Spotlight

Spotlight

As Sock Summit draws closer, we thought we’d take a little time to introduce you to a few of our teachers and classes—ones that deserve a little spotlight on them, and still have room for you to sign up. We’re highlighting those classes and lectures that we’ve had the most questions about, so if there’s one you’d like us to explain or tell you more about, please let us know by writing attend@socksummit.com.

First under our microscope is Fiona Ellis.

Fiona’s a Canadian teacher, extremely well versed in no end of things. She’s one of the only teachers on our roster with a degree in fashion knitwear, and has been designing for knitters (both hand knitters like you, and the knitwear industry) since 1993. Working not just with Vogue, the Twist Collective, Verena, Australian Knitting, Universal Yarns and countless others, but major fashion houses in London, Paris and New York. You’ve likely seen her work all over the place, and not even known it. 

She’s the author of Inspired Cable Knits, Knitspiration Journal and Inspired Fair Isle Knits, and well… her classes are all full at the Summit, which is exactly what you would expect—and one of the reasons that we gave her the opportunity to do a lecture on Creativity—which does still have spots available. (We can make it almost as big as we want to.)

The other reason she’s got a lecture, is that we’ve seen Fiona speak about “Jump Starting your Creativity” and darned if it didn’t do just that. Fiona’s attitude towards creativity is that just about anyone can be creative if they just know how. She believes (and we think she’s right) that if you learn some tricks and ideas for how to help yourself get into the zone, you can be as creative when it comes to your knitting (and other stuff) as you would like to be.  Ever wonder where designers get their ideas? Ever wish you could come up with the good ideas that they do?

You can, and Fiona talks about why: Sunday from 1:30-2:30.

Second under the spotlight? Judith MacKenzie. 

Like Fiona, Judith’s classes are all sold out, and like Fiona. we’ve offered her a lecture to try and satisfy the masses longing to hear her talk about just about anything. Judith is an internationally-valued teacher, master weaver, spinner, and fiber artist. We love her for thinking outside of the box, teaching only that which she has proven through experience and combining textile knowledge and skill with patience, creativity, stories, history and allegory that hold it all together. In all our years as students of the fibre arts, we all agree that there’s almost nobody who’s taught us more than Judith, and we mean it when we say that we would take a class from her on how to boil water. 

Even if you think you know how to boil water, Judith would know a faster way to boil water, she’d regal you with the history of boiling water, the spiritual significance of boiling water, or teach you how to make a tool that would make boiling water the most fulfilling activity you’d ever done. Not only would you be delighted to have taken the class on boiling water… you’d seriously consider signing up to take it again, just to hear the way that Judith tells it. 

The woman is treasure, and we hope that you’ll take the opportunity to hear her speak about “Fleece on Your Feet”, a lecture that should be outstanding not just for spinners, but for anyone interested in the production of sock yarns. Judith says “Fleeces come in an endless, bountiful array.  Everything from a fleece strong enough to pull a truck out of a ditch to baby fine and delicate as a snowflake. They come in many different lengths and an astonishing range of colors. Some are shiny, some are smooth, and some are springy. How do we choose which fleece is best for making socks in general and which fleece will make the perfect sock yarn for the sock you specifically want to make. We’ll discuss how to find the right breed, how to choose a good fleece and how to wash and prepare it to make the sock yarn of your dreams.”

Spots are still available for Sunday 9:00-10:00—and if you’re lucky, she might talk about boiling water.

Simply Socks Yarn Company Blue Moon Fiber Arts The Fold Knitter's Magazine WEBS Wool2Dye4 Louet Soak The Loopy Ewe skacel