Whether dependable sheep’s wool or tricky rayon, every yarn is individual. From specific breeds of sheep or other fiber-bearing animals to plants like bamboo, hemp, and flax, manmade or remanufactured, each type of fiber brings its own distinct benefits and challenges to a knitting project. Learn to evaluate the potential of your particular yarn and techniques for ensuring success in your hand-knit garments. We will cover the roles of garment architecture, fit, and borders, ways to prevent sagging and biasing in inelastic fibers, and pattern stitches and seaming techniques to stabilize garments. The class will be a combination of lectures, hands-on work, and discussion. Students will take away an understanding of fiber characteristics, yarn behavior in knitted fabrics, and an arsenal of techniques for best results.
Come join acclaimed author, teacher, and designer, Margaret Radcliffe, as she gives a Master Class in understanding how fibers translate to knitted fabrics and how we as knitters can create better structured and better fitting garments. During this two-day workshop, we will explore many kinds of fibers and their properties and behaviors when knitted into sweaters or accessories. Students will have the exciting opportunity to learn from one of the industry’s experts.
You will receive the Zoom link 1-2 business days before the virtual class.
Format: Virtual
Skill Level: Intermediate through advanced. Students should be comfortable casting on, binding off, working simple pattern stitches, increasing and decreasing, and picking up stitches for borders. Students will find this class most helpful if they have already finished several garments.
Instructor: Margaret Radcliffe
Date: Saturday and Sunday, 3/25, 3/26
Time: 10:00am-12:00pm and 3:00pm-5:00pm each day
Materials Required:
- Needles in the sizes used to knit homework, plus needles 2 and 4 sizes smaller and 2 sizes larger.
- Ruler (12”-18” long)
- Calculator
- Optional: Wraps per inch (wpi) tool. You can also use your ruler, a narrow piece of cardboard, a short dowel, or a pencil marked with a 1” or 2” length using a permanent marker.
- Optional: Tags for labeling swatches
- Optional: If you have one, a notably successful or a notably unsuccessful garment knit in yarn from a single fiber (i.e. 100% wool, cotton, silk, angora, linen, rayon, etc.). Forward a clear photo of the garment to instructor <maggie0615@maggiesrags.com> at least 48 hours before class begins, with notes on what worked or did not work in this garment.
- Basic knitting supplies (scissors, markers, cable needle, etc.).
- Once you have registered, you will be contacted to purchase your kit. Do not purchase until notified! Fiber to Fabric Yarn Kit Required, no substitutions. The yarns in this kit were chosen exclusively for this workshop.
Homework:- Knit 6 swatches, one from each of the yarns specified in the supplies list.
- Use whatever needle size you normally would for each yarn, to create a stockinette stitch fabric you like the feel and look of. Swatches should be 30 stitches by 42 rows. Begin each swatch with 8 rows of K2 P2 ribbing, then continue with 26 rows of stockinette, and finish with 8 rows of K1 P1 ribbing. Bind off. Do not block. Keep a record of the needle size used for each swatch. Have swatches and remaining yarn available during class.
When possible, please buy your materials from WEBS.
Cancellation Policy: For all classes, payment of full tuition is due at time of registration. Tuition will be refunded only if the class is canceled by WEBS. or if there is a waiting list and your spot can be filled.
