Design & Make Your Own Granny Square Sweater - Tuesday Evenings - Walton-on-Thames

Description

“Design & Make Your Own Granny Square Sweater Course” is a 5 week masterclass, spread over 7 weeks, which allows you to create a unique garment.

The course covers layout, shape, sizing and colour placement. Design your own sweater using the classic granny square pattern. We’ll cover different types of joining techniques from Join-as-you-go to the continuous Japanese method. Using either DK or 4ply/fingering weight yarn, you’ll learn how to get the right fit – whether you’re making the sweater for yourself or someone else.

Skill Level

You must be confident with basic crochet stitches and techniques – not suitable for complete beginners.

Course Location

Riverhouse Barn Art Centre
Studio (in courtyard at the back of the Riverhouse)
Manor Road
Walton-on-Thames
Surrey KT12 2PF

Course Dates

This is a 5 week course, running on Tuesday evenings.

Week 1: Tuesday 25th March 2025, 7:30-9:30pm
Week 2: Tuesday 1st April 2025, 7:30-9:30pm
Week 3: NO CLASS – EASTER HOLS – students will be making their motifs.
Week 4: NO CLASS – EASTER HOLS – students will be making their motifs.
Week 5: Tuesday 22nd April 2025, 7:30-9:30pm
Week 6: Tuesday 29th April 2025, 7:30-9:30pm
Week 7: Tuesday 6th May 2025, 7:30-9:30pm

Cost

Please note : the cost of materials are not included in the course fees.

The purpose of the course is to teach you how to plan out and implement the design, get you started with the project, as well as cover some of the other key elements of making a granny square sweater. It is up to you whether you go at your own pace or attempt to complete the sweater over the 7 week time span. It goes without saying, that you will need to spend time outside of the class making the motifs and other elements of the sweater.

Below is a rough guide to the curriculum, this may vary depending on how quickly we get through things and how much help people need for their individual designs.

Week 1 : Introduction and overview of the types of sweater you can make. Joining techniques. How to swatch.

Week 2 : Using your swatch to plan & design your sweater layout.

2 Weeks over Easter: no classes – you’ll be using this time to make the bulk of your motifs. Email /WhatsApp support is provided for checking/approving designs.

Week 3 : Neck shaping & seaming.

Week 4 : Cuffs and hems.

Week 5: Finishing techniques.

How much yarn will I need? – Unfortunately, it is a bit of a chicken and egg situation. If you already know what yarn you’re using, please bring it to the first class. If not, the first class will help you decide. During week 2 we work out the precise quantities.
Example: I am a size 12, for a regular granny square sweater, I usually need just under 6 x100g skeins of 4ply, that’s roughly 2000m or 2190 yds.

How many colours? – I recommend at least 5 colours, but you can use more or less depending on your personal preference.

Yarn thickness – my preferred yarn thickness for these kinds of sweaters is 4ply/fingering or sock weight yarn because they are very wearable and have good drape. However, you can use DK weight yarn but please be aware that this will create a reasonably bulky and very warm garment. I do not recommend yarn thicker than DK as it makes a very bulky, boiling hot sweater that may not drape well.

Yarn composition – I would strongly recommend natural yarns such as merino wool or cotton or blends thereof. Or at least yarns with less than 20% nylon/synthetic material. Acrylic yarns do not work very well in these types of garments because the yarn has no stitch memory and poor drape. Additionally, I try to discourage the use of acrylic since it’s a product of the petro-chemical industry, is toxic to manufacture and leaches microplastics in to the environment.

What to bring to the first class? – When you sign up, you’ll receive more information about what’s required on the first session.

Hooks – You’ll need the correct hook size for your yarn. This will range from 2.5mm to 4mm depending on your yarn choice, personal gauge and again, this is discussed in the email when you sign up and the first class.

Currently the course size is limited to a maximum of 10 students.

I have a dedicated student resource page with a login (which you’ll receive once you’ve signed up) where you’ll find all the class notes and an extensive collection of useful videos to watch at your leisure.