We’re delighted to be teaching again at Interweave Yarn Fest in gorgeous Colorado. Like last year our classes are a combination of knitting and crochet, with a heavy emphasis on historical techniques and skill building.
We will be teaching six classes throughout the weekend:
First Steps in Crochet (Thursday, 9am – 12noon)
Do you like crochet, but haven’t found a stitch pattern or design that suits your style? Have you never learned how to crochet, but are confident with a pair of knitting needles in your hand? Did you learn many years ago and it never stuck? In this class, we will go over crochet basics such as chain stitches, single crochet and double crochet, as well as working in rounds, increasing, decreasing, and counting your stitches. We’ll talk about using different yarns to create unique textures, working yarns at different gauges, and demonstrate some spectacular patterns that show off crochet at its finest. Students will have the opportunity to spend the class swatching many different crochet stitches, and will leave with 2 different cowl patterns, confidence, and the love of a new craft.
Granny Square Madness (Thursday, 1:30pm-4:30pm)
In this class we will hone your crochet skills, and make you think more intuitively about your work. Covering a broad range of crochet techniques using the granny square as a template, you will learn to perfect your stitches, read crochet patterns, and learn to understand and read crochet charts. We will talk about traditional granny squares and afghans, as well as crochet mandalas.
Faroese Shawl Basics (Friday, 9am – 4:30 pm)
Using the Hydrangea Shawl from Kelbourne Woolens as a guide, students will learn the basic construction, theory, and history of this unique shawl shape. Knitters are so inventive, and the Faroese style shawl is proof of that. Its shape and construction are truly unique, and this garment exists to be a truly utilitarian item of clothing. In class, we will knit a small version of the shawl to cover all of its elements: the lace edging, picking up stitches, dividing the work into three main components, decreasing to create butterfly wing shaping, shoulder shaping, and grafting the final neck stitches.
Demystifying Charts (Saturday, 9am – 12noon)
During the class, students will cast-on and begin knitting the Meadowsweet Shawl, and leave with all of the necessary information to finish the piece. Students will learn the basics of reading lace from a charted pattern, including deciphering a chart key, counting stitches, checking gauge, how to decipher individual stitches, checking to see if mistakes have been made, how to fix mistakes after the fact, and working multiple repeats in a single row. Through informative anecdotes, in-class demonstrations, and a healthy dose of humor, we guarantee you will not only learn to knit lace from charts, but love doing so!
Fabulous Finishing (Saturday, 1:30pm-4:30pm)
Do you know how to knit, but steer clear of any project that requires seaming? Have you knit gorgeous sweaters in pieces, only to have all of your effort ruined by improper finishing? Do you have finished garment pieces languishing in your closet because you’re dreading seaming them together? Are you wary of blocking, or are unclear of what finishing method to apply to your lace, Fair Isle, or cabled piece? Put all of your fears and worries aside: in this class, we’re going to go over common blocking techniques and when to apply them. We’ll also discuss the “S” word: Seaming, why seaming in garments is so important, and teach you the steps to seam your knitting together. We promise once you’ve learned how to do it, you’ll not only never dread it again; you’ll actually enjoy and appreciate the process!
Bohus Knitting: History and Practice (Sunday 9am-12noon)
Bohus knitting is one of the more intricate stranded color work techniques, often worked with more than 2 colors per row (and as many as five). The purl stitches incorporated on the right side of the fabric create a depth and texture that cannot be achieved by color stranding alone. Traditional Bohus knitting was not exclusively knit in the round – many garments were designed to be knit back and forth with very long floats, with the design as the primary focus, not the ease of execution for the knitter. In this class we will discuss color choice, stranded knitting, purling in color work, the history of Bohus knitting, carrying more than two colors across your work, and working back and forth, or knitting backwards.
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You can see all of the classes on offer and register here. We have found classes tend to fill quickly, so if you’re interested, register now! See you there! – KGO