I'm teaching at Coastal Yarns

 Look at that beauitful view! That's the canal in Bude, North Cornwall and the view from Coastal Yarns, a lovely little yarn shop.

I've taught at Coastal Yarn twice now and I really like this shop. They stock Rowam, Fyberspates  and Artesano/Manos del Uruguay yarns among several others. They also stock their own alpaca yarn spun from alpacas owned by one of the shop owners. So if you come to Cornwall on holiday, you can buy some true souvenir yarn, locally spun alpaca yarn from local alpacas, to take home.

 I'm teaching two workshop this autumn at Coastal Yarns: Steeking and Professional Finishing Techniques. The classes are great value at £40 which includes  a tasty lunch and refreshments.

 On 22 October I'm teaching 'Steeking'. Steeking enables you to knit fair isle in the round (which is much easier than trying to knit it flat). You then cut the fabric in order to provide openings for sleeves or you can even knit a cardigan as a tube and cut all the way down the front to turn it into a cardigan. Sounds scary? I'll show you how to re-inforce the steek before you cut so it won't unravel and how to pick up stitches around the steek to knit edgings, sleeves or a 'steak sandwich' which is basically a casing which covers the cut area and further secures the steek. We'll also look at why steeks are used. Before the workshop you will need to knit a simple fair isle tube like the one below. Pattern will be given to you by the shop when you book. 

It's a great feeling to finish a sweater you've been working on for ages. But then the bit that most knitters dislike the most - the sewing up and finishing! I'm not sure why so many knitters hate this bit. If  you know how to shape your sweaters to make sewing up easier and neater, how to do mattress stitch and how to block your garments, then sewing up is quite enjoyable. You'll also learn how to pick up stitches for necklines and button bands, how to work a one row button hole and how to set in a sleeve cap. By the end of the class, you'll have the skills you need to finish your sweaters off in no time. I'm teaching Professional Finishing Techniques at Social Fabric in Devon on 3 September and at Coastal Yarns on 1 November.

If you live in North Cornwall or North Devon or will be in the area on holiday then I highly recommend you pop in to the shop or attend my classes.

You can see my full workshop programme here. If you are a yarn shop owner or show organiser and would like me to teach at your shop/event, then contact me for details. If you'd like your local yarn shop to invite me to teach, then tell them about me and ask them to contact me.