Knit, Sew, & Crochet Class Mania

Spring is here! It was 74 gorgeous degrees outside yesterday in NYC! Nothing like nice weather to chase away the winter blues (and all the seriously heavy stuff going on in the world right now). So I’m ready for Summer. I’ve been dreaming up some fun ideas to get into gear and decided to celebrate by taking some Knitting classes. I’ve so far only been interested in classes for Sewing. I’ve never taken a formal course in Knitting or Crochet before. So this time around I decided to try some out. Perhaps those who prefer to try Knitting or Crochet for the first time with a class can find this list helpful too! I’ll be trying 4 classes this Spring. 3 Knitting, 1 Sewing. From Lion Brand Yarn Studio, Purl Soho, and Sew Fast Sew Easy. With a special mention to 3rd Ward and Etsy Labs. I’m super excited! Read on for full details!

Lion Brand Yarn Studio
The above book by Melissa Morgan Oakes is one of the classes I’ll be trying here. LBY Studio has a wealth of Knitting and Crochet classes for everyone from the beginner beginner to the rabid fanatic. Beginning Crochet or Knitting, Crochet or Knitting Brush-Up courses for those who just need a refresher, Toe-Up Socks, Top Down Knitting, Tunisian Crochet and many more wonderful courses. I saw quite a few I’d like to take. But I settled on two to start. Toe Up Socks 1 session. 7 hours! $95. And Top Down Knitting. 3 sessions. 2 hours each. $75! They often have wonderful special classes and events by anyone from Nicky Epstein – if you knit it’s likely you either own or have come across one of her books before. I personally own Knitting on Top of the World and Crocheting on the Edge. To Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed. And many more. The only drawback so far is that you must choose a Lion Brand Yarn for your project. I didn’t love that but don’t mind it too much yet. Not too bad considering it’s easier to cover more ground if everyone works with standard materials. It’s also a common practice for most classes. But you will get 10% off all yarns and supplies you purchase if you’re taking a class.

What I like so far is that they always have a steady stream of very interesting classes going on at any given time. Great for a busy bee or anyone who likes options. From the most beginner to the more serious. And all for the most competitive prices you will find in Manhattan! They also have weekly events like movie night knitting circles, yarn craft night, men’s night that are all free! They also have a wonderful News & Events Blog where you can keep up with all the events and classes they have going on including the latest news on fiber arts shows and more!

Their studio is wonderfully spacious, 2 floors, with the ground floor being the shop and the 2nd floor being the studio itself. A great perk considering it’s Manhattan. Most class schedules are very accessible for the working professional. Check out their website for a listing of classes and schedules.

Update: Check out my completed Socks Project.

Lion Brand Yarn Studio
34 West 15th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 243-9070
www.lionbrandyarnstudio.com

3rd Ward and Etsy Labs
This little creative nerdery has been around for awhile. Located way out in Brooklyn they are most known for its community workspaces where artists can rent or share the facilities for monthly or yearly rates. They joined forces with Etsy.com who opened Etsy Labs for wonderful craft classes. It was only open for a short while before they closed. I only recently discovered they re-opened at the 3rd Ward facilities. They offer classes from Knitting and Crochet to Sewing, Millinery, Embroidery, Fabric Dyeing, Upholstery, Jewelry and more. Check out their website for a listing of classes and schedules.

What I like so far is they will be taught by excellent craftsmen like Kim Kotary who teaches their Knitting and Crochet classes! I’ve never taken a class with her but those who are into Knitting will find her familiar. The courses and curriculum are done in conjunction with Etsy.com who know their crafts and its community! So it’s likely you will get a very quality class from the best teachers and experts out there today. The other major bonus? Affordably priced classes. E.g., Intro to Crochet is $100 for 6 hours. The only drawback is that it’s a pretty far trek from Manhattan. Where it is in Brooklyn is pretty remote. Also sometimes the hours aren’t ideal. I ended up not signing up for a class here yet because they did not offer quite what I was looking for.

3rd Ward
195 Morgan Avenue
New York, NY 11237
(718) 715-4961
www.3rdward.com

Purl Soho
This great fabric and yarn boutique is one of my favorites in NYC. They are a very quality yarn shop offering great selections of yarn, tools, materials, books etc. They know their stuff! Stylish and modern. You won’t find unappealing grannie stitches here! Their blog is a wonderful place for inspiration. Trendy but substantial. The only problem with Purl Soho is it’s usually crowded and geared more towards luxury consumers. It’s still really decent and always well stocked (a big plus for yarn shops) and prices really are not too bad considering the well run shop.

What I do love about them is their classes. I took my first Sewing Class here and it was what sparked it all for me. I’ve been checking back frequently to see their class offerings and have always found great classes taught by excellent teachers. They sometimes have guest teachers for special courses too. Which is what I decided to try next. Their Modern Top Down Knitting class named after the book and also taught by the author Kristy McGowan caught my eye. I’ve been looking into creating a custom design for myself and thought this could be interesting. It’s a technique first discovered by Barbara Walker who Kristy McGowan then re-interpreted. An interesting class to offer so I decided to try out.

The class space is a bit cramped but it was fine given what I got out of the class so it was worth it for me. The store itself is a wonderland of great fabric and yarn. And of course tools! Check out their website for a listing of classes and schedules.

Update: This class got cancelled at the last minute! 🙁 Good thing I did not buy any materials or books for it!

Purl Soho
459 Broome Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 420-8796
www.purlsoho.com

Sew Fast Sew Easy
A bit of a Sewing institution here in New York. They are best known as a sewing machine dealer where you can pop in to try out the machines and for their classes! A well known one is Stitch and Bitch University. They are also infamous for their eccentric proprietor Elissa Meyrich. One reason I hesitated to try a Sewing class here in there first place. But I found a great one I wanted to try, Copy Your Own Clothes. So much so I decide it was worth taking a chance.

I’ve been to the store before for some random felt and embroidery floss. It’s not much to look at. The retail space itself is in an office building and is tiny and cramped. I also peeked in the back where all their sewing machines and classes are held. And it didn’t look ideal. However, I decided to try nevertheless to see for myself. Check out their website for a listing of classes and schedules. Full details to come.

Sew Fast Sew Easy
147 West 35th Street, Suite 807
New York, NY 10001
(212) 268-4321
www.sewfastseweasy.com