STITCHES South 2012 Teachers

Marlaina Bird Marlaina "Marly" Bird fled the world of financial services to launch her Yarn Thing podcast and hasn't looked back since. To Marly, a bi-craftsy girl who both knits and crochets, the yarn is the star not how you work with it. She's creative director for Bijou Basin Ranch Yarns and the co-author of Curvy Crochet (Leisure Arts, 2011). You’ve seen her designs in Knitter's Magazine, Knit Simple, Interweave Crochet, Interweave Knits, Knitscene, Inside Crochet, Wild Fiber, Crochet Today, Knitting Today and Petite Purls, and in the books Perfectly Plus and Knitting Plus. In her spare time she is a wife to a very understanding husband, raises three kids and teaches at her local yarn store in suburban Denver. Enter the world of Marly at www.marlybird.com and www.thepurseworkshop.com. View Marlaina's Classes

Gwen Bortner Gwen Bortner is a Craft Yarn Council Certified Teacher, teaching at venues throughout the country. She is the author of the recently published book, Entrée to Entrelac. Her designs can be found in a variety of knitting magazines and through her business, Knitability, LLC. Education is probably the most important component of the Knitability business plan as all efforts focus on the company motto of "Taking Knitters to the Next Level". Whether teaching at a local yarn shop or at a national knitting convention, meeting new people and sharing the love of knitting is one of her greatest joys. Gwen’s teaching philosophy can be summed up in the following quote, “As a teacher, my goal is to help students increase the size of their knitting 'tool box'. Although I may have a preference, experience has shown that my preferred way is rarely the only way. My mantra is 'knitting is fun' and if class isn't fun, then I am not doing my job." View Gwen's Classes

J C Briar A self-confessed technique freak and skill junkie, JC has a special fondness for textured knitting and novel construction techniques. If it involves lace, cables, or seamless construction, it's sure to catch her eye. She shares her enthusiasm by teaching at shops and fiber festivals and through her book Charts Made Simple. View J C's Classes

Beth Brown-Reinsel Beth Brown-Reinsel has been teaching knitting workshops nationally, as well as internationally, for over 20 years. Her book Knitting Ganseys has been deemed a classic. She completed her first DVD Knitting Ganseys with Beth Brown-Reinsel in 2010. Her articles and designs have appeared in Threads, Cast On, Interweave Knits, Shuttle, Spindle, and Dye Pot, Vogue Knitting, and Knitter's Magazine. She continues to design for her own pattern line Knitting Traditions. Beth's website can be found at www.knittingtraditions.com. View Beth's Classes

Laura Bryant With a degree in fine arts from the University of Michigan, Laura began Prism Yarns in 1984. She continues as Prism’s creative force, specializing in color and hand-dyed yarns and has published over 60 pattern booklets for Prism. Laura has written five books, including The Yarn Stash Workbook and (coauthored with Barry Klein) The New Knitter's Template, and recently produced the DVD “A Knitter's Guide to Color with Laura Bryant” and "Yarn to Fit" with Barry Klein. She teaches and designs with a 'no rules' approach, and her classes are designed to bring out the creativity within all of us. View Laura's Classes

Christine Bylsma Chris retired from a career in marketing communications and advertising to pursue her artistic passion, knitting and texture play, at home in Madison, WI. Instead she is having a wonderful time teaching workshops coast to coast – and beyond – for TNNA, shops, guilds and conferences and has her own line of knitting patterns. She has also designed knit garments for the American Girl clothing line. Chris finds inspiration in nature's colors and combinations, and her knitting designs reflect her pleasure in combining fibers, textures, guages, and colors in ways that create fun, yet always wearable knits. Her website www.chrisbylsmadesigns.com showcases all of her designs and provides a list of sources for her patterns. View Christine's Classes

Lily Chin Renowned international knit and crochet designer, author and instructor, Lily has 8 books and 2 DVDs under her belt. Published designer since 1981, teacher since 1989 and author since 1999, Lily has worked in NYC's garment industry since age 13. Her handiwork has been on the backs of supermodels and celebrities as she's done pieces for the runway collections of ready-to-wear designers such as Isaac Mizrahi, Vera Wang, Diane von Furstenburg and Ralph Lauren, among others. Lily prides herself on her ability to teach and communicate. You will learn lots and have great fun in the while doing so. She's been a part of STITCHES since the very first in 1991. View Lily's Classes

