Treeline Cowl: Virtual Workshop with Lorilee Beltman

Details

Date:  October 13, 2023

Time: Noon–3 p.m. Eastern time

Location: Zoom. This is a virtual event.

Project: The Treeline Cowl by Dee Hardwicke, from MDK Field Guide No. 25: Botanica. This smashing accessory is worked in the round, from the bottom up. With Lorilee’s guidance, we’ll follow the Treeline Cowl’s colorwork chart, creating a modern accessory to give or to keep. Once we have our Treeline Cowl well under way, we’ll learn another technique that will come in handy for Field Guide No. 25: stranded colorwork knit flat, back and forth in rows, with patterning on the purl side. This way of working stranded colorwork is not hard, and it is its own kind of fun—you’ll see!

Our Workshop Leader

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After serving as our camp counselor for the sold-out 2023 session of MDK Summer Camp, legendary knitting teacher Lorilee Beltman returns to wow us with stranded colorwork.

Lorilee sees no end to where knitting curiosity can take you, and she loves to help knitters make new discoveries. Patient with students, Lorilee packs her classes with content and extra tips you can really use. A born teacher, she has enjoyed teaching knitters at over a hundred national events, and she looks forward to meeting you.

Lorilee’s articles and designs have been published in books, magazines, and online mags. She has been a yarn shop owner, a Knit Stars masterclass teacher, a techniques columnist at Knitty, and an online instructor at Interweave and at Craftsy where her classes are bestsellers.

Lorilee grew up in Pittsburgh, spent thirty years in west Michigan, and now calls the Seattle area home. When not knitting or growing veggies, she can be found on the pickleball court playing for fun or teaching beginners as a newly minted certified pickleball coach.

Find out more about Lorilee at lorileebeltman.com. External Link. Opens in new window..

What’s in the Box

We’ve put together a very special kit for this class. The kit contains:

• 4 skeins of Atlas yarn, in the original colorway of the Treeline Cowl.
• A custom Bento Bag, made in the USA in pure linen. This is Ann and Kay’s go-to project bag for everything from socks to sweaters. We love the way you can see everything in it at a glance, and the tie closure makes a sweet bundle of it.
• The print and ebook editions of MDK Field Guide No. 25: Botanica, which includes the pattern for the Treeline Cowl plus 5 more fabulous designs by Dee Hardwicke.
• Stitch markers in a wee tin.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

What else will I need? Circular needles with cord lengths of 24″/60 cm in size US 6 (4mm) or size needed to obtain gauge. Everything else will be in the box!

Is the Treeline Cowl Workshop suitable for beginning knitters? Absolutely! If you can cast on, knit, and purl, you’re ready. You’ll learn two ways of working stranded colorwork—in the round and flat. Lorilee will demonstrate techniques for both Continental and English style knitters, so whether you’re a picker or a thrower, we’ve got you.

How should I get ready for the workshop? Before class, you’ll cast on and work the ribbing at the beginning of the cowl so you’ll be ready to dig into the colorwork with Lorilee.

What’s the program? With Lorilee’s instruction, aided by her skill with the overhead camera focused on her hands, we’ll start with the Treeline Cowl, learning the basics of  stranded colorwork in the round. Lorilee will have plenty of tips and tricks for managing two strands of yarn without tangling, spacing floats, and avoiding the puckering of fabric. When our cowls are firmly on the road to glory, we’ll turn to learning how to work stranded colorwork back and forth in rows, a technique used for other projects in Field Guide No. 25. As a reward for learning something new, you’ll be making a little coaster/mug rug.

What’s the format? Participant mics will be muted, and the chat box will be monitored constantly for questions from participants. Later in the workshop there will be optional break-out rooms for companionable knitting and making friends, or for getting help from Lorilee and the team if needed.

How far along on my Treeline Cowl can I expect to get during the workshop? We do not expect anyone to finish this project during the Zoom, but you’ll be casted on and confident, and well on your way. We are strong believers that the rhythm and flow of stranded colorwork makes it go faster than plain stockinette—so we predict a quick finish! For added support, you’ll receive a link to the recording of the class afterwards, and there will be a topic in the MDK Lounge for sharing, caring, and modeling our finished pieces.

I can’t make it to the live Zoom. May I still participate? Sure! Everyone enrolled in the workshop will receive a link to the event recording and all resources we share.

Do I have to order the kit to participate in the Zoom class or watch the recording? Yes, it’s a complete experience.

What if I already have a copy of Field Guide No. 25: Botanica?  To make sure nobody has to scurry around looking for the pattern, we’ve included a copy of Field Guide N0. 25: Botanica in the workshop box. If you already have a copy, you have our heartfelt thanks, and an extra copy to keep or pass along to a knitting friend.