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About
Our Teachers
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Esther Bechler has been
playing with fibers all of her life. She has a background
in art and a degree in Art Therapy. In 2005, Esther
bought her first felting needles at a doll show and
has been felting ever since. She teaches regular needle
felting classes and has begun selling her own patterns
and kits. Esther is co-owner of Sunflower Fibers.
www.moonrisestudio.com
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Nora Bellows, creator of Noni,
lives in Maryland with her husband and her young son.
When asked when and how she learned to knit, she replied:
"Noni is not so much about when I learned to knit—although
that seems to be something knitters want to know about
each other (when I think about it I’m not sure
why, although it may be somewhat like asking how long
you’ve lived here, or how old is your child?)--as
it is about providing a context within which knitters
can push their skills, explore their creativity, think
beyond patterns. For example, I corresponded with an
American woman living in Greece who was making my Harlequin
Pill Box bag as a gift for a dear friend. She had trouble
finding good yarns (she ordered them from the States),
and then we discussed how she should felt it (by hand,
she decided). And then she came to meet me! And brought
her finished box. It was a beautiful keepsake box by
this time, lovingly trimmed, lined, beaded. It was exquisite.
She was on fire with ideas for the next several boxes."
I have had designs featured in Alpaca Magazine and
designs published in Interweave Felt, and two
British publications Knit Today, Let’s
Knit. Designs have been reviewed in Vogue Holiday
09 and Knitters Fall 09. I am currently
working on offering a Best of Nonibags in Crochet (includes
bags and flowers) in two book-length volumes to be released
within the next two years.
My focus, with my line of flower patterns, is to bring
accessible patterns to knitters that are also botanically
correct. I am less interested in flowers as ideas than
I am in representing flowers in felt that are constructed
as the flowers themselves are. With my bag patterns,
I aim to design bags that are as easy to knit as they
are fashionable. In my clothing line, still in its infancy,
I focus on designing wearable, comfortable knits with
the family in mind. I design the sweaters and other
garments I search for for myself, my boy, and my husband
(and for little girls, the sorts of things I would have
loved to wear when I was a child).
It is important to me to do work that support projects
I believe in. My maternal grandmother suffered from
breast cancer, and in her honor I designed my Forget-me-not
flower pattern and in her name donate 100% of my profits
from the sale of the pattern to breast cancer research
and education in the United States and Britain. In a
related project, I made an art bra (covered with beaded
Noni flowers) for the BRAVO breast cancer auction in
Baltimore, Maryland.
www.nonipatterns.com
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Jane Bigleow is co owner of A b-EWE-tiful
Design along with her daughter, Jill. Their patterns
are sold thru local yarn shops and also online. She
has taught all levels of knitting classes at Kindred
Spirits Yarn Studio in Franklin, Pa. as well as Knitters
Fantasy and Knitter's Day Out. She enjoys teaching and
watching students realize the comfort that knitting
brings.
www.ksyarnstudio.com
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Jill Bigelow-Suttell is co-owner of
Kindred Spirits Yarn Studio and Kindred Spirits Design
Studio in Franklin, PA. She is past president of the Wooly
Wonders knitting guild. Jill teaches at festivals and
yarn shops all around the Great Lakes area, including
Pgh Knit and Crochet Festival, Knitter’s Day Out,
Knitter’s Fantasy, Ann Arbor Fiber Expo, Kindred
Spirits Yarn Studio, Yarn Cravin’, Yarn Garden (of
Michigan), Rae’s Yarn Boutique, and Knit A Round.
She is co-owner of B-ewe-tiful Design. Her designs have
been published by Knitty.com, Dark Horse
Yarns, Schulana, and Cast On magazine.
www.ksyarnstudio.com
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Inge Deneen learned to knit as a child
in Germany from her mother and grandmother. She knitted
through high school and college and brought her needles
with her when she moved to the United States. Developing
her own patterns used to be a necessity, but soon she
realized that she had gained a valuable skill that allowed
her to customize her knitting. Inge often creates her
own designs for sweaters, cardigans and other garments.
Her projects always begin with a nice long “test
drive” (swatching) before she commits to a long
journey. Inge teaches knitting and fiber crafts in Alexandria,
Virginia. She encourages her students to “read”
their knitting so that they can become comfortable and
confident knitters. |
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Adina DeRoy-Stouffer is a native Pittsburgh
artist and graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. Her
design studies have taken her as far away as Rome, as
she continues the family tradition in the jewelry industry,
designing, creating, and selling jewelry. She is also
a fiber artist, knitting and selling her designs and work
throughout the area. She teaches jewelry making, knitting,
and fiber arts at various locations, including Pittsburgh
Center for the Arts and Sweetwater Center for the Arts
in Sewickley. |
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Laun Dunn is a 15 year veteran knitter
and a graduate of Lycoming College with a BA in Theatrical
Costume Design. Having a farming background motivated
her to explore the different fiber species and breeds,
added with her passion for design and color led to the
formation of Dunn Spun Yarn & Fiber. Laun is an annual
exhibitor with the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival.
