Sarah Anderson, from Snohomish, WA, has been spinning for thirty-five years. She spends her time dyeing fiber for her business, Great Balls of Fiber, knitting and spinning miles of yarn. She has taught the last few years at Spin-Off Autumn Retreat.

Lorilee Beltman teaches and hosts knitting events and, until recently, owned City Knitting, a yarn shop in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She has videos on You Tube and you can find her at www.city-knitting.com .

Anne Berk has been a knitting instructor since 1998 and teaches regularly at Knit/Purl in downtown Portland, and Molehill Farm, in Lake Grove, Oregon.  She is certified by The Knitting Guild of America as a Master Knitter.

Norma Byrkett of Preston, WA has been a devotee of arts and crafts since she can remember and earned a B.S. in Art from Miami University of Oxford, Ohio.  She has shared her love of crafts as a volunteer art teacher at many schools and through her writing which has been published in national magazines. Norma has passed Level II of TKGA’s Master Hand Knitting Program.

Carson Demers is a physical therapist and ergonomics specialist by day for a San Francisco Bay area medical center.  Every other moment, he’s knitting, spinning, designing, or otherwise up to some fiber fun with a watchful eye toward ergonomics. 

Amelia Garripoli "fell" into spinning when she purchased a house that came with two llamas. Since then, her spindle collection has taken over the book case! Amelia runs The Bellwether, a specialty spindle and fiber shop on line and at local shows.  Visit her website at www.thebellwether.biz

Kristeen Griffin-Grimes is a world renowned knitwear designer who loves to design without seams.  You can see several of her designs in her recent book, French Girl Knits.  She also conducts cooking and knitting tours in France. www.frenchgirlknits.com

Nicholette Hoyer has been designing knitwear and teaching knitting and crocheting classes in the Portland, OR area and at her knitting shop, StitchCraft, in Vancouver, Washington.  She has been published in Interweave Knits magazine. www.stitchcraft.us .

Anna-Lisa Kanick & Sarah Bridges are local knitting teachers and knitted garment designers who, together, work under the name Pelagia Fiber Arts.  You can view their work at their website: www.pelagiafa.com and at www.pelagiafiberarts.etsy.com .

Charlene Schurch is a knitter, spinner and dyer, fascinated with all the intricacy and beautiful simplicity available to the knitters. She is the author of many books including Sensational Knitted Socks and More Sensational Knitted Socks and contributed articles to Spin-Off, Knitters, Vogue Knitting, Interweave Knits, Piecework magazines.

MORNING 1^st Session  9 – 10:30

MORNING 2^nd Session 10:30 – 12 NOON

Ribbing Razzle –Dazzle
Teachers: Anna-Lisa Kanick & Sarah Bridges (Pelagia Fiber Arts)

Want to learn some fun alternatives to the standard 1x1 and 2x2 ribbings? Anna-Lisa and Sarah of Pelagia Fiber Arts will teach you the techniques and show you how to successfully substitute them in sweater or sock patterns.  You will also learn the Old Norwegian cast-on which works well with a variety of ribbing patterns.

Experience
Advanced Beginners and up. Need to be able to cast on, knit and purl and pick up stitches.

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:
Students need to bring a skein of light to medium color worsted weight wool to make a small sampler (Cascade 220, Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, etc.) and size US7 / 4.5mm needles

Going Seamless with the French Girl Knits CLOSED

Teacher: Kristeen Griffin-Grimes (French Girl Knits)

Learn the skills you need to create garments without seaming.  We will discuss provisional cast-ons, different increases and decreases, and methods of creating a personalized fit.  You will receive instructions and a pattern for creating a top-down, set-in sleeve, seamless mini-sweater.

Experience
Intermediate Knitters

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:
Students should bring 2 sets of US7 (4.5mm) circular needles, one skein of smooth worsted weight yarn in a natural or light color, stitch markers, and stitch holders.

AFTERNOON 1^st Session 1:30 – 3:00

AFTERNOON 2^nd Session 3:00 – 4:30

NO MINI CLASS SCHEDULED

NO MINI CLASS SCHEDULED

MORNING 1^st Session  9 – 10:30

MORNING  2^nd Session 10:30 – 12 NOON

Choose the Yarn You Want to Use! CLOSED
Teacher: Nicholette Hoyer

Want to be able to substitute a yarn for the one called for in a pattern? This class will teach you how. You’ll learn to interchange a swatched (in worsted weight) pattern with a sport weight yarn. We’ll also discuss how to interpret the washing instructions and symbols on yarn ball bands.

Experience
Advanced Beginners and up. Need to be able to cast on, knit and purl and pick up stitches.

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:
No supplies needed for this class.

Grafting Made Easy
Teacher: Lorilee Beltman

Learn how to create beautiful toes for your socks or invisible seams. Lorilee has a neat method to help you memorize the technique so that you don't have to look up the instructions every time you need to use it!  After learning on stockinette stitch, we'll use this technique on garter stitch as well.

Experience
Beginning Knitters, must be able to cast on, knit and purl.

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:
Students should bring 50 yards of yarn, knitting needles in a size appropriate to the yarn, and a blunt tipped tapestry needle.

AFTERNOON 1^st Session 1:30 – 3:00

AFTERNOON 2^nd Session 3:00 – 4:30

Knitting with Both Hands CLOSED
Teacher: Nicholette Hoyer

This class will teach knitters to throw if they pick (or knit Continental) or vice versa.  Learning to knit with your opposite hand can help a knitter use two hands to knit color techniques such as Fair Isle, Bohus, or any color stranded knitting.  It is also helpful in reducing repetitive motion injuries.

