About Our Teachers

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

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

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

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

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.
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.
  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.
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.
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.
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.
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/

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

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

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

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).
  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.
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!
  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.
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

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

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

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.

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

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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