June Knitting Classes at Michael's in South Austin - Knit Beginner 2, More Advanced Beginner Classes, and another chance to take Beginning Knitting Classes, the Ruffled Scarf Class and Arm Knitting

May went so fast! I can't believe that I'm already making the June schedule. It's been a little slow getting students, but I'm not giving up. I'm also looking forward to teaching Kids Club classes and Rainbow Loom Meet Ups at the Sunset Valley Michael's. You can check the schedule to see what kids club classes are coming up. Rainbow Loom Meet-Ups are usually on Saturdays from noon until 2 pm. I've been practicing a lot on my own Rainbow Loom and loving it! I'll be blogging more about it later.

New Classes - I'm adding a few new classes in June, mostly for knitters with a little bit of experience. However, don't worry if you're new to knitting. We'll have three returning classes with no prerequisites. Also, it's not too late to learn arm knitting or take the Ruffled Scarf Class.

Beginner Knitting - Learn the Purl Stitch

These two classes are designed for people who have taken Knit Beginner 1 or the Discover Knit - Headwrap class, or knitters who know the knit stitch but haven't gotten to the purl stitch yet. As always, any knitter with the prerequisite skills can join us, even if they are more advanced. In these classes we will focus on learning the purl stitch, which is basically the knit stitch's mirror image. With this skill you'll be able to add new textures to your knitting.

Knit Beginner 2 - Neck Warmer or Tassel Hat
Prerequisites: Casting On, Knit Stitch, Binding Off
Thursday, June 12 from 5:30 pm until 8 pm at Michael's in Sunset Valley
Thursday, June 26 from 5:30 pm until 8 pm at Michael's in Westlake



Now that you know the basics of knitting, you are ready to learn the purl stitch! Create a hat or neck warmer. You will choose one pattern for the class, but you will receive patterns for both projects.

Discover Knit - Phone Case
Prerequisites: Casting On, Knit Stitch, Binding Off
Saturday, June 7 from 2 pm until 4:30 pm at Michael's in Sunset Valley
Saturday, June 14 from 2:30 pm until 5 pm at Michael's in Westlake


Protect your phone with this creative and cute phone cozy. Learn the purl stitch to make this functional, handmade piece.

Advanced Beginner: Discover Knit - Pom Pom Hat
Prerequisites: Casting On, Knit Stitch, Purl Stitch, Binding Off
Sunday, June 29 from 2 pm until 4:30 pm at Michael's in Sunset Valley
Tuesday, June 24 from 5:30 pm until 8 pm at Michael's in Westlake


Show off your favorite colors in this striped ribbed hat. Maybe it's your school or team colors or maybe it's to match your favorite coat.

You'll be ready for this after you take Knit Beginner 2 or the Discover Knit - Phone Case class. This is also a good class if you know the knit stitch and the purl stitch, and you are ready to learn ways to increase and decrease. This class will focus on learning how to decrease, although changing colors will also be discussed. Decreasing is key to many hat patterns, not just this one.

Returning Classes - These classes from May are back for another month, in case you missed them the first time around.

Beginning Knitting - No Experience Needed

These two classes, Discover Knit - Headwrap and Knit Beginner 1, are designed for students with no knitting experience. However, they are also good for those who haven't knit for a while and need a review, or people who are having difficulty learning on their own. Of course, anyone who wants to join us to make one of these projects is welcomed.

Each class offers different projects that teach the same skills. Both classes teach casting on (putting stitches on the needle), knit stitch, binding off (taking stitches off the needle), basic seaming, weaving in ends and a basic understanding of yarn and knitting tools.

Also, if you want to take the Ruffled Scarf class later this month, these classes will teach you the prerequisite skills you need.

Discover Knit: Headwrap - $25
Sunday, June 1 from 2pm until 4:30 pm at Michael's in Sunset Valley
Tuesday June 3 from 5:30 pm until 8 pm at Michael's in Westlake

Keep your ears warm with a simple, yet stylish headband that you create yourself. You can take a look at the sample Headwrap I made here.


Knit Beginner 1: Hat or Mitts - $25
Sunday, June 15 from 2 pm until 4:30 pm at Michael's in Sunset Valley
Saturday, June 28 from 2:30 pm until 5 pm at Michael's in Westlake

Select your favorite colors and start making your own hat or wrist warmers that you'll be proud to wear or give as gifts. You choose one project for the class, but you will get patterns for both. You can look at the sample hat and cuffs I made here.



Arm Knitting - No Experience Needed - $10
Tuesday, June 10 from 6 pm until 7 pm at Michael's in Sunset Valley
Tuesday, June 17 from 6 pm until 7pm at Michael's in Westlake

According to The Wall Street Journal, "Arm knitting combines several things that are appealing to millennials: crafts projects, chunky knitwear (featured on the fall 2013 runways), social media and instant gratification." Of course, this innovative new craft is for people of all ages who have two arms.

