6/2 – Spit ‘n Polish: From Homemade to Handmade

Description

This class is fun as well as useful. Knit and crochet always benefit from careful finishing.  Don’t believe people who say otherwise!  Nowadays it’s common enough for people to say that you can skip finishing or eliminate seams without paying a price.  But, often, that’s not true.  This class is mostly for knitters; but sometimes, techniques overlap.  We’ll talk about (and make) invisible seams, perfect borders and bands, afterthought pockets, neat buttonholes, three-needle bind-offs, edge stitches, good yarn-end treatments, three-needle bind-offs, firm yarn joins, and more. We’ll talk about and do some steam blocking. Finishing actually starts with the cast-on, so we’ll talk about knitting practices that make finishing easier and more effective. 

Materials and Homework: 4 or 5 knitted squares, about 4 inches square each, worsted weight or DK yarn, 1 in garter st, the others in stockinette; two with yarn still attached (stitches on holders).  Bring a small amount of contrasting yarn in the same weight.  Needles or hooks appropriate to the yarn.   Animal fiber is best but not essential.  Try to avoid acrylic (we use steam blocking and acrylic is heat sensitive).

Bring contrasting yarn, same weight.