Classes
To sign up for these classes, please come into the shop or call us at (510) 595-9595.
(see class descriptions below calendar)
To sign up for these classes, please come into the shop or call us at (510) 595-9595.
CLASSES – February 2020 and beyond
For All Handcrafters
Beginning Needle Felting – One 2-hour class
Needle felting is a fun way to create fuzzy soft sculptures using wool and special felting tools. We'll start with flat images that can be turned into pins or patches, then move into 3-D projects. You can felt your favorite food, animals, or abstract art - the sky's the limit!
Materials: needle felting foam or brush, felting needles (ideally size 36 or a variety), we will provide wool roving in a few colors but you can also bring your own.
Sunday, February 2, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Teacher: Kira Dulaney Fee: $30
Mending Workshop – One 2-hour class
Don’t get rid of that treasured sweater with snags, moth holes, or worn-out areas. This class will help you resuscitate your favorite garments
so you can wear them for a few more years. Bring items that need mending, and we will help you work through them step by step.
Materials: Items to mend, plus sewing needles and/or crochet hook and tapestry needle, suited to the gauge of the item, sharp scissors, matching thread/yarn.
Sundays, February 9, April 5, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Teacher: Celia McCarthy, Fee: $30/class
Kira K Designs Extravaganza – 2-hour classes
Kira is a local knitting and crochet pattern designer and in this class you can make any of her 100+ patterns with personal help at every step of the way! We’ve scheduled the class so that people can make a whole sweater or skirt, but you could also choose to make multiple smaller projects.
Materials: The Kira K Designs pattern(s) of your choice and everything in the materials list for your pattern(s).
Skill level required: Advanced Beginner.
Mondays, February 10 & 24, March 9 & 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Teacher: Kira Dulaney, Fee: Fee: $120/4 classes (minimum)
(patterns of choice sold separately)
Seaming & Finishing – One 2½-hour class
Neat seaming and finishing make such a difference in a handmade project, but so many knitters and crocheters don’t feel confident in their finishing skills. Bring a project ready to be put together or swatches for practicing.
Materials: A project ready to seam and finish OR three knitted or crocheted swatches made with similar weight yarns, additional yarn (for edgings, collars, etc.), knitting needles or crochet hooks needed for any edgings or bands in your project, darning needle, scissors.
Sunday, February 2, 2-4:30 p.m.
Skill level required: No prior finishing experience required.
Teacher: Kira Dulaney Fee: $37.50
Crochet
Beginning Crochet – Two 2-hour classes
In this introductory class, you’ll learn the basic stitches while crocheting a button-up pouch to hold your phone or other treasures, and also start a simple scarf. We will cover chain stitch, single crochet, half-double crochet, double crochet, and triple crochet.
Materials: 200 yards smooth worsted or aran weight yarn, size G or H
crochet hook, 1 or 2 buttons, darning needle, removable stitch markers and sharp scissors.
Skill level required: No prior experience required
Sundays, March 1 & 8, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Teacher: Kira Dulaney, Fee: $50
Tunisian Crochet – One 2-hour class
Delve into an entirely new crochet technique which is easy for beginners and interesting for experienced crocheters! Tunisian crochet uses two passes to create a single row, building up stitches on your crochet hook, then working them off on the return pass. It creates a soft, squishy fabric and can look almost identical to knitting! No experience necessary.
Materials: 40 yards smooth worsted or aran weight yarn, G or H crochet hook: a long-handled Tunisian hook, a hook with attached cable, or a smooth-handled hook (no rubber grips or thumb grooves).
Skill level required: No prior experience required.
Sunday, March 8, 2-4 p.m.
Teacher: Kira Dulaney, Fee: $30
Crocheted Hats – Two 2-hour classes
Hats are fast and fun to crochet, and there are endless possibilities. First-time hat makers can crochet a simple hat using Kira’s easy swatch-free formula, or if you want something a little more challenging, choose any of Kira’s crocheted hat patterns. You’ll learn to work in the round, read a pattern, increase, measure gauge, and make a simple flower to decorate your hat!
Materials: For simple spiral hat: 100 grams of worsted or aran yarn and an appropriate hook for that yarn, removable stitch markers, yarn needle. If you want to make a more complex design, go to www.kirakdesigns.com or our in-store binder and choose any of Kira's crocheted hat patterns, and bring all materials specified. The spiral hat pattern is included in the class.
Skill level required: Beginner (must know chain stitch, single crochet, and double crochet).
Tuesdays, February 11 & 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Teacher: Kira Dulaney, Fee: $60
Knitting
English/American-Style Knitting For Kids – One 1-hour class
This is the beginner knitting class for kids! Learn cast-on, knit, purl, and bind-off. Take as many or as few classes as you need.
Materials: Bring size US 7 or US 8 needles and light-colored, smooth, worsted-weight yarn. All your supplies can be purchased at the shop.
Skill level: No prior experience required. Children over 7 are welcome
Saturdays, February 1 & 15, March 7 & 21, 10-11 a.m.
Teacher: Carol Schwamberger, Fee: $12.50/class
English/American-Style Knitting – One 1½-hour class
This is the beginner knitting class for those who prefer to learn the English style of knitting. Learn cast-on, knit, purl, and bind-off. Take as many or as few classes as you need.
Materials: Bring size US 7 or US 8 needles and light-colored, smooth, worsted-weight yarn. All your supplies can be purchased at the shop.
