Posted onApril 14, 2025|Comments Off on Log Cabin Knitting winner, classes
And the winner is Helen Brisson! I’m emailing you so you can register for class. Congratulations!
If you didn’t win, you can still come to this online class. Register at the Vogue Knitting Live website; class is Saturday April 26. Edited to add: Flash! Use coupon code APRIL20 for 20% off remaining classes for this event.
I’m teaching three classes via three venues that weekend. I’m teaching brioche + pooling in-person at For Yarn’s Sake in Beaverton on Sunday, April 27. Class is for knitters who can knit brioche rib. We’ll cover the increases and decreases, syncopation, and assigned pooling in class. Fun!
And I’m kicking off that teaching weekend with Brioche Beginnings for Modern Daily Knitting online. Class is on Friday, April 25; you can register here.
Busy busy! These are my last classes for spring. May is…unsettled. Juggling lots of stuff in real life…
But I’m still knitting! Current project on the needles in Black Orchid and an unnamed green from Yarn Snob. I love this color combo.
Comments Off on Log Cabin Knitting winner, classes
I had a quick weekend in New York City, teaching at Knitting Live by Vogue Knitting (the official name, but we mostly still call it Vogue Knitting Live). I taught five classes, saw friends old and new, checked out the market, and came home! Thursday to Sunday, bam. Some pictures to amuse you:
I left Portland at dawn Thursday, and enjoyed the view of Mount Hood. I arrived in time for the teachers’ meeting Thursday evening, and saw lots of teacher friends.
Barbara was in my Tink Drop Frog (fixing mistakes) class, but I think she really wants to fix brioche mistakes. She ordered a copy of my Brioche Knit Love book on the spot.
All ready for Minerva entrelac class, with step-outs at the ready. This is how we stay ahead of the students in class.
So many smiles!
The marketplace was hopping, with fashion shows and interviews on stage, and lots of beautiful yarn and clever products.
My favorite thing: Talisman necklaces by Birdie Parker Designs. A stockinette themed charm, semi-precious stone, crochet hook, hand-made silver darning needle, and two stitch markers.
Remember my DIY cable hook holder? This is next level.
Sweet wreath with wool locks knit in from Long Island Yarn and Farm
There are art installations outside the marketplace (which is on two floors). Here’s a taste:
Crochet art by Will ChatloshDragon by Going GnomeEllie D’Eustachio is a textile street artistBeam me up with fiber artist Sarah Divi! Loved this fun display.Sara Elizabeth Kellner’s knitted Victorian Housecats
I finished my last class at 5 pm on Sunday, and scurried to the airport. It was snowing lightly, and I was worried about my flight home. We ended up with a 3 hour delay for plowing the runways and de-icing the plane.
De-icing, us and the neighbor plane
I was relieved that we actually took off!
Hello 2 AM Portland!
I love teaching at VKLive. It’s a big vibrant show, with something for every knitter, at all levels. Definitely something to experience!
Now it’s back to work. I need to finish writing the pattern for this shawlette, which I enjoyed wearing this weekend. I think I’m going to remove the bind off and use the rest of the yarn to make it just a little bigger, now that I have time.
If you want to know when the pattern is published, sign up for my newsletter! You’ll be the first to know, and you’ll also get the subscriber discount of 25% off. Sign up here.
I’ve enjoyed playing with this new-to-me yarn. This is Berroco Wizard, 85/15 Superwash Wool/Nylon. It’s a very light and lofty chainette, classified as bulky. Recommended needle size is 10-10 1/2 (6-6.5 mm), but I’m using a US9 because I like the fabric better. I knit til nearly the end of the ball, and the result is a short scarf, but long enough to cross over my chest. Based on the light and lofty fabric, I decided that this version would be a great Minerva scarf instead of a cowl. You get to see more of the entrelac fabric if it’s not doubled up around your neck.
I’m planning an entrelac class at Hook and Needle in Vancouver, WA on March 29, and I wanted to see if this yarn they carry is appropriate. Why yes, it is. If you’d like to learn to knit entrelac with me, you can do so in person at Hook and Needle, and also at Vogue Knitting Live in New York City on Sunday, January 19. Minerva is bi-coastal! You can use this lovely yarn for a scarf, or you can use a gradient yarn for a different effect. The pattern gives instructions for both scarf and cowl.
Or a different color changing yarn for a short or long cowl. Knitter’s choice!
About the Berroco Wizard: I loved knitting with it. It’s very airy, so the fabric is pretty fluffy in hand. That’s the other reason I wanted it as a scarf rather than a cowl; it wants to drape itself artfully. Sometimes you have to let the yarn tell you what it wants to do! I highly recommend it; it’s fun to knit.
Are you looking forward to learning new things in 2025? I know I am!
Are you planning your 2025 knitting? It’s just around the corner!
