We'd like to introduce Knitting Skills Labs, a series of focused, one-hour long classes that concentrate on a specific topic, such as increases, short rows, or cast-on methods. They're designed to help you broaden your knitting experience and become a smarter knitter. Pick and choose the classes you'd like to attend, and only attend as many as you can. You're not tied in to a three-week long class, or committed to a project. Each class will involve swatching, and while some classes will have homework, it won't be much homework.

Pick classes with your future projects in mind, or just pick classes that sound interesting, you decide! A punch card will allow you to take any four Knitting Skills Lab Classes. Individual Labs are $12 each, or you may purchase a Punch Card good for four classes for $40, equalling $10 per lab, for an $8 savings.

Please call and sign up for skills lab classes as space is limited.

Knitting Skills Lab: Learn to Knit Afghan
Specific Sundays from 1 PM to 2 PM (see individual dates below)
Instructor: Michelle Poulin-Alfeld • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card)
This series of individual labs is for all knitters from beginners to experienced. Participants can begin the series at any time. Skills are presented and explored using Barbara Walker’s classic Learn to Knit Afghan Book. Each afghan square provides an opportunity to add to your knitting repertoire and understand the application of each skill to our beloved craft. An added bonus is a wonderful sampler afghan charting your progress. This fall afghan labs will continue with the following pattern categories: Cables, Increase-Decrease, Lace, Special Techniques, and Finishing and Joining.

Materials for the Afghan labs: Barbara Walker’s Learn to Knit Afghan Book, worsted weight wool yarn in two light and two dark colors. The entire afghan calls for 28 ounces of each light color and 12 ounces of each dark color and an additional 12 ounces of a 5th contrasting color, if desired, for borders. (Dye lots are not important so you can buy as you go along) , #6 straight, 16 inch circular and double point needles, stitch markers, coiless safety pins, and tapestry needle, knitter’s journal or notebook for keeping notes.

JANUARY

Knitting Skills Lab: Cables
Fourth Sunday of the Month: January 22, February 26, March 25, April 22, from 1 PM to 2 PM
Instructor: Michelle Poulin-Alfeld • $12 fee ($10 per session with Punch Card)
This ongoing class will work through the afghan squares on cables.

Knitting Skills Lab: Cast Ons
Saturday, January 28, from 11 AM to 12 PM
Instructor: Miriam Felton • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card)
Do you only know one way to cast on? Do you read a pattern and wish it specified which cast on to use? Become a smarter knitter and join us for a quick demo of a versitile selection of cast-on techniques. We'll go over the Long-tail or two-tail method, the thumb cast, and cable and knitted cast-ons. Emphasis will be placed on the pros and cons of each cast-on and tips for working it.

Beginning Knitting for Adults: The Knit Stitch
Saturday, January 28 from 1 PM to 2 PM
Instructor: Betsy Slayton • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card) per session
Learn to cast on and knit in this one hour class.

Materials: One skein light colored Naturespun worsted yarn and one set of #6 or #7 straight needles.

FEBRUARY

NEW! Shawl Collared Cowl
Saturday, February 4 from 10 AM to 12 PM
Instructor: Betsy Slayton • $30 fee
Knit this handsome buttoned cowl in bulky weight yarn. In this class we will knit button holes and practice short row shaping. This cowl would be a great gift or, better yet make it for you!

Materials: 175 yards of bulky weight alpaca or wool yarn, # 8 and #9 straight needles, stitch markers, cable needle, 3 buttons, and Shawl Collared Cowl pattern by Never Not Knitting.

Beginning Knitting for Adults: The Purl Stitch
Saturday, February 4 from 1 PM to 2 PM
Instructor: Betsy Slayton • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card)
Learn to purl and bind off in this one hour class.

Materials: One skein light colored Naturespun worsted yarn and one set of #6 or #7 straight needles.

NEW! Ethnic Folk Knitting Study Group: Cast Ons I
Saturday, February 5 from 1 PM to 2 PM
Instructor: Michelle Poulin-Alfeld • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card)
Come learn some interesting cast ons taken from traditional folk knitting traditions. We’ll start with variations of the basic long tail cast on: Estonian Double Start, Channel Island and more.

Materials: Two colors of Cascade 220 sport weight yarn (rolled into a ball, ready for knitting), # 3 double point needles for practicing cast ons.

Knitting Skills Lab: Bind-offs
Saturday, February 11, from 11 AM to 12 PM
Instructor: Miriam Felton • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card)
Learn to pick the right bind off for your project! Join us for a quick demo of a versitile selection of bind-off techniques. We'll go over the standard bind-off, knitted and purled lace bind-offs, stretchy sewn bind off, and a three-needle bind off. Emphasis will be placed on the pros and cons of each bind-off and tips for working it.

Bring with you: 5 swatches (20 sts wide in stockinette) with live sts still on needles.

NEW! Color-Stranded Sweaters
Second Saturday of the month, February 11, March 10 and April 14, from 12 PM to 2 PM
Instructor: Michelle Poulin-Alfeld • $50 fee
This class is for knitters who want to knit (and complete) a Fair Isle, Scandinavian or Icelandic multicolor sweater in a group setting filled with lots of support and technical help. Come into the shop to pick a pattern and yarn in plenty of time to be ready for the first session. This is also a great class for those wanting to finish a two-color sweater in hibernation.

