Detour!

I’ve been working madly this last couple of weeks, both at work and on another project. I work in a rather large building (well, large for East Tennessee – about 800 people work here). There are a few women, although we’re in a definite minority. After talking to several, I got permission to hold knitting and crochet classes after hours during the winter in a large, windowed conference room. So I’ve been working up some instructions, patterns, and other basics.

I decided to do a Fiber 101 unit first, followed by the knitting unit and then crochet. A fiber overview is often necessary because so many people don’t really pay attention. It isn’t as though everyone is taught basics at home anymore – or even in home-ec courses. I’m not even sure our local high-school HAS a home-ec course… Anyway, I decided to begin with the basics. That class was yesterday, and I think it went all right.

As for the knitting class next week, the plan is to get started with a corner-to-corner garter-stitch cotton dishcloth. Why not? It’s an easy way to teach cast-on, knit stitch, yo increases, k2tog decreases and bind-off. Next will be a stocking or pair of socks – student’s choice. That will cover working in the round on double point needles, purling and ribbing, heel stitch, short rows, matched decreases and kitchener stitching. This should take us through Christmas, and we’ll take a break until January, when we’ll start crochet.

Between writing the instructional materials and making up the samples, I’ve been wildly, happily busy! I really do enjoy teaching – I should probably try to come up with a way to do more of it. But the samples should be finished by this time next week, and I’ll get back to Christmas gifts. Three pairs of gloves are already finished, and I have about that many more to go. And there’s the everlasting edging on the silk shawl – I’m still plugging away, but it may take me another year to finish it.