Planning zoom events

Throughout much of the pandemic I’ve not been able to join or hold live events via zoom, or similar, due to our craptastic internet. We’ve needed to change service provider at least twice in the last 2 years as our internet got noticeably worse with everyone under lockdown and we couldn’t even manage Aran’s online schooling let alone anything else.

Image description - a video still from the next online class, ‘Turning Sideways: Next Level Slouch’, taken in my studio. Our tabby cat Mina and our grey doodle look-a-like, Jaz, are both in frame. In a zoom event with me you’re guaranteed to see me pulling a multitude of faces and most likely to meet one of our furry family members, all in the setting of my studio.

Now that lockdown measures are easing and local providers are finally stepping up and offering better coverage, I’ve found a sweet spot in my studio where I can pick up 5G on my phone! Which means I can tether that to my laptop and maintain reasonably good service. Still not what most folks with broadband in the UK or US are probably used to, but for us it makes all the difference.

And so I’ve been organising, booking and planning zoom events!

I’m not giving up on online workshops, fear not. Zoom isn’t particularly accessible as it requires a decent internet connection, a common or at least overlapping time zone, a common language and it doesn’t offer the same kind of subtitles and transcript service either, although I’ll be looking at options for improving this where possible. Yet zoom events are much lighter workload and budget wise, and if I’m to keep creating more structured and accessible online workshops then I need to keep the business ticking over and earning so that I can invest in them.

I’m in the process of booking a few zoom events as a guest and I hope to be talking more about those in the very near future, but today I’m hoping to get your feedback on talks that I can host. I’m thinking an hour, maybe an hour and a half, where I talk through a particular topic in-depth and show some examples and or short demonstrations. I don’t have the capacity just yet to hold longer or more thorough workshops live; these talks will be more informal and good way for me to test things out, whilst also offering you something fun and interesting!

There’s a few subjects I know folks love to hear from me about yet there’s no doubt something I’ve not thought of so please do leave a comment with a suggestion. These are the talk topics I’m currently considering and I could do all 3 if there’s enough interest!

The Magic of Sideways Knit Hats

This is a Hat knitting method so many folks associate with Woolly Wormhead and I’m keen to demystify it! I can talk about the construction method, how our stitches change and the techniques we use to create a seamless Hat. I can talk about why I love this method, it’s potential and how it differs to other Hat construction methods. It doesn’t need to be all technical, this can be light and fun, and I’ve plenty of examples, schematics and deconstructed Hats to share.

The Art of the Knitted Crown

Here I could show some of the many ways I’ve incorporated the crown shaping into stitch patterns to create the detailed crowns that I’ve become known for. I could talk through the maths, where the magic of circles comes into play, and spill some of my secrets in how I approach both Hat design and the crown shaping. I could even talk about some of the pitfalls of Hat design and knitting and ways around that. I have many gorgeous samples to show you, it’ll be fun just to get all those Hats out and talk you through them!

All About Knitted Hat Style and Fit

I’ve been travelling round to yarn shops and fibre events for over a decade with my Hat Clinic and I’ve learnt a thing or two about choosing the right Hat style AND the right size. Because our heads vary so much in size and proportion and knowing this before you cast on for your next Hat project will make all the difference. This won’t be the same as doing this in person, where I’m famed for placing all kinds of unexpected Hats on heads and surprising folk, but it will provide you with some idea about how to choose the best Hat pattern for you. It will also help in thinking about yarn weight, stitch properties, brim types and much more.

Image description: another still from my forthcoming online workshop. I’m mid-chat, looking down, and our dog Jaz has snuck into the frame on my right.

And finally - do you have a preference for day of the week? There will be a replay option which I’ll hold open for booked attendees but if I can set things up on the best possible day I’ll try! Time wise, knowing I’m around 6 hours or so ahead of most of my knitters it’ll need to be late afternoon time at the latest for me, which’ll mean late morning or early lunchtime for most folks outside of Europe.