Cindy Craig I learned to knit while chaperoning Girl Scouts in Norway. While in our hospitality home, I asked the mom to teach me how to knit, and because I was pregnant with my first son, we started a baby sweater. She had the back finished in two nights, and I was still on the ribbing! I have learned so much since then and now spend my days managing Studio Knitting & Needlepoint, Kansas City, MO. I love helping people learn to knit or crochet — especially, when they get stuck! I knit everywhere I go and am frequently questioned on the sidelines of the soccer field and at PTA and Cub Scout meetings. I love to design and write patterns. View Cindy's Classes

Edie Eckman Many years ago, Edie Eckman co-owned a yarn shop. No one told her that yarn shop owners don't actually get time to knit or crochet, so after a few years she closed the shop and turned to designing. Now she has her fingers in many aspects of the fiber arts, as teacher, writer, designer, editor, and technical editor. She is the author of a number of books including Socks to Knit for Those You Love, Around the Corner Crochet Borders, How to Knit Socks: Three Methods Made Easy, The Crochet Answer Book, and Beyond-the-Square Crochet Motifs. Edie considers herself fully bi-textural and likes to serve as a Knit-Crochet Diplomat, easing the schism that can exist between the two disciplines..  View Edie's Classes

Candace Eisner Strick Candace Eisner Strick has immersed herself in music and knitting most of her life. Now retired from 16 years of teaching cello, she concentrates on designing, writing, and teaching knitting. Her newest book, Strick-ly Socks, features a revolutionary and amazingly simple way of knitting socks. She is the author of 6 other books, has been published in numerous magazines, and has taught nationally and internationally since 1998. She is the creator of her own line of yarn, Merging Colors, and her own line of patterns under the name of Strickwear. (www.strickwear.com). Candace's students say they not only love learning from her classes, but thoroughly enjoy her sense of humor as well. Appropriately, "strick" means to knit. View Candace's Classes

Jolie A. Elder Jolie has explored a wide range of needle arts after learning to cross stitch at age four. She designs, teaches, and stunt knits in the Atlanta area where she demystifies the obscure. Her published patterns include "Serpentine Short-Round Scarf" and "Tetra Stadium Blanket." She blogs her knitting experiments at jolieaelder.blogspot.com. View Jolie A.'s Classes

Drew Emborsky Drew Emborsky, aka The Crochet Dude, is an award-winning master crocheter on the cutting edge of the industry. He has 10 books published, a wildly popular blog, a line of crochet hooks and tools available nationwide, and is the crochet expert on the hit PBS show "Knit & Crochet Now!" His latest books Use Up That Yarn and Hug It Out were released in January 2012. View Drew's Classes

Nicky Epstein Renowned knitwear designer, Nicky Epstein has gained worldwide recognition for her distinctive, innovative work and informative workshops. She has authored numerous books including the top selling Knitting On The Edge, Knitting Over The Edge, Knitting Beyond The Edge, Nicky Epstein’s Knitted Flowers, Knitting On Top Of The World, Knitting In Tuscany, Knitting A Kiss In Every Stitch, and her latest, blockbuster best selling Knitting Block by Block. Her designs have been featured in many knitting publications, as well as on television and in museums. She has also expanded her artistic talent by creating a line of designer buttons, clasps, scarves, and artwork, all to be found on her website www.nickyepstein.com Nicky lives in New York City but travels extensively around the world sharing her love of knitting with countless fans. View Nicky's Classes

Margaret Fisher Margaret Fisher is a TKGA Master Knitter and nationally known knitting instructor who teaches across the country at conventions and for shops and guilds. She loves colorful, textured fabric and well-fitting sweaters with contemporary style. She designs and makes one-of-a-kind garments and accessories. Margaret is a former co-chair of the Master Hand Knitting Committee of The Knitting Guild Association (TKGA) and has written magazine articles on knitting and knitting techniques. She is the author of Seven Things that can "Make or Break" a Sweater®. View Margaret's Classes

Jean Frost Years of working in the garment industry sharpened Jean's skills in knits and designs. Her attention to designer fit details and to knitted fabric textures and color delivers garments that have high interest and style. Jean now teaches, knits and designs. She is the author of Jean Frost Jackets and her newest book Custom Knit Jackets Casual to Couture. View Jean's Classes

Charles Gandy Charles, a TKGA Master Knitter, learned to knit at the young age of four from his mother, a designer and shop owner. He designed his first sweater three years later and continues to create today. A two-time winner in the recent Knitter's Magazine "Think Outside the Sox" contest, three of his designs are featured in the new book of the same name: "Dread Sox", "Snake in the Grass" and "Pedicure Polka Socks". His own book, The Embellished Sock: Knitted Art for the Foot features 18 creative sock patterns and numerous techniques. His work is featured in numerous national publications, and he is a frequent teacher and lecturer at workshops and conferences nationwide. View Charles's Classes

