Wooly Weekend Retreat is back for Year 14!

Please save the date for our 2027 event, located at the Brown County Inn in Nashville IN. We’ll see you January 29-31. We can’t wait to see your smiling faces!

(This is a picture of a prior Goodybag- our 2027 Goodybag is still top secret!)

Please excuse the mess as we finalize workshop details and pricing!

Registration Opening Soon!

There are 2 registration options:

Brown County (in person) and Wooly To Go (you get the goodybag and a selection of class videos, but we are unable to live stream classes for 2026. Please consider coming in person!).

We’ll be taking 100 Fiber Artists for 2027- don’t wait too long to register!

Register here for the Brown County Winter Wooly!

Register here for Wooly To Go!

Note about meals: Traditionally, meals were included in the Winter Wooly Retreat package, but now you are able to opt out of meals if you prefer to go to the restaurant at the Brown County Inn or explore the wonderful restaurants of Nashville!

If you selected the meal package, you’ll be given a voucher for breakfast in the restaurant. You’re welcome to join us for breakfast, but you’ll need to pay your own way if you opted out of the meal plan. Thanks!

Questions? Comments? Please email PaigeShipleyDesigns@gmail.com.

Happy crafting!

-Paige


2027 Classes

Welcomer Dinner: Tossed Green Salad, Lemon & Herb Grilled Chicken, Green Beans, Wild Rice Pilaf, Biscuits with Apple Butter. Vegetarian Option Available - please note dietary requests in registration form

Friday Night Welcome Craft!

It’s a secret! Our first official event is a knitting-adjacent craft appropriate for all skill levels. The kit is provided in your Goodybag.

New! Friday Afternoon Classes

Twined Basket

Interested in discovering the possibilities within the world of basket weaving? Twined basketry is a great starting point. Its versatility and flexibility make it welcoming to all skill levels.

Within this class, you will learn the fundamentals of weaving a twined basket by creating a set of two bowls. Demonstrations will discuss topics such as how to start and finish a basket, how to modify the basket’s shape, as well as how to add patterned designs.

Discussions about pattern generation will include a variety of global traditions including ones that are textile and non-textile based, digital and non-digital. By the end of the class,you will be able to incorporate your own creativity to make functional pieces you can share.

Note: This is a 2-part class. By signing up for this class, you are automatically signed up for the second part on Saturday morning.

Teacher: Brother Jean Fish

Prerequisites: None

Needles and Notions: All materials provided in class

Sew a Notion Basket

Teacher: Jessica Condra

“Join us as we sew a create your own adventure notion basket. Your skill level at sewing will only determine how long it takes to sew your basket and how adventurous you want to be. This means that it could take you 30minutes to over an hour to sew your basket. But don't worry if you are afraid that you won't be able to finish. I'll have a workstation set up all weekend so that if you run out of time or need extra help, it and I will be available. Additionally, I sew from my gut! Meaning that I won't use a lot of technical jargon so even if you have never used a sewing machine, you won't feel lost.”

The finished basket will be roughly 5x5 inches.

Material List: Jessica will provide an assortment of fabric for you to choose from and everything else you will need. If you want to bring your own sewing supplies, we will be using the following: pinking/fabric/paper scissors, pins/clips, seam ripper, hand sewing needle & thread, fabric pen/chalk/markers, iron, and sewing machine. 

Following class registration, Jessica will be in contact to find out your sewing experience and discuss the materials list.

Saturday Morning Classes (Pick One)

Breakfast: Breakfast Buffet in the restaurant

Mosaic Knitting

Do you like the look of stranded knitting but aren’t ready to work with multiple colors at the same time? Try out mosaic knitting- where you get a colorwork look, but you’re only working one color at a time. Through a series of knit and slip stitches, we’ll create a tube in the round that will be seamed at the end to create a circular cowl.

Teacher: Heather Robinson

Skill Level:

Prerequisites:

Needles and Notions: Size 7 12-inch circular needle

How to Write a Knitting Pattern

All about this new and exciting class!

Teacher: Evie Phelps

Skill Level:

Needles and Notions: Size 8 Knitting Needles (straights, circs, whatever)

Beaded Knits

Beads add a delightful touch of whimsy to knits! Generally, beads are pre-strung and carried along and dropped into knitting at intervals…but Paige does it a little differently. You’ll fall in love with this delightful detail and find ways to sneak beads into all sorts of projects! Word of warning- this class can be fiddly (but so much fun)! We’ll be adding itty-bitty beads to sock-weight yarn using a small hook. You’ve been warned!

