used as a demo prop in class, in which I layered two different colored lengths of fringe.  I anticipated that the colored center line would be straighter, but decided that the irregularity has more charm anyway.