Fun
Floating on Air: A New Class with Lorilee Beltman!
Last Friday, several hundred knitters, most of them practitioners of the English style (aka “throwers”), assembled on Zoom to learn Continental Knitting with Lorilee Beltman. As we assigned new jobs to our left index and middle fingers, and tried to enlist our happy finger (that would be the right index) in the cause, we were challenged, we were at times frustrated, we were concentrating as hard as we have concentrated in a while—in other words: having a fantastic time. It really is fun to learn something new. The harder it seems at the start, the more satisfying it feels when it starts to click. Go, happy finger, go!
When we talk about Lorilee as a teacher, an adjective we use is “legendary.” It’s not a word we throw around lightly, but if you know, you know. Learning with Lorilee leaves you with new knitting skills, for sure, but also with fresh optimism about your own ability to learn, grow, and stay curious.
In the pantheon of people who have taught me how to do hard things with clear instruction, cheerfulness, and compassion, Lorilee sits at the right hand of two dudes with crewcuts who taught me crucial life skills at age 16. One of those men was Julie Jensen’s dad Mr. Jensen, who taught me how to water ski on Iowa’s Lake Okoboji; the other was a kindly, teen-weary gym teacher whose name I forget, who taught me how to drive a standard transmission VW Beetle. I am very confident that if I ever need a refresher on either of these skills, Lorilee will be there for me, leaning over the boat or hunched in the passenger’s seat of the Beetle, giving me pointers and convincing me that I can do it.
But I digress. One of the great things that happened at Continental Knitting class was that we got to announce this good news: on Friday, August 1, Lorilee will return to teach us the ways and means of the Floating Squares Wrap.
If, like me, you are not going to miss out on the opportunity to knit the prettiest thing Ann Shayne has ever made, this virtual class has your name on it. Read all about it and reserve your place here.
DETAILS
Date: Friday August 1, 2025
Time: Noon-3:00 p.m. Eastern time
Location: Zoom—this is a virtual event, and it will be recorded for participants to watch and re-watch.
Your order confirmation email will include a PDF with the link to the Zoom session.
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What We’ll Learn
The Floating Square Wrap, an ingenious design from Amy Christoffers, is all about the geometric mosaic pattern melting into each vibrant color, in the thinnest most satisfying yarn. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or new to mosaic, Lorilee will get you on your way to knitting up this gorgeous wrap. And as always with Lorilee, there will be a-ha moments and tips and tricks along the way, so we’ll all leave feeling smarter than when we came in.
YOUR YARN OPTIONS
For this class, the yarn options are bountiful. If you’ve got your yarn, you can sign up for the class on its own.
Optional Kits from MDK
If you choose one of the class plus yarn options from the drop-down menu, your kit will contain seven skeins (4 different colors) of Rowan Kidsilk Haze, a magical kid mohair and silk yarn that knits up into a weightless cloud. It’s a luscious choice for the Floating Squares Wrap, available in three colorways (while supplies last).
What are those colorways, you ask?
Pink:
Blue:
Yellow:
If you have already purchased the Floating Squares Wrap Bundle featuring Lang’s Mohair Luxe, you’re all set. We’re sold out in all but one of the colorways, so we know some of you have it!
BYO Beautiful Yarn
If you’re using your own yarn, you’ll find the yardage requirements on the Floating Squares Wrap pattern page here. To achieve the flotatiousness of the sample wrap, we recommend a laceweight mohair/silk blend comparable to Rowan Kidsilk Haze or Lang Mohair Luxe. There are lots of versions of this beloved blend out there—some exquisite hand-dyed ones may be waiting in the wings of your stash.
For the mohair-averse, a suri alpaca lace yarn would also be fantastic. In short, if you’ve been stashing beautiful balls of fluffy laceweight, this is their time to shine!
We hope to see you there on August 1!
I, too, learned to waterski on Lake Okoboji, as well as doing a lot of fishing there with my dad. It is a great place. I also learned to continental knit from my sweet Danish grandmother and mother in Iowa. I could use a refresher as I switched to English knitting in college (also in Iowa). Is it still possible to purchase the recorded class?
I learned to water ski on Lake Okaboji!
I convene this meeting of the Lake Okoboji Waterskiers Association!
Such fun memories of 50 years ago, which is a shocking phrase to write. 51 if I’m honest!
I don’t know how to waterski but my family has vacationed at Okoboji’s Village West for the last 35 years. We’ll be there again in a few weeks! Love knitting on the boat as we tool around the lake. Who knew Okoboji was a knitter’s haven?!