Finish the face of your knitted animal - Cinthia Vallet - Fri. 7/31

Friday, July 31

2:30-5:30, 3 hours

About this class:
I welcome you to embark on a workshop dedicated to the face features of your knitted animals and to take time to dig into these details, often scary for knitters, but so important for the liveliness of your knitted toy, and the joy you’ll get from crafting it.

Become confident, leave the fear of not doing well behind you and embrace the joy of meeting your character for the first time, at a very early stage of the process of knitting it.

A truly magic moment when you breathe life to your character and feel like a proper toy maker, a Geppetto in his workshop.

This class will work in two steps:

Before the workshop, from the beginning of July, I will welcome you to a phase of « prep-along » : I will invite you to join a private online space where I’ll share with you how to get ready for the workshop and what you’ll need to bring. During this step, we’ll knit along at least one animal's head from a pattern I will provide you, that will serve as a study subject during the class. It won’t be a lot of homework, and we’ll do it together.

For this step of knitting the head on your own, you’ll need to be at ease with a method to work very small circumferences in the round, (small as the thumb of a mitten for example): it can be magic loop, double pointed needles or flexible double pointed needles such as the Addi Crazy trio. A first experience in knitting short rows and a soft spot for small knitting would be great !

During the workshop, we’ll cover techniques and embroidery tools, I’ll show you the different options for the eyes and you’ll choose at least one option to practice on your animal, (more if you have more heads ready). We’ll also tackle the question of stuffing. We’ll learn about doing - and undoing if necessary - the embroidered details. It’s all about slowing down, experimenting, taming and enjoying the process, having fun, and in the end, changing the way you think about this step and never feeling reluctant about it again.

All along the process, I’ll be available to answer your questions about face features and finishing in general. Mouche and friends will be there too, to show you their face! After the workshop, you’ll get the rest of the instructions to complete your little animal at home.

Level: Intermediate

What you’ll need to bring to class:
What you’ll need to bring for the class: the head(s) knitted at home and your usual knitting notion case. What will be provided: the knitting pattern, embroidery thread and embroidery needles, safety and sew on eyes, stuffing.

About the instructor:
Cinthia Vallet lives in Nantes, France, with her husband, kids, furry companions and a lot of woolly friends!

With an aesthetic rooted in her passion for kids literature, she created an original method that fully reinvigorates the experience of toy knitting, to make it joyful, seamless and easy, and she writes patterns and books, to empower every knitter to make their owns. She’s the author of Mouche and friends, seamless toys to knit and love, published by Laine Publishing, and has a second book soon to be published. Cinthia believes that the characters we knit are more than just toys, they hold tenderness and joy, and open the door to the spirit of childhood. They are link between people of all ages and the greatest love spreaders.

Please note - Marketplace tickets are not included in the class price and will need to be purchased separately.

In order to allow our instructors to prepare for their classes, we are not able to refund class purchases if your plans change. However, we are happy to transfer them if you find someone to take your place!