Antje Gillingham Antje Gillingham spent the first 18 years of her life in Germany where she learned to knit at the age of eight. Stateside, she soon rediscovered her infatuation with the craft and opened The Knitting Nest, a knitter’s haven in Maryville, Tennessee. Antje is the author of two bestselling books, Knitting Circles around Socks and Knitting More Circles around Socks. Her third book is scheduled to be published early 2012. While teaching all over the country, she has met many who share her passion for knitting. It is these wonderful like-minded souls who continue to inspire her to design, write and teach. View Antje's Classes

Susanna Hansson Susanna grew up in Sweden and learned to knit in the fifth grade, as did all young Swedish girls in the early 1960's. She has been an instrumental influence in the renaissance of interest in the unique patterned colorwork Bohus Stickning sweaters and her collection of vintage garments was the centerpiece of a highly successful exhibit at the American Swedish Institute (ASI) in 2009. In addition to teaching at all four STITCHES events, Susanna takes her workshops on the road to guilds, retreats, and shops in North America, Scandinavia, Japan, and the UK. Her work is grounded in her love of technique, detail, history, and culture. She loves to teach as much as she loves to knit! For more information about Susanna, please visit her website at www.oneofsusannas.com. View Susanna's Classes

Sivia Harding Sivia Harding learned how to knit in 2000 and has been churning out patterns since 2003. Her work has appeared in publication under her own name and has been featured in Twist Collective online magazine, Knitty.com, various subscription clubs, and in many knitting books. Sivia is known for her work with exceptional beaded knits. Her self-published designs are found on Ravelry and her website (www.siviaharding.com), and recent updates can be found on her Facebook page. View Sivia's Classes

Betsy Hershberg Betsy Hershberg is a life-long knitter whose knitting world was turned upside down and inside out when she learned how to bead knit in 2002. As ideas for combining beads and fiber began to take over her knitting brain, she found herself on a completely unexpected journey which has forever altered the way she thinks about her "left-brained" self and the creative process. She can’t wait to share some of these discoveries, unique bead knitting techniques and lots of fabulous projects and patterns in her forthcoming book, Betsy Beads: Confessions of a Left-Brained Knitter, available March 2012 from XRX Books. Betsy also takes enormous pleasure in teaching, feeling it is especially rewarding to help knitters reach new levels of technical knowledge, confidence and independence that will free them to explore their own individual creativity. You can view her work at www.studiobknits.com. View Betsy's Classes

Galina Khmeleva A former clothing designer from Russia, Galina is the owner of Skaska Designs and co-author of Gossamer Webs. She teaches techniques used in Russian Orenburg lace shawls. View Galina's Classes

Melissa Leapman A popular teacher and prolific designer, Melissa Leapman is the author of several bestselling knitting and crocheting books including Mastering Color Knitting and Stashbuster Knits (Potter Craft, 2010 and 2011), as well as numerous publications and DVD's from Leisure Arts. Her most recent book, Knitting the Perfect Fit, was released in August 2012. View Melissa's Classes

Ginger Luters Ginger Luters is a Northern California based designer of knitted wearable art and a nationally known creative knitting teacher. She has an MA in Fine Art and taught knitting, weaving, and design classes at Saddleback College in southern California for 12 years. The author of the book, Module Magic, which focuses on the unusual designs and construction techniques for which she is known, Ginger designs for several knitting magazines and yarn companies. View Ginger's Classes

Brooke Nico Brooke began her designing activities by sewing her own wardrobe, inspired by drape and color. She brought her talents to knitting almost 10 years ago, first exploring modular construct, then lace. Next, Brooke opened Kirkwood Knittery with business partner Susie Kinsella. As a dedicated teacher, Brooke guides knitters through the intricacies of techniques to make their projects as polished as possible. View Brooke's Classes

Shannon Okey Shannon Okey is a designer, the publisher behind Cooperative Press, and a former knitting magazine editor. She has written more than a dozen fiber arts titles and taught everywhere you can imagine, including drop-spindling on a swaying cruise ship! Her most recent book is The Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design. View Shannon's Classes

