The past year has been the year for stretching my knitting skills in a major way. Learning to design a sweater "from scratch" was a challenge and a joy, and then learning to write a pattern and transpose a design into all the different sizes with a ten-day deadline was a major challenge (and maybe not quite so much a joy). But it certainly gave me a sense of accomplishment and a little more confidence in my design abilities. Now I am very excited about another opportunity to expand my knitting horizons.
Oklahoma knitters are so fortunate! The Gourmet Yarn Company is sponsoring Jane Slicer-Smith, major big-whig knitwear designer extraordinaire. She is traveling all the way from her home in Australia to teach three classes the weekend of April 16-17. Jane is the author of "Swing, Swagger, Drape: Knit the Colors of Australia." She will be teaching two sessions of "Miter by Design" and one session of "Fit and Style." Click here to see class descriptions and reserve a place at GYC. Students will learn to fit sweaters so that they hang properly and "swing, swagger, and drape" in all the places that they are supposed to swing, swagger, and drape. Goodness knows, I have knit plenty of sweaters that do one or all of those things in exactly the wrong places and can't wait to hear from an expert who has designed sweaters that fit and flatter all body shapes and sizes. Proof of her skill in this area is that her sweater desings have been manufactured in the thousands. She has her own knitwear company called Signatur knits. Her color sense is vibrant and bold and you can see her inspiration from the beauty of Australia in her designs. Check out her website to read about her impressive background and see some of her designs.
Jane Slicer-Smith
I might not have bought "Swing Swagger" if I had not been told about Jane and prompted to sign up for her class. I had walked right past the book at GYC several times without stopping. I bought the book yesterday mainly in anticipation of the class, but started reading last night and couldn't put it down. Even if I never knit a single design in the book this volume is worth a great deal more than its very economical price of $25. In fact, when you see the size, the graphic design work, all the helpful tips about fit and technique, and photographs that rival any high quality publication, not to mention the beautiful sweater patterns throughout, you'll be surprized that such a book could even be sold for that price. How the publisher--and Jane--can make any money on it is a mystery because they have scrimped nowhere in color, design, and detail. If you live in Oklahoma City or anywhere nearby I think you should call or run right over to GYC and reserve a copy. In fact, I think that if I did not have the sheer good fortune of living here I would make a weekend excursion just to take her classes. But if that's not convenient for you, at least check out Jane's book at her website.
What a fun way to spend a weekend and, just think, perhaps every sweater that we knit from there on will swing, swagger, and drape exactly where we want it to. The classes only have seven or eight openings left so don't delay if you want to join in. It would be very fun to share this experience with friends and fellow-knitters. Hope to see you at GYC April 16-17.
Happy Knitting, Josey
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