We’ll be making a cute little strawberry bag with glass “seeds” and a drawstring closure. Paige is working on the pattern at a glacial pace while she finishes 83 other projects, but trust her, it’s super cute.

Teacher: Paige Shipley

Skill Level: You should feel comfortable knitting in the round in fingering weight yarn. '


Materials Provided: Yarn, beads, beading hook.

Needles and Notions: your preferred style and size of sock needle for fingering weight yarn. Double-points are recommended, but you might want a circular needle for later on when the project gets a little wider around.

 

 


Twined Basket Part 2

This is the Saturday morning session for the Twined Basket class by Brother Jean Fish.

Lunch: Soup & Salad Buffet

New!

Lecture & Demonstration: TBD

After lunch, we’ll have a lecture from…someone

Saturday Afternoon Classes (Pick One)

Pin Loom Weaving

Explore weaving on the Kiss Looms square, triangle, and hexagon weaving looms. Many sizes are available to try out during the class. You will learn how to weave on each type of loom and seaming techniques to make them into larger projects, such as pillows, scarves, blankets, bowls and shawls. Yarn and looms will be available during the class. Looms will be available for purchase after the class.

Teacher: Kelly Jones

Prerequisites: None

Needles and Notions: Provided in class, with the option to buy looms after class.

Freeform Knitting & Crochet

Let yourself and your yarn craft just go with the flow. We will explore the freedom of freeform knitting and crochet, and how to leave conventional “rows” behind. Learn how to push your stitches to new heights and dimensions, and allow yourself to make “mistakes” and just keep going. We will be making a knitted and/or crochet bag that will be lined by a canvas bag so that it is both decorative and functional.

Teacher: Heather Robinson

Prerequisites: Basic knitting and/or crochet skills

Needles and Notions: US Size 4 knitting needle - 32” circular, or a size E/3.5mm crochet hook. Or both! Or smaller sizes, or bigger sizes, and perhaps a cable needle….we’re flying by the seat of our wooly pants in here!

Reversible Cables

Cables are a great skill for advanced-beginner and intermediate knitters to learn because the result looks impressive, but the technique is much easier than you think.  Let’s take it up one more notch and knit cables that look great on both sides of the fabric!  In this class we will review basic cable construction before diving into reversible cables, so even if you’ve never knitted cables, this class can still be for you!  We will also cover knitting from charts and learning to “read” your own knitting while working on a reversible, braided cable scarf.

To succeed in this class, you will need to be comfortable with knit, purl, yarn over, slip-slip-knit (ssk) and knit two together (k2tog).

Teacher: Sarah Roth

Prerequisites: Confidently knitting and purling. Reading a pattern.

Helpful Skills: Provisional cast on

Needles and Notions: Size 8-9 needles (straight or circular), cable needle

Needle Felting

Join Shelly of The Clay Purl for a gentle introduction to needle felting. We’ll be making a 2-dimensional design that can be easily transferred to a silk scarf, a sweater, a wool bag- if you can dream it, you can accessorize it!

Teacher: Shelly Hayes

Needles and Notions: Provided in class

Demonstration: TBD

Working on it…..

Dinner: Pot Roast & Gravy, Fried Chicken, Steamed Vegetables, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Dinner Rolls, and your choice of Chocolate Cake or Pumpkin Pie.

After Dinner: Pajama Party!!!

Sunday Breakfast: Breakfast Buffet in the restaurant

Social Sunday

There are no official classes on Sunday. It’s a great day to catch up with friends, get last-minute assistance from teachers or shop! Breakfast is served and we recommend grabbing a friend and enjoying lunch in beautiful Nashville.

Meet the Teachers!

Sarah Roth

quilts, (occasionally) crochets, and is a rare left-handed knitter—but not to worry, she loves teaching according to whichever way YOU prefer to knit. Her handknits have won top prizes at the Indiana State Fair in two consecutive years, and her illusion knitting patterns have thousands of downloads on Ravely. She loves puzzles, “mental gymnastics,” learning new techniques and tackling complicated patterns. Her favorite things to knit are anything with interesting texture and shape. During non-crafting (aka working) hours, Sarah is a clinical research coordinator and wrangler of her 9-year-old boy—who is a budding crafter too! She also volunteers as a community educator raising awareness about Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.

