Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark, the instructor on Craftsy’s Artemisia sweater, has kindly written a post about how her online class helps to take the fear out of knitting fitted garments. I’ve enjoyed the Craftsy classes that I have taken, and I hope you give hers a try too!

Have you ever been intimidated by a craft project? Being stressed out by yarn or fabric almost seems silly, but even as a professional knitwear designer, I still have moments where certain craft techniques are a little scary, foreign, and seem like too much to tackle on my own. These days, most knitting techniques are pretty familiar for me, but when I pick up a craft project for fun, I sometimes avoid pushing myself to try new techniques. One of my uncomfortable areas is sewing clothing. I love to do it, but things like making buttonholes and putting in zippers can make me avoid a project for weeks, or months, at a time.

Even when a craft is our hobby, and done for relaxation, it’s still good to push ourselves past the comfort zone here and there. I want to sew more complicated garments. There are many knitters who want to branch out from accessory projects to making sweaters. Classes are a great way to push yourself a little, try new things, and meet new people. But what if you don’t have a craft shop handy? What if you are too busy to make it to class?

This summer, Craftsy.com, an online learning platform, asked me to teach a knit along class with one of my original sweater designs. Craftsy is an online learning community that hosts expert instructors teaching fun, innovative classes. I filmed a series of short videos over the course of 3 days, which were edited into easy-to-access lessons that my students can stream anytime. You can fit in your learning time on your schedule, and once you enroll in the class, you always have access, your enrollment never expires! The site has cool features such as a personal notes section, where you can take notes on the class and your project, and 30 second replay, so you can watch my hands on instruction on repeat until it clicks with you.

I designed a class that would have fun new techniques to try, but not be too overwhelming for a newer knitter. The Seamless Artemisia Sweater class is now going strong, with more than 2.000 students knitting away on their sweater projects. Craftsy is an excellent, cost-effective way to learn new skills and meet other crafters, while getting expert help on your project. I answer students individually several times a week, often every day, helping them as they get stuck, have questions, or want advice. Many times, they just check in to let me know how they’re doing, since the videos are designed to be as thorough as possible.

Artemisia is a relaxed fit sweater, designed with a leaf lace panel, set-in, top-down sleeves, seamless construction and hourglass shaping, and knit-in pockets. Many students are modifying their projects to alter sleeve length and detailing, changing shaping for a custom fit, and modifying the length and pockets. What could seem like an intimidating sweater project is broken down into baby steps with lots of guidance and wiggle room, so my students have been able to approach the sweater one technique at a time. You’ll be able to watch and knit from cast on to finishing, right along with me and your fellow students! This has been a great teaching experience for me as well. I love seeing my students have breakthroughs as they conquer new skills and show off their projects.

I love the Craftsy platform for learning, so I’ve already signed up for a class by one of their expert sewing instructors on how to sew a custom-tailored button down shirt. I can’t wait to try new techniques in class!

I’d love to see you in The Seamless Artemisia Sweater class, or another Craftsy class with me! Sign up today for discounted enrollment.