Craftsy

As promised on Sunday, I’m back to tell you a bit about what I’ve been learning on Craftsy.

First of all, I should tell you that about a year ago, Craftsy opened things up for selling knitting patterns. I tried it out and figured that another venue for selling my patterns (besides Ravelry & Patternfish) couldn’t hurt. So yes, I have a Craftsy pattern store.

Craftsy’s main focus is online classes. They don’t just do knitting classes, they have classes on Cake Decorating, Crochet, Weaving, Sewing, Quilting, Jewelry and more. As a double knitting afficionado, I have to let you know that Lucy Neatby’s class Foundations of Double Knitting, has just gone live this week. There also seems to be a sale going on over there. It’s worth checking out!

As well as the full length paid classes, Craftsy also has some smaller free mini classes, and I’ve tried a few. I highly recommend Carol Feller’s Short Rows class. Although I knew the different methods, her class helped to unify them and explain the whys of when to use them.

Deborah Robson has a Know Your Wool mini class, which I had to get because after reading The Fleece and Fiber Source Book it was neat to see and hear her talk about this topic. Plus now I’m mentally pronouncing her name correctly!

Also, Fiona Ellis has a Creative Cabled Necklines mini class. Having been lucky enough to take a class from Fiona in person, how could I pass up the opportunity to take this gem?

So what have I been learning on Craftsy? Well the first paid class I bought was Caro Sheridan’s Shoot It: A Product Photography Primer. I probably need to review that class again (something you can do at any time once you’ve purchased a class). It has changed how I see things around me. I’ve spotted several new potential locations for photo shoots that I didn’t even notice before the class. I see things differently, thanks to this class.

What I’m working on now is Explorations in Brioche Knitting, from Nancy Marchant. I’ve been wanting to try this for a while. My bookshelf is evidence that owning a book doesn’t mean I’m necessarily going to use it, and learning from a master seemed like a good way to try this technique. Here’s my first swatch:

I think my slightly unconventional knitting style makes this relatively easy for me, but I’ll have to do a whole lot more knitting before it feels natural. Now I’ve just got to make the time to keep “going to class” and learning more. Feel free to pester me to make sure I’m keeping up with my studies!