Here are some swatches from my 4-day intensive class at the Machine Knitting School in Seattle at the end of January.
It was a small group of four students. The four of us came from different places - with me from the Bay Area, the others Seattle, Michigan and Vancouver. The studio was equipped with punchcard, electronic, as well as industrial machines. Apart from laughing through our dropping of stitches, weights, and the whole swatch, we've had good morning coffee, afternoon snacks, and hotpot dinner. It was also an eye-opening experience to browse through Helen Sharp's collection of textile-related books and her portfolio during break times.
Though I'm a pretty good self-learner with skills like cooking or HTML coding, machine knitting does have a steep learning curve. Helen Sharp's structured curriculum definitely helped to organize and reinforce what I've been reading and net-surfing over the past months. Thanks to her methodical guidance, I now have built up sufficient confidence in manipulating the machine on my own.
Interestingly, what I learned most from the class is "patience" - she would ask me to take a coffee break when she felt my frustration at multiple dropped stitches in a few consecutive rows. Not only was I impressed with her patience, but I also realized that machine knitting would help to improve my patience. I look forward to take her Garment Class some time in the future.
Whether you're a knitwear designer, a hobbyist or a machine knitter returning after years of hiatus, I highly recommend Helen's classes to you. In fact, they are as good as retreat.