Materials: Pattern and yarn with appropriate needles for a stranded-color sweater.

NEW! Ethnic Folk Knitting Study Group: Cast Ons II
Sunday, February 12 from 1 PM to 2 PM
Instructor: Michelle Poulin-Alfeld • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card)
Expand your cast on repertoire for traditional circular and lace cast ons.

Materials: Two colors of Cascade 220 sport weight yarn (rolled into a ball, ready for knitting), # 3 double point needles, # F crochet hook for practicing cast ons, coilless safety pins.

Twined Hat
Saturday, February 18 from 10 PM to 1 PM
Instructor: Michelle Poulin-Alfeld • $35
This unique type of knitting uses two ends of yarn, twisting the strands with every stitch. Elaborate textured patterns are possible by bringing one of the strands to the front of the work in various combinations. The twined hat class will use a chart with a textured cuff pattern and five 28 stitch panels which decrease in pattern. We’ll discuss the process of designing with twined knit patterns including how to alter the pattern for different sizes.

Materials: Two skeins of Rowan’s Purelife DK or Cascade 220 Sport, #3 16-inch circular and double point needles, coiless safety pins, stitch markers. The pattern is sized for a woman. If you want to knit a man’s hat, purchase three skeins of yarn.

Cabled Mitten
Saturday, February 18 from 1 PM to 4 PM
Instructor: Betsy Slayton • $35 class fee
Learn to knit a simple mitten with twisted rib and cables. Make a pair for yourself and
more for gift giving.

Materials: Two skeins of Manos del Uruguay wool (wind only one skein into a ball prior
to class), #8 double point needles, cable needle.

Knitting Skills Lab: Increases
Saturday, February 25, from 11 AM to 12 PM
Instructor: Miriam Felton • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card)
Join us for a quick demo of a versitile selection of increasing techniques. We'll go over the knit (or purl) front and back, make one Right and make one Left, Lifted Increase Right, and Lifted Increase Left, and how to work yarn overs in many different situations. Emphasis will be placed on the pros and cons of each method, when to use it and tips for working it.

Bring with you: Light colored yarn and needles to work a swatch.

NEW! Cabled Boot Toppers
Saturday, February 25 from 12 PM to 2 PM
Instructor: Betsy Slayton • $30 fee
Come make this fun fashion accessory for your favorite pair of boots while learning to knit cables.

Materials: One skein of Cascade 220 worsted weight wool, #7 16-inch circular and straight needles, stitch markers, two buttons.

Homework: Cast on 68 stitches. Join and work K2,P2 ribbing for three inches. Bind off in knit.

Knitting Skills Lab: Cables
Fourth Sunday of the Month: February 26, March 25, April 22, from 1 PM to 2 PM
Instructor: Michelle Poulin-Alfeld • $12 fee ($10 per session with Punch Card)
This ongoing class will work through the afghan squares on cables.

NEW! Korsnas Knitting
Saturday, March 3 from 10 AM to 1 PM
Instructor: Michelle Poulin-Alfeld • $35 fee
Explore the techniques and color patterns used for traditional crochet enhanced knitting from the Korsnas region of Finland. We will practice by knitting a bag using stranded, two-color knitting and tapestry crochet in traditional colors. Construction techniques for mittens, socks, hats and sweaters will all be covered.

Materials: One skein each of Cascade 220 sport in red, natural, green (or blue) and gold, # 3 double point needles, # F crochet hook (and another much smaller hook), coilless safety pins, small tapestry needle.

MARCH

Introduction to Two-Color Knitting
Saturday, March 3 from 1 PM to 4 PM
Instructor: Betsy Slayton • $35 fee
This class is suitable for the beginning knitter who is ready for color work. You will learn how to read charts and how to carry colors. We will cover the techniques used for two-color projects: stranded knitting, intarsia and duplicate stitch.

Materials: #8 or #9 16-inch circular and double-point needles. One skein each of two colors of Lustra or aran weight wool (4.5 stitches per inch), and Nancy Lindberg’s Beginners Headband pattern.

NEW! Ethnic Folk Knitting Study Group: Shepherd’s Knitting and Crab Stitch
Sunday, March 4 from 1 PM to 2 PM
Instructor: Michelle Poulin-Alfeld • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card)
These slip stitch and backwards single crochet techniques can add unique edges, color and texture to your knitting projects.

Materials: Two colors of Cascade 220 sport weight yarn, # 3 double point needles, # F crochet hook (and a much smaller crochet hook), coilless safety pins for practicing.

Knitting Skills Lab: Decreases
Saturday, March 10, from 11 AM to 12 PM
Instructor: Miriam Felton • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card)
Join us for a quick demo of a versitile selection of decreasing techniques. We'll go over standard directional decreases like k2tog and ssk, as well as how to work directional decreases on the wrong sides of the fabric, double decreases (CDD; sl1, k2tog, psso, etc...), how to interpret pattern language about decreases, and the difference between full fashioned decreases and regular decreases on sweaters. Emphasis will be placed on the pros and cons of each method and tips for working it.

