2015 Classes |

Class signups will begin Friday, May1st until the minute before classes start at SSK. We will do our best to let you know what class(es) you will have by June 1st. Class rosters are posted in the SSK group on Ravelry by time slot.If you have questions about anything to do with classes, please email or pm Laura and she will help you.

Hint: If you use the thread text search feature for your ravelry name, it makes it easy to find your classes.

How signups work:

Your SSK fee includes one class at no additional cost from one of our amazing teachers. We will ask that you choose your top three classes, and we will do our best to accommodate your request based on demand/class size. In the past 2 years, every single person who was attending SSK at the time of class signups was able to get their first choice class. That’s something I am hopeful will happen again this year.

Additional classes may be available for an extra cost. If you decide that you would like to add a class at anytime, just let Laura know via email and she will do our best to make that happen.

A special note about spinning classes: If you would like to take a spinning class and are unable to bring a wheel with you, we will have 4-5 wheels available for rental. We ask that you let us know on the class form because that may affect which session of class you will be able to take.

Here are the classes being offered at SSK 2015:

Sarah Anderson (spinning)

Materials fees will apply and are the responsibility of the attendee. The fees are as follows:

Take Control of your spinning: worsted $17

Take Control of your spinning: woolen $17

Spinning Soft Core yarns $20

Take Control of your Spinning: Worsted

“Drafting” refers to the way the spinner manipulates or draws out the fiber as twist

enters it to create yarn. Different drafting methods produce very different yarns even from the same fiber and different fibers may require different techniques. In this class we’ll work on drafting techniques that spinners of all skill levels will appreciate including diameter control, understanding twist, drafting for worsted yarn producing a yarn compatible to an existing yarn & finishing techniques.

Student level: Students should be comfortable with their wheel and able to spin a continuous singles.

Bring to class: Spinning wheel in working condition and 3 bobbins. If you have a flick card or handcards, bring them also.

Take Control of your Spinning: Woolen

“Drafting” refers to the way the spinner manipulates or draws out the fiber as twist

enters it to create yarn. Different drafting methods produce very different yarns even from the same fiber and different fibers may require different techniques. In this class we’ll work on drafting techniques that spinners of all skill levels will appreciate including diameter control, understanding twist, drafting for woolen yarn producing a yarn compatible to an existing yarn & finishing techniques.

Student level: Students should be comfortable with their wheel and able to spin a continuous singles.

Bring to class: Spinning wheel in working condition and 3 bobbins. If you have a flick card or handcards, bring them also.

Spinning Soft Core Yarns

Fluffy and light, soft core yarns are delicious. In this class you’ll learn the basics of spinning soft core yarn with top, locks and batts. These yarns can remain a singles or be plied but no matter what you do with them, they are lovely and warm.

Students should be able to spin a continuous thread.

Supplies that students should bring: Spinning wheel in working order, lazy kate and 3 bobbins.

Mary Jane Mucklestone (knitting):

3 Essential Methods for Shaping in Fair Isle

Maybe you love the look of Fair Isle but feel limited by the complexity of adding in shaping to your projects. Well Mary Jane is here to walk you through three different ways to add shaping in easy and creative ways. You’ll work up a swatch in class to test all the types.

Prerequisites/Experience: Knit/purl; cast on/bind off; increase/decrease; experience with Fair Isle knitting in the round.

Dominate Your Yarn! Understand Yarn Dominance in Stranded Knitting.

Ever been terrified by the words yarn dominance? Discouraged from continuing stranded knitting because you think your stitching looks wonky? Mary Jane takes the fear out of yarn dominance and through simple exercises and practice we’ll determine our own personal yarn dominance and set our fears to rest. On top of that, we will have fun!

Prerequisites/Experience Knit/purl; cast on/bind off; increase/decrease; experience with Fair Isle knitting in the round.

Two Color Knitting – Let’s Begin!

In a relaxed setting, I’ll introduce you to the world of stranded colorwork, often called Fair Isle knitting. In this technique class you will lear the basics, covering several methods of holding your yarns, how to introduce new colors, what yarn dominance is, how to avoid tangled yarns, weaving in those pesky ends and finishing techniques. This class is for absolute stranded knitting beginners and those looking to brush

up on their technique. We will begin knitting a stranded colorwork headband or hat. Skills covered: Left-handed, right-handed and combination style stranding. How to introduce new colors, understanding yarn dominance, weaving long floats, weaving in ends, finishing and blocking.

Prerequisites/Experience: Solid knowledge of knitting and purling and how stitches are mounted on the needle. Some experience with knitting in the round.

Gale Evans (Dyeing)

NOTE FOR ALL STUDENTS ENROLLING IN A DYE CLASS: Please plan on wearing clothing and shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty or getting permanent dye on. Materials fees will apply and are the responsibility of the attendee (start at $12 and goes up based on how many items you dye)

Create your own gradient Dyeing

In this class, we will be using the microwave and acid dyes to create shades of color in small skeins. Students will have the option of doing one color from light to dark or shading from one color to another in 5 to 7 mini, superwash DK skein arrangements. Written dye recipes for future,at-home gradients as well as full instructions for the general use of acid dyes will be given by Gale.

Minute Microwave dyeing

Using the microwave and simple acid dyes, create your own wonderful, faux-shibori style silk scarves and complex, multi colored yarns. Gale will show you three different silk dyeing effects that literally takes seconds to do in the microwave. But wait there is more… Yarn can also be dyed in wonderful ways too. This class is designed to show you how easy,quick and fun dyeing can be. Written instructions on what is taught as well as how to use acid dyes will be provided by Gale at the start of the class.

