WORKSHOPS: FRIDAY 11 APRIL
Click on a workshop title to view the full workshop information,
or scroll through the workshops below.
 | W1 Spinning Creative Yarn Michelle Snowdon Full Day |  | W7 Double Resists – Double the Felt Fun Rene Corder Evans Full Day |
 | W2 Incredible Crochet Textures Using Front Post Stitches Lisa van Klaveren Full Day |  | W8 Spindle Spinning for Beginners Wendy Gibbs |
 | W3 A Taste of Tapestry Marilyn Rea-Menzies Full Day |  | W9 Krokbragd Weaving Agnes Hauptli Full Day |
 | W4 The Secrets of Yarn Substitution Lecture by Zoom Patty Lyons | W10 Making a Seamless Top-down Garment Elizabeth Nihoniho | |
 | W5 Basic Techniques in Felting Incorporating Textured Embellishments Raewyn Penrose Full Day |  | W11 Raranga Weaving – The Humble Kono Tania Miriam |
 | W6 Displaying Your Creations Within a Book Patricia Took-Stevens |  | W12 Braiding by Hand Marie Buchanan |
W1 SPINNING CREATIVE YARN
Michelle Snowdon, Wooldancer
Friday 11 April, 9am–4pm
$138 (includes a materials fee of $38 to cover equipment hire and a selection of fibre, threads and wire to use in class.)
Skill level: Suitable for spinners who can spin and ply on a wheel.
Class Size Limit:16
Equipment: recently serviced and ready to spin wheel, (a large flyer/orifice is recommended) and accessories including 3–4 bobbins, a Lazy Kate and Niddy Noddy, wheel maintenance kit. Scissors, tapestry needle, skein labels and ties, pen/journal for notes. 2 litre+ ice-cream container or equivalent to contain fibre and spools of thread as you spin.
Fibre and materials: Maximum 200g of a variety of natural fibre including washed wool locks, combed top, batts. 10g long locks 6cm+, such as Teeswater, Suri alpaca, Gotland, curly long wool. 10g treasure fibres: regenerated fibre such as bamboo, tencel, silk noil, sparkle, thread off-cuts etc. 3 x cones/spools of strong thread. Bring a few different colours and types such as lurex, linen, tencel, silk. Note, do a snap-test for quality: if thread breaks without strain it’s too brittle. 2 x 50g balls of fuzzy, ie. mohair, yarn with tooth.
Inspire your creativity and spin expressive one-of-a-kind yarns. During this one-day workshop we will explore and experiment with techniques, exchange ideas and experience the process of spinning as a creative practice. You will spin functional, textured yarns that are constructed with flair; spin multiple art yarn techniques in one skein, combine locks with combed and carded fibres, make a communal batt, auto-wrap your yarn, add twists, tail-spinning and more. Bring a curiosity to try something new to you, and for creative discovery!
Michelle is a fibre artist, Creative Arts Therapist and mother living in the Blue Mountains Australia. Her handspun yarn and accessory designs have been published in the books Intertwined and Hand Spun by Lexi Boeger, and Spinning and Dyeing Yarn by Ashley Martineau. Her art yarn skeins have won numerous first prize awards at the Australian Wool Show. Michelle has toured her signature Spin to Wear workshops throughout Australia and USA. Now with an empty nest she spins and sustains wellbeing in midlife with curiosity and creativity.
W2 INCREDIBLE CROCHET TEXTURES USING FRONT POST STITCHES
Lisa van Klaveren
Friday 11 April, 9am–4pm
$100
Skill level: Advanced beginner (basic knowledge of crochet stitches). Class Size Limit: 20
Requirements: 8 ply yarn in two colours of your choice (approx. 100g each) and a crochet hook size 5.0mm or similar. Extra yarn and hooks will be available.
Learn the reversible waffle stitch, which is created using double crochet and front post double crochet. This basic stitch is a 1-row repeat which creates a reversible fabric with the same texture on both sides. It may be used to create a blanket, scarf or even a dishcloth, and is used for the beautiful Log Cabin Waffle Blanket pattern which will also be shown during the class. Other front post stitch textures will include the popular Zigzag Waffle Stitch. You will be provided with printed pattern(s) and access to video demos on Lisa’s YouTube channel for future reference. All patterns and instruction will be in standard US/American crochet terms, with a US/UK stitch conversion chart provided.
Lisa van Klaveren is the designer behind Holland Designs Crochet. Originally from Wisconsin, USA, she has been living in New Zealand since 2006. She learned to crochet at a very young age and began to design and publish her own original patterns while at university. As a stay-at-home Mum, she became a full-time independent crochet designer in 2008 and has created over 700 original designs to date. She loves to create beautifully textured, often knit-look crochet patterns. She lives in lives in Glenbrook Beach, Auckland, with her husband and 3 teenage daughters.
