2020 Teacher Biographies

Jill Colbert
Jill has a small sheep farm in Minnesota. She raises Coopworth, CVM and Lincoln sheep. She has a few alpacas as well as a guard llama. Jill spins, dyes, and weaves and enjoys making beautiful creations with fiber.

Nancy Eha
Nancy Eha has been exploring with beads and fabric and teaching nationally for over 20 years. She is the author of Bead Creative Art Quilts and Bead Creative Like Crazy. Most of what she teachers are new beading techniques she has developed through hours of asking “What if” questions of her chosen materials. As a former classroom teacher, she breaks down all seemingly complex beading techniques onto manageable steps so that every student has a positive learning experience. Learn more about Nancy at her website: www.beadcreative.com

Mary Jo Harris
Mary Jo Harris lives in the knitting mecca of Madison, WI. She has been a teacher all of her adult life and has formally taught knitting for the last 10 years at various Sheep and Wool Festivals, Fiber Festivals, Knit-In’s, and teaches locally for Madison College, Olbrich Gardens, and the Wisconsin Craft Market. In the last several years, she has added Chair Caning classes to her teaching repertoire. Mary Jo designs knitting patterns and under her designer name of Jo Harris, has written a book entitled ‘Double Knitting – Inside Out’ which is available through Amazon or Ravelry. As an active member of the Madison (WI) Knitters‚Äô Guild she has an almost constant opportunity to discuss anything and everything knitting-related.

Linda Johnson-Morke
Linda has been a fiber enthusiast for the majority of her life. Knitting started at 5 years old and twisting her hair at an even younger age. Knitting led to spinning (something more that her hair) which led to sheep and rabbits. Felting led to different sheep, trips to Norway and Mongolia and a passion for understanding why wools felt differently. Being an engineer by training and curious by nature resulted in many years of fiber experimentation as an outlet for her creativity. A 10 year hiatus from the corporate world led to a line of fulled wool products sold both wholesale and retail. A shepherd for more than 30 years, Linda has shepherded Navajo Churro, Border Leicester, Cheviot, Hampshire, Karakul, Finnish Landrace, Icelandic, Texel, Blue Faced Leicester (BFL) and Tunis sheep. Her current flock consists of Karakul & Icelandic BFL crosses. Linda currently lives on a farm in Isanti, MN and enjoys sharing what she has learned through classes and lectures.

Joe and Pam Manthei
www.fiskurleather.com
In 2011 after a life-changing vacation to Iceland, Fiskur Leather was born and Icelandic fish leather started being imported. Although simple bookmarks were the first items Joe created, he moved on to quilt-block artwork and cell phone cases. Wallets were a struggle before he developed a simple pattern for using all of one side of a salmon. His minimalist fish-leather wallet fits easily in a front or back pocket. His line of Fiskuroo (fish + kangaroo) bifold & trifold wallets “like iron”. In 2018 he increased his project creativity and skills set and started building Market Tote Bags (large & small), Bucket bags, Messenger & Laptop bags and just finished his first briefcase. A small “weekender” bag and two sizes of a men’s toiletry bag (Dopp kit) have been created in early 2019.  His career path started as a chiropractor during which time his clinical nutrition specialty resulted in teaching many post-graduate seminars throughout the USA. Later Doctor Joe became Nurse Joe with an RN degree (BSN) and worked in the IT specialty of electronic medical records in a rural community hospital. He built the medical software as well as taught the doctors, nurses, pharmacist, lab technicians, etc. how to use the software. Joe and his wife, Pam, live in Mora Minnesota. They have four grown sons, three daughters in marriage and four grandchildren. Although retired from nursing in 2015, he currently works in the Mora school district as a substitute teacher/substitute school nurse when not creating with fish leather.

Chiaki O’Brien
http://saoristudiofun.com
Chiaki O’Brien is a SAORI Leaders Committee Certificate recipient. She worked as an instructor for the SAORI head office in Japan before moving to Minnesota in 2004. She teaches both SAORI and Bengala Dye at variety places to all ages and all abilities such as schools, fiber festivals, libraries and assisted livings. She is happy to bring joy to people through weaving and dyeing. She is a distributor for both SAORI and Bengala Mud Dye.

Kim Specht
Kim lives on a farm near Prairieburg, Iowa. Kim recently retired from teaching but still can’t find enough time in the day for the knitting, spinning, and felting she loves to do. And weaving is ‘looming’ in the not-too-distant future!   Kim’s Romney and Border Leicester fleeces have won awards at festivals in six states. At these festivals, she regularly attends classes taught by nationally known artists. Kim loves combining her love of teaching and the fiber arts.

Margaret Stump
www.pinloomweaving.com
Margaret Stump is a weaver, a teacher and the author of three books on pin loom weaving: Pin Loom Weaving, Pin Loom Weaving To Go and Adorable Beasts; 30 pin loom animals plus four playscapes. This third book, focused on small, easy to make woven animals, will be released in September. Many of the animals and other items from this new book will be on display at her demo booth in Building A. Margaret is from Mankato, she has been working with pin looms for over 40 years, creating a variety of items from Amish style blankets to tiny purses and headbands. She is excited to be sharing a form of weaving that is as fun and portable as knitting or crochet.

Carole Wurst
https://www.facebook.com/knitshop.rockinghorsefarm/
Carole is a fiber artist, knitwear designer and instructor based at Rocking Horse Farm in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. She is a nationally known lecturer and seminar teacher in the machine knitting field. Carole has written for several knitting publications and is the author of several knitting pattern books, garment construction books, and fiber instruction books. She also judges fiber art and textile competitions. Her passion for knit textiles is shown by her enthusiastic promotion of the wonderful world of knitting and fiber arts.

J. Wurst
https://www.facebook.com/MachineKnittingInspiration
J. WURST is the editor of MACHINE KNITTING INSPIRATION, a quarterly publication with patterns and knitting machine instruction. He was kept awake during his childhood by his mother’s knitting machine, and has gone on to design and demonstrate knitting machines on a national level. His published patterns have appeared in Machine Knitters Source and other publications. He organizes an annual design contest for machine knitters and coordinates classes at September Seminar for Machine Knitters and Fiber Artists.