Woodspirit School is dedicated to high quality craft instruction in the Chequamegon Bay Region, Ashland, Wisconsin. We offer classes in Textile Arts, Wood Carving, Wood Turning, Basketry, Furniture Building, Green Woodworking and more.
Upcoming Classes & Events
Craft Night Series 2026 Presentations, Demonstrations, Exhibitions & Experiences
Schedule
$0.00
Welcome all craft interested folks! Meet our extraordinary instructors and learn about their craft and work through presentations, demonstrations, exhibitions, and experiences. You don’t need to be signed up for a workshop to attend Craft Night. Students, their companions and families, Chequamegon Bay local residents, and people visiting the area from afar are all invited.
Join us for a shared meal before the presentation. We provide the soup, wooden plates, spoons, and bowls. We ask you to bring a tasty side dish and your preferred beverage.
Schedule
6pm Doors Open—sign-in when you arrive
6:30pm Shared Meal
7pm Instructor Presentation
We look forward to seeing you there!
Want reminders about Craft Nights? Sign up for our newsletter email list here.
Topics are subject to change
NEXT CRAFT NIGHT:
July 9 Japanese Textile Travels with Jazmin Hicks-Dahl. Jazmin will present photos from three trips to Japan, display her textile finds and share recommendations for future travelers.
July 16 All Blue: Japanese Indigo Dyeing Experience with Jazmin Hicks-Dahl. Watch or try out dyeing in a sukumo indigo vat. Registration is required to participate in dyeing, as space is limited. Register here.
August 7 Urban Woodsman: Wood Carving in Detroit presentation with Joey Traynor.
August 13 Scandinavian Wood Carving Traditions & Travels slideshow presentation with Alex Yerks about his recent travels as an ASF grant recipient.
August 28 Lively Baskets presentation and exhibition with Emily Dirke on willow basketry.
September 4 Our Wooden Spoon Collection presentation with Jarrod Dahl. The Wooden Spoon Drawer Exhibition & Talk.
PAST CRAFT NIGHTS:
April 30 Drink Up! Norwegian Ale Hens slideshow & exhibition with Mike Loeffler
May 15 Baskets in Lichtenfels: International Basket Festival slideshow & basket collection exhibition with Jarrod Dahl.
June 3 So Many Scandinavian Baskets! slideshow & basket collection exhibition plus splint making demonstration with Jarrod Dahl.
June 12 Turning Flax into Cloth presentation & demonstration with Jazmin Hicks-Dahl. Watch or take part in the processes of making flax plants into fiber, thread and cloth.
——July 18——Arashi: Shibori Patterns & Sukumo Indigo Dyeing, Session B with Jazmin Hicks-Dahl
$80.00
Related Courses: Textile Courses
Registration closes July 10 so the instructor can prepare materials.
Dates: Session B—Arashi—Saturday, July 18, 9:30am-4:30pm
Optional: Thursday, July 16 All Blue: Japanese Indigo Dyeing Experience Craft Night Series with Jazmin Hicks-Dahl. Watch or try out dyeing in a sukumo indigo vat. Registration is required to participate in dyeing.
Description: Shibori is a traditional Japanese dyeing technique that involves manipulating fabric through tying, folding, or stitching to create unique patterns. We will learn one clamping, stitching or tying technique in each session to create patterns on cotton and silk cloth. In the afternoons we will dye our fabric in special sukumo indigo vats from composted indigo leaves grown in Japan by Watanabe’s. This is a unique opportunity to experience sukumo which is very rare in the US and requires 1 year to make and 2 weeks to prepare for dyeing. Read about it here. We will discuss the magic of indigo dyeing, fermentation, vat maintenance, and different vat recipes. You will also be able to browse Jazmin’s collection of textiles and dyeing books.
Sign up for several sessions to learn additional techniques.
Session A Itajime will focus on folding and clamping.
Session B Arashi will focus on tying fabric around a tube.
Session C Makiage will focus on stitching and tying shapes.
You can sign up for an extra session during the Indigo Taster Week for more opportunities to dye your work, July 21-24.
Bring:
apron/old shirt for dyeing in
well fitting rubber/nitrile gloves, 3 pairs
reading glasses if you need them
small scissors and/or seam ripper
headlamp (optional)
Workshop Fee: $80 per session
Materials Fee: $25 per session to be paid directly to the instructor during class, includes dyeing supplies, handouts, sewing materials, and fabric.
