SATURDAY MORNING

Culmination Blanket Workshop with Lindsey Fowler

As someone who collects scraps and get the ultimate thrill from using every inch of a skein, I love the idea of a scrap blanket. But I have never had the patience to finish the popular fingering weight crocheted blankets. For the final pattern in my debut book, Salt & Timber, I created the Culmination Blanket, my personal take on a scrap blanket, created from the scraps from my samples in the book and other precious scraps collected over years of personal knitting. In this class, we will discuss the technique used to create the squares in the multi-weight scrap blanket, marling techniques, how to create different palettes and looks to suit your unique style and together we will create your first block. This simple recipe is easy to customize to create a blanket to fit your size, space, and style.
Bring

• Size US 11 circular needle with at least 16” cord
• Any scraps you would like to use (all weights, colors, quantities, materials), may also bring scraps you would like to share for others to mix and match

Skills to know: - long tail cast on - knit/purl - YO/K2tog
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Add Short-Row Bust Darts to Your Sweater with Jen Parroccini

In Jen’s experience, most people with breasts benefit from adding bust darts to their sweaters. Working short rows at the apex of the bust is one of the most simple and effective ways to accomplish this. In this class, we’ll look at how bust darts create a better fit and how to add German short row darts to your garment, including how to take key measurements, where the darts go, how to calculate the number of short rows, and how to shape and distribute the rows.
See it in action. Knitters are invited to bring a shirt or sweater (handmade or from a store) that:

• Is unexpectedly shorter in the front than back when they put it on,
• Is longest on the sides but shorter in the front and back,
• Has horizontal folds of fabric (drag lines) from the bust apex down to the side of the garment, or
• Is sleeveless and has an armhole that gaps.

Who this class is for: Anyone making garments for someone who has breasts.
Who is ready for this class: Knitters who have knit at least one sweater and who have used short rows at least once will be most comfortable, but neither is required!
Bring:

• Some DK(ish) weight yarn and your preferred needles for working with this yarn in stockinette (suggested, sizes 5-7)
• Stitch markers.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Afterthought Heel Workshop ​with Lindsey Fowler

Whether cranked on a sock machine or hand knit, sock tubes are easy ways to use stash and maintain perfect stripes, pooling and patterning on specialty yarn. But finishing sock tubes can seem tricky or even intimidating. In this engaging and interactive course, we will discuss all things sock tubes from start to finish. We will talk yarn choices, sizing, hand knit vs cranked, heel options and placement, toes, cuffs and more. Participants will be asked to bring a knit or cranked sock tube so we can cut in and knit a heel together. Attendees will also get a copy of Lindsey's Simple Shortbread Sock pattern including her signature heel and toe pattern for afterthought socks.
Bring

• Sock tube (handknit or cranked) at least 6”, can be any stitch count as long as it’s an even number of stitches 
• A heavy scrap of contrasting fingering weight yarn, at least 30g
• Size US 1 (2.25mm) circular needle with approx 32” cord
• One removable stitch marker
• A pair of snips

Skills to know: - knitting in the round - k2tog/ssk - simple graft or Kitchener stitch - picking up stitches.
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Make a Muslin Before You Knit with Jen Parroccini

Here we steal a best practice from the sewing community: making a muslin. A muslin is an inexpensive, fast mock-up of the garment you intend to create. Making a muslin allows you to fit-test and to try out possible adjustments, or to reposition elements like patch pockets. In this class you’ll make a muslin to test out the fit of a set-in shoulder sweater, and we will have space to discuss any fit issues that surface.
Who this class is for:  ​Participants will get the most benefit if they have made (knit, crochet, sewed) at least one shirt or sweater OR if they get a poor fit in ready-to-wear and want to make sure their hand made garments will fit better.
Who is ready for this class: Knitters will be most comfortable in this class if they have basic familiarity with reading schematics.
Physical demand: We will be standing and leaning over a torso-sized project on a conference table to
measure and cut.
Bring: Enough stretchy fabric to cut out a muslin of a set-in shoulder sweater (roughly a yard of a mid-to heavy weight jersey or light fleece). And if you have them, please bring a 24" quilting ruler (any width) or a straight yardstick, sewing needle, thread and thimble.
Prework: None.
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SUNDAY MORNING

Everything You Need from Cuff to Toe with Lindsey Fowler

Let's talk about and swatch details to take your top down socks to the next level. Once you have knit a basic top-down sock, there are so many simple ways to add textural elements or color in unexpected places. Using the blank canvas of a basic sock worksheet, we can transform our creations into a variety of styes and aesthetics by adding a few simple details. We'll discuss and swatch cuff techniques and details, ideas for color placement, heel flap textures, and Lindsey will share a copy of her trusted toe recipe.
Bring

• 100g of fingering weight yarn and a 20g scrap or mini skein, wound and ready to work
• Size US 1 (2.25mm) circular needle with approx 32” cord
• Stitch marker
• Coloring supplies, if you like (Lindsay will provide some as well)

​Skills to know

• Knitting in the round
• K2tog/ssk
• Simple graft or Kitchener stitch
• Picking up stitches
• Some basic knowledge of sock knitting would help, but not required

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Fit Lab with Jen Parroccini

Before you can plan a modification or even figure out if a pattern is going to work for you and your body, you need to be able to diagnose fit issues. Knowing something is tugging or bunching is great, but WHY is that happening? We have some books we love on fit, but there’s no substitute for seeing fit issues demonstrated in person, along with a discussion of the knitting-specific solutions.
In this class, participants are invited to bring a garment (handmade or storebought) that has a fit issue that they don’t understand, or don’t know how to address. We’ll work through as many sweaters as we can, diagnosing the fit issues and discussing solutions.

Frequent fit issues include

•  Choking at the neck.
• Bunching under the arms.
• Diagonal folds of fabric (drag lines).
• Sliding off the shoulders.
• Sweaters that are either too tight or baggy above the bust, even though you got gauge and followed the sizing guidance in the pattern.
• Sweaters that are unexpectedly short in the front or the back when worn.
• Feeling like a particular construction (such as raglan, drop shoulder, round yoke, or set-in sleeves) just doesn’t work for you.
• Round yoke sweaters that seem to “raise the back neck too quickly” or be taller than the shoulders.
• Too much fabric in the back only.
• Tension or tugging between the neck and the underarm.
• Feeling like you might get a better fit by buying patterns specifically designed for broad shoulders.
• Feeling like the back neck isn’t high enough, and your upper back is exposed.
• Choosing a bigger size to accommodate your hips or arms.

Who this class is for: Makers who have made at least one garment or plan to embark on making garments will get the most benefit from the class.
Who is ready for this class: Anyone who makes clothes and wants to understand what can derail fit!