Friday October 20
Introduction to Spinning with Anna Mathis
Time: Two day course -Friday 9:00am – 4:00pm and Saturday 9:00am – noon (9 Hours Total)
Difficulty level: Beginner
Material fee: $40 in addition to course fee, paid day of.
Description: Have you ever wanted to make your own one-of-a-kind yarn!? Come learn basic hand spinning techniques using beautiful dyed and carded fibers. Participants will discuss the workings of the wheel and create a woolen and worsted singles to be plied together into one gorgeous yarn!
Day 1: In the morning we will be spinning a worsted single with beautifully hand dyed roving and in the afternoon we will learn to spin a single from carded wools and silks.
Day 2: We will begin plying our yarns together, to create a beautifully bouncy Handspun yarn! We will discuss finishing techniques, project ideas and determine the yardage and weight of your yarns.
Materials: Participants will be provided with a wheel for the duration of the workshop, 150grams of dyed roving and 100grams of art batt.
Needle Felting with Kate Frego
Time: Friday (1:00pm - 4:00pm)
Skill level: Absolute beginner to moderate
Description: Participants will learn the basics of needle-felting while creating a simple project: a picture “painted with wool”. Needle-felting is a deceptively simple technique that can be used to add a personal touch to woolen projects, and to create lovely pictures and even sculptures. Participants will choose from two patterns (a lighthouse and a pastoral scene) to try this versatile technique.
Class Supplies: Will be supplied in the class: choice of kit (either lighthouse, or pastoral scene), each containing pattern, background fabric, felting needles, unspun wool, and working base. Band-aids will also be available! ;-)
If desired, you may bring your own background fabric, approx. 9 x 11 inches. It must be very firmly woven or felted, and wool.
Homework: None
Example of lighthouse project:
Saturday Morning October 21
Rug Hooking with Doris Norman
Time: TwoDay ClassSaturday and Sunday9:00am - 4:30pm
Course description: A Saint Andrews Cottage. We will rug hook a small St Andrews style cottage using wool flannel, as our grandmothers did, with a hook and a linen backing. We will talk about different techniques, do some dyeing and learn a few finishing methods. Course is suitable for a beginner or an experienced rug hooker. Join me for a couple of days of rug hooking, fun and sharing. Student may bring their own hook, scissors and frame or purchase from instructor.
Pattern and wool flannel: Cottage pattern on an 8” x 11” linen backing $55
Materials: Rug hook $16; Sturdy, hand-made hoop $35.
Broiche Knitting with Kate Atherley
Time: Saturday (9:00am – noon)
Skill level: knitters must be very confident with knit and purl, and working in the round materials required: 1 16 inch circular 4.5mm/US #7 needles and 100 yards each of worsted/medium-weight yarn.
Description: Brioche knitting uses a simple and clever technique to create beautiful fabrics – deep ribs and fascinating colour work. It’s particularly effectively in two colours, and surprisingly easy to work in the round. This class covers the skills for working brioche patterns, including reading the sometimes-complicated instructions, and fixing mistakes. Knitters will leave the class with the skills and pattern to create their own scarves and cowls, and with a cowl project well understand.
Knitting Fair Isle Fingerless Mittswith Julia Farwell-Clay
Time: Saturday (9:00am - noon)
Description: Using an exclusive-to-class pattern, students will choose and knit two colors of authentic Shetland wool, use double pointed needles to work in the round, and follow a chart. Whether one or all of these skills is something new, this is a friendly workshop to give it a try and tackle problems common to stranded projects. Teacher provided yarn, $7 additional class fee to cover yarn cost.
Two Faced Knitting with Melissa Leapman
Time: Saturday (9:00am - noon)
Description: Want to add more reversible stitch patterns to your knitting backpack? Discover several fun fabrics that are perfect for scarves, blankets, or any project that is seen on both sides. Learn how to look good both coming and going!
Finishing with Finesse with Fiona Ellis
Time: Saturday (9:00am - noon)
Skill Level: Beginner – intermediate
Description: Hands-up those of you who hate finishing! Now try thinking of it as a fun part of the project rather than a chore. In this workshop Fiona will demo, and then let you practice, several ways you can add some finesse to your project during the finishing process. These will include adding a knitted-on I-cord, 3 needle bind off for seaming and simple crochet edges. She will also cover a few of the basic techniques to allow you to become practice perfect, these will include, grafting stitches, mattress stitch and setting in a zipper.