VKL NYC lineup
I’ll be teaching at Vogue Knitting Live in NYC January 17-19. My newest class is Whale Conga Line, which includes brioche, syncopated brioche, and increases and decreases. I’m also teaching YO? YO! Fun and Fancy Stitches, Minerva Entrelac Cowl, Log Cabin Knitting, Tink Drop Frog (Fixing Mistakes), and Sheepy Steeky Coasters, which is always a favorite. The New York show is always amazing, especially the market and fashion shows. Come knit with us!
Red Alder lineup
Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat is February 13-16 in Tacoma, Washington. This retreat is at the Hotel Murano, which is lovely with lots of art glass on display. The classes are wide ranging, including knitting, spinning, weaving, and crochet. I’m teaching Brioche Pastiche (beginning brioche in the round), Whale Conga Line, Brioche Doctor, and Fun Stitches for Assigned Pooling. Come play with us!
I’m planning to attend Nash Yarn Fest in Nashville with the crew of Modern Daily Knitting March 14-15. This one’s just for fun for me! I’ll go to the all day festival, and the before and after parties. There will be lots of vendors that are new to me, so let’s see what comes home with me! I may have to spend some extra time before or after; I love the music scene in Nashville. And the boots!
Are you planning to attend any fiber events in 2025?
I taught a steeking class at Hook and Needle yesterday. I’ve been teaching my Sheepy Steeky Coasters class with a crochet-reinforced steek, no sewing machines for me. Too hard to carry to class! Also, I don’t trust a machine to not eat my knitting.
Boxed Hearts Coasters
I knit an additional sample this week so I could demonstrate a couple more reinforcement methods in class. This is my Boxed Hearts Coasters that I designed for a class with the Knitting Circle during the pandemic. I knit it while watching video classes the other day; can you spot my oopsie? If not, no big deal. It was fine for class!
I added a hand sewn backstitch reinforcement for students to practice, and a felted steek. Everyone got to poke all stabby-stabby on this sample, down the center red stripe. It’s already been felted in the picture above; the front looks completely normal.
But you can see that the backside is all fuzzed up. This edge isn’t going to fall apart when it’s cut!
Completely stress free. From there, the process is the same. Pick up and knit stitches along the sides, then knit the garter stitch edge that matches the upper and lower borders. Just like a buttonband. After that, sew everything down.
I love small projects for teaching new techniques. It’s much less fraught to cut a coaster than to cut a sweater as your first steek project.
Posted onSeptember 2, 2024|Comments Off on Fall classes, virtual and live
I’m teaching for Vogue Knitting for the September virtual event September 13-15, and live in New York City January 16-19. Who says you can’t have it both ways?
Whale Conga Line, modeled by my sister Sharon
I’m teaching Brioche Doctor (fixing mistakes), Whale Conga Line (brioche increases, decreases, syncopation), and Brioche Pastiche (beginning brioche, choose your own adventure). And of course there are a lot of other teachers offering classes in nearly every fibery thing you can think of, too! Registration is here.
Vogue Knitting Live NYC is January 16-19. I’m teaching Whale Conga Line, my only brioche class at that event. I’m also teaching a whole bunch of technique driven classes: Log cabin knitting, steeking, fixing mistakes, entrelac, fancy stitches. Early registration for VIP packages starts later this week, and regular registration will come after that. The registration link is here.
I’m also teaching locally at For Yarn’s Sake in Beaverton, Oregon, and at Hook and Needle in Vancouver Washington. Here’s the schedule:
Sheepy Steeky Coasters at Hook and Needle, Sept. 28 Brioche Pastiche at For Yarn’s Sake, Sept 29 Brioche Pastiche at Hook and Needle, Oct. 19 Stranded Colorwork: Islesburgh Toorie at For Yarn’s Sake, Oct. 20 Thrumbelina Thrummed Slippers at For Yarn’s Sake, Nov. 17 Starfall Assigned Pooling Cowl Zoom class via For Yarn’s Sake, Dec. 7
Rose City Yarn Crawl is just around the corner! We celebrate our yarn shops in the Portland metro area with a 4 day extravaganza. There are 8 shops on the crawl, and I hope to visit all of them. I’m hoping to at least visit the two I’ve never seen. One is Knotty Lamb in Forest Grove (a ways out), and the other is Ritual Dyes in inner SE Portland.
I’ll be having a trunk show at For Yarn’s Sake from 10 am to 3 pm, along with designer Shannon Squire and dyer Lorajean Kelley (Knitted Wit). I’ll bring all my designs since the last crawl, including my newest design (coming out Monday, February 26), Prosecco Pop! I’ll also have copies of Brioche Knit Love to sign, if you still need one.
Prosecco Pop
Prosecco Pop features Knitted Wit’s Summer Slubbing fingering weight yarn. The slubby goodness shines in this easy to knit shawlette. Come see us at For Yarn’s Sake on March 7 to get your hands on this fun yarn; we’ll have it there for the trunk show.
