Below were the instructors for 2015. Please check back for our 2016 listings!
Kathy Belt
Kathy Belt, when she's not living in the present, has been living in the past for over 30 years. She's always been interested in string and string theory (not the physics type). To that end, she has learned embroidery, tailoring, quilting, spinning (on drop spindles, top whorl spindles, charka and supported spindles), weaving on an inkle loom, tried her hand at tablet weaving, has crocheted for 30 years, tatted for 20 and in the last 15 years has added sprang, the lucet, loop braiding, finger weaving, nalbinding, netting, and bobbin lace to those things she can talk about intelligently. Because both her father and her husband were in the military, she has traveled extensively (37 countries so far) and moved frequently (house number 36).
In her spare time, she belongs to a Medieval Re-enactment group (The Society for Creative Anachronisms), vegetable gardens, hunts and fishes, and loves to read (especially books with foot notes).
Kathy Belt
Kathy Belt, when she's not living in the present, has been living in the past for over 30 years. She's always been interested in string and string theory (not the physics type). To that end, she has learned embroidery, tailoring, quilting, spinning (on drop spindles, top whorl spindles, charka and supported spindles), weaving on an inkle loom, tried her hand at tablet weaving, has crocheted for 30 years, tatted for 20 and in the last 15 years has added sprang, the lucet, loop braiding, finger weaving, nalbinding, netting, and bobbin lace to those things she can talk about intelligently. Because both her father and her husband were in the military, she has traveled extensively (37 countries so far) and moved frequently (house number 36).
In her spare time, she belongs to a Medieval Re-enactment group (The Society for Creative Anachronisms), vegetable gardens, hunts and fishes, and loves to read (especially books with foot notes).
Jerry Ford
Jerry Ford serves as Network Coordinator for Sustainable Farming Association, where his duties include coordinating all the chapters and networking groups, as well as event management - including directing the Minnesota Garlic Festival. He operates Living Song Farm near Howard Lake, MN, a 117 year old family farm with cattle, chickens, onions, potatoes and, of course, garlic.
Jerry Ford serves as Network Coordinator for Sustainable Farming Association, where his duties include coordinating all the chapters and networking groups, as well as event management - including directing the Minnesota Garlic Festival. He operates Living Song Farm near Howard Lake, MN, a 117 year old family farm with cattle, chickens, onions, potatoes and, of course, garlic.
Julie Hart
Julie Hart works in a wholesale greenhouse by day where she finds inspiration in the plants and colors around her. She enjoys experimenting with the plants for dye color and colorfastness. In her spare time, she does lampworking, turning glass into art. Julie has always had a love of color, be it in her artwork, her gardens or her home. Fibers fascinate her and when she realized she could take colors from her garden and use them to dye with, she was hooked. Learning about natural dyes and their use has been a fun and rewarding experience for her. You can find more about Julie on her website hartsong.com
Julie Hart works in a wholesale greenhouse by day where she finds inspiration in the plants and colors around her. She enjoys experimenting with the plants for dye color and colorfastness. In her spare time, she does lampworking, turning glass into art. Julie has always had a love of color, be it in her artwork, her gardens or her home. Fibers fascinate her and when she realized she could take colors from her garden and use them to dye with, she was hooked. Learning about natural dyes and their use has been a fun and rewarding experience for her. You can find more about Julie on her website hartsong.com
Alethea Kenney
Alethea Kenney is a traditional naturopath, herbalist and the small ruminant consultant for North Central Feed Products, LLC in Gonvick, MN. She designed her own livestock mineral line (Back in Balance Minerals®).
She has written articles for Sheep! magazine, Journal of the American Herbalists Guild and Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America newsletter. She studies, consults, writes and teaches about natural dyes for fiber, and herbs and minerals as they relate to health in humans, companion animals and livestock. In her spare time she enjoys working with fiber and watching her sheep graze. More information can be found on her websites: www.borealbalance.com www.backinbalanceminerals.com and www.reedbird.com
Alethea Kenney is a traditional naturopath, herbalist and the small ruminant consultant for North Central Feed Products, LLC in Gonvick, MN. She designed her own livestock mineral line (Back in Balance Minerals®).
