Riverhouse Hookers

Riverhouse Owl Crochet Course – Starting 11/11/22

October 28, 2022 // by mezza// 1 Comment

I will be running my ever popular Riverhouse Owl crochet course on Fridays from 12:30-2:30pm at the Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre, in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey!

This is a 3 week course (3 x 2 hour sessions) where you will learn the basic techniques of Amigurumi toy making by creating the Riverhouse Owl. I use it as a doorstop but it could also be used as a toy!

Please advise if you have an allergy to wool.

This course is for you if you :

have taken my beginners course and are looking for your next project.
have basic crochet skills and want to learn some new techniques.
are a more advanced crochet student but fancy a fun project.

As well as my expert guidance and hands on practical work, the course includes detailed class notes with photo tutorials, videos AND everything you need, including hook, yarn and stuffing.

Riverhouse Owl Crochet Course Dates 2022

Week 1 – Friday 11th November 2022 12:30-2:30pm
Week 2 – Friday 18th November 2022 12:30-2:30pm
Week 3 – Friday 25th November 2022 12:30-2:30pm

Cost

The course consists of 3 x 2 hour session and costs £60 – this covers all materials needed & exclusive access to the online student resources.

What you might want to bring

Notepad & pen.
Scissors.
Drink.

This is a great way to practice your hobby in a friendly setting where you can meet other students with similar interests as well as supporting your local arts centre.

Important – Cancellation Policy

I have hesitated to implement this policy in the past, although it has always been in place as part of Riverhouse’s & my terms & conditions. However, due to a high dropout rate for some of my recent courses, sometimes days before the course starts, I have been left in a situation where I am often not covering my costs and/or earning even a minimum wage. Therefore, I regret that I will now have to implement the policy otherwise I am no longer able to continue teaching. Should you need to cancel, refunds for the course can only be given up to 14 days before the start of the course and are subject to an administration fee of £15. After this time, i.e. 28/10/22, I am unable to issue refunds as I have already committed to the hire of the venue and the purchase of all course materials and it doesn’t leave me enough time to find a replacement student to make the course financially viable for me. Of course, full refunds will be given in the event that the course is cancelled due to the Riverhouse or me cancelling the course. Thank you for your understanding.

Booking

Bookings are secured with the receipt of a full payment. Please read all Terms & Conditions before booking.

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Riverhouse Owl Crochet Course

3 Week Course (3 x 2 hour sessions) Starting on Friday 11th November 2022 at the Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre. Materials included.

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Design & Make Your Own Granny Square Sweater – 5 Week Course

July 10, 2021 // by mezza// 3 Comments

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

The course covers layout, shape, sizing and colour placement. Design your own sweater using any granny square pattern or use one of the motifs I have designed especially for this course. We’ll cover different types of joining techniques from sewing to the continuous Japanese method. Using either DK or 4ply/fingering weight yarn, I’ll help you to get the right fit – whether you’re making the sweater for yourself or someone else.

Course Location

We will be in the Studio, which is at the far end of the courtyard garden.

Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre Manor Road, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, KT12 2PF

Course Dates

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

Week 1 : Wednesday 22nd September 2021, 7:30 – 9:30pm
Week 2 : Wednesday 29th September 2021, 7:30 – 9:30pm
Week 3 : Wednesday 6th October 2021, 7:30 – 9:30pm
Week 4 : Wednesday 13th October 2021, 7:30 – 9:30pm
Week 5 : Wednesday 20th October 2021, 7:30 – 9:30pm

Cost

£75 for 5 weeks.

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

Materials Required

You’ll need the correct qty of yarn in at least 5 colours, in either DK or fingering weight yarn. Working out the yarn quantities is covered in the first class so don’t worry about having all your yarn ready for then.

I would strongly recommend natural yarns such as wool or cotton. Acrylic yarns do not work very well in these types of garments because the yarn has no stitch memory. Additionally, I try to discourage the use of acrylic since it’s a product of the petro-chemical industry and leaches microplastics in to the environment.

You’ll need the correct hook size. This will range from 2.5mm to 4mm depending on your yarn choice, and again, this is discussed in the first class.

To give you a rough idea of how much yarn you’ll need, I can tell you how much yarn I used for each of the sweaters shown in this post. I am a size 12.

DK version (below) = approx 6x100g skeins, roughly 1,440 metres.
4ply/Fingering version (top image) = approx 4x100g skeins, roughly 1,700 metres.

Course Size

Currently the course size is limited to 5 students. This may increase to a maximum of 8, depending on COVID restrictions closer to the time.

Lockdown Contingency Plan

Should there be another lockdown during the course dates, the course will be run online with weekly zoom meetings and detailed video tutorials. With one to one zoom sessions as required. A 20% refund will be given, pro-rata for any parts of the class that need to be switched online. I also offer a no quibble refund for the full course (excluding any materials you may have purchased) in the event that you do not wish to take part in the online course.