Skill level: No prior experience required. Children over 10 welcome
Saturdays, February 1 & 15, March 7 & 21, 11-12:30 p.m.
Teacher: Carol Schwamberger, Fee: $20/class
Switch to Continental Knitting – One 1½-hour class
You understand the basics, but do you get achy hands after using the English style of knitting? Do you want to knit more efficiently and faster? Learn the classic Continental style of knitting. Using smaller, neater movements, you’ll be able to complete your projects more quickly. This will also set you up to start holding two yarns for colorwork. This class is not intended for absolute beginners.
Materials: Worsted-weight yarn, size 7-9 needles and 2 rows of garter stitch started, 30 stitches.
Skill level: Advanced Beginner (must know CO, K, P, BO).
Sunday, February 16, March 22, April 26, 3:30-5 p.m.
Teacher: Celia McCarthy Fee: $22.50/class
Skill-Building Squares – 2-hour classes, ongoing
You know the basic cast-on, knit, purl, and bind-off ... but how do you go from there to becoming an intermediate knitter? These
classes help you get there step by step, working with a book designed for just that purpose. In each class, you will work on a new square with a set pattern that touches on pattern reading, lace, and cable stitches. As the classes progress, so will your skills. In the end, you will have enough squares for a nice-size blanket. Take as few or as many classes as you like to build your skills and confidence
Note: Discuss materials with Carol before first class.
Skill level required: Advanced Beginner (must know CO, K, P, BO)
Saturdays, February 1 & 15, March 7 & 21, 1-3 p.m.
Teacher: Carol Schwamberger, Fee: $30/class +$19.95 book
Building With Lace – 2-hour classes, ongoing
Using the third book in the “Building” series, we will knit a rectangular lace shawl. We'll start with lace basics and progress to more complicated patterns. Among the covered topics are reading charts,
Japanese stitches, life lines, and lace with beads. Take as few or as many classes as you like to build your skills and confidence.
Note: Discuss materials with Michaela before first class.
Skill level required: Advanced Beginner (must know CO, K, P, BO).
Saturdays, February 8, March 14, May 16, June 13, 3:30-5:30p.m.
Teacher: Michaela Popoff, Fee: $30 per class + $19.95 book
Sweater Knit-Along – Three 2- hour classes
First time knitting a sweater, or ready to try a more challenging pattern? We’ll guide you through the project from beginning to end, helping with gauge, pattern reading, fit, and finishing. Please choose your pattern and yarn before the first class so you can start your project immediately. If you need help picking the pattern or yarn, come to the shop so we can help you choose.
Materials: Pattern of choice and everything in the materials list for your pattern.
Skill level: Advanced beginner (must know CO, K, P, BO).
Saturdays, February 22, March 28, May 9. 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Teacher: Michaela Popoff, Fee: $90/3 classes
Correcting (or Avoiding) Knitting Mistakes – One 2-hour class
Take the fear and worry out of knitting with this incredibly useful class. You’ll learn how common mistakes are made as well as how to correct them on the following row, when possible. We’ll also practice picking up dropped stitches (gulp!) and methods for taking out your knitting stitch-by-stitch and many rows at once.
Materials: 30 yards smooth, easy to see worsted or aran-weight yarn, knitting needles in a size appropriate for your yarn, circular knitting needles size US 0-US 2, crochet hook size G or H, darning needle.
Skill level required: Advanced Beginner.
Sunday, March 1, 2-4 p.m.
Teacher: Kira Dulaney Fee: $30
Tarragon the Dragon – Three 1 ½-hour classes
Knit this sweet dragon for your favorite child or your own inner child! Knit in the round with double point needles from the bottom up, he is just the right size for little hands to carry around.
Materials: About 50 grams or 150 yards DK or worsted weight yarn, double point needles to match yarn, polyester fiber fill for stuffing, blunt needle.
Skill Level: Confident advanced beginner to intermediate. Skills needed for this project include CO, knit, purl, BO, k2tog, ssk, kfb, yo, picking up stitches, knitting with double point needles.
Thursdays, March 12, 19, & 26, 6:30-8 p.m.
Teacher: Katie Button, Fee $67.50
Design your own hat – no pattern needed! – Two 1 ½-hour classes
There are a jillion hat patterns on Ravelry, but whether you’ve knit one hat or a hundred, if you have basic skills you can create and even improvise dozens of your own hat designs – making your own patterns, or even without a pattern! This workshop will show you how to combine a few basic building blocks of hat construction – brims, bodies, crowns, and ornaments – to create wonderful beanies and berets in all sizes. We will review several different kinds of brims commonly used for beanies and berets
(ribbing, roll bottom, seed stitch) and several kinds of easily-knit hat bodies (plain knit, ribbing, purl bands, simple knit-purl patterns like seed stitch). We’ll discuss how to increase stitch count for a beret. We’ll go over a few kinds of crown decreases, including doing the math based on stitch count. Finally, we’ll talk about ornaments, including toppers (i-cord pigtails, pompoms, etc.) and simple appliques (leaves, bobbles, etc.). Illustrated, step by step handouts included.
Materials: up to 200 yards worsted- or aran-weight yarn total in one or more colors, one US6 16” circular needle, one US8 16” circular needles, one set US8 double-pointed needles, stitch markers, tapestry needle.
Skill level required: Advanced beginner (must know CO, K, P, BO)
Saturdays, April 18 & 25, 3:30-5 p.m.
Teacher: Ann Daniels, Fee: $45
To sign up for these classes, please come into the shop or call us at (510) 595-9595.