Kristin Omdahl Kristin Omdahl designs knit & crochet garments and patterns under her label KRISTIN, distributes them from her website StyledbyKristin.com, and is the author of Wrapped In Crochet, Crochet So Fine, A Knitting Wrapsody and Seamless Crochet. She is also the crochet expert for Knitting Daily TV. Kristin is passionate about creating with her hands. She loves coastal, tropical living and having fun outside with her son every day. View Kristin's Classes

Judy Pascale Judy Pascale, a native of Connecticut and a life long knitter, launched her career as a professional knitting instructor and designer in the early 1990's. She has professionally sold her unique knitwear under the name THE JUDITH COLLECTION both privately and at juried shows. For several years she was employed at a yarn shop where she taught knitting classes and assisted numerous customers with their knitting and finishing problems. She is now exclusively teaching knitting and design classes with the emphasis on customizing desired fit. The second phase of Judy's designer career combined knitting with beads. Using a non-prestringing technique and textured stitches, she has designed classes from small projects to garments. The most recent phase is wet felting. This ancient textile process remains vibrant and fascinating today. Either a Nuno scarf to wear or a decorative table runner or bowl to decorate your home. Creativity is endless. Besides teaching for STITCHES, her experience includes The National Needle Art Association (TNNA), Vogue Knitting Live (VK Live), The Knitting Guild of America (TKGA) and different yarn shops and guilds all over the country. Most importantly, Judy has joined the ranks of other talented members of the knitting community whose explosive interest is creating a renaissance for the ageless art of knitting. View Judy's Classes

Sarah Peasley Sarah's passion is making knitting accessible to everyone. She is known for the patience and humor with which she teaches, for the relevance and detail of her class notes, and for her ability to instill confidence and provide her students with a wide range of lasting skills. View Sarah's Classes

Merike Saarniit Merike Saarniit has been teaching workshops in knitting, spinning, weaving, and dyeing for over 20 years, and at most STITCHES events since 2000. The combination of her traditional Estonian heritage (including serious research of Estonian knitting) and her contemporary degree in Studio Art contribute to her unique designs and workshop presentations. A more complete bio available at www.Liisu.com. View Merike's Classes

Leslye Solomon Having taught at all of the STITCHES events for more than 20 years and at a numerous variety of knitting seminars from England to Alaska, Leslye Solomon is an enthusiastic, energetic, and empathetic teacher with extensive knitwear training. She presently owns Woolstock Yarn Shop in Glyndon, Maryland which, through the daily activities, delivers a huge variety of knowledge and experience she wants to share with you. From her extensive training and understanding the experience of hundreds of other knitter's projects, she has shared her experience and knowledge through the production of beautifully photographed instructional videos/dvds. DVD subjects cover expert sweater finishing, uncomplicated machine knitting, making socks using double points and circular needles, expert techniques in buttonholes and bands making, a wonderful method of continental knitting, as well as bead knitting. Leslye has created KnitSpeaker, a new iPhone, iPad, iPod touch timed audio pattern repeating app for knitters. A class with Leslye is an experience that will arm students with valuable knowledge. Their only concern is whether they will remember it all. View Leslye's Classes

Carol Sulcoski Carol J. Sulcoski is a former attorney turned knitting designer and hand-dyer. She is author of Knitting Socks With Handpainted Yarns and co-author of Knit So Fine (both published by Interweave Press). Her work has been published in Vogue Knitting, KnitSimple, St-Denis Magazine, KnitScene, and various other books and magazines. She also founded Black Bunny Fibers (www.blackbunnyfibers.com), an independent dyeing business creating unique handpainted yarns and fibers, and her indie patterns can be found on Ravelry and Patternfish. She lives outside Philadelphia with her family, and is currently working on her third book. View Carol's Classes

Beth Whiteside A software professional as well as knitting teacher, designer and technical editor, Beth's curiosity has led her to visit many countries (stranded color, EPS, k1b, lace, ...) on the knitting world map. Originally from New England, she now lives in San Francisco, where mountains, ocean and Haight Street are always good sources of inspiration. What she loves most about teaching is finding ways to make light bulbs pop on in her student's head and helping them grow as knitters. View Beth's Classes

Myra Wood Myra is a fiber artist/designer and author of Creative Crochet Lace and Crazy Lace. She specializes in creative knitting and crochet and teaches a wide range of classes. View Myra's Classes

Anna Zilboorg Now an Anglican Solitary living in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Anna has recently expanded Magnificent Mittens to include Socks. Her other books include Fancy Feet, 45 Fine & Fanciful Hats to Knit, Knitting for Anarchists, and Socks for Sandals and Clogs. View Anna's Classes