Classes at Loop!
New year, new classes! We’ve got you covered from your first steps as a beginner knitter to the final touch of finishing techniques- as well as lace, brioche, darning, continental knitting and everything in between!
Our ever popular beginners classes are filling up fast! Resolve to make this the year you pick up those needles or hook and learn. We have lots of dates for Beginners Knitting and Beginners Crochet classes, both tailored to give introduce newcomers to the wonderful world of yarn.
If you’ve been hooked by crochet and want to expand your skills the Improvers Crochet Class is just the boost you need learn special stitches such as bobbles and picots, as well as how to read patterns and charts. We currently have two dates available – Sunday 21st February or Sunday 20th March. Also Improvers Knitting is the ideal next step after the Beginners Knitting sessions. Those of you who are comfortable with knit and purl will be guided through the next steps of following patterns, plus introductions to knitting lace and fair isle.
Cecile Balladino, author of the fabulously named blog Eclectic Gypsyland, will be adding some of her colourful and decorative crochet to the list in February (13th or 14th). Learn Cecile’s signature techniques and how to crochet lace motifs, 2d flowers and puff stitches.
Fancy learning a new style of knitting? For many knitters the continental style of holding your yarn in the left hand makes a huge difference. Many find that they can work quicker, hand fatigue is reduced – plus it makes working fair isle or knitting ribbing a breeze. If you already knit but are interested in making your knitting more efficient our Continental Class is for you. Holding and tensioning methods will be explained and you’ll understand how to work both knit and purl in this different style.
Once you’ve knit all these beautiful pieces the finishing touches make all the difference. If you feel like your hand knits lack the final flourish our Finishing Techniques workshop will give you all the tips for professional looking garments. Spread over two weeks (26th March and 2nd April) to give students the time to practise, you’ll learn how to improve you knits with blocking, sewing up neatly and how to expertly cast off a garment correctly.
If when you’ve popped into Loop you’ve admired the many lacy shawls we have on display, now is the time to book into the Introduction to Lace workshop. Learn how to work from charts and how to make holes that you actually want in your knitting! Once you’ve mastered the basics, Advanced Lace Knitting will deepen your understanding of how to make patterns in lace and how to design lace stitches and edging.
We are also very excited about visiting designers like Bristol Ivy, who will be teaching three classes. An Introduction to Brioche Saturday 12th March Saturday 10am – 1pm, Shawl Shapes Saturday 12th March 2 – 5pm and Knitting Outside The Box Sunday 13th March 11am – 4pm, an experimental class focusing on inspiration and design. Another visiting tutor will be Cecelia Campochiaro, the brains behind ‘Sequence Knitting‘, who will be teaching an all day workshop 6th March 2016 where you will be able to learn her sequence knitting techniques and plan your own project.
Also, scheduled just this week is a mending workshop with textile artist Celia Pym which explores traditional darning techniques and gives participants the time to consider what it means to mend. Through conversations, looking at the work of artists who mend and discussing the garments that student themselves want to fix, this workshop is thoughtful and inspiring response to the emotional or social value of darning and repair. This is a two day class on 5th and 12th June.
We also have a few places left on the Julie Arkell workshops 28th February or 22nd May. Spaces for these workshops always go quickly, so to book onto a place for this or any of the classes, please call the shop on +44(0)20 7288 1160
We hope to see you at a workshop soon!
Until next week, Happy Knitting and Crocheting!
DO YOU KNOW how frustrating it is to read about all these fab classes while living in Washington, DC (where we are expecting 2 feet of snow today)!!!!!
Ah well we hope one day you can come visit! Hope you get lots of quality knitting time and have plenty of woolens to keep you cosy in said snow!
Happy Knitting x
What is the stitch pattern used in yellow-ish sample at the top left corner of the 1/22 Newsletter? It’s Lovely!
Mary
Hi Mary,
It is indeed lovely – it’s called Herringbone Stitch.
Happy Knitting!
Thank you!
I’m agreeing with Helen from Washington! Here I am in South Africa, homesick for the East End and wanting to go to all these classes. Sob.
Don’t you want to franchise out so I can open up a store here in Johannesburg? ;-)