Materials: 2 part balls (a few yards each) of medium weight yarns in different colours, 3 yarn appropriate needles (a pair plus 1), pair of double pointed needles (same size as the other pair), yarn appropriate crochet hook, blunt-ended sewing needle.
Homework: 2 small (4 in x 4 in) stockinette swatches, still on the needles (leave on stitch holders).
Patty's Knitting Bag of Tricks with Patty Lyons
Time: Saturday (9:00am - noon)
Skills Required: Must know how to knit, purl, cast on, bind off, and simple increases and decreases.
Description: There are so many wonderful knitting tricks that make our lives better. Over the years of knitting and teaching I’ve accumulated quite a few fantastic tricks. I love it when I’m teaching a class and a student declares “I love that tip”. So, I’ve decided to dig into my knitting bag of tricks and put them all in one class. From how to do a better SSK, make matching size YOs, to how to avoid the gap at the end of a bind off, how to tighten your first stitch, how to make better neck divides, and more. Get ready to find your new favorite knitting tricks!
Easy Reversible Lace Scarf with Deb Barnhill
Time: Saturday (9:00am - noon)
Skill Level: Beginner – knowledge of rudimentary lace (k2tog, ssk, yo) an asset
Description: The knitted scarf is a work of art - functional, fashionable and the ideal showcase for mad skills! Learn how to knit a simple and effective lace scarf while avoiding some of the pitfalls of these pieces. Your scarf will be reversible, have none of those boring all-purl return rows and sit flatter and curl less than its non-reversible counterpart. We will work from the simplest of reversible patterns to gradually more complex motifs. Several examples of lace patterns will be provided but if you find one before class that interests you, feel free to bring it to class.
Knit Smart withStephanie Pearl-McPhee
Time: Saturday (9:00am - noon)
Skill Level: Lecture Style Class
Description: This lecture style class (that means mostly talking, like at University) deals with best practices in knitting, and talks about how to (usually) prevent knitting mistakes (mostly) fix them. Out of the myriad techniques, ideas, yarns, patterns and tools available to knitters, how can you be sure that the ones you choose will give you the results you want? This class looks at how to predict how knitting is going to work; very clever ways to solve knitting problems, and how to streamline knitting so that you’re doing less work, and creating better stuff. This class is useful to knitters at all levels, and is my very favorite to teach.
Saturday Afternoon October 21
Introduction toWeaving with Anna Mathis
Time: Two Day Class Saturday 1:00pm - 4:00pm and Sunday9:00am - noon)
Difficulty level: No prior experience required
Material fee: $40
Description: Try your hand at weaving on a rigid heddle loom! We will be designing setting up and weaving a beautiful unique scarf. This is the perfect introductory course, covering all of the basics and getting you well on your way to weaving confidently.
Day 1: Choosing our yarns and setting up our rigid heddle looms, beginning weaving.
Day 2: Weaving our scarves, and applying finishing techniques.
Materials: Participants will be provided all the tools they need as well as a rigid heddle loom for the duration of the workshop, and approximately 250grams of assorted hand dyed yarns.
What to bring: Nothing, we’ve got you covered!
Baby Surprise Jacket Boot Campwith Kate Atherley
Time: Saturday (1:30pm - 4:30pm)
Skill level: advanced beginner - knitters must be comfortable with knitting and decreasing.
Description: Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket is a very popular and clever pattern. But it's a challenging pattern to read, and the knitting can be a bit tricky! This class guides you through the pattern by working a mini version – along the way learning not only how to read it, but all the key stitches and skills required. We’ll discuss yarn choices, sizing, and ways to customize the pattern – including adding a hood or collar & working with multiple colors. class details: The written instructions for BSJ are minimal, at best. It's made even more challenging by its innovative construction, and the unusual use of markers around decreases. In this class, I provide a pattern for a mini version (starts with 50 sts instead of the usual 160), which allows a knitter to work through the entire process quickly and easily. I teach all the key skills - decreases, keeping track of your stitches, picking up stitches, working buttonholes, and finishing. The mini version pattern is written out in full detail, and I provide a cheat sheet for the full-size version of the pattern.
