Fiber Fest 2013: Select Classes Still Available!

There's still time to grab a seat and take in some knowledge from your favorite knitting celebrities! There are still a few spots left in select classes! Register through the links here or come in to StevenBe or Yarn Garage and we'll help you get signed up and pick out your class materials at the same time.

The best way to start your Fiber Fest experience is with Steven at the Pillsbury House Theater tomorrow night for our Kick-Off Party! Steven will be interviewing our fabulous teachers in the style of Joan Rivers-meets-Oprah-meets-Wendy Williams (or as we usually just call it, "StevenBe-style").

Ragga & Stephen West--a package deal!

4/25 @ StevenBe: Icelandic Chevron Mittens from 10am-1pm
The Icelandic Textile Museum has a few very interesting pieces of mittens and socks knit in beautiful chevron patterns. Most of these pieces are older than the lace shawls that also show many variations of chevron and feather and fan patterns. Learn how to create your own Icelandic Chevron Mittens with the expert!

4/25 @ StevenBe: Ragga & Stephen West Exclusive Preview Trunk Show from 2pm-5pm

In this two hour program Ragga and Stephen share their experience of working as a design team on their collection, to be released in fall 2013. Samples will be shown and photographs and videos from photo shoots shared. The book is due to be released in October 2013 as a part of the Iceland Airwaves music festival.

4/26 @ Yarn Garage: Mixology with Ragga & Stephen West from 10am-1pm

In this class it's all about mixing, matching and juxtaposing different yarns, shapes, techniques, colors and textures. We'll break down the walls between knit and crochet and disregard all boundaries between bulky and fine. Participants will find new confidence in planning projects and taking control over their stash.

4/29 @ StevenBe: Ragga & Stephen West Present Party Tricks for Knitters from 10am-1pm

In this class we cover various tricks that will come in handy in a wide variety of projects. We will cover 4 different types of casting on, 4 different types of casting off, various uses for i-cords and different techniques of making buttonholes. We’ll discuss how you can take control of your knitting and make smart decisions that will refine your knitted pieces and make you the master of your knitting!

Mary Scott Huff!

 4/26 @ StevenBe: Two Strings = Not Scary from 10am-1pm

In this introduction to stranded colorwork, we will learn the basic moves for handling two strands at the same time, and what is special about the construction of stranded colorwork.  We will practice stranding by swatching in class, then begin this stranded colorwork hat pattern.  No stranded knitting experience is necessary and we promise--it's not as scary as it seems!

Julie Weisenberger of Coco Knits!

 4/26 @ StevenBe: Pick Your Girl from 10am-1pm

This is your chance to have your own "Cocoknit-along" where everyone chooses a Cocoknits pattern to fit her own personal style and shape and choosing the right yarn for the project is a guided experience. What a perfect opportunity to make something to suit you and work with the designer!

4/26 @ StevenBe: Coco Knits, Habu, & Claudia Handpaints Trunk Show from 2pm-5pm
FILLED!
Learn how to read Japanese patterns from expert Takako Uekei, owner of Habu Textiles. This class will give you the keys to decipher a Japanese pattern and the confidence to knit one of Habu's beautiful garment kits! Experience fabulous fibers coming together in Julie's amazing designs!

4/28 @ Yarn Garage: Seamless Sweater Construction and Japanese Pattern Reading from 10am-2pm
Do you hate seaming sweaters? This class will teach you how to transform a seamed sweater pattern into a seamless pattern. We will use the Gisela pattern from cocoknits and go through the pattern in class to transform it into seamless construction featuring set-in sleeves and English Tailored shoulders. Also includes Takako's Japanese pattern reading workshop!  

Melissa Leapman!
 
4/26 @ StevenBe: Two Color Double Knitting from 2pm-5pm FILLED!
With this fascinating knitting technique, both sides of the knitting appear to be stockinette stitch. In just a few fun hours, learn how to knit—and even design!—these beautiful reversible fabrics. 

4/28 @ StevenBe: Flatter Yourself from 10am-1pm
In this fun hands-on workshop, learn how designers use fully fashioned shaping to create flattering sweaters. No matter your shape, use your knitting prowess to create knockout pieces that fit and flatter.

Franklin Habit!

4/28 @ StevenBe: History and Methods of Lace Knitting from 10am-1pm FILLED!
In this three-hour session, we’ll examine the fundamental principles and techniques of knitting's grandest tradition. Students will learn about the history of lace knitting, and the development of the art in three parts of the world (Russia, Estonia, and the Shetland Islands) in which the craft was developed to the highest level of artistry. We will not only discuss, but practice and play with some of the methods and motifs that distinguish each of these traditions. 

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the Yarn Harlot!

  4/28 @ Pillsbury House Theater: Exclusive New Lecture by the Yarn Harlot from 6pm-8pm
Even if you were lucky enough to see Stephanie in October when she was last here with us, you'll be in for a treat on Sunday night. She has created a brand new lecture just for StevenBe and you get to be the first to hear it! Also, the last hour will be our fabulous wrap-up party, another not-to-be missed opportunity to see Steven interact with Stephanie and our other teachers.

Fiber Fest Teacher Feature: Mary Scott Huff

We're so excited to be hosting Mary Scott Huff, author of Learn to Knit Visually: Color Knitting, for Fiber Fest this year! She's a rock star teacher and her book is the first one we put in the hands of anyone interested in learning colorwork.

Mary Scott Huff, working with color!

Mary's mother taught her to knit when she was young. "I used to climb trees and knit sitting on a branch," she reminisced. She stopped knitting for about 20 years but picked it back up when she was pregnant for the first time. "I got tactile, rather than food cravings," Mary explained.

Every knitter has something that trips them up, and Mary's is a common issue: she always runs out of yarn! "That's what they'll put on my tombstone," she laughed, "'Failed to Estimate Yardage Correctly.'" Steven recommends that you always pick up that extra skein!

Getting her daily dose of fiber!

All knitters know that it's hard to stop working on a project, no matter where we are and sometimes we don't realize that it may look a little odd to other people. When we asked Mary about the strangest place she's ever knit, she had to consult her family. "While playing miniature golf," she said, "Also, I freaked out my seatmate by drop-spindling on an airplane once."  

We love spreading the word by knitting in public and so does Mary! Her favorite place to knit in public is "the ice rink where my kids practice, because all the little kids are fascinated by it and fearless about asking questions."

As accomplished a knitter as she is, Mary has great aspirations. "I want to be [Kate Davies] when I grow up," she told us. With Kate's fantastic colorwork and adorable cabled owls, her patterns are fun to look at and fun to knit! As for us, we want to be Mary when we grow up--write about knitting and then ride off into the sunset on our motorcycles.

Here is Mary's Fiber Fest class--click to register before it fills!
Friday, April 26th @ StevenBe, 10am-1pm: 2 Strings = Not Scary!