Prudence Mapstone - Advanced Freeform Knitting & Crochet

July 23rd 2013 - code PM06

Cost $110.00 per day plus materials. Bring some or purchase on the day. One day only. Skills Needed: Participants should have at least basic prior skills in both knitting and crochet. NB If this is your second third or forth workshop with Prudence at Beautiful Silks, a substantial discount applies. Please email to book.

General Workshop Overview: Freeform Knitting and Crochet Workshop Outlines:

Participants in these workshops will learn the principles of combining knitting and crochet together in a freeform, multi-directional manner. Many stitches, motifs and unusual techniques that work well for this style of fabric design will be studied and tried. By practicing new ways of crocheting onto knitting and knitting directly into crochet, students will discover the best methods for combining stitches and joining pieces together.

You will learn how to keep your freeform swatches flat and flexible, which will enable even your earliest experimental work to be easily incorporated into a future art-to-wear garment, accessory, wallhanging or unique home furnishing.

At each of my workshops I provide handout sheets for each participant, detailing patterns for all of the stitches and motifs that will be covered in the class, together with a page of hints and tips for future successful freeforming.

I will also have a variety of finished freeform garments and accessories on hand, as well as many samples and swatches, for study and inspiration.

Skills Needed: Participants should have at least basic prior skills in both knitting and crochet. Whilst my freeform techniques can be made to work satisfactorily using just knitting or just crochet alone, combining both crafts together greatly increases the stitch possibilities, and therefore enhances the overall look and tactile quality of the fabrics that can be produced. Students will be encouraged to use at least some stitches and techniques pertaining to both of the crafts, although you can choose to work mainly with just one craft or the other if you feel that you are more proficient in one particular area. In my workshops, I have found those students with only a very basic knowledge of lesser known craft will generally manage to pick up even the more complicated stitches once these have been demonstrated and then practiced in class.

Materials List: You should think about the range of colours with which you want to work, and bring along a good variety of yarns in that colour scheme. The selection can include odd balls and left over yarns or threads.

I would recommend each student have with them at least 12 different yarns (preferably more) in colours that they feel will work well together. The yarns can be any thickness, and made up of any fibre composition. You should include both smooth and textured yarns.

Students should also bring a range of different sizes of both knitting needles and crochet hooks (around 3.5mm to 5.00mm), plus a pair of scissors. Workshop Outline: Introduction to Freeform Knitting & Crochet Class duration: 1 day (approx. 6 hours teaching time) In this workshop, participants will experiment with very many different techniques, stitches and motifs that can be made to work well for this method of design. By working small patches outwards in all directions from a central motif, and by practicing how different areas can be joined to each other, students will discover the best applications for each type of stitch and the most successful methods for combining them. Each student will begin to build up a range of freeform pieces using a variety of different stitch combinations, and will discover how pieces like these can be incorporated into a future artwork. Colour choices, various joining techniques and garment pattern shapes will be discussed. Some surface stitches will be included, as these help to give additional stability to the work, as well as adding extra textural detail as the work progresses. Some examples of the types of swatches that could be made during the first day of this class: A few examples of garments that have been constructed from freeformed patches such as those shown above:

$110 per day plus all materials, doors open at 9.30 for a 10am start. Finish daily at 4pm.

Link to more about Prudence and her work here