Star Athena

Star Athena is a designer living in Portland, OR.  She has contributed both articles and patterns to a number of places in print and online, including Vogue Knitting, Knitscene, Interweave Knits, Knitty, Spin-Off, Joy of Sox, Favorite Sock Patterns From Around the World, and through Ravelry.  Star appeared on diy’s knitting TV show Knitty Gritty and in 2006, Star began her US version of an annual online spin-along, The Tour de Fleece.  She is especially proud of the ribbons she won for homespun yarn at the LA County Fair in 2006 and 2007, and admits to loving the way a big fair can combine excellence in craft with deep fried Oreos on a stick.  Star knits, designs and explores the Pacific Northwest, all while writing about it at keeponknittinginthefreeworld.blogspot.com.

Are you ready to design your own socks?  Know the rules.  This sock design workshop covers the basics of sock construction and technique.  We’ll ask questions like: Why go toe-up or cuff down?  What will slip stitches, cables and ribbing do to the fit?  How does stranding affect gauge?  Every element in a sock is an intentional design choice.  Break the rules.  Then we’ll cover ways to unleash creativity onto the simple sock, mixing in alternative design ideas and unexpected elements.  How can you make your designs stand out in a competitive market, and where can inspiration be found? Hands on: Let’s design some socks!  We’ll brainstorm, sketch, and knit some designs in class.  You’ll also get to walk away with more ideas to develop later.  Getting it done: We’ll also discuss pattern writing, proofing, tech editing, and test knitting, tips and tools to make the design process easier, how to solve problems, and, finally, we’ll cover the submission process: how to do it and what to expect.  By the end of the workshop, the sock knitter will feel inspired to take designing to the next level.  They will know what questions to ask themselves and how to improve their existing ideas.  They’ll have new designs on the needles and in the sketchbooks.  If they want, they’ll even be ready to start submitting designs for publication.

What are you going to do with all of that vibrant and crazy hand dyed yarn?  This workshop will teach you how to use wild, bright, hand painted and/or variegated yarns to yield the best results.  We’ll talk about pooling, flashing, striping and all of the other effects of hand painted yarns.  We’ll focus on stitch patterns that highlight the yarns well, and learn techniques to change the effect of a single yarn.