Michelle Nguyen got involved in fibre arts by blogging about knitting. Combining her English Degree with a passion for all things yarn, her blog thrived and created opportunities for experimentation. Michelle is now head dyer and founder of Stitch Please, specializing in hard to find bright, fun colourful yarns, located in Burlington, Ontario. Check out her blog at www.StitchesBeSlippin.com or Etsy store www.Etsy.com/ca/Shop/StitchPleaseYarns
Intro to Fair Isle Knitting – All Levels
Jump into Fair Isle knitting with Michelle Nguyen and her arsenal of tips for knitting with two colours. Even though there is one colour in each hand, it truly is much easier than it looks. We will be learning stranded knitting and how to avoid puckers, tangles and the need to purl when working with more than one colour. Pre-requisite: Must be able to cast-on. Bring: 5mm needles.
3 Hour Workshop
Presented by: A Needle Pulling Thread www.aNeedlePullingThread.com
Don’t Fear the Steek – Intermediate
This class is designed to guide knitters through two activities that usually cause anxiety; the cutting of a steek and the installation of a zipper. A steek is a straight line cut through a column of stitches, in order to make room for an opening. In this opening we are going to install a zipper by hand, no sewing machine required! Pre-requisite: Knit, purl, cast on, bind off & knit in the round. Minimal Supply List & Prepwork.
3 Hour Workshop
Swatch It! – All Levels
Gauge is one of the notorious boogey men of knitting, scaring promising knitters away from greatness! We’ll cover all the basics of gauge: how to make and measure a swatch; explore how needle size, as well as needle material, can change your gauge; and learn about blocking and hanging your swatch. Get hands-on practice for measuring and experiment with needle size changes on your knitting. We will also look at more complex gauge issues such as gauge in a pattern stitch and look at pattern examples to figure out how to make an ‘n pattern’ gauge swatch. Don’t let gauge scare you away from knitting the garment of your dreams. Minimal Supply List
1.5 Hour Workshop
Cast-Ons – All Levels
There are dozens of ways to cast on for your knitting! This comprehensive class will refresh your technique, teach you new cast-ons and best of all, help you to understand where and when each cast-on is best used. Bring: 4.5mm or 5mm straight or circular needle, two 4.5mm or 5mm double-pointed needles & 4mm to 5mm crochet hook.
1.5 Hour Workshop
Using Colour in Knitting
The popularity of beautiful variegated yarns is on the rise. When one strikes a special chord, we cannot wait to cast on, but what to cast on? During this lecture we will explore how to use variegated yarns to their best advantage and explore some common pitfalls. Just because you love the colours in your yarn doesn’t mean you love the way they pool! Long or short colour repeats… you’ll find the answers here.
1.5 Hour Seminar
Enjoy this Conference Class sneak peek!
Registration begins at the end of July when our updated website www.csnf.com is released with the class days & times. Class fees are $20 per hour (advance purchase) with kit fees extra.
Creativ Festival is returning to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre but MOVING to the NORTH BUILDING (255 Front St. W.) on new days & times! Thursday, Friday & Saturday, October 15, 16 & 17, 2015 with 5 days of Conference Classes starting Tuesday, October 13th