Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Fall Classes

Some of you have asked why we have no classes during the summer. Well, it's our 7th summer, and each year we've gone through the summer schedule, come up with classes, scheduled them, promoted them, and in the end, the signups were always pretty low. Many classes had just 1-2 people, which is way less than our minimums. So we ended up cancelling some classes, and running some classes for just a couple of people. Not much fun for you, and not as worth it for our instructors.


Let's face it! Summer is SO brief in our neck of the woods. It takes a lot of thought, test-knitting,and scheduling to come up with our class list. And if the classes don't run, that's no fun for the instructors, or for us. So we've decided to let you all enjoy your gardens, the lake, the mountains, etc., and come to us the other three seasons of the year for knitting classes.


Speaking of classes, Suzie and India were in early last week, doing a little yarn shopping, and tossing around some ideas for fall classes. We all know that heating prices are going through the roof this year, and we were all talking about how we're going to try to live with the thermostat set back a few degrees. Maybe MORE than a few degrees. And that will mean - for most of us - wearing more layers. With that in mind, we're trying to come up with some good classes that will not only teach you a new trick or two in knitting, but will result in a knitted item that will keep you warm and toasty this winter.


We always have a big demand for sock classes, and I think India is going to move up a few needle sizes this time, and teach sport weight socks. She's a huge sock knitter, and mostly does fingering weight socks, but she picked up some KnitCol, which is a self-patterning yarn in a sport weight, and she's started a sock with it. She stopped in quickly on Saturday and told me that she REALLY likes the yarn - it's way softer than she imagined. She is also working on some other fun classes that are un sock-related...


Now, if you saw this in a dark alley, wouldn't you run screaming the other way? I might!
But turn it this way, and admire the beauty!

Suzie has been thrumming it up this summer making thrummed mittens. She has designed her own pattern, which will be on sale here at the shop later this summer, and is going to teach a class so you all can learn how to make these cool mittens! This one is knit with Frog Tree Alpaca Multi-Tone (I LOVE this yarn!) and CTH Powder Puffs.


Have any ideas for classes? We can't promise anything, but we are always open to suggestions. Just let us know!

2 comments:

  1. Those mittens are gorgeous, but for indoor wear, what about some kind of thrummed warmer? You know, thumbless, just goes up to your knuckles? It could just be a ribbed tube, and it would fit...

    I think I'm going to go write a pattern. :)

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  2. I would love to see a finishing class offered. I never learned how to weave in my stitches in a way that looks decent, let alone correctly piece together sweater parts, etc. It's such a shame to go through all the work to knit and then not feel good about the finishing!

    I'm also very interested in a sock class, perhaps one focused on toe-up socks?

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