Booking

Bookings are secured with the receipt of a full payment.

Please email me if you have any problems booking.

Tunisian Crochet Entrelac – 5 week course

February 23, 2018 // by mezza// Leave a Comment

Learn the various different methods of creating Tunisian Crochet Entrelac. This technique can seem complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s very satisfying!

Duration: 5 weeks
Dates: 19th February – 19th March 2018
Time/date: 8:00-10:00pm every Monday
Venue: The Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre, Walton-on-Thames
Cost: £50 (for 5 weeks)
We’ll be learning tunisian crochet entrelac to make a small blanket or cushion cover.

Techniques covered:

Corner to corner Tunisian Entrelac.
Tunisian Entrelac worked in rows.
Tunisian Entrelac from the centre out.
Log cabin border.

We’ll also explore how gradient/striped yarns work up in entrelac.

As usual, all my classes come with photo-tutorial class notes that you will receive either by email or hard copy so that you can practise between classes.

Skill level:
You should have a grasp of basic tunisian crochet skills, in particular tunisian simple stitch, casting on and off. I will go over the basics again as a refresher in the first class.

Materials required:
– 5mm tunisian crochet hook (or hook size that works best with your yarn)
– Minimum of 2 x 100g DK yarn of your choice. One being a gradient or striped yarn. Please avoid novelty yarns & yarns with too much texture.
– Wool/tapestry needle.

Or contact me at mezzamay at icloud dot com if you’d like me to email you one.

Riverhouse Hookers 2017 – A Look Back

December 20, 2017 // by mezza// Leave a Comment

Learning and teaching new techniques in crochet gives me a sense of achievement and also brings me a great amount of satisfaction. I love hanging out twice a week with my students who, I like to think, have become friends. I recently realised that I spend more time with them than most of my “real” friends and even some of my family! Not surprising really, with work, kids, and other activities it can be difficult to find time to fit everybody in.

It’s not often we get a chance to step back and look at what we’ve achieved over the past year so that’s why I decided to write this post. Hopefully this retrospective will also be useful for anybody thinking of signing up for a class. Maybe we can tempt you to join us?

Additionally, it’s a good way for me to showcase the techniques that I run courses in. If you run or organise fibre or craft events, please get in touch – I may be available to teach!

Here is a list of the classes I taught in 2017:

Slip Stitch Surface Design
The humble slip stitch can also be used to embellish and decorate a piece of single crochet fabric. I had been experimenting with this technique at the end of 2016 as it’s not commonly used. Then, coincidentally, all sorts of crochet patterns, projects and “crochet-a-longs” suddenly cropped up in the “crochet world” ! So it turned out it was pretty good timing.
We explored two methods – what I call the grid technique and free-form.
With just this simple stitch, the students came up with some beautiful and creative projects such as cushion covers, pyjama bags and pencil cases.

C2C (Corner to Corner) Colour Changing Technique
We started with the basic “c2c” technique and then move on to adding colour.
Then we looked into the various ways you can change colours and how you can minimise tangling.
After this, the students were encouraged to make their own own unique charts. This included how to convert images into charts and which kind of motifs and images work best with C2C crochet.
Some of the students were very adventurous and made blankets, others stuck to smaller things such as cushion covers or hand towels.

Crochet Triangular Lace Shawl
This one is always a favourite with my students! While making my shawl design, “Lake Agnes”, we learn about chart reading, working a triangular shawl from the top down, how to accommodate the border should you wish to change the size and blocking. The students made beautiful shawls using lovely yarns such as pure linen, and some of the colour changing yarn cakes.

Garlands of Flowers and Beads
I love teaching this course! We use thread crochet, small hooks and beads to make beautiful floral garlands or lariat necklaces. I provide a few patterns and then each student gets help designing their own garland.
Gorgeous for weddings or for draping romantically over your dressing table mirror!

Columbian Bags Using Tapestry Crochet
Probably one of my favourite techniques to date… we used tapestry crochet to make round based, colourful bags. We covered basic colour-work techniques, working in the round. After mastering these techniques with a small set project, students were then able to make their own bags, either from patterns or by coming up with their own designs. We covered how to read colour-charts, especially circular charts where the increases are not marked.

Free From Crochet
Perhaps one of my least successful courses. Although the students enjoyed learning and practising the elements and stitches that are commonly used in Free Form, once they had to go “off piste”, so to speak, many of them floundered at the task when left to their own devices without having a pattern in front of them to follow! Some of the students however, jumped right in and came up with some wonderful projects such as this little turtle toy and a wall hanging in the form of a Christmas tree!