Bring with you: Light colored yarn and needles to work a swatch.

NEW! Random Acts of Color
Saturday, March 17 from 10 AM to 1 PM
Instructor: Michelle Poulin-Alfeld • $35 fee
Practice some fun techniques to personalize your knitting by adding color in your cast ons, braids, fringes and embroidery.

Materials: Bring four colors of Cascade 220 Sport, # 3 double point needles, # F crochet hook, stitch markers, coilless safety pins, and tapestry needle.

NEW! Ethnic Folk Knitting Study Group: Braids
Sunday, March 18 from 1 PM to 2 PM
Instructor: Michelle Poulin-Alfeld • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card)
Get an overview and demonstration of the various braids used in traditional folk knitting.

Materials: Three colors of Cascade 220 sport weight yarn, # 3 double point needles, # F crochet hook for practicing, and coilless safety pins.

Knitting Skills Lab: Seaming
Saturday, March 24, from 11 AM to 12 PM
Instructor: Miriam Felton • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card)
Join us for a quick class on seaming with mattress stitch. Learn how to seam two pieces together along side edges (like the two sides of a flat-knit sleeve), cast on or bind off edge to side edge (like a sleeve to a sweater body), and seaming in garter stitch. We'll also discuss the benefits of edge stitches for seaming along a curved edge.

Bring with you: Smooth multi-ply yarn for seaming in different color than swatch yarn (can be a lighter weight than swatch yarn too), tapestry needle (bent tip ones work best), and homework swatches as follows:

Swatch 1 (make 2 of this swatch): Cast on 20 sts. Rows 1-6: knit. Row 7: knit. Row 8: purl. Repeat Rows 7 & 8 for 2-3 inches. Bind off.

Swatch 2: Cast on 25 sts. Rows 1-6: knit. Row 7: knit. Row 8: purl. Row 9: k2, k2tog, k to end. Row 10: purl. Repeat rows 9 & 10 for 2-3 inches. Bind off on right side.

Socks
Saturday, March 24 from 1 PM to 3 PM
Instructor: Betsy Slayton • $30 fee
We will knit a miniature sock which incorporates the skills needed for successful sock knitting.

Materials: One skein of Fixation, # 3 double point needles, tapestry needle.

Knitting Skills Lab: Cables
Fourth Sunday of the Month: March 25, April 22, from 1 PM to 2 PM
Instructor: Michelle Poulin-Alfeld • $12 fee ($10 per session with Punch Card)
This ongoing class will work through the afghan squares on cables.

APRIL

NEW! Ethnic Folk Knitting Study Group: Sanquhar
Sunday, April 1 from 1 PM to 2 PM
Instructor: Michelle Poulin-Alfeld • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card)
Diced, two-color patterns from Scotland are fun and easy to knit. We’ll look at the progression of the traditional patterns and consider the special needs of this type of stranded color knitting.

Knitting Skills Lab: Short Rows
Saturday, April 14, from 11 AM to 12 PM
Instructor: Miriam Felton • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card)
Join us for a quick demo of 3 different short row methods. Short Rows are a great way to add shape to your knitting, and this class will help you find the way that you like most. We'll cover the wrap & turn (w&t) method, the yarnover (yo) method, and the Japanese method. Emphasis will be placed on the pros and cons of each method and tips for working it both flat and in the round.

Bring with you: 2 different colors of yarn and needles for swatching.

Introduction to Lace Knitting
Saturdays, April 21 and 28, from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Instructor: Miriam Felton • $50 fee
New to lace knitting, or just want to learn more? In this in-depth class, learn how to make knitted lace. This course will cover everything from how to make a yarn over in a variety of situations, to which decrease to use to get which effect, to how placement of decreases shapes the finished fabric. This class will also cover how to read charts. Create fingerless lace mitts to put the techniques learned into practice.

Materials: 50-100 grams of smooth sock yarn, in a solid or semi-solid light color (dark colors make it hard to see your stitches), copy of the Evolution Mitts pattern by Miriam Felton, and 2.5mm needle or size needed to obtain gauge according to pattern; DPNs, 2 circulars, or magic loop according to you preference.

Knitting Skills Lab: Cables
Fourth Sunday of the Month: April 22, from 1 PM to 2 PM
Instructor: Michelle Poulin-Alfeld • $12 fee ($10 per session with Punch Card)
This ongoing class will work through the afghan squares on cables.

Knitting Skills Lab: Blocking
Saturday, April 28, from 11 AM to 12 PM
Instructor: Miriam Felton • $12 fee ($10 with Punch Card)
Join us to learn this essential technique. Blocking can make a world of difference in what your finished project looks like. Blocking evens out uneven gauge, gives you nice straight edges, and opens up your lace work. We'll discuss how to block various fibers and when to soak your piece as we block a miniature shawl to demonstrate.

2012 Winter Schedule

About Skills Labs and Punch Card Classes

Please call and sign up for skills lab classes as space is limited.

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

To register for workshops call 1-801-487-9378