# I Need Help Spreading The Word



## Cathy B (May 15, 2014)

I have been teaching at Knitter's Day Out in Harrisburg PA the past few years, so I was excited when I was contacted to teach 4 classes at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival this year (March 24,25 & 26, 2017).

The classes they chose are; 
- The Dreambird Shawl by Nadita Swings, which I have reinterpreted to make it an easy almost mindless knit. 
- The Trellis and Ivy Lace Scarf, which is a pattern I designed to specifically teach how to read your work, chart reading, grafting lace and of course bead knitting.
- A Study In Increases, a class designed to teach the 4 basic methods for increasing and how changing the pairing of increases can add interest and personalize a pattern by empowering the knitter to be able to make their own choices when it comes to increasing.
- The Galaxy Capelet (the shawl in my avatar) this is a very simple to knit project, so I've beefed it the class to add some alternative decorative cast on's and bind offs so that the knitter can personalize the pattern to make it their own.

Please help me pass the word to any knitters who live in the Pittsburgh area or who are planning on attending the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival. Classes at the festival are a real bargain with fees ranging from $40-80, a real bargain compared to most big knitting conventions where you can count on paying up to $380 to take a class. There are still openings in many classes.

Here is a link to my the Festival and my classes
http://pghknitandcrochet.com/?s=cathy

Hopefully I can meet up with fellow KP members at the festival.


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## Nanxy (Feb 25, 2011)

I wish I lived close by so I could attend, too far from Washington State.


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## WaterFall (Oct 5, 2012)

I think in these shows they have to let people enter free in these classes as they advertise there stuff etc .


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## Hilary4 (Apr 26, 2012)

WaterFall said:


> I think in these shows they have to let people enter free in these classes as they advertise there stuff etc .


With free - you get what you pay for, and I don't believe people appreciate free as much as something they have to pay a bit for. These classes are not expensive and the participants will take charge of their learning as a result.


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## Padittle (Nov 8, 2012)

Wow, sounds like fun! I bet I'm not the only KPer who lives too far away to attend, but would love to take one of your classes. The first one sounds especially intriguing. Hmm, is there any way you could make it into a video course or for sale another way?

Good luck at the show & congrats on the honor of being selected to teach there.


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## jbachman (Jan 19, 2011)

I took Cathy's Dream Bird shawl course at KDO and it was great. She is a very upbeat and helpful teacher who took a pattern that was pages and pages and made it easy to interpret. I look forward to taking more of her classes at KDO. I am sorry, but Pittsburgh is an overnight trip for me and I do better with day trips due to health reasons. Good luck Cathy and I hope your class fills. I was at Pittsbugh years ago for KCF and enjoyed myself. The students I met were as receptive as those at KDO and I think you will have as much fun in Pittsburgh as you do in Summerdale.


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## Patti110654 (Jun 8, 2011)

I'm coming to the festival with friends but we aren't planning on taking classes because it just is too hard to coordinate. . . but I will try and look you up. This is my first year attending. . . can't wait!!!!


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## Cathy B (May 15, 2014)

jbachman said:


> I took Cathy's Dream Bird shawl course at KDO and it was great. She is a very upbeat and helpful teacher who took a pattern that was pages and pages and made it easy to interpret. I look forward to taking more of her classes at KDO. I am sorry, but Pittsburgh is an overnight trip for me and I do better with day trips due to health reasons. Good luck Cathy and I hope your class fills. I was at Pittsbugh years ago for KCF and enjoyed myself. The students I met were as receptive as those at KDO and I think you will have as much fun in Pittsburgh as you do in Summerdale.


Thank You, jbachman, I will be teaching 3 classes at KDO this year. They moved it to the first full weekend in October. My classes there usually fill up on the first day so register early. This year I'm teaching Brioche Basics, Yarn Substitution Demystified, and a third class as yet to be determined either two methods for knitting with beads or Fixing Mistakes. Hope to see you there.


