Sneak Preview - Birdy design

I reckon Spring is in the air....or at least nearly. That's what the little sparrows in my garden are telling me if their busy chitter chatter is anything to go by. I love watching them go about their business and I guess it is no surprise that they are having an influence on my design work.

At the moment I'm in the process of making a chirpy birdy design which you'll be able to have a go at if you join us at my Intarsia Unravelled Workshop at Hazel Court on May 4th.

© Donna Jones 2013

So far I've made a number of birdy blocks and am about to stitch them together to make a cushion front.


My next decisions will be about how the back will look. I'm thinking stripes in the existing colourway........though I fancy some texture like cables or a dash of moss stitch.....what do you think?

New Crochet Workshop for oct 2013, Swansea

Saturday 5th October 2013, 10-4pm at Hazel Court, Sketty Park, Swansea

Crochet from Scratch with Donna Jones

Add another string to your knitterly bow by learning this increasingly popular craft. This introductory workshop is suitable for complete beginners, and those of you who are returning after a long gap and would like a ‘refresher'. On the day you will learn all the knowledge and skills you need to complete a simple project, including how to follow a basic pattern.


 



You will be shown the following techniques:

•    How to hold your hook and yarn
•    How to create a foundation chain and work the first row
•    Working in rows, how to do ‘double’, ‘treble’, and ‘slip’stitches
•    How to work basic increases and decreases
•    How to do a simple edging.
•    How to measure your tension.

You will need to bring:

•    a selection of crochet hooks (a 4.00mm and a 4.50mm would be most useful)
•    a ruler
•    a pair of scissors

Yarn will be provided, but do feel free to bring along any additional yarns of your own to use, share or swap.

Provided for you:

• full tuition
• yarns & beads to complete your project
• a workshop pack containing training materials and a free pattern

This workshop costs £30 per person - see here for further information.

Felted Hat Workshop

I love learning new skills, and last week I attended a Stitches Coven Workshop tutored by Mandy Nash where we all  had a go at making felted hats.

© Donna Jones 2013

It was a thoroughly enjoyable day and I was pleased to go home with this 'Middle Earth' number (as Mr J calls it) which I think is not bad for a first attempt. I will probably tweek the edging a little further, and definately look forward to making some more hats.

To read more about the workshop and see how the other 'Stitches Coveners' did, please visit their blog here

New Workshop for Sept 2013, Swansea

Saturday 7th September, 10-4pm at Hazel Court, Sketty Park, Swansea with Donna Jones

Modular knitting, sometimes referred to as Domino knitting, is the process of knitting small individual pieces that are joined together to create unique garments or other projects – a bit like patchwork but without all the sewing up. This technique allows you to design as you go along, and to work creatively with colour without the challenges posed by more traditional methods of colour work. It is also great for using up your stash, even the odds and ends.

 
The workshop provides an introduction to this style of knitting, enabling you to create a number of swatches using these techniques, and is suitable for all knitters with basic skills or above. You will be shown how your knitted swatches can be developed into a project, such as a small bag, and advice given on construction and finishing.



Workshop costs £30 per person and is suitable for new, 'rusty', or experienced knitters who can knit and purl and follow a basic pattern. See here for further information.

New Website

Psssst!

If I've been a bit quiet lately it's because I've been making the fyberknitics website! Do have a peek  and let me know what you think - I'll be glad of any constructive feedback about how it looks, ease of use etc.

Saturday 6th July 2013, 10-4pm - Professional Finishing Techniques for Knitters with Donna Jones

Venue: Hazel Court, Sketty Park, Swansea

A good finish starts before you even cast on. What you do before you start and throughout the garment will determine the finish you will get.  Finishing off can seem a chore and be rushed.  My aim is to get you to enjoy the finishing off as much as the knitting (well, nearly as much!) and see it as a satisfying skill to achieve a really good finish.

You will need to do a little bit of homework ready for the day so you will have some knitting to 'finish' - details of this will be sent out on booking.

 

On the day we will cover:

• Things to consider before you start knitting 
• How to check your tension
• Using the best cast on and cast off for your particular projects
• Increases and decreases  
• Blocking and pressing techniques
• Tips for picking up and knitting button bands
• Joining shoulders using a 3 needle bind off
• Sewing up for the best finish
• making button holes (if time) 

By the end of the workshop you should be equipped with the skills necessary to finish all your future projects to a high standard, and find the experience more pleasurable. You may have a few UFO's (unfinished objects) you can  go try out your new skills on !

