Hi, My name is Carol Sulcoski and I am very excited to be teaching at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio this December.  Because it’s my first time visiting the Studio, Patty was kind enough to let me write this blog post introducing myself and telling you more about the class I’ll be teaching.

A little bit about me first: I’m a former lawyer turned knitting designer and teacher.  Most people are curious as to how I made the transition from attorney to fiber artist, and the best I can say is it just happened. I stopped practicing law after my oldest was born – he’s now almost 15 – and after that, knitting went from a hobby, to an obsession, to a career choice! I just published my third knitting book, called Sock Yarn Studio, and it features technical information and patterns for items knit with sock yarn other than socks. (Look at this cute little baby sweater, knit with Lion Brand Sock-Ease!)

The class I’ll be teaching is called “Secrets of the Schematic.” It’s the class that I wished I could have taken when I first took the plunge into knitting sweaters. I had been knitting smaller items and accessories, but knitting a sweater is more of a leap of faith due to fit. If you’re going to spend the time and money knitting an adult-sized sweater, you want to make sure it fits you well and looks good when you’re done. After making mistakes, ripping out, and reading all about sweater knitting over the years, I figured out several things that I needed to know to make better-fitting sweaters. These are the three big topics that we will cover in the class:  the concept of ease (the extra room in a garment that allows for freedom of movement and comfort); sleeve and shoulder structure (if you’ve ever wondered what the difference was between a raglan, a drop shoulder and a sweater with set-in sleeves, we will cover all of these styles and more!); and the wealth of information that is available in a sweater’s schematic. The schematic is the little drawing that comes with a good sweater pattern, like this one from a Lion Brand pattern:

We’ll talk about what all the lines and numbers mean, how they relate to fit, and how you can do simple modifications to make the sweater fit your body better. We will walk through examples so you can see exactly how these modifications work. When we are done, you’ll be able to work with the patterns and yarn you already have to make sweaters that fit you (or the intended recipient, whether it’s a child or your spouse or your mom) better. And we’ll have a lot of fun doing it, too!

I am looking forward to teaching at the LB Studio and I hope you’ll join me!

- Carol

Secrets of the Schematic Tuition: $65 / 3 hour session Materials/Homework (if required): Listed in confirmation e-mail. Prerequisite Class: Perfect for newer/less experienced knitters, and those who have minimal experience knitting sweaters. Want to learn more about how a sweater will fit? Want some easy ways to tweak the pattern so it will fit you better? This class will explain to knitters the information that is available to them using a schematic, including what the measurements mean, how measurements correspond to fit, shoulder styles, and how to use that information to select better-fitting sweaters. We will also discuss a number simple adjustments that can be made to customize fit, including modifying body length, sleeve length, waist shaping, and other easy techniques. Sunday, December 2nd – 2:00 – 5:00 pm   To book this class online, click here.

We offer classes in the evening, daytime and Sunday. Download a PDF of our class schedule here to find a class or workshop that fits your schedule! Go online to book a class here.