She has written articles for Sheep! magazine, Journal of the American Herbalists Guild and Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America newsletter. She studies, consults, writes and teaches about natural dyes for fiber, and herbs and minerals as they relate to health in humans, companion animals and livestock. In her spare time she enjoys working with fiber and watching her sheep graze. More information can be found on her websites: www.borealbalance.com www.backinbalanceminerals.com and www.reedbird.com
Annie Modesitt
A native of Ohio, Annie Modesitt taught herself to knit at age 25 before a move from NYC to Texas. The Texas tenure didn’t last, but knitting did, and upon her return to the NY area she began knitting for other designers and designing for major knitting magazines. She teaches worldwide and across the United States. She knits using the Combination Method and believes that there truly is no wrong way to knit. She now lives in St Paul, MN with her husband, kids and assorted pets.
Annie has taught at Shepherd’s Harvest Fiber Festival, Midwest Fiber Fest, Great Lakes Fiber Fest, NY State Fiber Festival (Rhinebeck), Michigan Fiber Festival (Allegan, MI),Virginia Fiber Fest. You can find more about her at modeknityarn.com
A native of Ohio, Annie Modesitt taught herself to knit at age 25 before a move from NYC to Texas. The Texas tenure didn’t last, but knitting did, and upon her return to the NY area she began knitting for other designers and designing for major knitting magazines. She teaches worldwide and across the United States. She knits using the Combination Method and believes that there truly is no wrong way to knit. She now lives in St Paul, MN with her husband, kids and assorted pets.
Annie has taught at Shepherd’s Harvest Fiber Festival, Midwest Fiber Fest, Great Lakes Fiber Fest, NY State Fiber Festival (Rhinebeck), Michigan Fiber Festival (Allegan, MI),Virginia Fiber Fest. You can find more about her at modeknityarn.com
Candace Osborn
Candace is a retired life science and art teacher who has taught arts and craft classes for schools, clubs and libraries. Her art interests before felting led her to draw, paint, sculpt, and carve. All of these activities have influenced her felting. She started needle felting 3-D sculptures and wall hangings, then added wet felting to her achievements. When felting a wall hanging, she often wet felts the background, then refines and adds figures by needle-felting. She has an Etsy shop that showcases items that she has for sale. You can view photos and read tutorials on her Facebook and Tumbler pages at Osborn Artistry or see her website osbornartistry.com
Candace is a retired life science and art teacher who has taught arts and craft classes for schools, clubs and libraries. Her art interests before felting led her to draw, paint, sculpt, and carve. All of these activities have influenced her felting. She started needle felting 3-D sculptures and wall hangings, then added wet felting to her achievements. When felting a wall hanging, she often wet felts the background, then refines and adds figures by needle-felting. She has an Etsy shop that showcases items that she has for sale. You can view photos and read tutorials on her Facebook and Tumbler pages at Osborn Artistry or see her website osbornartistry.com
Suzanne Pufpaff
Suzanne has been knitting since she was a child and has always been fascinated with the endless possibilities of what can be created with sticks and string. She raised fiber animals for many years to have to chance to make yarn from her own fibers and owned and operated Pufpaffs Fiber Processing for 12 years. She is just starting a new chapter in her life by opening a continuing education center in the building formerly housing the carding mill. There she continues to experiment with different ways to create with fibers and knitting needles as well as designing new and interesting knitting patterns and ways to transmit fiber knowledge to the next generation. You can follow her journey on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/PufpaffsFiberProcessingLlc?pnref=lhc
Suzanne has been knitting since she was a child and has always been fascinated with the endless possibilities of what can be created with sticks and string. She raised fiber animals for many years to have to chance to make yarn from her own fibers and owned and operated Pufpaffs Fiber Processing for 12 years. She is just starting a new chapter in her life by opening a continuing education center in the building formerly housing the carding mill. There she continues to experiment with different ways to create with fibers and knitting needles as well as designing new and interesting knitting patterns and ways to transmit fiber knowledge to the next generation. You can follow her journey on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/PufpaffsFiberProcessingLlc?pnref=lhc
Anne Ramey
Anne Ramey is a recent transplant from North Caroline who fell in love with fiber arts as a child, learning to knit from her grandmother and embroider from her mother. She has taught at SCA (Society of Creative Anachronism) events, small and large for over 15 years on topics ranging from embroidery to netting and weaving. She now lives in the twin cities and loves to spread her love of string wherever she can.
Anne Ramey is a recent transplant from North Caroline who fell in love with fiber arts as a child, learning to knit from her grandmother and embroider from her mother. She has taught at SCA (Society of Creative Anachronism) events, small and large for over 15 years on topics ranging from embroidery to netting and weaving. She now lives in the twin cities and loves to spread her love of string wherever she can.