This Fall's virtual knitting destination is beautiful Portugal. Rich in textile history, Portugal boasts its own method of holding yarn and knitting needles for quick and easy stitching--even purling!
The country's craft traditions are influenced by its maritime heritage and by the various cultures that contributed to it being one of the longest-lived colonial empires of all time.
Join us for a weekend of learning, knitting, camaraderie, and fun with Portuguese locals, expats, and fellow daydreaming armchair tourists.
Given your fearless tour director <ahem>, you can expect laughter, door prizes, and a super goody box delivered right to your door.
SEJA BEM-VINDO!
We kick off our #virtualknittingtourtoPortugal with a casual meet and greet.
Take your knitting bag out of your carry on luggage, and join us for a fun evening of knitting, door prizes, and laughter.
LIVE VIRTUAL TOUR OF LISBON
Via the magic of Zoom, let's walk up and down the hills of Old Lisbon, discovering the amazing wonders of this ancient city through the historic districts of Baixa, Alfama and Chiado.
Our guide, Marta, will share her favorite sites of her hometown, the capital of Portugal.
PORTUGUESE KNITTING
with Andrea Wong
Learn a whole new way to knit!
Different from the more well-known English and Continental methods, in Portuguese knitting, the yarn is be fed and tensioned around the neck (or knitting pin), leaving hands free to hold the needles. Stitches are formed by looping tensioned yarn around the needle using the thumb.
Benefits of this technique:
In this two-hour session, learn to both knit and purl Portuguese-style, practice all increases and decreases, and conquer casting on and binding off using the traditional method.
LIVE COOKING CLASS:
PORTUGUESE GASTRONOMY
In this session, we'll learn how to bake the famous Portuguese custard tarts known as "pastéis de nata" using a 16th century recipe.
Our native Lisboeta presenter will also talk about traditional foods and favorite Portuguese holiday treats!
Grocery list and recipe will be sent ahead of the event.
LACE BY MUSIC
with André de Castro
Lace by music is an old knitting tradition from Portugal.
In remote villages, knitters create lace using a special code that's been passed down from generation to generation. The code is a series of symbols that is/was accessible to townsfolk who never learned to read or write.
Come learn this unusual and fun technique and take a look at André's collection of exquisite lace samples from his beloved country.
JANTAR AND GROUP KNIT NIGHT
Tonight, we'll prepare a simple Portuguese refeição and spend the evening knitting and chatting.
Venha festejar conosco! (There *might* be prizes. . . .)
Grocery list and recipe will be sent ahead of the event.
PLAYING WITH COLOR
with MariaG
Color has an unmistakable impact on the pieces we knit/crochet.
Some studies show that between 60 to 90 percent of the opinions about a product/garment
are based on color alone, so it's not surprising that choosing the perfect palette is the most important and complex part of any project.
Topics to be discussed:
1) Color Circle – hue, luminosity, saturation
2) Primary colors and secondary colors
3) The color from the skein vs to the knitted piece
4) Your color palette: main colors, neutral colors, accent colors
5) Examples of 4 colors that always work well together
Get out of your comfort zone and have fun playing with color!
BOTTOM UP & TOP DOWN: KNITTING THE PERFECT CIRCULAR YOKE SWEATER
with Paula Pereira
In this hands-on class, we'll explore two methods for knitting this popular sweater.
With an expert as our guide, we'll make doll-sized samples to learn all the steps of bottom-up and top-down construction, including yoke shaping, joining/separating the body and sleeves, neck shaping, adding motifs, and how to use 3D underarm curves for a great fit.
BRIONANCY
with André de Castro
Come learn how to knit BrioNancy, a two-color brioche shawl designed in homage to the supreme queen of brioche knitting, Nancy Marchant.
The pattern uses increases and decreases to create a beautiful colorwork and textured fabric.
You'll be amazed by the patterns of leaves and flowers that appear as you knit!
Prerequisites: Experience with two- color brioche knitting worked flat; knowledge of brioche increases and decreases; some experience reading brioche charts is recommended.
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