Cowichan-Inspired Cardigan with Beth Brown-Reinsel


Feb072025
Feb092025

From 9:00 am until 4:00 pm

At Brigid's Loft

$550.00

 

 

The registration fee includes 18 hours of instruction, handouts for class, a special 5" zipper, 3 lunches, 3 continental breakfasts, and a swag bag.

Beth Brown-Reinsel is returning to Bazaar Girls in February, this time to teach a Cowichan-inspired cardigan. Beth brings a wealth of knowledge about historical knitting techniques from many cultures. She shares these with her students in a clear, and easily understandable way, stemming from her vast experience. In this workshop, students will be knitting a small (8”) sample sweater in worsted-weight yarn to learn the special techniques involved. You will receive a handout that tells you everything you need to know to knit a full-size sweater. The full-size sweater will be knit in bulky yarn, as is the tradition.

Beth will teach you: working with two colors and weaving on both sides of the work; reading a chart; knitting in pockets; making a traditional shoulder join; creating a shawl collar shaped with short rows; knitting sleeves from the top down while short-row shaping the cap; and sewing in a zipper. Students can choose from motifs, or work from the class chart.

A little about the Cowichan sweater: On Vancouver Island in British Columbia, the Coast Salish people developed this V-necked, shawl-collared garment after learning about knitting through Europeans. The Salish preferred motifs that reflected the natural world (whales, birds, etc.), and geometric patterned motifs. Traditional Cowichan sweaters, still hand-spun by some people, are knitted flat on double-pointed needles, with thick singles yarns in two or three colors. (We will be using worsted-weight yarn in this class.)

Registered students will be invited to a Zoom trunk sale with Beth on Saturday, Nov. 9 from 1-2 pm Pacific time to help you choose yarn for the full-size version of these beautiful & traditional sweaters. You can pre-order your yarn at that time, and we will have it waiting for you when you arrive for the workshop. For the sample sweater, kits of worsted-weight yarn will be available in the shop.

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