Of course weavers and knitters have a lot in common, but it's not often that we get to explore those commonalities. This fall and winter, the Weavers Guild of Minnesota (which shares an address with the Minnesota Knitters' Guild: the Textile Center at 3000 University Ave. SE., Minneapolis) offers two classes designed to foster cross-cultural growth.

"Spinning for Knitters," taught by Nancy Preckshot, meets Wednesday evenings from Sept. 17 to Oct. 1. In it, you'll learn to use a spinning wheel to make enough yarn for a small project (they suggest a hat, but you can bring in any small-project pattern to plan your work). You can even rent a spinning wheel to take home for an extra charge.

"Weaving for Knitters," which runs Monday nights from Nov. 24 to Dec. 15, teaches you a quick way to use up leftover knitting yarn, since, as the class description points out, "a scarf can be woven on a simple rigid heddle loom in a fraction of the time it takes to knit." It's taught by Mary Skoy. You'll learn to wind a warp, thread it onto the loom, and weave. They suggest worsted-weight yarn or thinner.

The cost for the spinning class is $119 for non–Weavers Guild members, plus a $10 materials fee. For the weaving class, it's $100 for non-members, including a handouts fee. Both classes are limited in size — seven students for spinning, eight for weaving — so it would be a good idea to register early. Call the Weavers Guild at 612/436-0463, or go to their Web site, www.weaversguildmn.org .