Independent Knitting News

[tag]Juliane Anderson[/tag] started her work life as an art teacher.  Juliane has a dual major in art and education, using her degrees to teach in schools in Lapeer and Kellogsville Michigan. But, she had a problem.   Juliane subjects were continually cut from the school curriculum and she was laid off frequently.

Laid off one time too many, she decided to stay home and be with her daughter.  During this time, she continued to have a dream,  one that she shares with many hobby artisans.  Juliane loved to weave and she knew that there was a shortage of shops that catered to her hobby.  Juliane opened [tag]Threadbender Inc.[/tag], 2767 44th St. SW in Wyoming ,Michigan on May 1, 1984.   She sold looms and weaving yarns, but she also attracted a growing number of knitters.

Twenty-five years later,  Juliane  is selling looms and teaching customers to weave, but her business has come to be known as a knit shop frequented by knitters looking for a fiber fix.  Her customers can take knitting classes as well as stock up on patterns and supplies and develop a new hobby in weaving.

To celebrate her length of business, Anderson is having a 25th Anniversary Celebration, Fri-Mon, May 1-4 that includes cake and yarn sales all days,  a Silent Auction  of Model Sweaters to benefit the United Way and a book signing Monday May 4  by [tag]Kaffe Fassett[/tag].

There will be a lecture by American-born artist Kaffe Fassett and color workshops by his studio manager, [tag]Brandon Mably[/tag], who also is an accomplished designer. This will be a return trip to Grand Rapids for Fassett, 71, and Mably, 40, who Anderson first hosted during the mid-’90s. Mably took over teaching responsibilities for Kaffe 16 years ago and since has become a highly sought-after workshop instructor.

During two, day-long workshops in West Michigan, Mably will teach knitters to work with many colors at once.

Fassett has spent his career using vibrant color in his knitting, needlepoint, patchwork, painting and mosaic designs and inspiring others to do the same. He has designed fabric, yarn and needlepoint kits, written two dozen books and travels the world teaching people how to develop an eye for color.

Those who attend Fassett’s May 3 Kaleidoscope of Colour lecture at the Pinnacle Center, 3330 Highland Drive in Hudsonville,Michigan can expect to hear everything about arranging color and that anyone can do what Fassett and Mably can do.

What does math have to do with knitting? Well, if you are [tag]Elizabeth Zimmerman [/tag] – everything.

Elizabeth Zimmerman was to knitting what Henry Ford was to automobile manufacturing. Ms Zimmerman was part philosopher, part engineer and part scientist. She saw patterns and designs in life and the world around her. Elizabeth called herself The Opinionated Knitter. She had definite ideas about yarn, wool, needles and designing and encouraged fellow knitters to test their limits

Ms. Zimmerman became disenchanted by her friends demand to use printed patterns in their knitting. Ms. Zimmerman developed a mathematical formula for creating seamless sweaters in the round on circular needles. This allowed knitters to concentrate on other creative concerns, like yarn and stitches. This mathematical formula or “K” is all about the finished size of the sweater and the amount of stitches needed to make certain parts of a garment.

Sadly, Ms Zimmerman is no longer with us, but her designs and legacy live on through her daughter [tag]Meg Swansen [/tag] and [tag]Schoolhouse Press [/tag]. If you want to take your knitting to the next level, I suggest reading Elisabeth’s books. They are full of her reflections on her life, from childhood in England to the schoolhouse in Wisconsin where she lived with her family.