Brother Jean Fish, OSB

is originally from Poway, CA, has been a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey since 2019. He started basket weaving in 2021, following his experience taking a basket weaving workshop at Arrowmont School of Art and Craft. Following his completion of a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from University of Alabama in Birmingham in 2024, he has been sharing his passion for basket weaving through teaching classes and workshops.

Shelly Hayes

(aka Michele) has always loved color and the arts. She has been a Marketing Director, a Graphic Designer, and an Art Teacher. But, her dream was to open a shop in Nashville, Indiana where her family calls home. In 2011 the dream was fulfilled when she opened The Clay Purl. The Clay Purl offers beautiful and unique fibers, yarns, tools, spinning wheels and looms. In 2021 The Brown County School for the Fiber Arts was launched with a weekend of fiber-y fun! Classes are offered throughout the year. In 2023 she launched "Color County Yarns and Needle Felting"--a line of creatively hand dyed yarns inspired by the beauty of Brown County, Indiana and original needle felting kits. Shelly loves to create things, and loves the fiber arts!

Jessica Condra

Jessica's Grandmother taught her how to sew as soon as she could hold a needed and properly rip out a seam. She sews from the gut, meaning that you will not hear a lot of technical jargon about stitches or techniques. It was only a couple of years ago that she finally figured out what feed dogs were! She sews as Wibbly Wobbly Crafts and loves to source fabric from resell stores to turn into new items. 

Kelly Jones

Kelly Jones has been knitting and weaving for over 18 years. She is the owner of Kiss Looms Adjustable Gauge Knitting and Weaving Looms. Kelly has taught classes at DFW Fiber Fest, Midwest Fiber Festival, NWA Fiber Fest, Hoosier Hills, PA Fiber Fest, and Birchwood Fiber Fest, as well as many others over the years. She loves to teach new people to knit or weave and believes that looms are a great resource for those with hand difficulties to be able to continue to accomplish the hobbies they love.

Evie Phelps

“Hi, I'm Evie Phelps! I co-own Rebel Purl Yarn Shop in Bloomington Indiana and own Evie's Craft Room. Before my foray into yarn, I was a biologist who specialized in reptiles, ecological mapping, and, yes, plants. For over a decade I have published several research studies and hundreds of maps. So it is no surprise that I really love the process of pattern writing as well! My approach to pattern writing is the scientific method we learned about in grade school: make an observation, formulate a hypothesis, test it out, and publish. It has taken me 20 years of fiber arts to realize that I will NEVER "remember that next time." I am proud to be the woman always carrying around a notebook and gel pins and I look forward to meeting you all this year at Winter Wooly!!!!”

Heather Robinson

learned crocheting at 10 years old when she broke an arm (her own) and had nothing else to do that summer.  She's never stopped crocheting since that summer, having now become addicted to making crocheted amigurumi.  She later learned to knit in college when her character in a play was supposed to knit for income, talk about method acting!  For two decades Heather has been designing and teaching knitting and crochet, but her heart lies in curating her yarn collection and buying fiber art tools of all sorts. Heather will never refuse a tasty cracker, chips, or anything crunchy.  She also likes bread.  Mmm... bread.  Heather is co-owner of Brenda and Heather Yarns, as well as the creative genius behind their amazing creations, but don't tell Brenda she said so.

Paige Shipley

knits, crochets, spins and sews as often as possible. She began Good For Ewe Yarn in 2012 and designed, dyed, and distributed until 2021, when she decided it was much more fun to run retreats and teach classes. She will talk about Fair Isle knitting until you make her stop. When she’s not knitting, she’s working in environmental law and writing romance novels. She can often be found with her backside up in the air, muttering to herself and weeding the garden. She has a boisterous 9-year-old daughter, a very patient husband, most of a cat, the laziest dog on the planet, and entirely too many plants.

Vendors:

Massage Therapy by Grant Morrison- offering 15 minute chair massages, and longer massages by appointment

The Clay Purl - Brown County, IN yarn shop

BaH (Brenda and Heather) Yarns - dyers of gradient and self-striping yarns

Rebel Purl - Bloomington, Indiana yarn shop specializing in handpainted yarn in small batches

Wibbly Wobbly Crafts- Hand crafted toys, memory animals, dice bags, notebooks, etc.

Cozy Bliss Creations Handcrafted items - Book-related crafts and gifts, and project bags that can be personalized at the retreat.

Wooly Weekend Merchandise Table - leftovers from the goodybags, all proceeds go to booking the conference rooms for the following year