Spotlight on Shawls

New classes for Summer 2010
by Lindsey

In south central Kansas, summer knitting can be a little daunting. Sweater weather is several months off, socks have gone optional, and blankets or afghans might best be saved for when you’re sure you can be in a well-air-conditioned space for an hour or two.

Well, we might have a few upcoming classes that will satisfy your craving for a good summer project and challenge: Intro to the Pi Shawl, Big Pi Shawl and Lace 3. Not only are these great for building your knitting chops, but the end result will be a project perfect for when you’re in a building or room that’s got the air conditioning set just a tad too low to be completely comfortable.

Jennifer, one of our instructors, hit upon the idea of developing a series of classes based on Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Pi Shawl from The Knitter’s Almanac. The Pi Shawl was originally developed as a portable summer project that would help knitters develop their lace skills; Jen has set up a two-class series in which students will learn the basics of knitting and blocking a circular shawl (Intro to the Pi Shawl) and then set in on the task of knitting and blocking The Real Deal (Big Pi Shawl).

Mini Pi Shawl (Intro to Pi class) done in Poems sock yarn.

In Intro to the Pi Shawl, students will make a mini-shawl perfect for a doll... or as a doll blanket... or even as a nice centerpiece for a table. The class will be held in two sessions on June 1 and June 22, both from 6 PM to 8 PM - there are still spots left, so it’s not too late to sign up! You’ll need to have taken Knitting 102 and Lace 1, or the equivalent skills.

The Big Pi Shawl - In Noro Sekku

In The Big Pi Shawl, students will make the full-sized version of the shawl as described in The Knitter’s Almanac. It’ll be a long-term class that runs on Saturdays from July 3 to August 28, from 2 PM to 4 PM; registration is $40 and covers any 2 class sessions that you’d like over that time period. You can sign up for additional class sessions for just $5 each if you need some extra supervision or help. You’ll need to have taken Knitting 102, Lace 1 and Intro to the Pi Shawl, or have the equivalent skills.

I've been working with Shelly to rework the Lace 3 class. For Lace 3, students will use the book Knitting Lace Triangles as a guide to design their very own triangular lace shawl. If you’ve admired projects like Ishbel, Swallowtail Shawl or Travelling Woman, this is a great introduction to the sorts of skills you’ll need to make those patterns. It will also be a long-term class, running on Saturdays from July 24 to September 11, from 2-4 PM. As with The Big Pi Shawl, registration is $40 and covers any 2 class sessions in that time period; extra class sessions are $5 each. You’ll need to have taken Lace 1 and 2 (or Lace 1 and The Big Pi Shawl), or have instructor approval of the skills necessary for the class.