Materials required: 50gm of a medium-weight yarn and 4.5mm/US #7 needles – a short circular is easiest.
Knitting Welcome to the Flockwith Julia Farwell-Clay
Time: Saturday (1:30pm - 4:30pm)
Description: Be the hit of your next baby shower with this delightful stranded sheep cardigan. We will swatch stranding techniques, tackle the geometry of bottom up yoke sweaters, and consider modifications. Students will begin with the hat as the swatch for the larger project. The pattern will be emailed ahead of class.
Slip Sliding Awaywith Melissa Leapman
Time: Saturday (1:30pm - 4:30pm)
Description: In this fun hands-on workshop, explore several stitch patterns that use simple slip stitches to create intricate-looking textured and multicolor fabrics. Your friends--whether experienced knitters or "lay-people"--will wonder how some of them are done!
Homework: Five swatches as follows:
#1: With smooth worsted weight yarn in a light color and size 8 needles, CO 25 sts. Work K1P1 rib for 1". Slip sts onto a holder with approximately 12 yds of yarn still attached.
#2: With smooth worsted weight yarn in a dark color and size 8 needles, CO 25 sts. Work K1P1 rib for 1". Slip sts onto a holder with approximately 6 yds of yarn still attached.
#3: With smooth worsted weight yarn in a light color and size 8 needles, CO 22 sts. Work K1P1 rib for 1". Slip sts onto a holder with approximately 12 yds of yarn still attached.
#4: With smooth worsted weight yarn in a light color and size 8 needles, CO 23 sts. Work K1P1 rib for 1". Slip sts onto a holder with approximately 12 yds of yarn still attached.
#5: With smooth worsted weight yarn in a light color and size 8 needles, CO 24 sts. Work K1P1 rib for 1". Slip sts onto a holder with approximately 12 yds of yarn still attached.
Supplies: Five homework swatches with yarn still attached; worsted weight yarn in solid light and medium colors; size 8 needles; one size 4, 5, or 6 double-pointed needle.
Cable Leaf Cuff Mittwith Fiona Ellis
Time: Saturday (1:30pm - 4:30pm)
Skill Level: Intermediate level
Description: Something different from Fiona- a project based class. You will begin working on a cuff that uses increase and decrease stitches and cabling techniques to produce a raised leaf pattern. You will learn how to read a chart and how to work the techniques for the cuff and a demo will be given to show you the how to work the rest of the mitt (to be completed after class). Plus how to make a cute leaf embellishment.
Materials: 1 ball of Mission falls 18/24 wool (or similar), pair of appropriate needles, cable needle. Note: More yarn will be required if you intend to complete a pair of mitts.
Homework: none.
Improve Your Knitting Techniquewith Patty Lyons
Time: Saturday (1:30pm- 4:30pm)
Skills Level: Must know how to knit, purl, cast on, and bind off. All levels.
Description: There’s always room for improvement! Does your knitting “row out” (your purl stitch looser than you knit stitch), are you looking for a better way to control your knitting gauge? What about alternative ways to tension your yarn when working with stiff yarn or slippery yarn? We’ll explore ways to improve your knitting technique by looking at stitch sizing, the correct exit path of your stitch, a better way to make a clean edge, neater increases and decreases, and look at things like which cast ons and bind offs to use when. The last part of the class will be open for all knitting questions, so come with your questions and let’s explore our knitting …
Toe up Socks for Cuff-Down Knitters with Deb Barnhill
Time: Saturday (1:30pm - 4:30pm)
Skill Level: Advanced beginner – should be able to work in the round on dpns, two circulars or long circular
Description: (formerly Toe-up Socks for the Stubborn) Everyone has a formula, a worksheet or some such voodoo for working toe-up socks, but it all boils down to that blasted heel flap and gusset area. Is it hard to work from the other direction? Not at all! Deb has done the work for you, so come for this class and leave with an understanding of how it all works, along with a sample piece and a template for perfectly engineered heels. Note: a small amount of homework will be required in order to gain full benefit from this class, but you will easily be able to complete it the night before class.