Crochet Classes

All crochet classes will be held at the Sparta United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall.

INTRODUCTION TO AMIGURUMI  with Ilse Watkins

Beginner and beyond

Amigurumi is the Japanese art of making small stuffed crochet creatures. Ami (crocheted or knitted), ku-rumi (wrapping). These are often little animals or dolls, but they can also be fantastical creatures. Whatever form they take, they are irresistibly cute. We will explore basic shapes, worked in one piece or sewn together. You will get the skills to tackle simple patterns along with helpful tips and hints.  Amigurumi critters make great gifts for the children in your life, but you may just want to keep one for yourself.

Friday afternoon - $45.00

Tunisian Crochet Beyond the Basics with Ilse Watkins

Advanced beginner and beyond

This is a class for those who are familiar with Tunisian Crochet and are comfortable using it in simple projects like blankets, shawls, etc. and are ready to move on. We will take a look at different techniques for increases and decreases as well as reading patterns, popular stitches like the honey comb, working in the round, helpful tips and tricks, different cast on options, how to avoid the curl and getting even edges, cables and color work.

Saturday morning - $45.00

LEARN TO READ CROCHET PATTERNS  with Siobhan Booth

Advanced beginner

You know basically how to crochet, but you have never made anything from a written pattern.  If those sc’s and dc’s are confusing, this is the class for you.  The objective of this class is to finally learn how to read all those crochet patterns you’ve been dying to try! Learn what a typical layout looks like, how to ready charts, abbreviations, and understand the general flow of a crochet pattern.

Saturday afternoon - $25.00

The Versatility of Tunisian Crochet with Ilse Watkins

Advanced beginner and beyond

Discover the many uses of Tunisian crochet. Once thought only suitable for blankets and throws, we now use this technique for just about anything—including crocheted lace. It is a fast way of working since unlike knitting and ordinary crochet; you do not turn your work. This class will cover the basic Tunisian crochet stitch, variations, Tunisian crochet in the round, and the different applications of the technique.

Friday morning - $45.00

VERY BEGINNING CROCHET  with DeAnna Hash

Beginner

You have seen the beautiful crochet work done by your mothers, aunts, and grandmothers, but in our modern world have never had the opportunity to learn this craft.  In this class we will start at the very beginning by learning a set of basic stitches.  By combining these stitches you can create an infinite variety of items—garments, accessories, home decor, and more.  Crochet is both an art and a craft.  Begin your journey into the possibilities of crochet.

Saturday morning - $40.00

ILSE WATKINS has worked with yarn in one form or another as far back as she can remember. To amuse her young children, her mother gave her and her brother crochet hooks and yarn, and they proceeded to make crochet chains going through the whole house.  Ilse picked up knitting in 2nd grade in school in Germany.  She made her first poncho at age nine and then never stopped crocheting and knitting. In high school she and her friends had knitting projects going under their desks in class.  She discovered Tunisian Crochet in 2020 and was fascinated. It looked like she had found the bridge between knitting and crochet.  All knit stitches, all crochet stitches can be done in Tunisian crochet, even fair isle, cables and so much more.

DEANNA HASH has crocheting in her blood.  She learned to crochet as a child from her grandmother who was a textile and fashion designer at the textile mills in Grayson County.  Now retired from teaching, she brings to her classes a love of the fiber arts, a lifetime of skill, and the patience of a professional teacher.

SIOBHAN BOOTH is committed to sustainable living at her home near Floyd in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.  She collects local flora, scraps from her garden, and even weeds to use for her naturally dyed yarns.  There is a kind of magic that happens when color is extracted from natural materials and transferred to yarn.  The resulting yarns can have colors that are vibrant or subtle, but there is always a certain element of pleasant surprise at the end of the process.