Experience
Advanced Beginners and up. Need to be able to cast on, knit and purl and pick up stitches.

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:
Students should bring a 16-inch US7 (4.5mm) circular needle, a light colored or natural worsted weight yarn, paper and a writing utensil.

Spindle Spinning for Beginners CLOSED
Teacher: Amelia Read Garripoli

Want to make your own yarn using simple spindles? This class will teach you everything you need to know to get started.  You’ll learn the basics of turning fiber into yarn, how to make basic plied yarns, and how to get your new yarn ready to use in a project.

No Experience Necessary

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:
No supplies required

MORNING 1^st Session  9 – 10:30

MORNING 2^nd Session 10:30 – 12 NOON

Options in Fiber & Fleece Preparation CLOSED
Teacher: Sarah Anderson

Have you only spun from prepared fibers? Are you afraid to tackle a fleece? This class will give you an idea of what is involved from someone who is intoxicated by the smell of raw wool. Bringing a fleece from sheep to garment is not only satisfying, it can be a heady, creative experience.  The class will give you an overview of washing and preparing wool to spin. Sarah will discuss and demonstrate various fiber prep tools (handcards, combs, drumcarder, flick carder) and different ways they can be used. Do you want a fluffy, airy yarn or a sleek, smooth yarn? Should you card or comb? What difference does it make? Your finished yarn is greatly affected by the fiber preparation and this class will help you understand some of the possibilities.  Because of the short duration, this class will be lecture and demonstration.

No experience necessary

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:
No supplies required

Navajo Plying CLOSED
Teacher: Sarah Anderson

Learn how to Navajo ply your spun singles.  This technique allows you to turn a single thread of yarn into a 3-ply yarn. It is especially useful for creating various color effects with multi-colored fiber.

Experience
Comfortable with your wheel and able to spin a continuous thread. Spinning wheel or spindle needed.

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:
Your spinning wheel or spindle.  A bobbin or two of singles yarn ready to Navajo ply and a lazy Kate if you have one.  (It’s recommended that these have rested for a day or two.)

AFTERNOON 1^st Session 1:30 – 3:00

AFTERNOON 2^nd Session 3:00 – 4:30

Sock Durability CLOSED
Teacher: Charlene Schurch

Learn how to make your socks last longer!  We all don’t wear out our socks at the back of the heel first. This class will have you thinking seriously about feet and wear and the best strategies for knitting socks that will last. Learn ways to make more durable knit fabric at the specific places where your socks wear first. Depending on the wear spots it may be better to knit Toe up or Top Down.

Experience
Basic Sock knitting skills and the ability to know when to use a correct needle size no matter what the ball band says!

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:
Bring some of your usual sock yarn and the usual size needles you knit it with.  Then also bring 2 sets of needles two different sizes smaller than your usual sock knitting needles. You can also bring a pair of worn socks and we’ll discuss what you need to do for knitting your next pair.

Intarsia in the Round CLOSED
Teacher: Anne Berk

This class is for the intrepid knitter who, when told that something is difficult or impossible, decides to go ahead and do it anyway!  Intarsia is easily knit flat, but there is a way to create seamless intarsia in the round.  It is tricky, but once you learn this technique, it's very manageable.  This is knitting magic!

Experience
Advanced Beginners and up. Need to be able to cast on, knit and purl and pick up stitches.

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:
Worsted weight yarn in four different colors, a size 7 circular needle (16-inch length), and your sense of humor.

MORNING 1^st Session  9 – 10:30

MORNING 2^nd Session 10:30 – 12 NOON

Luceting
Teacher: Norma Byrkett

Learn this fun method of making a cord by wrapping and inter-looping yarn, thread or string around a lucet tool.  Lucet cords are not braids, but are a form of knitting that is believed to date back to the Viking era. The cords can be made in all sizes and used as bag handles, edgings, and decorative designs.  Norma will show many examples.

No experience necessary

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:
Norma has lucet tools to borrow for the class and plenty of yarns from which to make cords. If you want, you are welcome to bring your own odds and ends of sock, cotton or worsted yarns to use.

KnitteRx
Teacher: Carson Demers

Knitting is not a "no pain no gain" activity.  Yet many of us take better care of our stash fiber than we do the fibers that allow us to knit - our bodies.  Tired muscles, sore joints, and aching backs and necks needlessly plague too may knitters.  This class will teach you fun ways to knit safely and comfortably.

No experience necessary

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:
No supplies required

AFTERNOON 1^st Session 1:30 – 3:00

AFTERNOON 2^nd Session 3:00 – 4:30

Welcome to Lace & Texture!
Teachers: Anna-Lisa Kanick & Sarah Bridges (Pelagia Fiber Arts)

Make a sampler in this introduction to lace and texture stitches.  You'll learn to knit Bramble, a Simple Cable, Faggoting, and Snowdrop Lace.

Experience
Advanced Beginners and up. Need to be able to cast on, knit and purl and pick up stitches.

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:
Students need to bring a skein of light to medium color worsted weight wool to make a small sampler (Cascade 220, Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, etc.),  size US7 / 4.5mm needles, and a cable needle

Cable a Coffee Cuff
Teachers: Anna-Lisa Kanick & Sarah Bridges (Pelagia Fiber Arts)

Learn Aran-style cable knitting and knitting cables from a chart in this class.  You will work on a coffee-sleeve cozy that is knitted flat and then seamed in this class.

Experience
Advanced Beginners and up. Need to be able to cast on, knit and purl and pick up stitches.

SUPPLIES TO BRING TO CLASS:
Students need to bring about 50 yards of bulky weight wool blend yarn (such as Lamb's Pride Bulky), size US10 / 6.0mm needles, and a cable needle.