NM01
Rick Mondragon
Design like a Pro
Intermediate

Great knits start with great fit. Rick will show you his approach to creating and designing garments for publication and for custom fit. Begin the workshop by turning your measurements into a paper silhouette (known as a sloper). Once done, we will analyze ways to make knits that flatter your body. Rick will focus on the set-in sleeve silhouette with corresponding sleeve cap, shoulder, and neckline shaping and how they relate to proper fit. We will talk design—color, style, proportion, and scale—and find practical ways to get results as we explore knitted fabric, garment construction, and trim techniques. Learn to approach knit design by adapting ideas from ready-to-wear garments and fashion magazines. Discover ways to take the best of the design world, tweak the style and fit, and combine your favorite features into a design made just for you—by you—and a wardrobe full of plans!

You know him as editor of Knitter’s Magazine and perhaps as the creative force behind the KDT Design Team, but Rick is also a dynamic force on stage at STITCHES. He has always considered New Mexico home and has set aside time to teach at this Camp STITCHES where you’ll have a rare opportunity to see the educator and entertainer join forces.

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NM 02
Alexis Xenakis and David Xenakis
Shooting Your Stuff: Make it Worth 1,000 Words
No Knitting Skills Required

Here’s your chance to work with two of the best in the business:

Knitter’s Photographer Alexis Xenakis, a world-class textile photographer, and Photoshop Author/Teacher David Xenakis who has taught and lectured nationwide, drawing on his immense experience with image enhancement.

CAPTURING THE BEST PHOTOS—Alexis Xenakis

Whether you consider yourself an amateur shutterbug or have camera experience, using a compact or professional camera, Alexis will help you improve your photography skills. Whether you’d like to keep a photographic record of your work, want a great photo for a design submission, or would like to create an image for your newsletter, web site, pattern, or book, here’s your chance to learn the techniques needed to create beautiful images that show off every stitch. Join Alexis under the New Mexico sun for the look and feel (and the all-important how-to’s) of a real photo shoot. Bring two or three items you’d like to photograph (especially things you may have had trouble shooting, such as white lace) and be prepared to model! You may also bring a few swatches or small items for the close-up (tabletop) session. All you need for Alexis’ workshop is a working knowledge of how to use your camera (film or digital). No other photography skills required.

Alexis Xenakis, Publisher of Knitter’s Magazine and XRX Books, is one of the best photographers in the world. All you need to do is open a copy of Maggie’s Ireland, Victorian Lace Today, or the latest copy of Knitter’s Magazine to see the love he shares in each image that he captures. Alexis is sought by fashion companies around the world to shoot for them. And while he doesn’t do that for them, he will spend time with you to show you some of his secrets.

ENHANCING YOUR IMAGES—David Xenakis

David Xenakis will help you polish each shot using Photoshop© Elements, the inexpensive, yet powerful, little brother of Adobe Photoshop. You’ll cover the basics of image color adjustment, sharpening, some special effects, and even how to get unexpectedly good results from unpromising material. Participants may bring along laptop computers and may work on images taken during the workshop with Alexis. David will be using Adobe Photoshop Elements Version 6, but any moderately recent versions (Versions 3, 4, & 5) may be used by students.

David Xenakis, President of XRX, Inc and formerly known as the ’List Dad’ for KnitU, part of XRX’s online community, is a true master of the digital arts--he is the digital guru behind Knitter’s Magazine & XRX Books. His background as a weaver and editor of The Prairie Wool Companion shapes his interest in knitting. But his real passion is Photoshop. David has written three books about Photoshop and has consulted with Fortune 500 companies. What he can teach you about manipulating your images is no less than magic.

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NM03
Ellen Minard and Carol Buskey
Creative Colors & Closures
No Knitting Skills Required

This workshop is almost like getting to play in Ellen’s dye studio. The dyes are mixed, the fibers are ready, and Ellen is there to suggest and encourage. Learn the basics of handpainting, then create your own colorways. You can choose from many different yarns. Dye as little as you want or as much as you choose! When Carol takes over, you learn to create your own closures using polymer clay. You can make buttons to match your newly handpainted yarns or some of your stash! Material Fee $35.

Ellen, of Ellen’s Half Pint Farm, has been handpainting yarn and fibers for over 15 years. She has taught at various guilds and fiber festivals and her work is featured in Handpaint Country and Sweaters from New England Sheep Farms.

Carol learned to knit as a child and now designs for Ellen’s 1/2 Pint Farm. For the past 15 years, she has taught workshops at fiber festivals across the country on felting (wet & needle) and polymer clay.

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NM04
Debbie Radtke
Felting a Zoo
Easy

This workshop takes you behind the scenes as Debbie Radtke shares the trials and secrets of designing her felted animals for Fiber Trends: Felted Flamingo, Huggable Hedgehog, Nuts about Squirrels, Playful Penguins and her latest, a gecko. The workshop covers the knitting and methods of felting for the animal shapes. Topics covered are the basics of felting, choosing yarns, swatching for gauge, yarn suitability, and making changes to patterns. Students may pre-order a kit of one of the animals or bring the supplies with them. Optional Material Fee $35 for kit.

Debbie’s ‘fun job’ is as a test-knitter for Fiber Trends, where she has worked for over 10 years. She also teaches the Learn-to-Knit classes offered in the STITCHES Market.

