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Darn It! How to Repair your Knitting Online Workshop Available

I’ve been working on my new class from Interweave, Darn It! How to Repair your Knitting for several years.  Since I began offering repair courses, I’ve wanted to find a way to get this information to students who were not in my geographic area.  This started when I posted about getting a copy of Rena Crockett’s Flawless Knit Repair.  People from all parts of the globe would email asking how they could get a copy, or asking if I’d be willing to scan a PDF version of the book.  (I was never comfortable with that solution, as I make my living off of my copyright, and I’ve never been able to contact Crockett or her realitives to see if they would be OK with that action.)

But in the back of my brain I was trying to figure out how I could create my own, readily available version of Crockett’s book.  Becasue as much as Crockett’s book was instrumental in my own start into repairing things, I’d found some other methods of working that I wanted to share with people.  More than a year ago I teamed up with Interweave to try and create a course that would answer the need I’d seen.

I’m proud to announce that Darn It: How to Repair your Knitting is finally available!  This class covers a lot of ground: repairing knit fabrics, purl fabrics, cables, lace and (my favorite!) colorwork (which has some special challenges).  It breaks down, step-by-step, how to approach various reparis, and how to make them nearly invisible (if that’s your desire).

Let’s look at what the class includes:

In This Online Workshop You’ll Learn:

  • A variety of repair techniques including duplicate and Kitchener stitch
  • How to fix holes before they even happen
  • Step-by-step repairs for stockinette, Fair Isle, cables, and lace knitting
  • The secret to weaving in ends invisibly
  • Tips for sourcing repair yarn and mimicking original yarns in older or heirloom pieces

Lesson Outline:

  • Intro
  • Darning vs. Reweaving
  • A Stitch In Time: Finding Holes Before They Happen
  • The Duplicate Stitch
  • Repairing Stranded Colorwork
  • Kitchener Stitch
  • Repairing Cables
  • Mending a Hole in Stockinette
  • Weaving in Ends
  • Repairing Lace
  • Conclusion

Skill Level:

Any! Students should have basic knitting skills and some knowledge of knitting cables and simple lace.

Optional Materials for Practice Swatches:

Small amounts of worsted-weight yarn in several colors for practice swatches and repair; Size 7 or 8 knitting needles; locking stitch markers; crochet hook; tapestry needle and sharp-tipped needle; Size 7 or 8 double-pointed knitting needles

All About Yarn Online Workshop

I’m proud to announce the release of my class All About Yarn with Interweave.  This class has been a long time in coming!  It’s a version of one of my most popular topics to talk about: why yarns act the way they do.  I’ve been working to get this information to a wider audience, and I feel that this fits that niche.  Let me tell you a little bit more about the class:

 Ever find what you think is the perfect yarn for the perfect project, only to find that they are not perfect together at all? Ever fret over substituting one yarn for another? Join Jennifer Raymond and discover why a yarn that is luscious for lace can be a fail when it comes to cables. Look at your stash with fresh eyes, and visit your LYS knowing how to choose and use the right yarn for whatever you want to make. Prepare to learn All About Yarn.

In this Online Workshop you’ll:

 

  • Learn about the 3 building blocks of all yarns–ply, weight, and fiber content—and how they work together.
  • Determine the weight of any yarn, from handspun to those mystery yarns in your stash.
  • Explore a whole menagerie of fiber animals–from angora to yak–along with cotton, linen, silk and more.
  • Gain new confidence in choosing and using yarns, whether for a new pattern or for your own design
  • Get tips on how to care for your finished projects.

 

Lesson Outline:

 

  • Introduction
  • Meet Your Instructor
  • Understanding Ply:

 

  • Singles
  • 2 Ply Yarns
  • 3 & 4 Ply Yarns
  • A Weighty Matter: Yarn Weights Explained
  • Yarn Weight Standards
  • Wraps per Inch
  • A Small Detour: Worsted vs. Woolen Yarns
  • Fiber: Protein, Cellulose, and Other Types of Fiber
  • Quick Guide: Types of Wool
  • Quick Guide: Other Animal Fibers
  • Quick Guide: Cotton, Linen, & Silk
  • Quick Guide: Synthetic Fibers
  • Fiber Care

 

  • Wrapping Up

 

 

 

Skill Level: Beginner on up. Though aimed at knitters, this workshop is also appropriate for crocheters or any maker interested in yarn.

Materials required: None! Though you may find it helpful to rummage through your yarn stash while watching.

 

About the Instructor:
Jennifer Raymond is a knitter, crocheter, and spinner based in Ashland, Virginia, with more than 20 years of stitching experience. A teacher and designer, she also has a business repairing and restoring heirloom knit and crochet pieces.