Course Description
No class 5 October (Open Evening) 26 October - (Half-term)
7.30 – 9.00pm
Description: Knitting for beginners and those who have some basic skills but wish to gain confidence and progress further.
Tutor: Sally Spriggs, knitwear designer
The traditional craft of Knitting comes and goes in popularity and at the moment it is definitely hip, cool and trendy. Film stars are doing it (both male & female), children and teenagers are doing it, and it’s a must for yummy mummies, and possibly daddies!
But where do you start? Whether you have no knitting experience, or learnt only the basic stitches from your grandma, this 8-week course will get you started and give you the skills and inspiration to create your own designs.
The course starts with the basic concept of knitting and in the first session you will learn a fun new way of knitting that gets your fingers working! You will quickly progress to knitting with needles: learning the basic stitches; changing colours; increasing and decreasing; and creating more complex stitch combinations.
Sally will help you to de-code knitting patterns (American and English) and understand the different weights of yarn and needle sizes. She has an extensive range of pattern books, samples and web-links to inspire you and give you the confidence to go it alone! As well as the knitting samples that you will create in class, you can start your own projects as soon as you feel ready knowing that there will be time for troubleshooting each week if you get stuck.
All the yarn, needles and notes you will need for the course (excluding your own projects) are included in the fees. In addition, you will have the opportunity to join a group visit (costing approximately £10) to the world-renowned Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexander Palace in Friday 8th or Sat 9th October. At the show you will see some of the most innovative knitting and textiles around, and will also be able to buy fabulous yarns and other craft materials that are just not available locally.
Tutor Profile: Being an at home mum has allowed Sally to re-discovered her creative side having originally gained a degree in design at the London College of Fashion, and then worked as a specialist hand-knitwear designer. This was back in the 1980s and despite the current interest in the decade, it was not a great time to be a hand-knitwear designer! She followed a completely different career path eventually ending up as an IT trainer. Now, Sally has the right combination of skills to help others unlock the pleasure of creating something for themselves. The art of knitting was once something that most women, and many men, were accomplished at. It is not difficult to do and is a very portable and therapeutic craft. Sally is passionate about keeping craft skills alive and is also an official volunteer for the Crafts Council ‘Knit 1, Pass it On’ initiative. This aims to teach junior school children crafts that are not being passed down through the generations in the traditional way. She would like to play a small part in this and hopefully inspire others to take up their needles and knit!
Course Fee: £74 includes needles and selection of yarns