Holiday 2006 Newsletter
Travel, Teaching and Twist & Loop!
| STITCHERS OF THE CARIBBEAN Need An Adventurous Springtime Knitting Getaway? How do 10 care-free days on the Caribbean high seas sound! (... and did I mention the knitting and crocheting classes?) Join me and Jennifer Hanson (Stitch Diva Studios) for a magnificent trip around the Caribbean on the Sun Princess! We'll be stopping in Curacao, Isla Margarita, Barbados, Dominica, St. Thomas & the Bahamas before we return to our home port, Ft. Lauderdale. I've never even BEEN on a cruise before, and I am absolutely pumped to spend all the time I want with my students, teaching, interacting between classes and really getting to know you! I'll be bringing my family and counting on the Princess amenities to keep them all busy and happy - be very afraid - while I teach, knit and - yes - have the odd drink at cocktail hour. It's always five o'clock somewhere, n'est ce pas? Download the brochure and registration form here, or contact Giselle's Travel today for more information. Prices start as low as $840 per person (double occupancy)*! |
*Exclusive of port charges and taxes. OPTIONAL Knit & Crochet Registration Fee of $300 per person includes all classes & events and is in addition to cruise cost - translation, companions don't need to pay for classes! Giselle’s Travel • [email protected] • (800) 782-5545 |
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Twist & Loop At Your
Local Yarn Shop! I've been teaching my knitting with wire class all over the country, and folks are wearing their simple bangle bracelets out of the shops after every class! The most gratifying part of teaching the class is that once someone spends a bit of time with the wire and needles, it becomes clear that knitting with wire isn't as difficult as it might seem. See the excerpt below for the Three Secrets of Knitting With Wire and see if wire doesn't seem a little less daunting. Check my class schedule to see if I'll be near your town with my beads, wire and pliers. |
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Excerpt from Twist & Loop Three
Secrets of Knitting with Wire
Secret #1
If you learn nothing else from this book, here is the nut that I hope you take away with you: You will find it easier to master (or mistress) wire knitting if you exaggerate your movements. Wire lacks the elasticity of animal and plant fibers, so it’s necessary to make up for this by working larger than you normally would. I tell my students to think of it this way: Imagine that you are teaching someone how to knit. Make your movements broad and exaggerated. Forcing your hands to move in an overstated manner will initially lead to looser stitches than you might like —don’t fret, this is a learning experience! Work as if knitting in slow motion and on needles that are several times larger than you have in your hand. Stick with it, work at least 8 rows in this manner, and you’ll begin to find a rhythm and tension as you knit with the wire that will create the fabric you desire. Experiment with different knitting needle sizes as you work to determine what feels best in your hands. Secret #2 One of the most useful tips I give my students is to separate their needles from each other after the new stitch is wrapped around the needle. Think of it this way: After you insert your right-hand needle into the next stitch and wrap the wire around the right-hand needle, take a moment to separate the needles from each other. Pull the wires apart to enlarge the stitch on the left-hand needle, which will make pulling the new stitch out of the old stitch much easier! Secret #3 This last tip has more to do with setting your tension. I understand that many knitters don’t really care if they have a uniform tension when knitting with wire—to be honest, some of the most beautiful pieces I’ve seen are loose and tight and loose all in the same row. Obtaining Even Tension However, if you would like to achieve a uniform tension in a knit wire piece, here is my best advice: After inserting your right-hand needle into the left-hand stitch, give the wire a gentle tug, thus setting the tension on the last stitch previously worked. Finish your stitch as you normally would, being careful to pull the needles gently apart as you pull the new stitch through, without worrying about holding the wire tight to set tension. The tension on the stitch you are currently working will be set when you insert the needle in the next stitch. |
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Coming in the next Annie Modesitt Dot Com Newsletter
Moving to Minnesota - I guess it's happening - anyone have a house??
©2006 Annie Modesitt