March and April Workshops in Lake Ann

March and April are typically quiet months for me; I’m not scheduled to travel next until late April. So, this is a good time of year for me to offer spinning and knitting workshops at my house in Lake Ann, Michigan.

The fee for each workshop is a very modest $15. All workshops start at 1:30pm and go to 3:30 or 4:00pm. (I purposely chose this start time so that anyone interested could stop for lunch at the nearby Stone Oven.) A minimum of 2 folks will be needed for each workshop to “go”. The maximum is 6.

If you are interested, please contact me by email, atyler@centurytel.net or by phone 231-640-4424. If there is a topic that interests you, but you’d prefer a different date, let me know; there may be some wiggle room.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

The Surprising Yarn-Over: A “yarn-over” is a fundamental element in knitted lace, but there is more to the yarn-over than lace. The yarn-over is a surprising and versatile element in many forms of knitting. We will explore the use of yarn-overs to make beautiful edges, interesting cords, straight and wavy fabrics. In addition, we’ll cover variations on the yarn-over and how yarn-overs are created in a variety of knit stitch patterns.

Bring 100-200 yards of yarn and knitting needles appropriate for the yarn.

Friday, March 14, 2014

I Heart Duplicate Stitch: Duplicate stitch is one way of adding bits of color to knitting, allowing you to “paint” on your knitting. Other forms of multi-color knitting, such as intarsia and Fair Isle, may seem more “knitterly”, but there are times when duplicate stitch can achieve certain effects in a much easier way. When done well, duplicate stitch can add an expert air to your knitting. We will practice techniques for making duplicate stitch smooth and even. We will play with effects of yarn size and yarn texture and the knit stitches used for the background, so that you will come away with an appreciation of the special advantages of duplicate stitch.

Bring a swatch knitted in stockinette stitch that is at least 30 sts wide and 50 rows long (a solid light color works best), some yarn of the same type as used for the swatch but in a contrasting color, knitting needles appropriate for the yarn, a darning needle.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Creating Crepe Yarns: Crepe yarns are 3-ply yarns in which the twist direction and order of plying is manipulated. We will cover a variety of these yarns. We will do some spinning of singles, but mostly we will ply.

Bring 2 bobbins partially filled with Z-spun singles, 2 additional bobbins, your spinning wheel, and a lazy kate.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Q & A: Spinning: Here’s an opportunity for you to determine the content of the workshop. If you have specific topics or questions about spinning, preparing fibers, or finishing yarns, please supply them to me at least 24 hours before the workshop – BY EMAIL, PLEASE. We will cover topics as I receive them. Or, feel free to bring your projects or questions to class and we’ll cover them there.

Bring your spinning wheel, a couple of bobbins, and any projects or tools that you have questions about.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Spinning Wheel Maintenance: Do you want to get the most out of your wheel? A bit of maintenance will most certainly help. We will cover how to care for wood, drive bands, oiling/lubricating, and trouble shooting. Your wheel will thank you.

Bring your spinning wheel, oil, rag, and one bobbin.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Creating Cable Yarns: cable yarns are 4-ply (or more) yarns which require plying twice (or more). We will cover a couple different techniques for creating these yarns, and we’ll discuss color issues, twist issues, and fiber content issues.

Bring your spinning wheel, 2 bobbins partially filled with Z-spun singles of different colors, 2 additional bobbins, and a lazy kate.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Q & A: Knitting: Here’s an opportunity for you to determine the content of the workshop. If you have specific topics or questions about knitting, your knitting projects, understanding patterns, blocking, or yarns, please supply them to me at least 24 hours before the workshop – BY EMAIL, PLEASE. We will cover topics as I receive them. Or, feel free to bring your projects or questions to class and we’ll cover them there.

Bring some yarn, some knitting needles, and whatever project/pattern you’d like.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Knitting Petoskey Stone Medallions: In this workshop we will knit a medallion inspired by the state stone of Michigan, the Petoskey stone. The medallions are flat circles, knitted from the center out. When a series of these medallions are crocheted together, you can change the circular shape to 4-, 5-, 6-, or more-sided pieces.  We will cover a circular crochet cast-on, how to knit circularly with 2 circular needles, 2-stitch cable patterns, and crocheting medallions together. With this approach, you can make scarves, afghans, hats, pillows, and more.

Bring 100 yards or so of yarn (1 or more colors), 2 circular knitting needles of the same size (but can be of different lengths) appropriate for the yarn, a crochet hook similar in size to the needles, and a darning needle.