knitshop.co.uk May workshops

The warmer months are on their way and it’s a great time to acquire some new needlecraft skills so you can make some suitably summery attire. Crochet is the perfect option – its lacy structure covers you up without weighing you down. Crocheted designs can also be fast to knit.

On Friday 9 May we’re running a Summer Lace Crochet class showing you everything you need to know to make your first lacy crochet items. This is an improvers’ class, so you’ll need to know how to turn chains and create double and treble crochet stitches. We’ll help you build on these basics, building up your repertoire of crochet stitches and introducing you to new techniques. We’ll show you how to read a lace crochet pattern and discuss the challenges involved in working with fine cotton yarn and very slim crochet hooks.

Crochet Cotton in different thicknesses

We are also running a slightly more general Improve Your Crochet class on Friday 2 May in which we’ll explain how to read crochet patterns and introduce several new crochet stitches. Both classes are intended to give you the confidence to tackle your first crochet accessories. A bolero, headband, scarf or cowl are all great first projects.

If you get into a pickle, you can always book yourself into our free Knitting And Crochet SOS class on Saturday 30 May. We’ll help you unravel (excuse the pun) any mistakes and help you get your project back on track.

Lily Jacket is knitted in Coquette Cotton.
It is a great pattern to start colour work.

Knitters have a great choice of techniques-based workshops to choose from too, including Intarsia and Fair Isle colour knitting classes. We’ll be showing you how to knit your first pair of socks in our class on Saturday 24 May using circular or double-pointed needles and knitting in the round from the toe up. There’s a lovely selection of knitshop.co.uk Sock Yarn shades to choose from and we’ll give you the pattern to take home so you can complete both socks.

All knitshop.co.uk workshops take place at our boutique outlet at 326 Lee High Road, London SE23 (nearest stations Blackheath, Lee or Lewisham) from 11am to 1pm and cost £15 per adult. Refreshments, tuition materials, patterns and follow-up advice are all included. To book a class just follow the link below and choose ‘self-pickup’ at the checkout.

Links to this blog:

May workshops list: www.knitshop.co.uk/245-may

Improve Your Crochet workshop, 2 May: www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3014-2-may-crochet-improvers-charts-reading-stitches.html

Summer Lace Crochet workshop, 9 May: www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3018-lace-crochet.html

Fair Isle Knitting workshop, 10 May: www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3019-10-may-fairisle-knitting-crochet.html

Tunisian Crochet workshop, 16 May: www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3021-16-may-tunisian-afghan-crochet.html

Intarsia Knitting workshop, 17 May: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3022-17-may-intarsia-colour-knitting-workshop.html

Finishing Techniques: Crochet, 23 May: www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3023-crochet.html

Sock Knitting workshop, 24 May: www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3024-sock-knitting.html

Kids’ Crochet workshop, 30 May: www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3025-lets-get-hooked.html

Crocheting in Colour workshop, 30 May: www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/3026-crochet-workshop-colour-motifs.html

Knitshop.co.uk Crochet Cotton Thread: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/237-crochet-cotton-thread

Knitshop.co.uk Sock Yarn: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/165-socks-yarn

Steel Crochet Hooks: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/322-steel-crochet-hook

The Creative Craft Show

knitshop.co.uk at the Creative Craft Show knitshop.co.uk will once again be taking part in a series of knitting and craft events this year. The first show in our 2013 calendar is the Creative Crafts Show at Five Lakes near Colchester in Essex. This takes place from 14th to 16th February and features a multitude of crafts covering all aspects of needlecraft from sewing, quilting and embroidery to knitting, felting and crochet. Julieta, knitshop.co.uk’s founder and designer, will be teaching three classes daily at the show. The day starts with a crochet class. Attendees learn how to create a foundation chain, how to hold the hook and how to make double and treble crochet stitches. The class is based around learning to crochet a flower.