Choose from four different projects using different types of yarn, including three cowls and a shawl. Pick one for the class, but you'll receive patterns for all four projects so you can try them all. (Pictures of more of the patterns are coming soon. However, the left picture is me arm knitting at a demo, and the right picture is the Sashay Arm Knit Cowl sample I made.)

                          
Ruffled Scarves: for Advanced Beginner Knitters - $25
Prerequisites: Knit Stitch, Binding Off
Saturday, May 31 from 2pm until 4:30 pm at Michael's in Sunset Valley (Last class in May!)
Sunday, June 8 from 2 pm until 4:30 pm at Michael's in Sunset Valley
Thursday, June 5, from 5:30 pm until 8 pm at Michael's in Westlake

Ruffle yarns and ruffled scarves have become very popular in the last couple of years. This is a chance to make your own ruffled scarf and get comfortable using these yarns. To get the look in the picture below, use Patons Pirouette, but you can use any ruffle yarn for this class, including (but not limited to) Red Heart Boutique Sashay, Premier Starbella and other ruffle yarns. Once you get the hang of it, you'll want to try them all. (I know I did. Or at least I got pretty close.)

I'm excited about teaching, and I'm working hard to get my lesson plans just right. I hope I see you in the classroom!

FO: Headwrap

Finding beginner projects that are useful and interesting without requiring skills that new knitters don't have or taking too long to complete is always a challenge. That's why I like this Headwrap that will be featured in some of my beginner classes in the beginning of June.


The pattern only has two rectangles, one for the main headband and a smaller one for the tie. Once you assemble them, the end result is a great little headwrap to keep your ears warm.

There are no prerequisites for the Headwrap class. It's designed to teach casting on (putting stitches on the needle), knit stitch, binding off (taking stitches off the needle), basic seaming and more to people with no experience.


Like the Garter Stitch Hat and Garter Stitch Cuffs, I used Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick and US Size 13 needles. Just like the Garter Stitch Hat and Garter Stitch Cuffs, I was surprised that I didn't need a smaller needle, since my gauge tends to run loose.


The yarn color is Raspberry 112. I used yarn that had been in my stash for a long time. Since the sample in the picture on the pattern was made in a baby pink, it seemed like pink was the way to go for my sample.


Pink also seems to go with the red roses Dad brought home from school. They handed them out to the teachers in honor of their work preparing students for the STAAR exam. My styrofoam head from Michael's looks pretty good, too.

I have two more classes left for this project. One is on Sunday, June 1 from 2 pm until 4:30 pm at the Michael's in Sunset Valley, and the other is on Tuesday, June 3, from 5:30 pm until 8 pm at the Michael's in Westlake. It's a $25 class. You have until 24 hours before the class to sign up for it online. After that, you have to sign up in the store. (Usually I will take students until a couple of hours before the class.) I hope I see you there.

FO: Garter Stitch Hat and Garter Stitch Cuffs

I was trying to get a cute picture of Katie and Aaron modeling my samples together, but since Aaron has martial arts training, and Katie teaches martial arts (here is the school) it turned into a spontaneous sparring session.


That's good, but I think I like the first one better. (By the way, Katie drew the picture behind them.)

So far it's been slow getting students for my classes at Michael's, but I'm hopeful. The next scheduled classes, which teach these two projects, are tomorrow in Sunset Valley and Sunday in Westlake. (You can see the entire May 2014 and class details schedule here.)


If you want to learn to knit, the classes this weekend are a great opportunity to learn. You will choose from the Garter Stitch Hat or the Garter Stitch Cuffs, and you will get patterns for both.

I made both samples were made with Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick and US Size 13 (9 mm) needles. This surprised me, because I normally need a smaller needle to get gauge because my gauge is so loose. But this time it took the size recommended by the pattern.

Let's start with the Garter Stitch Cuffs:


I used Sky Blue yarn, which is ironic, because it is the same color they used in the official picture. I didn't plan it. That color had been in my stash for a long time now.


I used about half the skein of yarn.


You can see here that it's a very simple pattern. Just a couple of rectangles with a seam down the side, with a hole left for the thumb. No shaping or anything, but it still works.

By the way, the name of this pattern varies from place to place. Sometimes they are cuffs, sometimes they are mitts, sometimes they are wrist warmers and sometimes they are arm warmers. I guess fingerless mittens makes them sound too complicated.


As for the Garter Stitch Hat, I used Lemongrass yarn that had also been in my stash, and I used every bit of it, except for one strand a couple of feet long. After the fact, I realize I went a little too far with the size. I could have stopped sooner.


Katie tried to style it on my head to make it look slouchy. I think it just looks crooked.


The hat, like the cuffs, it just one rectangle. You weave the yarn in and out the top, pull it and seam the side. It's a little tricky, but totally doable for a new knitter.

