Classes & Talks
Sock Knitting Workshop with Samira Hill
Saturday October 18th from 09:50 to 12:50
Learn to knit brilliant socks from the toe up in this 3 hour class, and say goodbye to toe-grafting and left over yarns! When knitting your socks from the toe up, you get to finish the socks when the yarn runs out. No prior sock knitting experience needed, but experience in knitting in the round is recommended. Learn to make socks on 4 needles, on circular needles using the Magic Loop technique, and for those who already have some experience in sock knitting, learn to knit 2 socks at the same time on a single circular needle!
In this workshop, participants will learn:
• Invisible cast on for the toe
• Sock knitting techniques (gusset and toe shaping, heel turning...)
• Stretchy Cast off for the cuff
Samira Hill
Samira is a knitting and crochet designer, teacher, pattern writer and technical editor based in the Scottish Borders. She is also one of the organisers of Tangled Galashiels. Samira’s classes are suitable for all abilities and we are excited to present two brilliant workshops from her this year.
Create Your Own Beaded Stitchmarkers with Rebecca Anderson
Saturday October 18th from 12:00 to 14:30
Learn how to make your own stitch markers with experienced jeweller Rebecca Anderson aka Songbead! Using beginner wire working jewellery skills, you will create your own unique set of snag-free beaded stitch markers, leaving with not only these but essential jewellery making skills under your belt. Using tools and beads (provided in the workshop) Rebecca will teach you foundation techniques - making wire wrapped loops, securely opening and closing jump rings and more. You can even turn some of your stitch markers into earrings! No previous experience needed.
Rebecca Anderson
Rebecca Anderson aka Songbead is a jeweller and passionate hand knitter living in Edinburgh. When she began knitting 9 years ago, she quickly realised that her jeweller skills were easily transferable for making her own stitch markers, and has been making her own snag-free unique markers ever since. Alongside her own handmade jewellery, she has taught jewellery making for almost two decades in venues nationwide, and her designs have been published in several national and international bead and jewellery publications. Teaching other knitters how to make their own unique stitch markers is a happy combination of two of her favourite things - jewellery and knitting!
Introduction to Two Colour Brioche Knitting with Samira Hill
Saturday October 18th from 14:15 to 16:45
In this 2 hour class Samira will cover how Brioche works, how to cast on, cast off, and work reversible Simple Brioche in 2 colours. This is a fantastic introduction to the world of Brioche knitting.
Samira Hill
Samira is a knitting and crochet designer, teacher, pattern writer and technical editor based in the Scottish Borders. She is also one of the organisers of Tangled Galashiels. Samira’s classes are suitable for all abilities and we are excited to present two brilliant workshops from her this year.
Visible Mending with Eilidh Weir
Sunday October 19th from 10:30 to 13:30
Dive into the world of darning with Eilidh Weir. Covering traditional woven darning, Swiss, honeycomb darning for your knits and other textiles. We will discuss the advantages to each technique and you will be armed with skills to mend more than you thought possible, keeping our clothes and fabrics working for us for longer while still looking beautiful.
Eilidh Weir
Eilidh Weir is a multidisciplinary artist and mending enthusiast. She has a strong DIY ethic, always collecting materials and learning techniques of making. Everything that passes through their home is fair game for repairing, you’ll struggle to find a sock that hasn't been patched or darned.
Eilidh runs a variety of workshops and is committed to sharing practical skills that resist consumerist culture and strives to reduce waste across all aspects of life and work.
Introduction to Steeking with Marna Gilligan
Sunday October 19th from 13:15 to 16:15
Marna is the cat-obsessive (and steek-evangelist) behind An Caitín Beag.
Snip up your knitting with confidence after taking this steeking workshop! We’ll look at the various reasons why you may want to steek your knitting, and how plan your project for success.
You’ll get the chance to try two different steek reinforcements - the classic, trusty crochet method, and the fun, cathartic needle felting method. We’ll also discuss and look at some examples of other methods. We’ll round things off with a look at finishing methods for your steeked edges - picking up buttonbands, enclosing your steek in a ‘sandwich’ and applying a ribbon trim to your steek. You'll finish the workshop brimming with steeking confidence and ready to take the scissors to everything you have ever knit.
Short Row Colourwork with Helen Lockhart
Sunday October 19th from 13:45 to 16:45
As an introduction to short row shaping colourwork, the class will begin with displaying some sample swatches of different patterns that can be achieved through using the technique of short row shaping. We will concentrate on one method of short row shaping – German Short Rows. This is an effective method in colour work and garter stitch garments.
Once students have grasped the concept they will be able to go and explore other methods for themselves. We will work from a pattern by Woolly Wormhead, well known for her short row shaping colourwork patterns, which will give us the opportunity to learn how to read short row shaping charts.
Colour, colour combinations, and colour combination inspiration will also form part of the workshop. This is an introduction to short row shaping and so is suitable for beginners. If you are already familiar with short row shaping techniques then this probably is not the class for you.
Helen Lockhart
Helen, of Ripples Crafts Hand Dyed Yarn, has been knitting since a young girl, and loves learning
and exploring new knitting techniques. Helen’s main focus (and her day job) is dyeing yarns which can be used for all kinds of textile crafts including knitting, weaving and crochet. She lives and works in Assynt, in the Scottish Highlands, a landscape which continuously offers inspiration for colour and colour combinations.
Helen hopes to inspire those who have not discovered the art of short row shaping by teaching a method of this technique. She has knitted a number of patterns using this short row shaping and finds it a comparatively simple way to bring about colour changes and shaping in a pattern. Once the method behind this magical looking technique is discovered you can begin to see many possibilities for its use.
Talks and Workshops
Spindle Spinning with Alex Effinger
Saturday October 18th from 10:45 to 11:45
Saturday October 18th from 13:00 to 14:00
Learn how to spin yarn using a drop spindle. A drop spindle is used for spinning or twisting fibres like sheep wool, flax, hemp, cotton, etc into yarn. It's a great introduction to the world of spinning and is often a first step to a spinning wheel.
With the option to buy the kit following the class you can go home and make gorgeous yarns from fibre with confidence.
Weaving Glasgow's History
Saturday October 18th from 15:00 to 16:00
To celebrate Glasgow 850, Norry will be looking at the influence Glasgow’s pre industrial revolution weavers – who were highly literate and progressive – had on worker’s rights and society in general. Norry will take you on an illustrated journey from the Govan and Calton weavers, to the Radical War of 1820 and the sma’ shot victory in Paisley, with his trademark wit and wisdom.
Norry Wilson
Journalist and social historian Norry Wilson has had a lifelong fascination with his home city.
He first fell down the vintage photography rabbit hole while working on the Evening Times.
Think of him as the ‘Raider of the Lost Archives’.
Now, with over 300k online followers on his Lost Glasgow site, he continues to tickle the city's collective memory muscle, teasing out old stories, forgotten facts, and the lost histories hidden in the photographic record of old Glasgow.
Journey Around Scotland in Sheep with Susan Anderson
Sunday October 19th from 11:45 to 12:45
Susan started The Journal of Scottish Yarns using skills learnt from 30 years working in financial services & a lifelong passion for crafts. Her objective through it is to promote Scottish textiles by sharing stories & craft design that use Scottish materials.
Join Susan Anderson of the Journal of Scottish Yarns for a trip around Scotland with our native sheep breeds. From the ancient Boreray of St Kilda to the modern Bowmont from the Borders valleys, they all have a fascinating story to tell.