W3 A TASTE OF TAPESTRY
Marilyn Rea-Menzies
Friday 11 April, 9am–4pm
$105 (includes a materials fee of $5 to cover notes outlining the techniques learned)
Skill level: Beginners. Class Size Limit: 12
As this workshop is for one-day only, frames will be already warped up with a cartoon behind the warp ready to start weaving straight away. The cartoon will show basic shapes that you will learn to weave along with the following techniques: plain tapestry weave, how to weave a diagonal shape, colour blending through the technique called pick and pick, colour blending through two picks of each colour to form horizontal stripes, and colour blending through mixing the colours on the bobbin, some textures such as soumak. For those who manage to weave to the top, some hatching. You will all work from the same cartoon but will be able to choose your own colours. Frames may be purchased to enable you to take home unfinished work to complete ($25 payable to the tutor).
Marilyn is a well-known artist and contemporary tapestry weaver who has been painting and drawing since childhood. She taught herself to weave tapestries in 1980 and has since had wide experience in producing tapestries for exhibition, for private homes and also for public and corporate spaces. Recipient of a number of awards, she has exhibited her work extensively throughout New Zealand and overseas. Her work is in the collections of the Musee d’Beaux Arts, Angers, France, the Christchurch Art Gallery, Waikato Art Museum, Government House, Wellington, Left Bank Gallery, Greymouth, and many private collections. Marilyn is also a multi-media artist, working in acrylic paint, pastel, watercolour and photography. For twelve years she worked from her studio in The Arts Centre of Christchurch but is now working from her studio in her hometown of Westport.
W4 THE SECRETS OF YARN SUBSTITUTION
Patty Lyons
Friday 11 April, 9–11am – Lecture via Zoom
$35
Skill level: For all. Class Size Limit: 126
Requirements: Paper, pen, calculator, note pad.
Learn to substitute with confidence! Proper yarn selection can make or break your knitting project. If done properly, you will have a finished object that will fit you like a glove (or a hat, or a sweater.) Know the three questions everyone needs to ask themselves to make a perfect yarn sub – how much, how big, what is it? You will learn to look deeper at gauge to understand the difference between yarn gauge and pattern gauge and understand nuances like designer intent. Find out just how much a knitted swatch can teach you as you learn the difference between yardage and weight and delve into a world beyond gauge and explore the properties of different fibres.
Patty (pattylyons.com) is a nationally recognized knitting teacher and technique expert who is known for teaching the why, not just the how. She specializes in sweater design and sharing her love of the much-maligned subjects of gauge and blocking. Patty teaches at guilds and knitting shows around the USA. Her ‘Improve Your Knitting Class’ was named Craftsy’s most popular class of the year! Patty also runs wildly popular KAL / Sweater classes on her own education platform. Patty’s designs and knitting skill articles have been published in many magazines, her designs have been included in pattern collections, and she is the author of the best-selling, Patty’s Knitting Bag of Tricks: 70+ Sanity Saving Knitting Hacks.
W5 BASIC TECHNIQUES IN FELTING
INCORPORATING TEXTURED EMBELLISHMENTS
Raewyn Penrose
Friday 11 April, 9am–4pm
$105 (includes a materials/photocopying fee of $5)
Skill level: All levels, Class Size Limit: 10
Requirements: 1 x 2metres Bubble Wrap, 1 x 2metres Nylon net fabric, hard soap (Sunlight), tape measure, scissors, two large towels, Merino sliver approximately 200g – can be several colours, silk sliver, silk hankies, silk spaghetti in contrasting or toning colours to the wool. Woollen yarns in contrasting or toning colours to match wool Raewyn will have some silk products available to purchase @ $2 a packet.
Learn basic wet felting techniques plus a number of textured embellishments which can create interest and decoration to any garment or piece. This can be in the form of a series of samples or a larger piece which will form a dictionary for future reference.
Raewyn likes to describe felt making as ‘painting with wool’. She uses fine New Zealand Merino as her primary base material to create one-off, unique pieces, and often incorporates other natural fibres such as silk. She has been enjoying experimenting with screen printed embellishment in more recent work. Her first love is fashion clothing and accessory design, but creates other products such as wall art, furnishings, mood lighting, carry bags etc. She also offers individual/group felt making workshops, covering a wide variety of techniques and catering for students of all skill levels. A fun, creative day.