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## tatesgirl (Mar 27, 2011)

Padittle said:


> Wow, sounds like fun! I bet I'm not the only KPer who lives too far away to attend, but would love to take one of your classes. The first one sounds especially intriguing. Hmm, is there any way you could make it into a video course or for sale another way?
> 
> Good luck at the show & congrats on the honor of being selected to teach there.


I also live too far away and have this additional suggestion - consider contacting WEBS and offer to teach a class there! A couple years ago I mentioned to the building manager here in elderly housing that WEBS was going to have Stephanie McPhee - the Yarn Harlot - she told me Stephanie had responded to an invite and taught a class HERE when she was first building her popularity. I'm not saying you should teach the elderly but I am suggesting you try to contact WEBS and I promise you I'll sign up for the Dreambird class.

Good luck!


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## tatesgirl (Mar 27, 2011)

tatesgirl said:


> I also live too far away and have this additional suggestion - consider contacting WEBS and offer to teach a class there! A couple years ago I mentioned to the building manager here in elderly housing that WEBS was going to have Stephanie McPhee - the Yarn Harlot - she told me Stephanie had responded to an invite and taught a class HERE when she was first building her popularity. I'm not saying you should teach the elderly but I am suggesting you try to contact WEBS and I promise you I'll sign up for the Dreambird class.
> 
> Good luck!


When I go to WEBS I always see license plates from CT, NY and NJ in addition to lots from MA. In fact, there usually is at least one from PA and Ontario is extremely numerous, my daughter says because UMASS and 4 other colleges and lots of big hotels are in our area and parents tend to make a short vacation of their visits.


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## Cathy B (May 15, 2014)

tatesgirl said:


> I also live too far away and have this additional suggestion - consider contacting WEBS and offer to teach a class there! A couple years ago I mentioned to the building manager here in elderly housing that WEBS was going to have Stephanie McPhee - the Yarn Harlot - she told me Stephanie had responded to an invite and taught a class HERE when she was first building her popularity. I'm not saying you should teach the elderly but I am suggesting you try to contact WEBS and I promise you I'll sign up for the Dreambird class.
> 
> Good luck!


Thanks for the suggestion. I love WEBS, when Stitches East was closer to me, they were always my first stop in the marketplace. I'll have to give it some thought. There may be other shops I could add to the list in order to make the trip more cost effective.


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## Cathy B (May 15, 2014)

WaterFall wrote:
I think in these shows they have to let people enter free in these classes as they advertise there stuff etc .

Hillary 4 wrote:
With free - you get what you pay for, and I don't believe people appreciate free as much as something they have to pay a bit for. These classes are not expensive and the participants will take charge of their learning as a result.

The classes are not free, but the fees are lower than at most large events. Look at it as a gift (shhh don't tell them or they will raise their prices for next year).
Teachers are only allowed to charge for a kit or pattern used for that specific class. Each teacher signs a contract that prohibits them from self promoting their patterns, books, yarn, gadgets, etc. during class. This is true of most conventions. This is the reason some of the teachers are also set up as vendors, Stevie B for example. If a teacher breaks the contract they will not be invited back. At another event, I attended a class that turned into an infomercial for the teacher's products. I reported her through the teacher evaluation form and she no longer teaches at that event.


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## tatesgirl (Mar 27, 2011)

Cathy B said:


> Thanks for the suggestion. I love WEBS, when Stitches East was closer to me, they were always my first stop in the marketplace. I'll have to give it some thought. There may be other shops I could add to the list in order to make the trip more cost effective.


I've noticed advertisements for lessons as I entered our local Michael's but don't really know much about what they present. To contact them: 582-0784.

Under Craft Instruction in the yellow pages: Make That Thing LLc
116 Pleasant Easthampton 203-5623

 New England Felting Supply
8 Cottage Easthampton 527-1188

Wool Dye Works
52 Main Florence 587-0300

Our Area Code is 413. Let me know if I can be of further help and especially if you're teaching at WEBS. I'll tell several knitting groups in addition to my own.


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