Slip Stitch Knitting Class

Make knitting fun again. Simplify your process, slipping stitches to create surprising textures and color work in your knitting. Fiber artist, Amy Tyler, will lead the class through the basics of slip stitch knitting and following or creating patterns that make complex designs achievable! Whether you’re a seasoned knitter or a new beginner, you’ll have the opportunity to work in the company of other craftspeople, sharing strategies to bring your knitwear dreams to life! These stitches create knitted fabrics with great thickness, varying amounts of elasticity and drape that work well for jackets and afghans. We will knit several swatches that highlight characteristics of these more complex slip stitch patterns. We will play with color combinations, strategies for knitting with variegated and novelty yarns, and strategies for modifying knit stitch patterns by adding or subtracting slipped stitches. Select a hat or cowl, and apply the techniques of slip stitch knitting to the project. These strategies can create dramatic vertical and horizontal textural effects. And by combining slip stitches with cables and other manipulations, you can add diagonal texture to your knitting. With the support of Amy and your fellow classmates, you too can become the kind of knitter that finishes what they start!

Itinerary:

Day 1: After sharing some introductions, we will begin with the simplest of slip stitches, in which the working yarn is held to either the front or the back of the knitted fabric. Our exploration will include changing the “background” stitch (stockinette, garter, seed, rib), the effects of combining two or more colors into the slip stitch patterns, the use of variegated yarns in these stitches and how to create your own unique simple slip-stitch patterns. After lunch, we will slip stitch patterns where we slip stitches over more than one stitch or over more than one row.

Day 2: On the second day, you will start a knitted project (a hat or a cowl) that uses slip stitches. You can
use patterns that will be available or Amy can help you create your own pattern. Your progress on the project will depend on your skill level, but each student will end day two well on their way towards the product of their choosing. Gathering to close, the hope is that a new community of stitch knitters is formed to continue supporting one another in this craft.

Cost includes samples, patterns, a notebook with handouts, extra yarn, and sundry materials

Prerequisites/Skill Level/Age Requirements: