2010 Maiwa Textile Workshops
Full listings are now up.
Registration Opens June 21, 2010


Knitworks 1: Essential Skills for the Self-Taught Knitter
$125 (Includes $10 Lab Fee) One full day

October 22 (Fri) 10 am - 4:30 pm
Maiwa Loft - Net Loft Granville Island, Vancouver, Canada
Class Limit 18

Most of us are self-taught. And no matter how advanced and accomplished we are, there are holes in our experience. Perhaps we rely upon the same cast-on, the same increase, the same decrease. Perhaps we are not confident of our seaming or are confounded by the instruction to pick up and knit 101 stitches around the neck edge . . . evenly!

This workshop explores the best methods we should all have in our repertoire and provides hands-on experience for each one. In addition, students will have the opportunity to ask questions about other knitting techniques. There is always room for the content of this class to be influenced by the students in the class.

Student Supply List

Yarn, needles, blunt tapestry needle, crochet hook. All other materials provided.

Homework Assignment

Work a 3” square swatch in stockinette.

Cast on 24 stitches: work in stockinette until the piece measures 3" in length. DO EXACTLY AS WRITTEN: do not slip stitches and do not work short rows. (You are shaping a round neck, in case you wonder what is going on.) At the beginning of the next RS row, bind off 6 stitches. At the beginning of the next RS row, bind off 3 stitches. At the beginning of the next RS row, bind off 2 stitches. At the beginning of the next 3 RS rows, bind off 1 stitch. Work 8 rows straight. Bind off all stitches.

Use plain, light-colored yarn throughout. Worsted weight works best. Block both swatches.



Knitworks 2: Making the Most of Your Yarn Collection
$125 (Includes $10 Lab Fee) One full day

October 23 (Sat) 10 am - 4:30 pm
Maiwa Loft - Net Loft Granville Island, Vancouver, Canada
Class Limit 18

This workshop shows the knitter how to use, manage, and replenish a yarn collection. Participants will learn ways to use up bits of yarns and those 4-6 balls of something previously considered unusable. They will also learn how they may now buy one ball of anything that appeals to them, knowing they will use it well. The elegance of the resulting fabrics, and the fact that they look nothing like odd-ball knitting, comes as a very exciting discovery to participants in this workshop!

Students will explore the problems inherent in using multiple yarns and colours: which ones go together, which stitch patterns will accommodate different weights and colours best, how to arrange a yarn collection to make the most of it, and much more.

Student Supply List

Varous yarns (weights and colours), various needles, large tapestry needle (blunt tip essential). All other materials provided.

Homework Assignment

With smooth, light coloured yarn, do the following: find the needle size you would normally knit this yarn; drop down 2 sizes (as shown on a needle chart); convert this size to mm’s; multiply by 2; do all of the following with this MUCH TOO LARGE needle; cast on 12 stitches; knit 2 rows; change to stockinette, and work 2”; bind off.

With any yarn and appropriate needles, cast on 15 stitches and work 2 rows stockinette, leaving work ready to work a RS (knit) row.

Use plain, light-colored yarn throughout. Worsted weight works best. Block both swatches.



Knitworks 3: Knit to Flatter and Fit
$65 (Includes $5 Lab Fee) One half-day

October 24 (Sun) 10 am - 1 pm
Maiwa Loft - Net Loft Granville Island, Vancouver, Canada
Class Limit 18

A knitter who spends the time and energy to make her own clothes should be rewarded with a result that makes her happy and proud. It should fit, it should flatter, and there should be no mystery as to how this happened. But sadly, and too often, this is not the result. Why? Because the knitter chooses the wrong pattern OR chooses the right pattern but follows the directions without questioning them OR makes the right garment but wears it with the wrong thing.

There are a few simple rules to follow for successful knitting: start with styles that flatter, knit with appropriate decisions for a personalized fit, and then wear it with something that makes it look wonderful! This workshop covers all these decisions and puts the power for successful results into your competent hands.

Student Supply List

Light-weight, light-colored paper (that you can trace your outline through); scissors; measuring tape; pencil; eraser. All other materials provided.

Homework Assignment

It is essential that this exercise be completed. You will be disappointed if you don't do this! And please read this carefully, including the NOTE at the bottom.

1) Dress in something close fitting. (We need to see your real silhoutte. You may wear only lingerie, or you may add a bodysuit, a leotard, or tights. But do wear supportive lingerie.)
2) Standing straight, with arms slightly away from your side and feet together, have someone take a straight-on, full body (head-to-toe) photo of you. (Have the photo fill the screen as much as possible.)
3) Print the photo onto plain paper (enlarging it to more than 8" tall).
4) Trace your outline only with a heavy black pen. Bring your outline to class.

NOTE Common homework and supplies errors are the following: arms too far from sides, feet not together, head not included, paper not light-weight (so you can see your silhouette through it), silhouette not outlined heavily enough.



Knitworks 4: First Choices, Basic Shapes
$65 (Includes $5 Lab Fee) One half-day

October 24 (Sun) 2 pm - 5 pm
Maiwa Loft - Net Loft Granville Island, Vancouver, Canada
Class Limit 18

No matter how advanced or experienced we are, we run the risk of making a garment that looks awful. Why? We make decisions in the first 20 minutes that have everything to do with the success or failure of a project. What are those decisions? Yarn, color, stitch pattern, silhouette.

This workshop gives diagnostic skills to look at these decisions. And it then follows with basic pattern drafting. So even if you never design your own knitting, you’ll have the tools to alter what you do knit to produce the best possible result.

This class is wonderfully combined with KNIT TO FLATTER AND FIT. The basic pattern drafting will be the set-in sleeve.

Sally Melville loves all aspects of life as a "professional" knitter: teaching, writing, designing, and explaining what this all means! And what does it mean? It means an extensive teaching schedule that takes her around the world, speaking to wonderful folk who can appreciate the perfect buttonhole, who love the textures and colours and techniques of knitting, who want to be more intuitive about their craft, and who know that life is about learning.

Sally first wrote a successful book about how to make beautiful garments from a yarn stash (Sally Melville: Styles | A Unique and Elegant Approach to your Yarn Collection (1998)) and then began a five-book series: The Knitting Experience. The first volume in the series is dedicated to The Knit Stitch (2002); the second, The Purl Stitch (2003); the third, Color (2005). To date, sales of all four books are above 250,000.

Besides designing for her own books, Sally has contributed work to most major knitting publications plus books by other authors.

In addition, Sally served as the Study Skills Advisor at the University of Waterloo (1993-1999). This meant taking concepts of how the brain works most effectively and turning them over to students to help them work more productively.

These two fields (brain function plus fiber arts design) come together to produce some interesting material. And this material appears as a favorite and unique feature of Sally’s classes - stimulating discussion, challenging basic assumptions, teaching us the value of being creative and of using our hands and of paying attention to life.




The full course calendar is on the web. A print version will be available in June. Registration opens June 21, 2010.