Beginning Weaving Part 1 with Megan Karlen (JUL 14-18)
*OPTIONAL BOARDING HOUSE ROOM RESERVATION (THIS HOLDS YOUR SPOT, ROOM FEES + TAX DUE AT THE END OF YOUR STAY)
July 14 - 18 (TUES-SAT, 9 AM–4 PM)
If you’ve never wound a warp, dressed a loom, or thrown a shuttle, but you’re interested in learning how to weave - this is the workshop for you! Megan Karlen’s deep understanding of beginning weaving principles will guide you through the basics with her cheerful, can-do attitude. This comprehensive introductory workshop will explore the concepts of what cloth is - and how a loom works - ensuring your new knowledge becomes an intuitive skill. You’ll delve hands-on into the warping process as well as experiment with basic weave structures - and enjoy learning from your mistakes! A Harrisville Designs Model A4 loom is provided, along with all necessary equipment and our 100% woolen yarns in 64 colors.
Skill Level: Beginner. No experience necessary. This class is also appropriate for anyone needing a refresher course on dressing a loom and reading drafts.
Materials List: Notebook, slippers or socks, pens, pencils, scissors.
*If you reserve a room in the Boarding House, your room fee is due at the end of your stay. Please scroll down to read more important information about the Cheshire Mills Boarding House.
Cancellation Deadline: 5/19/2026
MEET YOUR TEACHER
MEGAN KARLEN is an award winning-painter who loves bringing her strengths of abstraction to textile art. Her specific focuses include limited-edition kitchen cloths, scarves and masks. Each is inspired by the slow-art movement and the recognition that hand-made quality-conscious pieces bring with them an intrinsic feeling of satisfaction simply by having them around. Megan resides in North Adams, MA, a turn-of-the-century textile mill town in the Berkshires. She's a student in the Hill Institute Master Weaver program.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
Please note our 2026 cancellation and refund policy includes a non-refundable $100.00 registration fee per workshop. In the case you must withdraw, you have 8 weeks prior to class for a full tuition refund, less the registration fee. After this date all payments are non-refundable, no exceptions. Thank you for your understanding!
Have a question about a HD workshop or class order? Email hdretail@harrisville.com.
Single Rooms, $70 Per Night
Alternative Dining & Housing
Students may bring groceries from home when staying at the boarding house. In addition, Harrisville General Store is conveniently located in the heart of our small village. A quick walk from both the boarding house and Harrisville Designs Retail Store & Studio, it offers a variety groceries, pre-made local food options and a short order menu available 8am-2 pm for breakfast and lunch sandwiches, burgers, BLTs, etc.
Harrisville is a short drive from Peterborough (15 minutes away) and Keene (20-25 minutes away); both offer a nice variety of grocery stores, hotels, shops, and restaurants.
Additional accommodations in Harrisville are available at Aldworth Manor and the Harrisville Inn and at local Airbnb’s including the Harrisville Guest Suite. Peterborough accommodations are available at Cranberry Meadow Farm, the Riverhouse Hotel, and the Little River Bed and Breakfast. Options in Keene include the Carriage Barn Inn, the Best Western Plus, the Fairfield Inn & Suites, the Holiday Inn Express, the Courtyard by Marriott, and Days Inn. We also suggest searching Airbnb and Vrbo.
Location
About Our Workshops
Nestled in the heart of a historic textile village, workshops at Harrisville Designs take place in the Bethuel Harris Mill. Built in the 1830s as a spinning mill for locally raised wool and located at the end of the canal, it originally operated on water power. Today, it’s home to our first-floor retail store and spacious second-floor workshop studio. Year after year students are greeted by sunlit windows, fresh air, and tranquil views of the mill pond and preserved industrial brick buildings.
Workshops vary in skill levels and lengths. Enrollment is limited to ensure each student is immersed in the atmosphere of a working studio rather than a classroom. Most scheduled classes meet from 9 am to 4 pm; however, the studio is open to students 24 hours a day while their class is in session. Looms are provided in the weaving classes, and woolen yarn and other materials are included unless otherwise noted in the materials lists online. While taking a class, students receive a 10% discount on HD items in our store, including looms! (Excludes sale and consignment items)
Have a question about a HD workshop or class order? Email hdretail@harrisville.com.