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Lauren Etling has been crocheting 18
out of 24 years of her life. She completed her BFA from
Seton Hill University and crocheted all of her artwork
that was included in her thesis show. Learning how to
fuse her love of crochet and sculpture was a pivotal moment
in her artistic career. She has shown work in venues such
as the Andy Warhol Museum and the Chicago Art Department,
and belongs to arts organizations such as the Fiberarts
Guild of Pittsburgh and the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh.
She started her arts and design business, Hooktastic Designs,
in 2009. |
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Victoria Fergus has had over thirty
years teaching experience including K-12 and higher education.
At the college level, she has taught art education courses,
2D foundations, 3D foundations, ceramics, crafts, graphic
design, drawing, art for main-streaming, graduate seminar,
and art education graduate studies. She also has experience
in teaching museum based outreach programs as well as
working as an exhibition and display consultant for museums.
She started using crochet as an artistic medium while
working on her doctorate. “I see my crochet work
as a combination of the 3D and 2D training I had.”
Her work has been exhibited in national and international
textile exhibits and numerous one-person shows. |
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Amy Goodchild holds a B.A. in Art Education
and is an elementary art and computer teacher. Children
in grades 3 through 6 learn to knit as part of her art
classes. She is past vice president of the Western Reserve
Knitting Guild of Canfield, Ohio and teaches at “A
Knitter’s Fantasy” in Youngstown, Ohio and
on occasion at Knit Wit Knits yarn shop in Salem, Ohio. |
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Nancy Griffin enjoyed a life long career
spinning novelty yarns and teaching spinning, knitting
and weaving. Her shop, Otter Creek Store in Mercer, PA
closed in 2007. Nancy continues to be active in the fiber
arts community, working part time knitting hats, shawls
and felted pet beds, designing knitting patterns and teaching
through the Mercer Spinners and Weavers Guild and other
fiber arts organizations and events. Nancy posts her creations
and patterns on her blog: http://www.yarnottercreek.blogspot.com/ |
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Rose Ann Hunter has been a textile
structuralist for the last 30 years. She was chosen
in 2005 as craft person in residence at Old Sturbridge
Village in traditional rug making 1790 to 1850. She
brings historic techniques to present day. She has adapted
and developed over 30 patterns by recycling fabrics
and wools that are sewn, knitted or crocheted into folk
art. She lectures, demonstrates and does workshops at
various museums, conferences, and guilds throughout
New England and the US. She is presently writing a book
titled RUGS IN THE SHAKER SPIRIT, due to come out in
2009. She owns and runs an inn in Newburyport, Massachusetts.
www.roseannhunter.com
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Pamela Kelly was born and raised
in Aurora, IL. I married my wonderful husband, Jim,
and moved to KY in 1977. During our 13 years in KY,
our son, Jon-Michael was born and I graduated from Eastern
Kentucky University with a BA in Computer Information
Systems and Human Resource Management.
After graduation, I was hired by Electronic Data Systems
and we moved to Dayton, OH. After 18 years in Dayton,
we recently relocated to Raeford, OH to be near our
son and his family.
I cannot remember a time when I did not love working
with fibers.....from crocheting Barbie doll clothes,
making Jams for my son, to finally finding my niche.
Today I work with fibers from start to finish. I create
the fabric I use to make one-of-a-kind purses, design
knit/felted purses, spin, dye, and weave on rigid heddle
and the beautiful tri-looms my husband builds. I am
very excited to have my own website www.sunflowerfibers.com
where you can see my purses and Jim's looms.
www.sunflowerfibers.com
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Wini Labrecque is a textile artist
with interest in a wide variety of techniques and a
very strong passion for fiber. Since the late 1980's,
utilizing natural fibers, Wini has been spinning, weaving,
knitting and felting from raw form to finished product.
Her handspun skeins and woven/knit goods are sold at
area art festivals and in area specialty shops.
Once exposed to alpacas and their wonderful fiber,
she has been utilizing and promoting the fiber to everyone
who will listen. Wini teaches classes in beginning spinning,
felting, and/or weaving to individuals or small groups.
She is also partner in a business called Fleece To Fashion
USA that provides custom fiber services from handspinning
to finished knit or woven clothing out of alpaca owner's
own alpaca fleece. She also is a Fiber Arts judge as
well as a judge for hand spun and mill spun skein competitions.
“Alpaca With A Twist" yarns and home grown
alpaca fiber, roving and yarn are available from her
farm.
www.starweaverfarm.com
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Melissa Leapman, a widely-published
designer, Melissa has patterns in every premiere needle-crafts
publication in the country. As a freelance designer, she
has worked with many leading ready to wear manufacturers,
and design houses in NYC. In addition, over the years,
most American yarn companies have commissioned Melissa
to create designs to promote their new and existing yarns.
