Lace Shawl Design with Miriam Felton

I'm thrilled to share with you about the latest class Craftsy has released, Lace Shawl Design with Miriam Felton.  For those of you who have taken my Lace and Knitting with Beads classes on Craftsy, this course is an excellent follow up that will help you continue to build your lace knitting skills!  I've never done an interview on my blog before, and I thought it would be really interesting for you to get to know Miriam and her new class a bit better!

What shawl shapes do you explain how to design in your class?  Which of these is your favorite?  Why? 
There are templates for a top down triangular, a bottom up triangular, fast increasing point to wingspan, slow increasing point to wingspan, fast decreasing wingspan to bottom point, and slow decreasing wingspan to bottom point, but we discuss charting into rectangular shapes as well, so straight up scarves and rectangular stoles, plus there's a lot of info on modifying existing templates to fit stitch patterns, plus adding a center panel, etc... So there are more than just the templates and you can create a truly unique piece.

I'm not sure I have a favorite.... but I do love riffing off a top down triangular style. There are so many ways you can change it up that I find it to be very versatile.

Andromeda, one of Miriam's shawl designs

 Does your class include any complete patterns, or is it's focus on teaching how to create one's own lace design?
There aren't any complete patterns, which I think is kind of lovely and carefree.  There's no project you need to feel pressured to finish at all. It's chock full of technique and examples, and swatches that you can knit to get a better understanding of how your lace stitches are working together, but in the end, the goal is that you'd be able to design and knit your own lace shawl.  The homework consists of picking stitch patterns for your piece, swatching them, and charting them together. 

I thought about giving the patterns for the sample shawls I use as examples in the class, but in the end I felt it was counter-intuitive to the goals of the class. 

Miriam showing how to chart a top down triangular shaded shawl.

I LOVE the section in your class about fixing mistakes!  Especially Reworking a Repeat... this lesson is brilliant! Is this a technique you figured out on your own, or did you learn it from somewhere else? 

Years back the Yarn Harlot used it to fix a cable that was mis-crossed, and I think it might have been Rosemary Hill who I first saw use the technique on lace.  It's super useful and every knitter, whether with lace or cables or whatever should know how to do this. It has saved my bacon so many times!

Also, the wow factor is pretty amazing. It tends to blow the tops right off people's heads when they get it. :)

I am always interested in the dissemination of knitting information and tricks!  What is a tidbit you have learned from a student or other teacher that you would love to pass on?  For example, one of my students told me she remembers m1R and m1L by saying to herself, "I'll be right back" as a reminder that when working a m1R (make one right) you come in from the back of your work.

That m1R tip is brilliant! My favorite trick is for basic knitting stitch instructions, which I learned from Lorilee Beltman.  It's great for teaching kids how to knit because they always remember it.  Especially little boys :)  If you picture the stitches on your left needle as being all lined up on a cliff, using your right needle you "stab it, choke it, pull his guts out and shove it off the cliff."  For a purl you just modify it that you stab it in the front instead of the back. It's amazingly effective and just cooky and dark enough that I love it!

What's OTN (on the needles) for you right now? 
I've just finished all of my work knitting and I'm finishing up a pair of socks for my husband's birthday and I'm knitting the sleeves of a cute little grandpa-style baby sweater for my good friend's first baby (who is a boy).  I like to have a little palette cleansing knitting before I decide what to design next. And I'll probably work a little on the modular sock yarn afghan that is an ongoing saga at my house. I originally started it to use up all my sock and fingering weight yarn scraps, but as that scrap basket has grown so has the afghan and I think i have more yarn in the basket than I started with, even though the blanket is about lap blanket size now. So I'm going to make it bigger and maybe it will finish up at king size. :)

Interested in signing up for Miriam's class?  This link will provide with a chance to take the class at 50% off.

It's my last day at TNNA today... I'll be home tomorrow and once I recuperate I promise to post all about the weekend!