Since her early days at art school, Sasha has been in awe of and inspired by the designs and ethos of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. On this course she aims to share this enthusiasm.

Learn how to interpret leaves and flowers into design motifs for hand knitting. West Dean Gardens provide source material as you learn how to graph out your designs. Then use Sasha's intarsia knitting technique, make repeat patterns and work with colour and texture. You will need only basic prior knitting skills in knit and purl. The all-important making up, blocking and finishing details will be discussed.

Taking inspiration from nature, after a tour of the gardens you will learn how to hone down the essence of an image in order to translate ideas into motifs for hand knitting. You will look at leaves and flowers in turn to extract the main characteristics of each specimen, then draw them directly onto graph paper. The motif is then 'squared up', taking into consideration the yarn to be used, and fine tuned into a motif. You will then graph out your design and use Sasha's intarsia technique to knit a swatch from one or more of the motifs you have designed. Hands-on technical advice, how to hold yarn in your left and right hands and feed in the yarn alternately to produce a 'woven in' knitted fabric, will be covered.

This will be developed using applications such as repeats, half drops, learning basics of positioning motifs hand knitting, alternative colourways and use of alternative yarns and textures. This will illustrate how versatile the medium can be. Expand your knowledge and understanding of hand knit design and processes for future independent projects which translate ideas and images into hand knitted fabric. Those who have attended previous courses with Sasha are welcome to take design skills to a stage further and cover creating repeats and different colourways.

Through this process, you will gain confidence to use your own images for hand knitting, and be equipped with the skills to hand knit your own designs, opening up the possibilities of hand knitting as a vehicle to communicate ideas into fabric. For a professional couture garment, the all-important making up, blocking and finishing details will be covered on the final day.

Arrival Day - this is the first date listed above

Courses start early evening. Residential students to arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm.

6.45pm: Welcome, followed by dinner (included).

8 - 9pm: First teaching session, attendance is essential.

Daily timetable

Classes 9.15 - 5pm, lunch is included.

From 6.30pm: Dinner (included for residential students).

Evening working - students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with their tutor's permission and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed.

Last day

Classes 9.15am - 3pm, lunch is included.

Residential students are to vacate their rooms by 10am please.

(This timetable is for courses of more than one day in length. The tutor may make slight variations)

Included

• An inspiring collection of yarn from 4-ply to Aran weight, in wool, silk, alpaca, cotton and blends is supplied by the tutor for use on the course.

What students need to bring

• Please make and bring a collection of pictures/postcards/drawings of images that you would like to interpret into knit design.
• Magazine tear sheets of garment shapes and small balls of your favourite yarn, knitting needles sizes 2.75 to 5mm, darning needle
• Small balls of your favourite yarn
• Knitting needles sizes 2.75 to 5mm, Darning needle
• Scissors
• Coloured pencils, useful if you have some

Available to buy

• Available from shop:
• Graph paper
• Pencils, pens and rubbers
• Notebook

Additional information

Wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear i.e. no open-toes or sandals. Safety boots, if specified.