Working on Workshops for 2014

Now is the time of year I start planning for the next year's Knitting Workshop offerings.  If you've never taken a class from me (or anyone else for that matter) this post is still requesting your help and opinions!  What tempts you?  What do you avoid like the plague?  I'm not sure what to teach next.  Stay with my students' perennial favorites?  Add some new stuff?  Replace the old faves with what I hope will be new faves?  Normally each class is advertised with photos of techniques that will be taught in class.  I haven't done that here for space reasons.

The long-term favorites are:

1. Adjusting Knitting Patterns (for fit and style)

2. Mitten Design (design your own from any yarn!)

3. Colorwork Basics (from stripes to Fair Isle)

4. Colorwork Techniques (intarsia, bi-colored cables, etc)

5. Simple Shaping (how to perform the shaping techniques in average patterns)

6. Advanced Shaping (how to add, enhance, and recognize shaping techniques which look like design elements)


What should I add or replace?

I'm thinking of adding:

Simple Edge Techniques (make those edges on everything look even and wear better)

Intermediate Edge Techniques (vertical and horizontal options to dress up any pattern)

Decorative Cast Ons and Bind Offs (if you only know one or two of each, this is the class for you!  Change wear, looks, and flexibility for COs and BOs on all your knitting projects)

Knitting Tools - what, why, and how the right tool makes your work faster, more beautiful, and more satisfying

Making t-shirt yarn - upcycling t-shirts into knitting yarn


Most of us love taking knitting classes.  And we love learning from books and videos.  I love playing with yarn in pretty much every way I've ever tried!  I'd love your feedback on what classes to keep in the mix, which are past their prime, and which to add.  This is the best way to make sure that I continue to offer the classes you want to take - tell me what you want before I offer them!

If I haven't listed a class on something you'd like to learn, tell me!  I'll be happy to design one.  Things that don't get enough attention to make a class will likely still become articles for the blog, with lessons and technique photos.  And if you want me to teach at your shop or festival, please let me know.  I'll be happy to try to fit it into my schedule!

Thanks in advance for all your feedback!
 

Finding Salvation

I needed to visit the amazing Colleen, assistant extraordinaire, today.  On the way home, I stopped at the Salvation Army Thrift Store to drop off some of my daughter's outgrown clothes.  Usually they want you to drop off around in the back.  Not today.  I had to go through the store.  Guess what?  Surprisingly to me, the place is a knitter's bargain basement.  I walked around waiting my turn to donate, and found multiple pots of gold.

In the book area, I found three different knitting books.  They were all ones I had, but good ones none the less.  There was a classic Barbara Walker, an excellent Jacqueline Fee, and recent Melissa Leapman. $2 each for hardcovers.  Oooooh!  Okay.  Maybe I'll nose around after my turn.

And nose around I did.  In the housewares area, there was a garment steamer.  Any knitter who blocks their work will tell you that a garment steamer is the fastest way to block anything, and  $6 is definitely the right price.  A couple of shelves over, some very large canning pots would be great for dyeing projects.  $2.  In arts and crafts, several skeins of high end yarn (Gefrida, Knit 1 Purl 2, Louet).   $1 ea. Yep, this is good stuff.

In the kitchen department there were 8 sundae glasses for 50 cents each.  That would be perfect for a yarn tasting at the Knitting Guild or LYS.  An old wooden changing table with two shelves ($11) would be a great storage/display for baby yarns.  A teapot without a lid (75 cents) is a perfect yarn bowl - put the working yarn through the spout and never have the yarn roll across the room again!

In shoes and luggage there were easily a dozen different tote bags perfect for a project bag, many of which still had their tags on and hadn't been used.  In the window was a huge empty apothecary jar that would make a joyful display piece for a dozen balls of color-saturated wools.  So would the very large fishbowl.  And the wine rack.  Okay, I need to get out of here while there's still room in the car for the kids. 

If you've never shopped at a charity thrift store, you should know that the money you spend goes to support the charity.  Purchases should be checked before you buy, as it's an As-Is situation.  If you're a non-smoker or an allergic person, you may want to give things a cursory sniff.  And everything that can be cleaned should be, on principle.  A little Lysol goes a long way.  Loosely skein your yarns you've bought and wash lightly in SOAK or Woolite or shampoo.  Hang 'em to dry away from the sun to avoid fading.  For a fraction of full price, you'll have some fresh and lovely new knitting tools and stash members.