Julieta will be teaching the invaluable technique of knitting in the round from 12.30 till 1.30pm. In this class, you’ll be shown how to distribute your yarn across multiple double-pointed needles, how to join your knitting to create your first round and how to create a seamless three-dimensional item. The class is based around knitting a wrist warmer – a great first project to knit this way. The final class each day will show you how to felt items and apply small pieces of felt to baubles to create felted beads. Once you master the process you’ll be able to make unique necklaces, bracelets and decorations. The crochet class is from 11am to noon; the knitting in the round workshop is from 12.30 until 1.30pm, and the felted beads class is from 2pm to 3pm. Each class lasts an hour and costs £5. The Creative Crafts Show takes place from 14th to 16th February. The show is open from 10am to 5pm each day and costs £7.95 per adult or £6.95 for concessions. Classes can be booked through knitshop.co.uk, or you can book a slot (if places are still available) at the show. knitshop.co.uk will also be participating in the Stitches and Creative Crafts Shows in Malvern from 28 February to 2 March and in Shepton Mallet from 25 to 28 April. If you can’t make any of these dates, check out the schedule of classes in knitting, crochet and felting at our Lee Green boutique outlet.


Links to this blog: SCC Creative Crafts Show Five Lakes, Essex: http://www.sccshows.co.uk/13ff_proceed_shrt.html SCC Creative Crafts Show Malvern: http://www.sccshows.co.uk/13mv_proceed_shrt.html SCC Creative Crafts Show Shepton Mallet: http://www.sccshows.co.uk/13sm_proceed.html Workshop schedule at knitshop.co.uk: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/156-workshops

What's on in January - Workshops at Lee Green

Happy New Year! If one of your resolutions for 2013 is to pick up a new skill, you’ve come to the right place. knitshop.co.uk holds regular classes on Fridays and Saturdays for adults and children keen on knitting and crafting. Classes include felted jewellery making as well as knitting and crochet.

New knitters and those who want to build on existing needle skills are well catered for. On Saturday 5^th January, we’re holding a Beginners’ Knitting Workshop. As well as finding out how to hold the needles, cast on and create your first stitches, you’ll learn how to make your first project. By the end of the two-hour class you’ll know how to create a knitted flower – or even a scarf! The £15 workshop fee includes all the materials you need, so you’ll be able to take the project home with you and finish it in your own time.

Under 18s can also learn to knit. We’ll be running a Swing The Needles workshop for kids in parallel with our Beginners’ Knitting class. Here, children over the age of five will be shown finger knitting. We also teach youngsters how to knit with two needles and how to crochet. Bring them along and see which of these skills they take to.

Swing The Needles costs £10 per child, while Knitting For Beginners costs £15 per adult. Both workshops run from 11am to 1pm and are held at knitshop.co.uk’s Boutique Outlet at 326 Lee High Road.

If you can already knit, but would like to learn new techniques, our Knitting In The Round workshop is a great option. Even if you’re rather rusty with the needles, you’ll soon pick up this great technique, which allows you to make items such as gloves, socks and hats without any seams. During the two-hour class you’ll learn how to make a pair of wrist warmers, a hat or gloves. Knitting In The Round takes place on Saturday 19^th January. Full details here: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2671-knitting-in-the-round.html

Accessories make all the difference to an outfit. Add to your knitting repertoire by learning to Knit a Flower Corsage. The workshop on Saturday 12^th January will teach you all you need to know. You simply need to know how to knit and purl. We can refresh your memory about these skills too.

Both the Knitting In The Round and Knit a Flower Corsage classes cost £15 and take place from 11am to 1pm at knitshop.co.uk’s Boutique Outlet at 326 Lee High Road.

If it’s crochet rather than knitting that you’re keen to learn, we have two workshops for you. Crochet novices can learn the basics at our Crochet for Beginners class on Friday 4^th January. Once you’ve mastered how to hold the hook and creating your first crochet chain, we’ll show you how to turn them into a flower.