W6 DISPLAYING YOUR CREATIONS WITHIN A BOOK
Patricia Took-Stevens
Friday 11 April, 9am–12pm
$66 (includes a materials fee of $6)
Skill level: Beginners. Class Size Limit: 8
Requirements: If possible, bring some small pieces of your felting, weaving, knitting or even small paintings etc. to display in book, measuring about 10cm x 8cm. Small cutting board. Stanley knife and spare blades. Ruler, pencil and notebook. Scissors. Glue brush about 30mm wide. Awl for hole making. A few bulldog clips medium size. Tapestry needle with a biggish eye. Half a metre of 1cm wide ribbon, any colour. 3 sheets of A3 cartridge paper. These could be left white or take a brush and some acrylic paint, and slap on paint like a child. Such paintings can make wonderful covers. Once dry place between two pieces of card and pack to bring.
This workshop will allow you to make, hopefully, two books that do not require a lot of equipment. All the cutting, gluing, sewing can be achieved by hand. One book will be sewn, the other will be a concertina book. Patricia will pre-cut all cardboard and card for covers and pages, provide glue and thread.
Patricia is a fibre artist who has worked with many natural fibres for almost three decades. Her work has involved using wool, stitch, flax, wood, paper, whatever she needs to produce the piece of artwork that she wishes to create. She exhibits and sells through exhibitions and small items through retail.
W7 DOUBLE RESISTS – DOUBLE THE FELT FUN
Rene Corder-Evans
Friday 11 April, 9am–4pm
$103 (includes a photocopying fee of $3)
Skill level: Participants should have some basic felting experience. Class Size Limit:12
Requirements: 250–400g wool fleece – your choice of type and colour(s) but it should be washed and carded. A felted test swatch to gauge shrinkage should be made before hand and brought to the workshop (instructions and other information will be provided upon registration). Embellishment materials – such as different coloured wools, exotic/curly fleece, silk or fine fabric, yarns, and any other items you might want to use for embellishments or handles. Resist material such as light weight laminate flooring foam underlay or thin foam packing sheets – 60x100cm – can be in pieces but one piece should be at least 50x50cm. Bubble wrap and light weight plastic – both 60x60cm minimum (50×50 is ok but will limit the size of your finished project depending on your fleece choice). Water container and dispenser, felting soap and old towels. Dowel or small pool noddle for rolling – approx. 50-60cm in length – if possible, but some pool noodles will be available. Scissors, waterproof felt pen, Tape measure or long ruler, note taking pad. Any felting tools that you like to use.
Resists are used to create a basic three dimensional felt object but can also be used to create hidden pockets, open areas or to create unusual shapes. Students will learn how to use two or more resists to create a 3D felt object (vessel, bag etc). One resist will be used to create the overall item, and other resists will be used to create pockets, pouches, embedded structures or surface embellishments. Techniques learned can be used in all future felting projects including clothing and wearable art.
Rene has a passion for all things textiles but specialises in felting and weaving. She has a Diploma of Fashion Design from the University of the Fraser Valley, Canada, and was a textile design instructor there for ten years. She now divides her time between New Zealand and Canada and teaches and exhibits both nationally and internationally. Rene has received many awards for her work which can be seen at www.corderevans.com
W8 SPINDLE SPINNING FOR BEGINNERS
Wendy Gibbs
Friday 11 April, 9am–12pm
$58 (includes a materials/copying fee of $8)
Skill level: Beginners. Class Size Limit: 10
Requirements: a top-whorl (‘drop’) or Turkish spindle, ideally weighing between 20 to 30gms. (Note – some spindles can be loaned if requested prior).
Spindles are valuable tools for their portability and versatility. With practice and the correct tool/s, spindles can be used to spin any yarns from laceweight to fancy art yarn. In this class you will watch, and then have hands-on practice of the basics of spinning a singles yarn on a spindle, techniques for yarn and spindle management, and have a short practice at plying with supplied singles.
Wendy learned to use a spinning wheel in the late 80s. When she first tried using a spindle in the 90s it was heavy and uncomfortable to use, and all she could make was twisty woollen ‘rope’. After joining a Ravelry group which focused on spindle spinning, acquiring several lighter-weight spindles and learning from fellow spindlers, she has been productively spindling and teaching ever since. Wendy has also been knitting, weaving and crocheting since her teens, but around five years ago learned the basics of Tunisian crochet from a fellow crafter who was writing a book about it. She became obsessed and has been exploring the possibilities and limits of Tunisian crochet ever since, from garments to accessories to blankets.
