Swedish Knitting - Ambidextrous Knitting and Swedish Lovika Mittens
| Instructor: Kristin Drysdale | Class Capacity: 25 | |||
| Class Level: Basic knitting skills. |
Description ~ Swedish Knitting - Ambidextrous Knitting and Swedish Lovika Mittens
This class focuses on knitting a new way. The easiest way into knitting colorwork is to hold one yarn in the left hand (Continental) and another color in the right hand (throwing). Both techniques will be taught in this class, and you will practice which way is new to you. In this class you will make Swedish Lovikka Mittens.
Lovika mittens were created above the Artic Circle in Lovikka Sweden by a young girl named Erika Aittamaa in 1892. They were knit with heavy Swedish wool, then combed to make them soft and fluffy, and then embroidered to make them festive. Because they are knit with one color, Lovikaa Mittens are a great project for beginners, or for learning a new way to knit. You will knit and embroider the mitten in class. These mittens are fun to make and knit up in a flash.
Nordic Sweater or Shetland Vest
| Instructor: Kristin Drysdale | Class Capacity: 25 | |||
| Class Level: Intermediate |
Description ~ Nordic Sweater or Shetland Vest
n this class students will focus on the colorwork traditions of Norway and on the Shetland Islands. Both Norway and the Shetland Isle knit all-over colorwork garments. The designs are related but have their own look. Both traditions use steeks, but with their own methods for securing and concealing the steek. The wool in Norway and in the Shetland Islands is sticky and is the perfect wool for knitting with steeks. In Norway, steeks are secured by sewing a seam with a sewing machine or my hand on each side of the cutting line (whether the line is straight of curved). In the Shetland Islands, the yarn is so sticky that it doesn't have to be secured, but Kristin likes to secure the stitches with a row of crochet. This class will cover both methods.
This is a six-hour crash course on all-over colorwork garments and you will come out of it with the skills, confidence, and knowledge to finish on your own. This class is the first class on the cruise so that you can work your sweater or vest throughout the cruise. It will make a beautiful souvenir.
Students will start the sweaters by working on the sleeves. The sleeve will let us move quickly through the colorwork pattern and then learn how to increase stitches in colorwork. This is an important skill that is tricky at first, but once you get how to do it, it's not really hard at all. We will also get you started on the body and how to work the buttonholes in the fabric. You are going to love my method for buttonholes! I hope that the skills that you will learn in this class will take you to the next level in Nordic knitting. After six hours, you will be ready to proceed on your own as needed.
The vests will start with the body, and depending on your speed, you could finish the body and cut the steek on the last day of class.
Refer to the attachment for more information and pictures. We will host a a Zoom call closer to sailing to show project samples and answer questions.
Norwegian Knitting - Selbu Mittens and Symbolism in Norwegian Motifs
| Instructor: Kristin Drysdale | Class Capacity: 25 | |||
| Class Level: Intermediate |
Description ~ Norwegian Knitting - Selbu Mittens and Symbolism in Norwegian Motifs
In 1857 a girl named Marit Gulsetbrua Emstad made three pairs of mittens featuring an eight-pointed star in bold black. She wore them to church, and soon her whole town was designing and knitting black and white mittens. Soon it became a cottage industry and mitten were knit and sold around the world.
In Kristin's book The Nordic Knitting Primer, she designed a pair of Selbu Mittens to symbolize the Scandinavian immigration to North America. Norwegian knitting motifs carry a meaning with them. In this class you will learn all about the symbolism and secret messages you can use to make the knitting you do for loved ones meaningful and personal. In this traditional Selbu mitten, Kristin used waves to symbolize the journey, the date could be added to reflect their family's immigration, a man or woman could be placed on the thumb to represent their member of their family that immigrated, a star pattern on the palm to symbolize the stars they saw crossing the Atlantic , a Selbu Rose to symbolize Norway, a compass to represent the voyage, and flowers on the cuff to remind us all to bloom where we are. The knitters can modify my mitten and knit a mitten that tells their story , knit Kristin's original design from her book, or design a mitten of your own from her e-book.
Scandiwork Slippers
| Instructor: Kristin Drysdale | Class Capacity: 25 | |||
| Class Level: Intermediate |
Description ~ Scandiwork Slippers
Kristin loves teaching this class because it is colorwork in a nutshell. You will learn and master all the skills you need to conquer any colorwork project. In this class, you will complete at least one slipper. You have the option of knitting an Ingeborg (the easiest), Hansdatter, Hans Christian, Sørine Pattern, or Hansen included in class. You will learn how to knit and purl in colorwork. The first portion of the slipper is worked flat, and the top of the slipper is knit in the round.
Nordic/Fair Isle Hat
| Instructor: Kristin Drysdale | Class Capacity: 25 | |||
| Class Level: Beginner through Advanced. |
Description ~ Nordic/Fair Isle Hat
Jump right into knitting colorwork in the round by choosing one of three hat patterns as outlined in the PDF Nordic or Fair Isle Hat attachment. Each hat features different levels of complexity to challenge knitters of all levels.
Refer to the attachment for more information and pictures. We will host a a Zoom call closer to sailing to show project samples and answer questions.