You will need to bring:

• Your completed homework! This is essential
• knitting needles: 3.25mm (no.10), 4.00mm (no.8) and 4.50mm (no.7)
• scissors
• stitch holders
• paper, pencil and small ruler
• Sewing up needle, pins and safety pins
• Hand towel (to be used to pin out work for blocking)

Provided for you:

• full tuition
• yarns for use on the day
• a workbook

This workshop costs £30 per person and is suitable for new, 'rusty', or experienced knitters who can knit and purl an follow a basic pattern. See here for further information.

Saturday 8th June 2013, 10-4pm - Magical Moebius Workshop with special guest tutor Alison Crowther-Smith

Venue: Hazel Court, Sketty Park, Swansea

Somerset based knit designer & author of  three books, Alison Crowther-Smith will join us to share her latest knitting obsession of moebius knitting. You can read more about Alison's latest knitting adventures on my previous post, or Alison's website.
 
This brain tickling workshop is all about learning how to knit a true, magical Moebius ring.  Using the cast on made famous by Cat Bordhi, you will learn how to create a Moebius that grows from the centre outwards, has only half a twist (as all true Moebiuses do), only one side and only one edge. 

The technique is no more than tricky, and this trickiness is soon mastered and anyway, this part only lasts for one round of knitting, then knitting a Moebius is, perhaps, one of the easiest yet most amazingly satisfying things you will ever knit.

On the day, using practice yarns that are provided, you will learn to cast on and then create a mini-Moebius.  Once this skill has been consolidated, and this is usually just after lunch, you will cast on your real Moebius using your own yarns, which will be a shoulder/neck cowl designed by Alison Crowther-Smith.  You will then complete this at home, secure in the knowledge that you have cast on and started your Moebius with us at the event.

You will need to bring:

• A 5mm circular needle that is 140cm long or longer.  This is vital.  For the practice Moebius, a 120cm long needle is maybe a little easier, so if you have one, bring it too but don’t buy one specially, just make sure you have a needle 140cm long.  
• Yarn for your actual Moebius project -  2 x 50g balls (approx 125m or so per ball) of DK yarn and 1 x 25g (approx 210m per ball) of fine lace-weight mohair & silk yarn (such as Rowan Kidsilk Haze).  Note:  this quantity of yarn makes a basic, very serviceable shoulder/neck cowl;  if you want to make your bigger, bring more yarns.  

You can bring in your own project yarn from your stash, or choose from a limited selection of suitable Rowan yarns which will be available for purchase on the day.

Provided for you:

• Full tuition from Alison & Donna
• A full set of notes on Moebius construction and tips and advice on how and why they work, what other variations you can consider and 2 patterns
• A complimentary stitch marker 
• All the practice yarns for making a mini-Moebius in the morning
• A free Alison Crowther-Smith knitting project bag

This workshop costs £35 per person and is suitable for new, 'rusty', or experienced knitters who can knit and purl. See here for further information.

Saturday 4th May 2013, 10-4pm - Intarsia Unravelled with Donna Jones

Venue: Hazel Court, Sketty Park, Swansea

Colour is one of the most exciting elements of knitting designs, yet for many knitters it can also seem to be one of the most daunting. This workshop aims to demystify the basics of how colour ‘works’ and will show you the skills needed to create beautiful Intarsia work.
 

Intarsia is a technique used to make multiple colour or ‘picture’ designs, and unlike other colourwork techniques such as fairisle, yarn is not stranded across the back as you work. The objective of this workshop is to help you learn about colour and how to combine colours in a creative way using the intarsia technique. This project based workshop will involve making a pincushion, purse or lavender bag with my 3 colour Birdy design, or a simple design of your own making if you are feeling brave! As my Birdy has a little beady eye, we’ll also learn a simple way to knit with beads.

 

On the day we will cover:

• Colour – a basic introduction to colour theory
• How to make you own simple intarsia design
• How to read charts and interpret symbols
• How to ensure you don’t get holes in your work, or in a tangled mess
• How to maintain a neat and even tension
• Knitting with beads using the slip stitch method
• Sewing in your ends and ensuring a neat finish

At the end of this workshop, you will be able to tackle designs that use colour in different ways, read patterns and charts with confidence and start to think about introducing your own personal colour style to your knitting.

You will need to bring:

• 3.75mm & 3.25mm knitting needles
• suitable needle for sewing in ends
• scissors
• paper & pencil
• yarn bobbins (these will also be available for purchase on the day)

Provided for you:

• full tuition
• yarns & beads to complete your project
• a workshop pack containing training materials and a free pattern

This workshop costs £30 per person and is suitable for new, 'rusty', or experienced knitters who can knit and purl. See here for further information.