Updates on Classes! More yarn at City Knitting!

Hi there Readers!
I am teaching two dyeing classes at City Knitting in June 2008 - you will not want to miss them!
The first class - Advanced Dyeing - is on Friday, June 13th from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The goals of the class are to do more color analysis and see what primaries you would use to develop your own colors! This is a hands-on class with the goal or dyeing two skeins (or more, if you have time) of yarn in the colors you develop by mixing primaries. Bring lots of color ideas and a spirit of adventure! More information on both classes can be found here.

The second class is the Beginning Dye workshop on Saturday, June 14th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., which focuses more on safety, measuring, dyeing techniques, pH, different classes of dye and fiber choice. There is loads of fun and learning in this class and you will be working hard!

Both classes are excellent opportunities to explore your creativity, work with color and fiber, and do some dyeing without making a mess at your home. I hope to see you there! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me about the content of the class, or contact City Knitting with questions about purchasing fiber! Thanks!

I am also teaching a class at Michigan Fiber Festival in August at the Allegan County Fairgrounds. The class is called "Silks and Dyeing" and it is being held on Thursday, August 14th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. It will focus on dyeing (safety, color mixing, etc.) and then the hands-on portion will be to use various methods to dye silk scarves - low-water immersion, tie-dye, embedding objects, resists, etc. More information about the class can be found here. The workshop registration form can be found here. I hope to see you there!


Here are some pictures of yarns recently delivered to City Knitting last week...

Artichoke in "Texas" yarn - this has 245 yards in a 4-ounce skein









This is Ganesha in Texas:

Black Sheep For Evah!

Wow, the weekend of April 26th is one that will be remembered for a long time. I was the lucky guest of the Black Sheep Knitters Guild, based in Berkley, MI, for their annual retreat. They had contacted me at the beginning of 2008 to ask me to teach a dyeing class for their retreat being held at the Hankerd Inn in Pleasant Lake, MI, and I accepted.

What an awesome group! There were 13 class participants, all so willing to try new techniques, new colors, to help set-up and clean up, and to provide enthusiasm! I thought it was one of those cliches that teachers use about "learning as much from the students as they learn from me..." Well, it's true. I can't thank everyone enough for sharing their thoughts, feedback, and ideas for this class, as well as information that will help me develop other classes as well. And a true, heart-felt thank you to the Black Sheep Knitter's Guild for their friendship, most especially.

Highlight include, but are not limited to:
The colors... Harriet made the reddest red ever - and I am sure this will look gorgeous on her.

















Kim came up with a marvelous color, which was named "Black Sheep For Evah!" Its a combination of eggplant, teal, and lime, and it really suits the concept of a Black Sheep - definitely a color developed "outside of the box!"

LindaLuFiber - well, she dyed and dyed and dyed. Check out her blog, she's written about the retreat three times.

Kate made some great skeins of yarn inspired by her cottage and its moss and lichens. Her inspirations were amazing and her results were spot-on. Well done Kate!

Cheryl was inspired to make watermelon striping socks, combining some great bright greens and a light magenta that she dotted with black. Her color choices were quite amazing.



















Here are more pictures, in no particular order

Stacy, Rhys, and Linda D getting started.













Gorgeous drying in the sun.

Thank you so much to Tanya, Kate, Kim, Cheryl, Stacy, Barb, Judith, Linda D., Linda L., Rhys, Harriet, Suzanne, and Joan for being such excellent students and for providing feedback! I really appreciate your willingness to learn and your inspiration for future classes!