Justin Near is a Nashville, TN fiber artist and homeschooler who has a passion for sustainability and supporting local and regional communities and economies. In recent years, Justin has become a regular instructor at regional fiber festivals, is an occasional writer with Ply magazine, and is developing an annual fiber industry conference with Souther Fiber. Growing up, Justin was surrounded by crocheting, knitting, embroidery, and sewing, and dabbled in many of those as well as closely related fiber arts. As an adult, not long after beginning their homeschool journey, a door into the fiber world was reopened at a young child’s birthday party where wool and spindles were the theme. In her day job, Justin builds, manages, and supports websites and has a strong love for learning new technology. This carries into the fiber arts world, which is very closely related to the sciences – dyeing and chemistry, spinning and physics, design and engineering, and weaving and programming – so Justin feels quite at home here and hopes to pass on that love and passion to as many people as possible so that they, too, can experience the magic and beauty of working with raw, natural materials.
Organize a lesson, class, or workshop for yourself or your friends; and for the most up-to-date, birds-eye view of who we are and what we do and to order newly made items, follow us on Instagram @lomanashville.
Classes & Lessons
Contact me anytime to set up a private lesson or group class. Lessons and classes can take place at a location of your choosing, including virtually – we do not have classroom space at the studio, but we can make recommendations and locate a space if needed.
Possible classes/lessons include:
- Introduction to Wool
- Beginner Drop Spinning
- Intermediate Drop Spinning
- Sweater Unraveling
- Basic Color Theory & Blending Fibers
- Natural Dyeing
- Wet Felting
- Beginner Weaving
- Bicycle Wheel Weaving
- Beginner Crocheting
- The Science of Fiber & the History of Technology