W9 KROKBRAGD WEAVING
Agnes Hauptli
Friday 11 April, 9am–4pm
$105 (includes a materials/copying fee of $5)
Skill level: Must be able to dress a loom and read a draft. Class Size Limit: 10
Requirements: fully dressed four-shaft loom and all the tools needed to weave eg shuttles, bobbin winder, pirns, scissors, pins, etc.
In this workshop you will learn to understand the structure of Krokbragd, how to design for this type of weave and the importance of colour placement.
Agnes is a self-taught weaver who started playing on a rigid heddle loom in 1992 as a hobby. She has been in love with this craft ever since and became a passionate fibreholic! She now works from her purpose-built workshop on a wonderful property in the Far North. She weaves mostly scarves, shawls, household items, baby blankets and wraps as well as exhibition and experimental pieces on several different looms. She loves to work with very fine silk threads and likes to create pieces that show complex patterns and colours.
W10 MAKING A SEAMLESS TOP-DOWN GARMENT
Elizabeth Nihoniho
Friday 11 April, 1pm–4pm
$50
Skill level: A minimum of adventurous beginner, who ideally has knitted some garments previously so understands the way in which a garment is constructed. Class Size Limit:15
Requirements: 2 circular needles, 4mm or bigger both with an 80cm long cord, and approximately 50gm of yarn. Yarn needs to be double Knit weight or heavier, worsted spun (smooth) but not a fluffy or woolly yarn, to allow for clear ability to see the stitches. To save time in the session, come prepared with approximately 100 stitches cast on one of the sets of needles and approximately 30 stitches cast on the other (cast on technique does not matter).
This workshop is to teach how to do both Magic Loop knitting which is usually used around the neck of jerseys and for the sleeves, and also German Short Rows, often used in the yoke of a garment for shaping and in some sleeve caps. You will go through these skills step-by-step and will learn the how and why for doing it this way and some trouble shooting. We will finally start the beginnings of a top-down jersey and put both these skills together. The aim is for participants to feel confident to cast on all the wonderful top-down patterns out there they have previously been unable to. Participants will also come away with a code for a free copy of one of my patterns of their choosing.
Elizabeth’s knitting journey began when she was taught to knit by her mother and grandmother as a little girl. She was an inconsistent knitter until nearly 20 years ago when she truly fell in love with knitting and started working her way through her grandmother’s 1930s patterns. This is where she earned her knitting stripes, as these patterns were small on detail and big on assumed knowledge. In 2019, she started designing patterns herself – a massive learning curve – and she continues to learn with each new pattern she makes. She mainly writes garment patterns, and her biggest delight is seeing someone else wearing a garment made from her patterns. She lives in North Canterbury with her family and animals.
W11 RARANGA WEAVING – THE HUMBLE KONO
Tania Miriam
Friday 11 April, 1–4pm
$55 (includes a materials fee of $5)
Skill level: Beginners. Class Size Limit: 20
Requirements: All materials are supplied but feel free to bring your own pair of gardening type gloves.
During this hands-on workshop, participants will learn to weave a four cornered kono, basket, using New Zealand’s native harakeke plant. This wananga (workshop) will include a brief talk on the history of harakeke weaving in New Zealand, discussion on tikanga, local cultural protocols and instructions for the safe harvesting of harakeke leaves. The kono is a100% biodegradable basket, traditionally used as a storage or cooking container for food. In modern times, we utilise the kono as a multi-purpose, functional household item.
Tania’s lifelong love of hand crafts began with learning from her great-grandmother who was a painter, florist, beadwork and crochet artist. This began Tania’s lifelong love of hand crafts. Tania’s career has been in teaching and studying dance, beadwork, costume design and sewing while living in Australia. she returned to Aotearoa in 2018 with plans to learn more of her Māori culture and arts. Quickly discovering harakeke weaving, she has been learning, practising and refining her work since. Tania has a passion for sharing her knowledge in a safe, friendly, inviting environment.
W12 BRAIDING BY HAND
Marie Buchanan
Friday 11 April, 1–4pm
$75 (includes a materials fee of $15)
Skill Level: Beginners. Class Size Limit: 8
In this workshop, you will learn the basic techniques of hand braiding eg holding yarns, placing colours and their movement to achieve patterns. You will initially use thick yarns as this allows definition of yarn order and movement, as well as being easy to see and hold for learning purposes. Finer yarns will be available for use once the basics are learned.
Marie’s interest in weaving and braiding began around 1980. She was a member of the Christchurch Guild of Weavers and Spinners and at this time, the Guild was abuzz with so many options of classes. She opted for a class that introduced her to Middle Eastern Knotted Pile. This has taken her on an amazing journey which includes braids and many other weaving techniques.