Susan B. Anderson (Knitting)

Exploring Shawl Shapes and Design

~ Simple and clear instruction for creating and designing your own shawl from scratch!

Grab that languishing ball of fingering weight yarn or a favorite skein you’ve been saving for just the right project, your needles, and a pencil and away you’ll zip designing your very own shawl in one of 7 selected shawl shapes. In class you’ll get in-depth instruction on designing your own shawl, instructions on exactly how to create the shape you are going for be it crescent, triangular, long-ended for extra wrapping, half-hexagon, assymetrical, semi-circle, or more! Your shawl may have lace, garter stitch, stockinette stitch, many textures, stripes, beads, etc.

The sky is the limit and you’ll leave with an excellent understanding of how to design your own shawl from scratch from cast-on to bind-off and everything in between!

Provided in class:

Different options for casting on the shawl

Instructions in recipe form for creating 7 different shawl shapes

Charts for several different stitch counts that can be included in your shawls

Edgings ~ many clear options

Bind offs ~ many different options

Optional: Beads and a flosser to add beads to the shawl in the body, edging or on the bind off. Make sure the beads fit on the yarn you have selected. Bead size 6/0 will usually fit on fingering to sport weight yarn.

Materials:

Yarn:

How big do you want your shawl to be? It’s really up to you how much yarn you’ll need!

Here are some guidelines:

100 grams of fingering weight yarn with at least 400 yards (This could also be several balls of different colors.)

300-600 yards of a sport/DK/worsted weight yarn

Needles:

For fingering weight: US size 5-7

For heavier weight yarn go up a size or two:

Worsted weight: US 8

DK weight: US 7

Sport weight: US 6-7

Owl to Egg Workshop

Egg to Owl: Topsy-Turvy Toys Made Simple!

Susan B. Anderson

Owl to Egg is a brand new unreleased exclusive pattern for my SSK 2015 workshop!

Come to class ready to zip through a nearly seamless (there are only two small and quick seams that are more like tacking down. I promise!) Topsy-Turvy Toy. I have been longing to design an Egg that turns inside out to find an adorable Baby Owl inside. SSK has brought that longing to realization so it’s here! Adults love these reversible toys as much as the kids.

In class we will talk about toy knitting tips and tricks that apply to toy making in general. We will have large group discussions, small group technique demonstrations, and plenty of individual attention. We will cover simple seams, picking up stitches right on your toy for seamless part knitting, face embroidery, stuffing and gauge issue discussion for toy knitting, and more. You will leave class a much more motivated and confident toy knitter!

Homework:

Complete the Egg Pattern that will be sent out to students in June 2015 .

Materials:

Yarn for the class and pattern is worsted weight.

Yarn suggestions:

Quince & Co. Lark

Cascade 220

Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted

Quince & Co. Owl

Any other worsted weight yarn!

Bring to class:

50 yards of yarn for the Egg (made before coming to class)

50 yards of yarn for the upper owl body, head, ears and wings (I used brown)

50 yards of yarn for the lower owl body and face (I used cream)

30 yards of yarn for the owl feet and beak (I used orange)

Note: Bring any colors you would like! Your owl and egg can be as colorful and crazy as you’d like ~ stripes are welcome, too.

Black embroidery floss

Yarn Needle

One sandwich baggie of fiberfill

Scissors

Suggested Needles: US size 5 dpns, a set of 4

Note: Magic Loop can easily be used but the pattern is written for dpns. It’s up to you!

Gauge: From 5.5 to 6 stitches per inch will work best in Stockinette Stitch

Skills needed:

~To cast on and work in the round on small numbers of stitches on double-pointed needles (unless you are using magic loop but the pattern is written for dpns).

~ Simple increases and decreases.

We’ll work on the rest together.

Three Wee Sheep

Class Level

Intermediate

Description

Technique Requirements: Knit/Purl; Cast on/bind off; Increase/Decrease; Working in the round; must be able to work in the round on double-pointed needles starting on a small number of stitches.

Description: Three Wee Sheep is a workshop focused on seamless toy construction and experimenting with several textured loopy stitches. While working on a bottom-up seamless wee sheep there will be lots of toy-knitting tips and tricks discussed and demonstrated. There will be lots of individual, small group and large group attention in the class. The class includes pattern for an adorable tiny sheep (2.5 inches tall), and 2 additional and slightly larger sheep patterns will be provided for everyone. Some students prefer to work on something a little bigger. Some may even finish the small-scale project during class while learning lots of toy-knitting information at the same time. Students will work hard, learns lots and have tons of fun at the same time. Students will leave being much more confident toy knitters!

Homework: Check gauge and bring necessary materials. Gauge on worsted weight yarn: 6 sts per inch in stockinette stitch on US size 5 needles or size to obtain gauge.

Supplies to bring:

MOST IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Please bring 100% wool, worsted weight, that has a grip to it. Yarns like Shelter, Cascade 220, Quince & Co. Lark, tweedy yarns, Rowan Felted Tweed are all good suggestions. The loopy stitches are more difficult with a slippery, super wash yarn especially when it is blended with other slick fibers.

Around 100 yards of worsted weight wool yarn in selected sheep colors (More than one color is fine for faces and legs. The sheep doesn’t have to be cream or black, colorful sheep are welcome!).

US size 5 double-pointed needles, set of 4;

a large baggie of poly-fiber fill;

black embroidery floss;

yarn needle;

scissors;

detachable stitch markers;

ruler or tape measure.