On Friday 11^th January we’ll be showing you how to Crochet a classic Granny Square. This class is ideal for anyone who knows how to make a crochet chain using doubles and trebles, but can also be taken by those who have never tried crochet before. As well as working with several colours, you’ll learn how to read a crochet chart and follow a pattern.

Both crochet classes cost £15 and take place from 11am to 1pm at knitshop.co.uk’s Boutique Outlet at 326 Lee High Road.

Finally, we’re offering you the chance to make your own jewellery. Our Creative Jewellery Felting Workshop demonstrates how to make and apply wet felting. During the two-hour course you’ll make a necklace or bracelet with beads and felt. 

 

To book any of our classes, click ‘Add to cart’ and choose ‘self pick-up’ when you check out.

Happy crafting!

Links to this blog:

Creative Jewellery Felting workshop: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2673-bead-jewellery-felting.html

Crochet a Square workshop: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2667-crochet-a-square.html

Kids’ Knitting/Crochet workshops: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2659-swing-the-needles.html

http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2657-lets-get-hooked.html

Knit A Flower Corsage workshop: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2668-flower-corsage.html

Knitting In The Round workshop: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2671-knitting-in-the-round.html

Learn To Knit workshop: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/workshops/2658-beginners-knitting-workshop.html

Knitshop.co.uk workshop schedule: http://www.knitshop.co.uk/156-workshops

Valentine's Treats

Warm the cockles of your hearts with the knitshop's Valentine's treats and ideas.Outside it's freezing, and as we await the snow, ice and chilly winds, we here at the knitshop have some great projects to keep you warm at home and knitting loved-up treats for lovers, new dates, friends and more.


Felted flowers for your lover
Saturday 11th of February the knitshop team have a special felting session, to help you design and make your own felted flower. Using merino tops, you'll be walked through all the techniques for wet felting so you can carry-on making beautiful decorations at home. Include shimmering beads, a mix of colours or your own twist on the design, this makes an ideal gift for a lover.

Or how about bringing your date to the session? From 3-5pm, this relaxed, fun and exciting workshop is ideal to get to know a new partner. At £19 for this two hour workshop, with materials and refreshments included, its a worthwhile activity to bring out the romance between a found love.

Roses for your date
What better way to say 'I Love You' than an enormous bouquet of roses. Download knitshop's roses pattern and knit up a flower for your date. A free pattern, easy to follow and with everlasting roses, your love will be eternal. All you'll need is needles, 2.5mm and Cotton Mulberry 4ply, in any colour you choose. 'Check out' the pattern for free on the knitshop.co.uk website and get knitting.

Red V's Pink
For your own Valentine's projects, whether it be a knitted scarf, a warm jumper, a felted scene or something more unique, we've got some hot reds and pinks for your projects.

This warm and cosy red Alpaca brings out romance, love and importantly warmth this cold February. The beautiful pink Mulberry Silk / Merino Yarn is easy to knit with a great for love hearts and more. Tomato Red DK Simply Wool is ideal for hot romantic knits and we're hoping it may also keep your fingertips cosy and warm too.

The ideal gift
If you're at a loss of what to demand from your lover this Valentine's day, then insist on this beautiful knitting book with a heated sock theme! Knit two socks at the same time and have a pair of socks knitted in next to no time. Ideal for the frost and ice coming our way!

knitshop.co.uk include a host of gifts to indulge a loved one this Valentine's Day, but if you're at a loss of what to get someone, maybe vouchers is the best move! knitshop offers a variety of vouchers, get in touch or get online!

Links to this post:
Workshops at Lee Green for knitting, crochet and felting
FREE Knitted Rose Pattern to download
Gift Vouchers from knitshop.co.uk
Alpaca Yarns, 100% 4ply and aran-chunky alpaca
Mulberry Silk / Merino wool yarn, 50% silk & 50% merino DK yarn
Simply Wool 100% DK Yarn