Brioche Pastiche
Also in March at For Yarn’s Sake, I’m teaching Brioche Pastiche. This choose your own adventure class starts with learning 2 color brioche in the round. You can add increases and decreases when you feel ready; the class pattern lets you choose headband, hat, or cowl, plain or leafy. This class is 2.5 hours in person, March 24, 2-4:30 pm, register here.
Whale Conga Line and Tink Drop Frog
Not local? I’m teaching Whale Conga Line (brioche increases and decreases, and syncopated brioche) and Tink Drop Frog (fixing mistakes) for Virtual Vogue Knitting Online on March 15 & 16. These classes are recorded and available for 2 weeks after the class, so you always have the best seat in the house…YOUR house!
In person local classes
Rounding out the spring, I’m teaching Tink Drop Frog April 20 and Sheepy Steeky Coasters May 18 at For Yarn’s Sake (class listings soon) and Petite Brioche April 13 and Whale Conga Line May 25 at Hook and Needle in Vancouver WA (right across the bridge).
I love teaching, and would love to help you take your knitting to the next level!
Knitted Wit Summer Slubbing, Sakura and Unicorn Dreams
As I said in a previous post, I took this yarn with me on vacation. I was originally planning a 2 color top down crescent shawl.
Sunset slubbing, color not true
Well, I did the math and swatched the stitch patterns I wanted to use, and tried a couple needle sizes. Then I cast on. And I decided…that my design required too much counting and thinking. I was on vacation! Also, I had swatched with the pink yarn, and the stitch patterns didn’t show as much as I wanted them to in the variegated yarn. I love the variegated version (Unicorn Dreams). Summer Slubbing wants to be an easy-going knit. Nothing complicated.
So I frogged it and started over. The knitting is now plain enough that this nubbly, bubbly yarn is the star of the show. This will be a single skein asymmetric triangle, knit on the bias. Shawl? Scarf? We’ll see how big it is when we get to the end of the skein!
Do over!
I like how it’s going so far. My yarn scale tells me I am close to finished; I just have to decide what I want the end to look like. Sometimes that’s the hardest part.
You’ll learn to create simple shawl shapes in class. From there you’ll get pointers on how to apply stitch patterns and design your own shawls. Registration for Red Alder is here. This is a good time to let you know that pre-registration for Red Alder (and other events) is important! Classes get canceled if registrations are low. Next week is the cut week for Red Alder. My shawl shapes class could use a few more knitters, so if you’re interested please register. I blogged the list of my classes here.
I just realized that I never told you that registration is open for Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat! I was away in the woods near Mount Hood when registration opened, and meant to blog when I returned. Oops.
The retreat is February 15-18 in Tacoma Washington. It’s a lovely event at the Hotel Murano.
Starfall Cowl
I’m teaching Assigned Pooling using my Starfall Cowl as a backdrop for several bonus pooling stitches,
Favorite Shawl Shapes
Favorite Shawl Shapes (learn the construction of basic shapes and use them to design your own shawls),
Aspen Leaf Coasters
Aspen Leaf Coasters (intro to brioche increases and decreases, and knitting brioche flat),
Brioche Pastiche
and Brioche Pastiche (beginning brioche in the round and a little more: choose your own adventure hat or cowl, plain rib or fancy increases and decreases).
I also signed up to take Xandy Peters’ Color Blocked Brioche class. I love seeing what other designers are thinking about brioche. Come knit/spin/weave with us in Tacoma!
Alder?
A leaf (maybe alder) on the railing of the bridge over the creek, in the woods that I mentioned before…
Posted onMarch 12, 2023|Comments Off on Whale Watch for Landlubbers and more
I’m teaching an immersive two day brioche workshop at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology on the Oregon Coast, July 15-16. Fees are just for the workshop; you’ll need to find lodgings nearby if you’re not local.
Whale Watch hat and cowl
We’ll start with beginning one color brioche, move into 2 color brioche in the round, and then introduce increases and decreases to make the whale tail and seagull motifs on the Whale Watch cap or cowl. You’ll be a brioche pro by the end of the weekend! Register here.
Whale Watch hat and cowl
This is the same hat and cowl that I’m using on the Nautical Knitting Cruise on the schooner Zodiac at the end of July. (The cruise is full, but you can sign up for the wait list if you’re interested.) Either way, you’ll have fabulous brioche skills at the end of your time with me.
I may be teaching Whale Watch brioche on the Vogue Knitting Cruise in September, too. We’ll see if we have repeat cruisers; if there are a lot then I’ll choose a different pattern. I’m looking forward to all of these coastal adventures!
Comments Off on Whale Watch for Landlubbers and more
Find my patterns on Ravelry: Michele Bernstein Designs
Here are some of my favorites, and the newest. Many of my designs are also available through my Payhip store.
PDXKnitterati 