Take a Class
If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you know that I just finished taking a class at STASH Lounge here in Calgary to learn how to make thrummed mittens.
I first took a knitting class 3 years ago because my mom wanted to take a knitting class with her daughters. So for her birthday we signed up for the Learn to Knit class at STASH. Pretty much all 3 of us knew how to knit, my mom had re-taught me to knit as a teenager after her mom had taught me as a child. But my mom wanted a refresher. Now this is going to sound pretty dramatic, but this class changed my life. It was Chantal of Knitatude who taught that class. She mentioned how if you need help she has a knit night every Thursday. I started following her on Instagram because she was so fun, even though I knew I would probably never buy something from her, I knew how to knit after all! Well, then she started making sweaters from We Are Knitters, and I was inspired to give it a go too! Next came a We Are Knitters party for my 2nd sweater, and then my first Knit Night! That led to a whole new routine, a severe knitting addiction, and a bunch of new friends!
After such a dramatic effect from my first knitting class, I certainly didn’t have the same expectations for my next one. But that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t still be good. When I first saw this class after taking the Learn to Knit class I thought thrummed mittens were just colour work. It wasn’t until last craft show season that I actually saw thrummed mittens and realized how amazing they could be!
There are some things that are just a little too difficult to learn from YouTube, and considering thrumming isn’t a particularly well-known technique, there aren’t that many videos to learn from anyway. But just because it’s more complex, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, there’s always value in trying new things (see one of my earlier posts on the value of learning). I find that especially when you need to get a feel for something, like how much roving to pull off, how to stretch and fold a thrum, and how big to make your thrum, having some actual examples in your hands just doesn’t compare to a YouTube video or a book.
When you’re in a class there’s also someone there to catch mistakes you make, and teach you how to fix them. That means a lot less frustration! You also get to see the colours or work that others are doing, and that can be really inspiring! There are so many possibilities with thrummed mittens, I’m going to want to make a lot of them!
Have you taken a class to learn more about your craft? Was it a good experience?
