Knitfest workshops a great taster

By Sonia Isaacs Clark

A popular component of the annual Knitfest Yarn & Fibre Winter Festival is the diverse range of creative and crafty workshops on offer, and this year’s selection has creatively curious locals covered.
With an appealing mix of classes and introductory sessions, this year’s festival is on Saturday-Sunday July 3-4, with a program that incorporates 20 workshops. However, the workshops will be slightly different to previous years to meet the necessary COVID safe requirements.
Bookings and program details are available online now, including four kids’ club sessions at $10 each.
The workshops vary in price, from $35 to $62, and will be held at the Spinning Hall (Maleny RSL Hall) on the Saturday and Knifest Central (Maleny State School) on Saturday and Sunday.
Knitfest organiser Deb Swain said the workshops were a great way for people to follow their creative urge.
“We always find people get really inspired to try their hand at knitting or trying fibre arts, especially after seeing all the incredible, creative talent on display at Knitfest,” Deb said.
“Our workshop program offers an eclectic range of cost-effective taster sessions for people to give that urge a go and, if they like it, they can then find out more.”
An amazing array of workshops will be hosted by skilled artisans, with most supplying all materials and many suitable for beginners or those with no prior experience.
The sessions include learning how to create your own felted baby slippers, wet felted wool glasses cases and needle felt toadstools, how to make animal armature (wire structure) for needle felting with take-home miniature reindeer, or learn how to do Latvian braid, make silk baskets, do botanical dying or create crocheted 3D butterflies or covered CD disks.
Go online to find out more, with bookings and secure payment via PayPal available at www.knitfest.com.au/workshops-for-2021

Photo: The Yarnbombing Team working on one of this year’s lanterns. Lindel Kielly, June Doyle and Debs Swain