Knit-O-Matic News

my apologies to anyone who came in yesterday, saturday, and found me in a harried & irritated state. my mother, god bless her martyred soul, works in a different flow than i do and like all good moms likes to show up & help out with her grandchild - alot, unannounced & for a long time.

I am spending today getting my groove back.

I have started conceptualizing gift ideas for the holidays: this will include a binder of pattern ideas, quick & easy gift project kits, and classes to go along with them.

I have not set dates or times for classes & seminars, but here is a tentative list in order of difficulty:

BEGINNER/SCARF
For Absolute Beginners.
Kit: "entry level scarf". worsted weight yarn, 5mm needles.
Learn to cast on stitches, knit, purl, cast off.

BEGINNER REVIEW/SCARF
For people who need a review, but have knitted before.
Kit: "Dropped stitch scarf". worsted weight yarn, 5mm needles.
Review casting on, knitting, purling, casting off, and learn how to use dropped stitched for decorative effect.

KNITTING WITH CIRCCULAR NEEDLE/PONCHOS & CAPELETS.
Prerequisites: must be proficient at casting on, casting off, knitting and purling.
Kit: any poncho or capelet kit, adult or child.
Learn how to use circular needles, how to use stitch markers, increase, read a basic pattern, very basic finishing skills (blocking & weaving in ends).

KNITTING WITH DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLES/HATS.
Prerequisites: must be proficient at casting on, knitting and purling.
Kit: any basic hat kit that does not involve changing colours in the middle of a row, adult or child.
Learn how to work in the round with double pointed needles, decrease, read a basic pattern, very basic finishing skills (blocking, weaving in ends, other).

BASIC SOCKS
Prerequisites: must be proficient at casting on, knitting, purling, working in the round, working with double pointed needles, basic finishing, reading a basic pattern, increasing & decreasing.
Kit: basic socks. worsted weight yarn, 5mm dpn.
Many people find socks intimidating, but they really aren't hard. Learn how to make a pair of basic socks from the top down on double pointed needles, pick up stitches, graft stitches, introduce new colours at the beginning/end of a round.

MY FIRST SWEATER/EASY BABY SWEATER
Prerequisites: must be proficient at casting on, knitting and purling, basic finishing, reading a basic pattern, rudimentary increasing & decreasing.
Kit: Easy Baby/Toddler Raglan Pullover, worsted weightt yarn (5mm needles)
Baby garments are the ideal project to learn how to make a sweater because they are small enought to move through the different stages in a class setting. Learn the basic morphology of a sweater, blocking techniques, and simple methods to sew a sweater together.

other seminars .....

SEMINAR - BASIC HAND KNITTING DESIGN PRINCIPLES - experienced knitters
Prerequisites: must be proficient at casting on, knitting and purling, finishing, reading a basic pattern, increasing & decreasing, and be a fairly self-reliant/independent knitter who is open to experimentation. Must have completed at least one sweater.
Preparation: Please prepare a large (20cm x 20cm) swatch of knitting that you would potentially like to design into a sweater. No project will be completed in this seminar, but you will be able to apply what you hae learned and turn your swatch into a basic sweater.
We will discuss, among other things, the importance of knitting a gauge swatch, different types of fibers and textiles, the merits & deficits of pattern software, how to design from scratch, web resources, and style.

SEMINAR - CREATIVE KNITTING: EXPERIMENTING WITH COLOUR
Prerequisites: must be proficient at casting on & off, how to change colours in the middle of a row (intarsia), knitting and purling, and be a fairly self-reliant/independent knitter. must know
Peparation: a) please bring an assortment of random bits of yarn from your stash and a series of different sizes of knitting needles (straight needles are fine) - these bits will be shared among the group to create a palette of sorts. b) please bring a colour image or picture that you find aesthetically inspiring or that you would like to adapt.
NOTE: this seminar is not project oriented and will not focus on a specific finished project. The seminar will be modeled on an art class and will focus on developing aand expanding creative and expressional skills.

SEMINAR - CREATIVE KNITTING: EXPERIMENTING WITH TEXTURE
Prerequisites: must be proficient at casting on, knitting and purling, and be a fairly self-reliant/independent knitter.
Peparation: a) please bring an assortment of random bits of yarn from your stash and a series of different sizes of knitting needles (straight needles are fine) - these bits will be shared among the group to create a palette of sorts. b) please flip through magazines and patterns and bring images of garments or other textiles that feature texture or incorporate different textures and textiles.
NOTE: this seminar is not project oriented and will not focus on a specific finished project. The seminar will be modeled on an art class and will focus on developing aand expanding creative and expressional skills.



crochet classes ...

BEGINNER CROCHET/WORKING A PROJECT IN 1 PIECE
For absolute beginners
Kit: crochet pillow, sachet or small handbag kit
Learn the foundation stitches of crochet, learn how to read a basic crochet pattern, change colours at the beginning and end of a row, and make a flat project, either a small pillow or purse.

NEXT LEVEL CROCHET/MULTI PIECE PROJECTS
Prerequisites: experience with the foundation stitches of crochet, learn how to read a basic crochet pattern, change colours.
Kit: Crochet granny square pillow, baby blanket or purse
Learn how to apply crochet stitches and use them in a non-linear pattern.


fun classes ....

Dyeing Yarn with Kool Aid

Needle Felting

Screen Printing

Parents & Kids workshop

Intro to Embroidery

Teen Knitting