Rustbelt Drop Spindle: Spinning Our Region’s Fibers w/ Laura SanBoeuf Paris

6-Part Series Workshop

Date: Tuesdays April 14 – May 19, 2026

6-9pm

Description:Over the course of six sessions, participants will learn the basics of drop spindle spinning, and processes of plying and finishing yarn, while learning about some of the fibers (both plant and animal ) of the geographic region, sometimes referred to as the Rustbelt, surrounding Pittsburgh and which includes parts of Ohio, West Virginia and Michigan.

After learning to spin and exploring multiple fibers, students will then have a choice to choose a fi ber and spin a larger quantity of single-ply that they can ply and fi nish into yarn that they can use!

Throughout this course, students can expect to learn basic techniques for using a drop spindle to spin fiber, as well as techniques for plying, skeining and finishing yarn created from both plant and animal fibers. And, through its fibers, students can also expect to gain an increased awareness of the land that surrounds Pittsburgh.

This is a beginner-friendly series, though all skill levels are welcomed.

Tuition: $270 + $50 materials fee (includes all fibers and a drop spindle)

Materials: All materials included.

Note: We really want you to join us in the studio! Full and partial tuition scholarships are available to offset some of the financial burden of attending a class.

Please fill out the application here! You can expect to hear from someone on the CC staff within 2 weeks.

If you have any questions, email Jamie Boyle, Fibers Program Manager, at jboyle@contemporarycraft.org, or leave a voice message for them at 412-465-1628.

Location: Contemporary Craft, Timmons Studios (5688 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201). Note, this workshop will take place in the Fleischner Family Fibers Loft, which is on the second floor of the building.

There are 2 entrances to the Timmons Studios.

• One entrance is facing Butler Street. To access the Fibers Loft from the Butler Street facing entrance, there are a total of 32 stairs to ascend.

• One entrance is facing 57th Street. This entrance is accessible by ramp, with no stairs to ascend. There is a lift inside the building to access the second floor.

We strive to create a welcoming experience. If there are accessibility accommodations we can provide, or if there is anything you would like us to know before you arrive, please feel free to call Jamie Boyle at 412-465-1628 or email jboyle@contemporarycraft.org.

Cancellations and Refunds: Workshop cancellations are decided three business days before the start date. If workshops must be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, the entire class fee will be refunded through Eventbrite, or you may leave your workshop fee in your Contemporary Craft account for future workshops.

Refund Policy: Student refund requests must be made at least three business days before a class begins. There will be a $25 cancellation fee. No refunds will be given without three-business days notice. Processing of refunds takes approximately three weeks.

About the artist Laura’s childhood straddling the suburbs of Baltimore and rural West Virginia, combined with a maternal lineage of gardeners and fiber artists has created a love of sustainable and intentional textile practice, the whimsical magic of Appalachia’s ecology, and finding joy in a process.

She’s a long time knitter, spinner, and sewist that is finding delight in learning to weave at Contemporary Craft and grow a dye garden in her Pittsburgh back yard.