I’m Ready to Teach. Would You Like to Learn? Plus A New Video
Hello and Happy New Year! I hope you are all recovering from a few weeks of too much sugar, fat, flour and general slovenliness. I know I am.
January always brings new direction for me and this year my thoughts and goals are with adding some teaching to my life. I have been finding myself ever so slightly overwhelmed with the possibilities of what to teach, so I’m reaching out to you all here, hoping you can help me narrow down the possibilities.
I do know, to start, I would like to work with just a few students at a time in my studio…It’s a pretty small space. If all goes well then I might want to branch out to a larger rented space and I would really love to work on making some video courses if anyone out there is interested.
Can I present you with a few possibilities? If you are interested and can give me some feedback as to what calls to you, it would really be helpful. If you have a different idea then please share that, too.
Would you like to learn how to make the flowers on this hat? A class in beginner wet felting would teach you how to create a flat piece of felt that can then be cut to create pretty flowers and leaves. With the same technique you can also create beautiful large roses. The flowers make a lovely brooch. I would also be happy to teach how to make the entire hat from beginning to end, but this does require basic knitting skills.
Once you have the skill to make a piece of flat felt, you can learn to make a felt hat…or bag , or slippers. This is a course I could teach if you have some wet felting experience or as a level 2 course after learning to make flowers. Wet Felting is very physical, so this is something to take into account before raising your hand. I take lots of breaks, so I don’t hurt myself.
And then there are these kind of flowers. These are made with a combination of needle felting and wet felting. Much of the felting happens before the wet felting begins, so they are easier on the body.
And then there is the limitless world of fabric flowers. This would be a fun course to teach because you can turn old t-shirts into beautiful flowers. I’m afraid I can’t teach you how to make this kind of straw braid hat because it took me around five years to figure it out and there are still tears, but I could teach you to make this kind of straw hat…
It’s definitely a course that would require sewing experience. You can also see another fabric flower possibility here.
Last, but not least is just plain old knitting. If there were enough folks interested I would be happy to either teach how to knit or maybe if you knit, but don’t believe you can knit a sweater or do colour work, I can prove you wrong.
So, there you have it! Too many possibilities. Have I overwhelmed you? I hope not. Please chatter away to me….and if you would like to see what I’m working on and where I’ve been, check out my latest Youtube video. Take Care. Anna
Hi Anna,
I would love to learn how to felt and make hats and flowers. If you could offer classes via video, I would love that.
Yours truly,
Carol
Hi Carol, Thanks for your feedback. I’m going to work on this. It won’t happen quickly, but I’ll definitely write about it when I’m ready.
good day Anna, it would be so interesting to learn how to make a basic scrap fabric hat. Also a basic sweater?
What do you think of those two ideas?
Hi Shari, Publishing a scrappy hat pattern is something I would love to do. It takes a lot of time, so I’m not sure where to put my focus yet, but the more feedback the better. I think helping with sweater knitting is something I can better do in person. There are a lot of video classes that help with sweater knitting. Check out Craftsy. It’s well worth the membership.
cool ideas
Thanks, Anne.
I have wanted to make a felted hat for over a decade!!! I’ve always loved hats, and actually thought I’d be making my own by now! I vaguely recall wet felting once upon a time, so I’d probably need to do a beginner class 1st and make some flowers. And then I NEED to make a hat. 😉
I am a sewer as well and have owned a serger for a year now, and would love to learn how to make one of your flowers…maybe you could do a “make a head band with flower” class??
Those are the classes I’d be interested in. I live in Hubbards but don’t mind the lovely drive to Lunenburg!
Also, like you I am incapable of throwing out scraps and would love to buy your scrappy hat pattern if you come out with one (or two). I am also a weaver and very excited to start making garments with my handwoven at some point.
Great video by the way!
Best,
Reagan
(Not sure if you would remember me; I bought a hat from you during early COVID that you had put on sale. I make jewellery, business name Reagan’s Rummage).
Of course I remember you, Reagan! You were so encouraging when I was learning to spin. I would love to teach you how to felt. If I (or you) can find one more local person who wants to learn we can make it happen. Let’s keep talking.
I would be interested in learning how to dye natural fabrics. I know it’s not something you suggested.so maybe that’s not an option because of the logistics (studio size, etc.)
I LOVE your headbands and would absolutely take a course.
Hi Anna,
Happy New Year ! When we lived in Marblehead and the kids were really young I went to a knitting class every Wednesday evening. It first started at the yarn shop, I forget the name. When she closed her store we met at her house for a couple hours like 7-9 pm. It was an ever changing group but many of us stayed for years. Nothing like sitting around a dining table with a bunch of knitters at all stages of knowledge working on whatever suited our fancy.
Love that, Sally, but I think that’s one not connected to money. Might do it anyways.
I would love to learn and knit with you. Count me in for any knitting classes you’re doing.
Jerri
Dream come true. But can not get to Canada so internet learning would be the only way for me.
I would love to learn how to make those felt flowers and the hat! I’ll be watching for your classes.
Hi Amanda, Great to hear. Are you more interested in an online class or an in person class?