One of the most wonderful things about the fiber arts is that there’s always something new to learn. I remember when I first learned to knit, I met a knitter who said he always recommended socks to beginners. At the time, I thought that was crazy. But eventually I learned to knit socks, and I started to understand his reasoning. When it comes down to it, a sock is just a combination of a lot of basic techniques. And let’s face it, knitting a sock is a lot more fun than knitting a 60-inch garter-stitch scarf (no matter how much you like garter stitch!). Plus, the feeling of accomplishment when you finish a more complicated project can’t be beat.
Whether you’re a beginner stitcher or an old hand, a knitter or a crocheter, we’ve got a class that will help you improve your skills. From time to time on the blog, we’ll highlight some of our classes, but you can always find the complete list on the class page of our website.
What’s missing from our class list? Is there a technique you’re dying to learn, or a project you’d like to learn step-by-step? Leave a comment here — your thoughts will be a huge help when we’re developing classes for the winter and spring.
HAT IN THE ROUND | Monday, Oct. 25 | 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Once you’ve learned the basic techniques — knitting in the round, using double-pointed needles, decreasing — hats become the perfect palettes for knitting experimentation. You can knit them for anyone you know — men, women, babies, teens. You can knit a plain hat and then embellish it with extras, like pompoms, tassels, stripes or embroidery. You can learn stranded colorwork, which opens a huge world of possibilities. You can introduce cables and stitch patterns in thousands of combinations. Honestly, I could only knit hats for the rest of my life, and be pretty happy. Probably.
If you’ve only ever knit on straight needles, this is your chance to learn some new techniques that will really open up your knitting world.
OWL MITTENS | Tuesdays, Oct. 26 and Nov. 2 | 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
No matter how much you like to knit shawls, blankets or sweaters, no knitter can deny the necessity of having at least one WIP that’s portable. Doctor’s appointments, carpool lines, soccer games — they’re all begging for a small project that can be easily stuffed in your bag and taken out again when you’ve got a spare moment. For some knitters, socks are the perfect on-the-go project. For others, it’s mittens. If you’ve never tackled a mitten, here’s your chance to learn a few skills in one class: You’ll learn the basics of mitten construction and knit a cute cable that looks just like an owl. (Owls are all the rage these days — have you noticed?) The pattern is Give A Hoot, from Kelbourne Woolens. We can point you to lots of great yarns that are just right for this project.
Think you can't knit this? Think again.
FAIR ISLE TAM | Wednesdays, Nov. 3 and 10 | 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Repeat after me: “Colorwork knitting is not scary. Colorwork knitting is not scary.” You’re saying it, but you don’t really believe it. Sign up for this class, and we’ll make a believer out of you. You’ll knit a tam (or a beanie) in the “faux isle” style, meaning you use one solid color and one variegated yarn, to make it look like you’re a total genius who can knit with a dozen colors at once. (You can also choose two solid colors, if you prefer.) You’ll learn all the techniques of two-color knitting, including how to switch colors and catch your floats. Check out the patterns (here and here) and then tell me you don’t want to give it a try.