Classroom: The classroom space is on the second floor accessible by stairs and outside under a shade tent. There is a small refrigerator, coffee/tea area and a place for eating lunch together.
JAZMIN HICKS-DAHL runs Woodspirit Handcraft and Woodspirit School in Ashland, WI with her woodworker husband. She makes indigo dyed and handwoven textiles when she can. She has been growing indigo since 2017. She studied katazome, sukumo, and indigo dyeing with Takayuki Ishii and shibori with Hiroshi Murase and Yoshiko Wada in 2019. She learned about making and maintaining sukumo vats from Kenta Watanabe in 2025. Read about it here. Her background includes art & design, a love of natural materials, folk textiles, and an obsession with indigo since her teens. @loveblueindigo
3 available
——July 21-24——Sukumo Indigo Dyeing 3 hour Taster Sessions with Jazmin Hicks-Dahl
Dates/Times:
$50.00
Related Courses: Textile Courses Shibori, Katazome, and Craft Night Sessions
Dates/Times:
July 21-24, 2026
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday
Morning: 9:30am-12:30pm
Afternoon: 1:30pm-4:30pm
Choose your Day and Time: Morning or Afternoon, in the drop down menu.
Description: Experience truly living blue by dyeing a cotton square with special sukumo indigo vats from composted indigo leaves grown in Japan by Watanabe’s. This is a unique opportunity to experience sukumo which is very rare in the US and requires 1 year to make and 2 weeks to prepare for dyeing. Read about it here. We will dip the fabric several times in the vats to get a deep dark blue. Afterwards, Jazmin will talk about the magic of indigo dyeing and fermentation over tea and a sweet treat. You will be able to browse Jazmin’s collection of textiles and dyeing books.
This would be a fun experience for small groups of friends & family. 4 participants maximum for each session.
Bring:
an apron/old shirt for dyeing in
well fitting rubber/nitrile gloves, 3 pairs
Workshop Fee: $50 per person per session, includes all materials, tea & treats.
Classroom: The classroom space is on the second floor accessible by stairs and outside under a shade tent. There is a small refrigerator, coffee/tea area and a place for eating lunch together.
JAZMIN HICKS-DAHL runs Woodspirit Handcraft and Woodspirit School in Ashland, WI with her woodworker husband. She makes indigo dyed and handwoven textiles when she can. She has been growing indigo since 2017. She studied katazome, sukumo, and indigo dyeing with Takayuki Ishii and shibori with Hiroshi Murase and Yoshiko Wada in 2019. She learned about making and maintaining sukumo vats from Kenta Watanabe in 2025. Read about it here. Her background includes art & design, a love of natural materials, folk textiles, and an obsession with indigo since her teens. @loveblueindigo
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News
At the next Craft Night, Jazmin Hicks-Dahl, indigo dyer and weaver, will present photos from three trips to Japan, display her textile finds and share recommendations for future travelers. Jazmin teaches several indigo dyeing classes in July. Check out her latest blog post about a perfect day in Tokyo—Blue Notes.
Japanese textile travels at Craft Night on July 9
View our 2026 Calendar
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Support our developing school
We began construction in 2021, the same year we ran our first season of classes. We are almost done! Help us with storage sheds, patio paving, classroom set-up, scholarships, and expanding our offerings. Thank you!
What People Are Saying About Woodspirit School
“As a retired educator, I am really critical about the quality of instruction when I attend workshops, and Jarrod was excellent! He introduced the various spoon carving topics, performed demonstrations, and spent time one on one when needed, which is very helpful. I came away from the class feeling like I can carve the next spoon!”
— Spoon Carving Student from Brillion, WI
“It was an all around great experience: awesome instructor, beautiful workspace, and generous hospitality.”
— Danish Cord Stool Student from Bayfield, WI
“I truly appreciated Mike sharing his skills and creative process. He didn’t just have me carve a bird—he taught me skills that I will continue to use and build on.”
— Bird Carving Student from Madison, WI
“Great history/background information and examples, wonderful, casual teaching style, time well managed, left me wanting more! The classroom space was beautiful, comfortable and inviting, and the light was amazing for handwork.”
— Indigo Dyeing & Shibori Class Student from Ashland, WI