Spinning with the Navajo Spindle

HISTORY

When the Dineh (Navajo) people arrived in what we now call the four corners region between 1300 and 1500 CE the Pueblo people had already been there for millennia. The Pueblo tribes were an agricultural people that had long been cultivating cotton and spinning and weaving it into clothing and ceremonial cloths. The Dine were traditionally a nomadic hunter/gatherer people, having travelled down from the north. Upon their arrival they separated into two distinct groups, with the Apache retaining much of their hunter/gatherer lifestyle and the Dineh becoming more sedentary and adopting many of the Pueblo customs, including what we now know as the ‘“Navajo spindle”. With the introduction of sheep by the Spaniards from the Andalusian region around 1450-1500 the shepherding lifestyle was adapted by the Dineh. The Churro breed of sheep emerged as the first domesticated breed in the Americas. The long supported spindle is a rarity in the world of indigenous spinning. While many cultures use a supported spindle, this is one of the only known “lap spindles” still in use today.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

During the three weeks of study and practice you will learn to use this ancient tool to create yarn from the descendants of the ancient Churro breed. Whether you are already a fiber aficionado or are curious to learn an ancient skill native to the desert people of the southwest, sitting with the quiet twirling of the spindle, the rhythmic motion of the hands and the silencing of the inner voices in our beautiful desert surroundings will be an experience you will remember and carry with you into the chaos of our noisy world.Add your text here. Edit to add dynamic values like name, email and more.

This is a 3 class course that teaches you the basics of using a spindle.

The price includes all materials. Materials package includes your own Navajo spindle and Churro wool to spin.

Classes run 10am to 12pm.

Light refreshments provided.