You have until 24 hours before the class to sign up for it online. After that, you have to sign up in the store. (Usually I will take students until a couple of hours before the class.) I hope I see you there.

If you can't make it this weekend, I think you will still see a lot of these patterns. Some patterns are seasonal, but the Knit Beginner 1 patterns are used all the time.

May Knitting Classes at Michael's in South Austin - Beginner Knitting, Arm Knitting and Ruffled Scarves

If you're new to my blog, my name is Sally Villarreal, and I'm the new knitting teacher at the Michael's in Sunset Valley and Westlake. I've been keeping this blog for years now. At some points I've been more prolific than others. The focus is knitting, crochet and other fiber arts, but I sometimes veer into the stuff of day-to-day life, politics and more. Now I'll be focusing more on my work at Michael's

If you've been reading for a while, you probably already know about my new job. I'll be talking about my classes a lot, as well as posting more general. So if you've been reading this blog and wanting to try knitting, this is your big chance.

In May, I'll be teaching four different knitting classes at Michael's. Each class will be taught twice, once at the Sunset Valley Michael's and once at the Westlake Michael's. Three of the classes are designed for beginners with no experience.

You can book classes online at the links below. You can also go to the store in person to sign up.

Michael's offers Discover Knit and Crochet Classes from the Craft Yarn Council. These are the classes I'm offering in May, but I take requests for any classes from the Discover Knit Curriculum. Also, if these times don't work for you, let me know because I can probably schedule the same class at a different time. If you want to learn something that isn't covered on the curriculum, I'm sure I can come up with something. E-mail me your requests.

If you are interested in crochet, I plan to get certified to teach crochet next, but I'm not sure how long that will take. Until then, if you want to learn crochet, contact the Westlake store. They have a crochet teacher there already.

Beginning Knitting - No Experience Needed

These classes are designed for students with no knitting experience. However, they are also good for those who haven't knit for a while and need a review, or people who are having difficulty learning on their own. Of course, anyone who wants to join us to make one of these projects is welcomed.

Each class offers different projects that teach the same skills. Both classes teach casting on (putting stitches on the needle), knit stitch, binding off (taking stitches off the needle), basic seaming, weaving in ends and a basic understanding of yarn and knitting tools.

Also, if you want to take the Ruffled Scarf class later this month, these classes will teach you the prerequisite skills you need.

Discover Knit: Headwrap - $25
Saturday, May 3 from 2 pm until 4:30 pm at Michaels in Sunset Valley
Sunday, May 4 from 2 pm until 4:30 pm at Michael's in Westlake

Keep your ears warm with a simple, yet stylish headband that you create yourself.


Knit Beginner 1: Hat or Mitts - $25
Saturday, May 17 from 2 pm until 4:30pm at Michael's in Sunset Valley
Sunday, May 18 from 2 pm until 4:30pm at Michael's in Westlake

Select your favorite colors and start making your own hat or wrist warmers that you'll be proud to wear or give as gifts. You choose one project for the class, but you will get patterns for both.



Arm Knitting - No Experience Needed - $10
Saturday, May 10 from 2 pm until 3 pm at Michael's in Sunset Valley
Sunday, May 10 from 2 pm until 3 pm at Michael's in Westlake

According to The Wall Street Journal, "Arm knitting combines several things that are appealing to millennials: crafts projects, chunky knitwear (featured on the fall 2013 runways), social media and instant gratification." Of course, this innovative new craft is for people of all ages who have two arms.

Choose from four different projects using different types of yarn, including three cowls and a shawl. Pick one for the class, but you'll receive patterns for all four projects so you can try them all. (Pictures of the projects are coming soon, but this is me working on one of the projects at a demonstration.)


Ruffled Scarves: for Advanced Beginner Knitters - $25
Prerequisites: Knit Stitch, Binding Off
Saturday, May 31 from 2 pm until 4:30 pm at Michael's in Sunset Valley
Wednesday, May 21 from 5:30 pm until 8 pm at Michael's in Westlake

Ruffle yarns and ruffled scarves have become very popular in the last couple of years. This is a chance to make your own ruffled scarf and get comfortable using these yarns. To get the look in the picture below, use Patons Pirouette, but you can use any ruffle yarn for this class, including (but not limited to) Red Heart Boutique Sashay, Premier Starbella and other ruffle yarns. Once you get the hang of it, you'll want to try them all.

I'm excited about getting started, and I'm working hard to get my lesson plans just right. I hope I see you in the classroom! All the problems with the schedule are fixed! The classes with the asterisks are listed wrong on the website. The May 4 class in Westlake is the Headwrap, not the Hat or Mitts. The May 21 class is for the Ruffled Scarf, which is different than the tube scarf shown. starts at 5: 30 pm, not 5 pm. I'm working on correcting these, but the date and times are correct. Go ahead and sign up, but know that for the Ruffled Scarf class you will need a different yarn than the one listed on the website (like one of the ones listed in the class description above.)