Melissa has been featured on Lifetime TV’s “Handmade
by Design,” HDTV’s “Sew Much More,”
PBS’s Needle Arts Studio, and the DIY Network’s
Nitty Gritty. Melissa is the author of several knitting
and crochet books. Her most recent titles are: Hot Knits,
Cool Crochet, Knitting Beyond Scarves (Watson-Guptill,
2004, 2005, 2006) Cables Untangled (Potter Craft, 2006)
and Continuous Cables (2008). |
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Karen Page, a fiber arts teacher at
CAPA, has spent her fourth summer studying felt making
in Kyrgyzstan, where she presented at a round table discussion
with felt makers from around the world. Karen’s
creativity and expertise reflect her experience in the
art field and in the art world. Her felt making is imaginative,
creative and colorful. Karen engages the public with her
exploratory interactive public art installations at the
3 Rivers Arts Festival. |
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Nancy Premoshis has been knitting for
over 40 years. She has taught beginner knitters as well
as advanced knitters at Michael’s store in Greensburg
and Kathy’s Kreations in Ligonier. She has received
numerous awards from the Westmoreland County Fair and
other local fairs in the area, including Best of Show
for Knitting at the Westmoreland County Fair in 2008.
Nancy is a passionate knitter and enjoys teaching others
this skill. Her sweaters have been the showstoppers at
all of the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festivals! |
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Susan Radford was born in England to
an English Mother and Irish Father. This ancestry lent
the English Fair Isle and Irish Aran knitting techniques,
which are incorporated and modernized to create her unique
designing styles. During the war-stricken period of her
youth, clothing was rationed and yarn and yarn goods were
easier to find and she became quite clever at making something
out of nothing much…….so her knitting career
began. |
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Kate Silberberg is a retired art teacher
(22 years at West Allegheny School District, Pa). She
and her husband Brad run the Mesa Creative Arts Center
near Burgettstown, Pa., where they both offer a variety
of classes in art, crafts, spiritual and holistic healing
& celebrating who you are!
www.mesacreativearts.com |
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Cynthia Spencer has always cared
about reading and writing--and she even expected to
become a professor to study these subjects. Her Ph.D.
in ed. psych. was about how students learn to write.
But the year after she graduated, a series of events
led to her co-owning a knitting and quilting store near
Penn State called Stitch Your Art Out. The store has
been open for almost 5 years, and Cynthia continues
to care about reading and writing: She works hard to
help her customers understand how to read knitting patterns,
and also writes patterns for her side business, "Really
Clear Instructions."
www.stitchyourartout.com |
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Carla Sturgis is the owner of Delightful
Ewe, formerly Victoria’s House of Needleart, LLC,
in Duncansville, PA. She has been crocheting for 41
years and knitting for 20+ years. She’s known
by her customers and friends as a “sockaholic”
because of her love to knit socks. She’s a member
of TKGA, TNNA, Knitter’s Day Out Committee, and
a Blair County knitting guild. She is also a partner
of Tadpoles for Ewe, a hand-dyeing yarn company based
in central Pennsylvania.
www.delightfulewe.com |
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Eleanor Swogger is Merchandise Manager
for Kraemer Yarns in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. She works
on development of new yarns and on color additions for
existing yarns. She teaches at the Yarn Shop at Kraemer
Textiles and at Tangled Yarns in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Eleanor is also a sample knitter for Kathy Zimmerman and
several other designers. Eleanor lived in western PA for
31 years and was active in Golden Dome and Laurel Highlands
Knitting Guilds. |
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Leslie Wind will be demonstrating
her shawl pins and jewelry making techniques both days.
A little about Leslie: “I have always been more
interested in creative directions so after one year
of college I left and started making jewelry. At first
I used thin brass wire and beads to make earrings which
I sold while visiting my friends in their dorms. It
was 1968 and it was a wild time for bucking the norm.
I was running the Yankee Silversmith in Brockton, MA
where I had access to all the tools, no major financial
obligations and plenty of time to experiment. It was
at this time I developed my technique for bringing of
yellow gold to the point of being almost molten and
then using an old dental tool or tweezers to sculpt
a shape.
Because they convey concepts along with beauty, I enjoy
using ancient symbols in my work. Japanese Kanji and
Celtic Runes are my favorites as their simple lines
allow for variations of surface texture without losing
their meaning. The Kanji for "Friend", "Healing",
"Birth/Life" and "Peace" and the
Runes for "Protection" and "Gift/Love"
work especially well.
In recent years I have drawn on my love of knitting
and crochet to design a line of sweater pins and shawl
closures that I have been showing in fiber and wool
festivals around New England. Made of either sterling
or bronze they look well on plain or patterned garments.
Some styles also provide a place to hang your glasses.
I am continuing to discover new directions for this
concept.”
www.lesliewind.com
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Daniel Yuhas is an obsessed knitter,
designer, teacher, and fiber artist. His designs have
appeared in Luxury Yarn One Skein Wonders and on Knitty.com.
His original knitted artwork has been displayed at the
PS122 gallery in New York City and at the 2009 Joint
Mathematics Meetings in Washington DC. Daniel lives
in Brooklyn, New York, where he leads the Flatbush Stitch
‘n Bitch. You can see more of his super fun knitting
designs at
www.moltingyeti.com
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Group
and Student Discounts Available Please inquire
412-963-7030
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