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| Double-ended Hook - Becky Simmons |
Wednesday
Double-ended hook: scarf
To start my five days at the Creative
Festival I decided to take a class on making a scarf with a
double-ended crochet hook. The class was 3 hours and it was a lot of
fun. It taught us how to use the tunisian simple stitch with two
colours so that we end up with a reversible scarf with the two
colours. The length of the hook is longer than I would have liked but now I have figured out how to use it and it doesn't seem so bad
Thursday
Tunisian Crochet
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| Tunisian Crochet - Rebecca Smith |
Yes it would have been nice to have
this class before the double-ended hook class but I knew the simple
stitch so it wasn't bad. In this class we learned how to do the
tunisian simple stitch, knit stitch, purl stitch, honeycomb stitch
and also the full stitch. We worked on a sample piece so that we
could learn the stitches but not have to worry about making sure it
worked perfectly on a project.
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| Modern Cross Stitch Pendant - Susan Fitzgerald |
Modern Cross Stitch Pendant
This class was one that I took because
I wanted to make a piece of jewellery using cross stitch and I knew
it was going to be a very quick project to do. The picture shows
what I got done in an hour and a half. I think I should have this
project done very soon if I sit down and work on it.
I am now going
to be thinking about what else I can put on these pendants and
already have one idea.
Friday
Cabling without a Cable Needle
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| Cabling without a Cable Needle - Kate Atherley |
I have always avoided working with
cable on hats and sweaters because I don't like working with a cable
needle as I always drop it or lose it. That is the reason I took the
class because knowing how to do cable without an extra needle would
be really nice. So this class we worked on some sample pieces so
that we could learn how to do the stitches and I have to admit this
class went extremely quickly but I learned lots. The cables we
learned were: right-leaning mock cable rib, left-leaning mock cable
rib, three-stitch cable, right-leaning and left-leaning twists,
4-stitch cable and 6-stitch cable swatch. The only stitch that I
really didn't like doing was the right-learning and left-learning
twist. I guess that isn't bad considering these were all new for me.
I now think I will be working on some cable projects because doing
cables without a cable needle are pretty easy to do as long as it
isn't any wider than 6-stitches.
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| In the Round - Kate Atherly |
In the Round: PDNs, Magic Loop and
Circulars
This was another class that I was
wanting to take because I really wanted to figure out the magic loop
that everyone was talking about. As this class was only an hour and
a half it meant we didn't get a lot of practice on any technique but
at least we learned them. The most time was spent on the magic loop
because that was what we all wanted to learn. The biggest challenge
I found was figuring out how to hold the needles but I think what a
little more practice I will be able to do the magic loop without too
much problem.
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| Jacob's Ladder - Becky Simmons |
Jacob's Ladder
The Jacob's Ladder class was learning a
new method for making a scarf using the simple crochet stitches.
This class was a three hour class and as I am very comfortable with
crocheting I found it very enjoyable and was able to figure out the
picking up of the chain stitches quickly. The pattern we have is for a scarf and I am going to continue working on it so that I can get the scarf done. The instructor that I had
for this class was the same one I had for the double-ended hook class
so it was nice to have her again. I had this instructor last year
and found the classes were very enjoyable and what we learned was a
lot of fun and different.
Canvas Coin Purse
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| Canvas Coin Purse - Jennifer Aikman-Smith |
This was the class I was looking
forward to because the instructor was Jennifer Aikman-Smith and all
the classes I have every taken have been a lot of fun. For this
class we had to pick up some supplies for it which meant we got to
pick colours that we wanted for our purse. Jennifer than brings some
supplies and we get to pick and choose from that as well. Of course
the courses with Jennifer go extremely quickly so it doesn't look
like you get much done even when you are spending three hours in the
class.
Saturday
Santa's Helper Ornament
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| Santa's Helper Ornament - Jennifer Aikman- Smith |
My second class with Jennifer
Aikman-Smith and this was an hour and an half class and we worked on
an ornament. I really don't know where the time went but this class
seemed to be over way too quickly. This project is using a piece of ribbon aida cloth with a wire in the edge of it.
Stitching Beyond the Traditional
I guess I expected more from this class
then I actually found out. This class was showing us that we could
take a cross-stitch pattern and bead it, knit it, rug hook or
whatever we wanted. I guess for someone that was new to cross-stitch
they may have learned something but I didn't find it very
interesting. We got a grab bag of different fabrics, threads and
beads and got to play. I guess the playing with the different things
was made the class ok. It was only an hour and a half class so that
made it manageable.
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| Seamless Hat on 2 Needles - Gail Silver |
Seamless Hat on 2 Needles
I took this class to find a way of
knitting a seamless hat only to discover that I learned this
technique years ago. The actual project was a hat for a doll and it
worked up very quickly. Basically this class was learning to double
knit and end up with a tube with a seam at the bottom. The yarn that we got for this project was 100% wool which was nice to work on but something that for children requires a lot of extra work. Now I just
need to cast off the hat and it will be completed.
Dragon Pin Cushion
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| Dragon Pincushion - Jennifer Aikman-Smith |
My third Jennifer Aikman-Smith class
and this one was a little more of a challenge because I just couldn't
seem to get my head working on this project. It was a project on
canvas and we were to work diagonal instead of row by row. Of course
that seems to be a challenge at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon after
spending almost 4 days taking classes. Once I figured out what I
needed to do the project started to work up pretty quickly. Another
2 hours seems to fly by and that was the end of the first four days
of classes.
Sunday – final day of classes and
final day of Creative Festival
Blackwork Knight
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| Blackwork Knight - Jennifer Aikman-Smith |
Working on a blackwork project was just
what I needed a 9am on a Sunday morning. I love working on this type
of project because you can see results pretty quickly if you work in
small areas. Today I decided that I was going to work on a major
outline instead of a small area and did get to see some good results.
Honestly this course was 1.5 hours but the next class was with the
same instructor (Jennifer Aikman-Smith) so I continued working on
this project instead of picking up the next project. I can't wait to start working on this project again because I want to see how quickly it will work up. This project goes with the Blackwork Princess that I did a few years ago.
Tiny Fantasy Kingdom – Over 1
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| Tiny Fantasy Kingdom - Jennifer Aikman-Smith |
This project was one that I wanted to
work on but considering the lighting in the convention centre it
meant that I would not start it until I had better lighting. The
advantage of taking Jennifer's classes is we get projects that are
new and a little different. It is great spending 5 classes with
Jennifer because her classes are very relaxed and enjoyable.
So many
of us just take the classes because we enjoy spending the time with
Jennifer and the rest of the group that we have gotten to know over
the last few years.
Final Notes
The Creative
Festival this year didn't have as many cross-stitch classes as normal
so that is why I took as many knitting and crocheting classes as I
did. In some ways I am glad I took the knitting and crocheting
classes because I did walk away learning something in all of those
classes. Now what I need to do is work through the projects that I
started at the show so that I can get them completed. I really don't
want to end up with a lot of projects from this year in a box that I
haven't completed.
It is so nice seeing the number of friends that I have made over the years of going to the Festival. We may only see each other for the 5 days we are at the show but it always feels like it hasn't been a year since the last visit.