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NM05
Leslye Solomon
Confident Chromatics from Cuff to Cuff
Easy/Intermediate

You stand before a display of beautiful yarns and now what? Tired of picking your same old color combinations? This workshop will help you choose colors and textures guaranteed to make a beautiful combination. Learn tricks to know what colors and textures go well together and what combinations you should avoid. Using some important color tools, you’ll be amazed how many more colors you will be able to include, ones you never expected, in one garment. Suddenly, from home décor to everyday clothing choices, you can select colors with confidence.

Apply what you learn about color as you plan a side-to-side sweater (or vest). It’s a great canvas to use your progressive chromatics; the colors are worked in flattering vertical lines. You’ll map out every stitch and row on large knitter’s graph paper, learning to shape the sleeves, body, and neck as you knit from cuff to cuff (or armhole to armhole).

Leslye owns Fiber Fantasy and Woolstock Knit Shop. Author of The Uncomplicated Knitting Machine, she is an enthusiastic teacher known for her instructional videos on hand and machine knitting.

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NM06
Gwen Bortner
Entrelac: From the Beginning to Endless Possibilities
Intermediate/Advanced

Entrelac, a knitting technique often referred to as basket weave, looks complicated but is surprisingly easy to learn. Even so, the nature of its construction seems to limit the possible applications—or does it? If you are intrigued by this fascinating technique, this is the workshop for you—even if you are new to entrelac.

We begin by learning (or reviewing) the basic construction of entrelac, so everyone starts with the same base knowledge. As part of this process, you create two small, but practical, projects. When you are comfortable with the basics, we move on to resolving the challenges of creating with entrelac. Calculating gauge, using schematics, shaping, seams, and invisible joins will all be covered as skills build on one another. Soon you are ready to begin designing your own project or modifying a pattern you have always wanted to knit. This workshop combines the benefits of oneon- one instruction with learning from other student’s projects.

Gwen is a CYCA certified teacher and is accredited by the Professional Knitwear Designers Guild. She gave up her executive career to create Knitability, LLC where the company motto is “taking knitters to the next level.”

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NM07
Margaret Fisher
Seven Things that can “Make or Break” a Sweater™
Easy/Intermediate

Learn seven things that will make a big difference in the appearance of your sweaters. The smallest details can have a huge impact—increasing in ribbing, bumpy or smooth cast-on edge, slanting decreases, invisible increases, perfect buttonholes, flat edgings, and blocking. Learn about all of these things and much more while making a mini-adult sweater. Receive lots of tips and hints about how to produce good results. Since you spend hours making a garment, you’ll want to use techniques that make even the simplest sweater look marvelous.

A TKGA Master Knitter, skilled designer, and experienced teacher, Margaret Fisher has been knitting and crocheting for over 40 years. She loves colorful, textured fabrics and well-fitting sweaters with contemporary style.

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NM08
Ginger Luters
Modular Knitting: Shapes Galore!
Intermediate/Advanced

Experiment with various knitted shapes, and then explore methods of assembling them into unique, one-of-a-kind garments. You’ll work with triangles, squares, strips, and free-form pieces. Several methods of assembling the modular units will be covered, including knitting the pieces together, crocheting, and decorative stitching. By the end of Camp, you’ll plan your own design by combining your favorite ideas.

Having taught fiber-related classes for 12 years at Saddleback College, Ginger knits wearable art and teaches creative knitting with an emphasis on modular knitting. She is the author of Modular Magic.

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NM09
Debbie New
Free-Form and Swirl Knitting
Intermediate/Advanced

Join Debbie as she explores the creative side in all of us! Free-form knitting is presented in several ways to cater to different styles and skill levels. The resulting pieces can be structured or wild, pre-planned or see-what-happens. Swirl knitting develops naturally out of free-form. Play with scattered increases and decreases and curved lines to create swirl knit pieces that look like interlacing ribbons. Take your knitting to the next level, and then plan your next creative project with confidence!

Debbie extends the possibilities of knitting by exploring original techniques that range from knit teacups to wall hangings, from sculptures to garments. Her knit boat—yes, it floats, with her in it!—is featured in A Gathering of Lace. She is the author of Unexpected Knitting.

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NM10
Merike Saarniit
Beyond the Estonian Tradition
Intermediate/Advanced

We often think of an ethnic knitting tradition as something frozen in time, something we dutifully replicate. But the Estonian tradition has been more fluid than frozen. Imagine discovering several unusual cast-ons that can morph into a decorative edge which becomes part of an intricate border pattern that can include stitches that travel, bobble, braid, and otherwise delight the fingers and the eyes. We’ll explore many border options before knitting one of the dramatic stranded patterns for what is considered the official sweater of Estonia: the Kihnu Troi. While no two sweaters are exactly alike, we’ll explore the construction techniques they have in common. Then we’ll see how to apply our stitches and develop a personal pattern for a miniature sweater (with a bear attached, if desired), hat, socks, or mittens.

Drawing on her Estonian heritage, Merike has been involved with fiber arts since childhood. She teaches workshops in many fiber-related subjects.

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NM11
Jane Slicer-Smith
Color and Style Workshop
Intermediate/Advanced

A few simple and small class projects—from bags and purses to socks and booties—make these lessons fun. These pieces give you hands-on experience with techniques from mitres, intarsia, stripes, and fairisle.

While you’re knitting, Jane will discuss fit and style—the keys to outstanding garments. You will work from your own body measurements and explore fit and the drape which Jane uses extensively in her garments. Learn the how’s and why’s of making a swingcoat work, and see how you can apply these techniques to standard knitting patterns.

Jane is a UK native and Australia resident. Jane has had twenty years of experience designing and selling finished garments, including tailoring and custom order. Her label, Signatur Handknits, is best known for masterful A-line and Swingcoats.

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