Weekend Workshops with
Merike Saarniit

September 19-21, 2008
Evanston Ecology Center, Evanston, IL

>>>  REGISTRATION FORM
Registration is open to everyone. Members receive discount.

Merike Saarniit has been teaching fiber related workshops -- including spinning, knitting, weaving, and dyeing -- for more than 25 years across the US at most of the Stitches events as well as for guilds, yarn shops, and John C. Campbell Folk School. Her Estonian heritage introduced her to knitting at an early age as well as to a love of all things creatively done. Her undergraduate degree is in Studio Art and she concentrated on weaving in her senior year. She and her husband, Dane Melvin, operated a sheep farm for 15 years. They currently reside in the mountains of southwestern Virginia where Merike is working on her book (under contract with XRX).

Workshop Info

Class #1: Drawing from Traditional
Knitting Elements to Design for
Contemporary Knitting (lecture)
Friday, Sept 19 from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M. (Evanston Ecology Center) 
2 hours.   $25 WCKG Members / $30 Non-Members
Skill level: All. Class Size: 35 students.

What is it that makes Estonian knitting unique? How can so many patterns come from such a tiny country? How are traditionally knitting techniques and customs applied to contemporary knitting in Estonia today? The answers to these questions and many more fascinating facets of Estonian history and culture will be presented by Merike.

Class #2: Knit to Fit You and Your Stash
Saturday, September 20, 2008, - 9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. (Evanston Ecology Center) 
6 hours.  $80 WCKG Members / $85 Non-Members
Skill level: Advanced Beginner. Size: 24 students.      

This all day workshop focuses on fitting and adjusting knitting patterns to fit you. Students will take body measurements so we can work out graphs to calculate our vest pattern using fill-in-the-blanks worksheets. Students will then draw a schematic of a knitting pattern according to our measurements, and then make a sloper (i.e., a mock-up garment or muslin) out of an old sweat shirt so we have something that fits perfectly to use as a template for our knitting. This is a truly Knit To Fit YOU Stash Reduction Vest. Merike will provide an easy garter-based slip stitch pattern and a very basic vest pattern to work from. Her method, however, can be applied to most other stitch patterns.

Class #3: Invitation to Spin
Sunday, September 21, 2008, 9:00 A.M. to 12 noon   (Evanston Ecology Center) 
3 hours.    $50 WCKG Members / $55 Non-Members
(registration includes $10 materials fee)
Skill level: Beginner. Class size: 24 students.

This class is geared towards the non-spinner who wants to learn to spin, the spinner who wants to understand and CONTROL the twist (no more over- or under-plied yarns), and for anyone who would like to learn how to teach spinning. At the end of three hours participants will have a Perfectly Balanced 2-ply skein of yarn and understand how they made it and how to do so again in the future with either spindle or wheel. Merike will not go into Z-S-angles, numbers, ratios. This class is about recognizing and working with energy. $10 materials fee for a variety of fibers will be included in the registration. Merike will supply spindles for class use (to be returned). If you have a high whorl drop-spindle you would like to use, please bring it.

Class #4: Estonian Edgings Elements
Sunday, September 21, 2008, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.   (Evanston Ecology Center) 
3 hours.    $40 WCKG Members / $45 Non-Members
Skill level: Adventuresome Intermediate. Class size: 24 students.

Create a swatch learning different edgings and embellishments unique to Estonian knitting. You will learn several different unusual stitches (a braid cast on, horizontal braid elements, different versions of nupps, and other exotic elements that are often found stacked in the edges of Estonian knit items such as mittens, gloves, sweaters). These stitches, combined with simple garter and other stitches, are traditionally worked in three color combinations to great effect. An example of what we'll do is pictured here, but everyone's will be different since options are given for each technique including braids and bobbles.