Workshop Descriptions, Materials, Homework
1. Seven Things that can “Make or Break” a Sweater
Learn seven things that will make a big difference in the appearance of your sweaters. The smallest details can have a huge impact—increasing in ribbing, bumpy or smooth cast on edge, slanting decreases, invisible increases, perfect buttonholes, flat edgings, and blocking. In this class, you will learn about all of these things while you practice and receive lots of tips and hints. Since you are going to spend hours making a garment, you’ll want to use these techniques to make even the simplest sweater look marvelous.
Homework: With smooth, light-colored worsted weight yarn and appropriate-size needles, knit swatches as follows:
Swatch 1: Cast on 18 sts. Work in k1, p1 ribbing for 2". Place stitches on a holder, leaving several yards of yarn attached.
Swatch 2: Cast on 23 sts. Work in st st for 2". Place stitches on a holder, leaving several yards of yarn attached.
Swatch 3: Cast on 10 sts. Work in k1, p1 ribbing for 2". Place stitches on a holder. Leave yarn attached.
Supplies: Homework swatches, needles and yarn used to make swatches, basic knitting accessories.
2. Superb Seams
Seaming is one of the most important finishing steps for a knit garment. In this class, you will master all the seaming techniques used to assemble a sweater, and understand how to make seams look flat and smooth. Learn how to sew invisible side seams on stockinette, reverse stockinette and ribbing. Find out how selvage stitches make seaming easy, even on the most complex pattern stitches. Practice joining shoulders and attaching sleeves. Discover how to make your garments look seamless.
Homework: Required Swatches (6)
You will practice several seams on each swatch. Some of the seams will be pulled out in order to work other seams. With smooth, light-colored, bulky yarn and appropriate size needles, knit swatches as follows:
Swatches 1 & 2 (make 2 exactly the same): Cast on 10 sts. Work in st st for 4". Bind off.
Swatches 3 & 4 (make 2 exactly the same): Cast on 10 sts. Row 1: k1, (k1, p1) 4 times, k1. Row 2: p1, (k1, p1) 4 times, p1. Repeat these two rows until swatch measures 4”. Bind off in pattern.
Swatches 5 & 6 (make 2 exactly the same): Cast on 10 sts. Work in st st for 3". Place sts on a stitch holder.
Optional Swatches (6)
Work these swatches in addition to Swatches 1 - 6, if you want to work each seam on different swatches. With these swatches, you will be able to save a sample of each seam.
With smooth, light colored, bulky yarn and appropriate size needles, knit swatches as follows:
Swatches 7 - 10 (make 4 exactly the same): Cast on 10 sts. Work in st st for 4". Bind off.
Swatch 11: Cast on 9 sts. Work in st st for 5". Bind off.
Swatch 12: Cast on 12 sts. Work in st st for 2". Bind off.
Supplies: Homework swatches, needles and yarn used to make swatches, several yards of a dark colored bulky yarn, tapestry needle, basic knitting accessories.
3. Buttonholes and Bands
In this class, you will focus on an important finishing step—working bands and making buttonholes. Master the techniques for picking up stitches as you understand how to make bands look flat and smooth. Learn how to space buttonholes evenly on bands. Practice several different buttonholes and learn how to place them in 1x1 and 2x2 ribs and in seed stitch.
Homework: With smooth, light-colored worsted weight or chunky yarn, cast on 17 stitches. Work in st st for 2 inches, ending after completing a purl row. Continue to work in st st and decrease 1 stitch at the end of every knit row 7 times. (To decrease, work to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.) Work one row even (10 sts). BO.
Supplies: Homework swatch, one ball of smooth, light-colored worsted weight or chunky yarn (no fancy yarn or mohair), knitting needles used to make swatch (appropriate size for the weight of yarn) and one pair of needles two sizes smaller, basic knitting accessories.
4. The Long and Short of Knitting Alterations
You’ve finished your sweater, but the sleeves are too long or the body is too short. Learn how to fix this common fit problem “after the fact.” In this class, you will cut your knitting (without fainting), and learn how to alter the length of a garment piece. Practice cutting and unraveling in the middle of a knitted piece, knitting down or up from there, and grafting stockinette stitch and garter stitch. Learn a number of strategies for achieving a good fit without re-knitting. And, in the end, learn how to avoid all of this by using a provisional cast on. Bring a sweater to class for discussion of lengthening or shortening strategies. Note: Class focus is on lengthening and shortening sweaters knit from bottom-to-top (or top-down), not on width problems in sweaters knit from bottom-to-top.
Homework: With a smooth, light colored worsted weight yarn, knit swatches as follows:
Swatch 1: Cast on 20 sts and work 1” in 2x2 rib. Then, work 3” in stockinette stitch. BO.
Swatch 2: Cast on 20 sts and work 1” in 2x2 rib. Then, work 3” in garter stitch. BO.
Supplies: Homework swatches, one ball of smooth, light-colored worsted weight yarn (no fancy yarn or mohair), appropriate size needles, several yards of worsted weight yarn in a contrasting color, crochet hook size H, tapestry needle, basic knitting accessories.
Optional: Sweater with a “length problem” to use for class discussion of lengthening or shortening strategies.
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