Comments on: It's like Avon, but in acrylic

By: Janey

Janey — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 04:55:43 +0000

A (Canadan) friend of mine sent me the Lion Brand Instructor link because I tried to set up knitting class(es) last year.
I had gotten as far as enquiring about possible space at a local knit and stitch shop (they sell yarn, needlework and quilting supplies as well as cloth and sewing patterns). I also asked at a local adult education organization – they have both the class space and put out a newsletter with the courses they offer. I also approached friends and neighbours to see if they would be my students.
That was after I had done several hours of Internet research to see what was said about knitting instruction online. I managed to find out what was usually taught to beginners, how many classes were usually involved to teach those things, the size and length of said classes, and the cost to the student.
I went to a Dollar Store and got needles (all the same size). And I bought a supply of cotton yarn. My thought was to teach everyone using a dishcloth pattern as a starter – the cost of the classes would include supply of materials needed.
My friend was being most kind in sending me the Lion Brand link. She figured I could find out how to put my plan into action using their class instructions, press releases, etc..
But after I started the registration process, with a few warnig bells going off as I went along, I discovered the final roadblock … it’s only available in the USA!

Doesn’t Lion Brand and/or Purple Tree understand that the Internet is not exclusively American? And neither is knitting.

By: Jan Dumb-bunny

Jan Dumb-bunny — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 20:32:35 +0000

Boy, I’m so embarassed to admit this but it took forever for me to do the math, and to figure out that noone I know would want to do pre-planned projects. I taught knit and crochet for a year at a not-to-be-named crafts store where the rumor was that yarn was marked up at least 600%. Yes, six hundred. I like Lion Brand but the press release was so stilted and self-serving I could never have used it as-is. And your concerns about poor teachers is soooo valid…I think I am one: After knitting forty-plus years, I’ve only just knitted my first non-acrylic item, and I’ll never be able to go back. I just love the touch and feel of the real wool — it is truly “alive” and so rich in texture. I Googled to see if there were any Lion Brand teachers in my area, and found this blog. Thanks for helping me (and maybe others) stand up for quality.

By: gaile

gaile — Wed, 31 May 2006 22:09:26 +0000

the chanting in my head now: “Donna Martin Graduates”… *sigh*

By: j.

j. — Wed, 31 May 2006 01:57:47 +0000

Purple Tree has acted on the promise to provide some security on their website: it’s now necessary to use both an e-mail address and a password to access club/instructor information.

By: Carol M

Carol M — Tue, 30 May 2006 19:44:55 +0000

Note to all, but to Jim in particular, most public libraries and probably many religious institutions are not about to give free space to a for profit class. Assuming they are aware that it is for profit.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Sun, 28 May 2006 03:10:53 +0000

Just noticed that most of the projects use 10, 10.5 or 11 needles. So it would be possible to keep getting the same (or nearly the same) size needle over and over again. Let’s pay 10 dollars a ball for LB, and get 4 pairs of the same sized needles! What a bargain!

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 25 May 2006 00:50:24 +0000

Purple Tree is a very different business. This is based on home parties and clubs. I am not sure where you got the idea that this involves 10 women sitting around a van in lawn chairs in a hot parking lot in July. Not a pleasant thought!

When we did our research asking where the Instructors were planning to hold their classes, we got a wide range of responses. The one that surprised us was how often the mentioned “the Library.” Many of the others were expected – their home, the home of a student, a coffee shop, a religious institution, etc. Most of the locations seemed like they would be relatively comfortable. We also had a large percentage of the Instructors saying they had taught in the past, so we would assume these locations were based on experience.

Again, looking at the Purple Tree business does not provide the right perspective. Two very different businesses.

Jim

By: Suni

Suni — Wed, 24 May 2006 19:44:03 +0000

If you check out the Purple Tree website forums, you will see they also recommend giving parties at home, other’s homes, malls and parking lots for tailgate parties. I can just see 10 women sitting around a van in lawn chairs in a hot parking lot in July trying to master double seed st, and how to mattress st the finished piece.

By: Mamid

Mamid — Wed, 24 May 2006 17:42:25 +0000

Oh my god!

Last time I checked, “sponsored” meant the person didn’t have to fork over a penny.

Good god. Not for me.

By: Janet Szabo

Janet Szabo — Wed, 24 May 2006 11:35:37 +0000

Just an anecdotal piece of information here: I have a friend who has in her possession a notebook created by her grandmother in the 50′s. Grandma took a correspondence class (Grandma was in Montana and the “school” was in New York City) to learn to become a certified knitting instructor. Once she had completed the course—which reminded me a lot of the TKGA Master Knitting Program—she was supplied with press releases and copy for posters that she could put up all over town advertising that she was a knitting instructor.

But they didn’t have “Curves” here back then.