New Ways With Old Doilies
We started off getting to grips with the thread crochet and small hooks with a mini-doily. Making doilies is an excellent way to hone your crochet skills because you really have to get control of your hook, yarn and tension to get a perfect doily stitch. Students need to master the subtle technique of crocheting “true to hook size” to ensure stitches are neat and not lose. The hookers were then encouraged to look at vintage crochet patterns to make a traditional doily. Reading and interpreting old patterns is a useful skill. Once made, the doilies were then applied in new ways to display their beauty! Students came up with various ideas such as framing a selection or using them as appliques, to lavender bags for example.

I hope my students feel they have learned and gained as much from these classes as I have. I especially enjoyed some of the warm summer evenings when we were able to sit outside in the Riverhouse Arts Centre courtyard and crochet.

Thank you to all my students that took my classes in 2017: Jan, Aileen, Karen, Katie, Sarah, Rebecca, Jo M, Maz, Di, Tabitha, Bev R, Jaswinder, Eileen, Anika, Jo G, Bev A, Fran, Mary, Michelle, Vicky, Diane, Iris & Jules! I hope I haven’t missed anybody…

My one main regret is that I don’t take enough photos of my students work and this is something I will try to redress in 2018.

Corner To Corner Colour Changing Technique – 5 Week Course

February 19, 2017 // by mezza// Leave a Comment

Learn “Corner to Corner” crochet with colour changing technique to create a colourful piece such as a blanket (graphghan) or cushion cover.

We’ll start with the basic “c2c” technique and then move on to adding colour and the various ways you can do this.

Have a go at making your own unique chart or use some of the charts I have prepared.

I also give tips on other online resources you can use to find suitable graphs or charts.

This is a really fun and satisfying technique!

Dates & Times: Mondays’ 8:00pm-10pm, 20th February 2017 – 20th March 2017.

Venue: Riverhouse Arts Centre
Manor Road
Walton-on-Thames
Surrey
KT12 2PF

Cost of course : £50 for 5 weeks (materials are not included)

Materials required:

3.5mm crochet hook
DK cotton yarn, preferably in at least two different colours. I would strongly recommond using Stylecraft Classique Cotton or Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK. Amount will depend on what you’re making but I can help you work out how much you’ll need.

Maximum class size : 10 students – 8 students already booked in so I have 2 places left.

If you’d like to join the course, please contact me mezzamay at icloud.com

Full payment of the course and a completed booking form will be required to secure your spot on the course (paid to Riverhouse Barn).

This course is advertised elsewhere.

Any further questions, please do get in touch.

Riverhouse Charity Blanket Motif – Free Crochet Pattern

November 16, 2016 // by mezza// Leave a Comment

This hexagonal motif uses DK cotton yarn in whites, creams and light browns/beiges. You can of course use different yarn weights and colours to make your own unique blanket!

PDF Pattern can be downloaded from here or Ravelry.

This free pattern was developed with the aim of raising money for the Riverhouse Arts Centre in Walton-on-Thames. We would be extremely grateful for any donations of motifs you have made! If you’d like to contribute to the charity blanket(s), Please make sure the motifs you’ve made meet the guidelines and then drop them off or send them to:

Riverhouse Hookers
Riverhouse Arts Centre
Manor Road
Walton-on-Thames
Surrey
KT12 2PF

Guidelines for contributing to the Riverhouse Charity Blanket(s)
Yarn: Please use DK 100% cotton yarn such as Drops Muskat, Rico Essentials Cotton, King Cole Cotton Soft, Sirdar Cotton DK…
Colours: White, beige, cream, light brown etc.
Motif size: The size of the finished motif is more important than the size of hook you use. Please make sure the motif is between 13-14cm across the widest point.
Finishing: please weave/sew in all ends EXCEPT the final round. For the final round, please cut the yarn, leaving approx 10cm tail and then just pull the live loop until the tail comes out.

Copyright notice

This is a free pattern, however, please do not copy, share or sell this pattern, in any format, including online. Please only share the link on my website to the pattern: bit.ly/2eFgQ7n

You may use this motif to make blankets to sell, either for charity or personal profit if you are a small scale crafter. All I ask is that you place the following text credit, either in your online listing or on a tag with the finished item: Design from www.mezzacraft.com

You may not use the pattern for large scale, commercial manufacturing.

Thank you and happy crafting!

Swedish Crochet Nålebinding Socks Course

October 23, 2016 // by mezza// Leave a Comment

This is a very special course and a chance to learn a really ancient and almost lost, Scandinavian crochet stitch.

I was fortunate enough to have attended a weekend course this year where I was taught “Crochet Nålebinding” by an expert in Scandinavian textiles, Lucinda Guy. She was very pleased when I asked if I could teach it to my students. Her and the lady that rediscovered the stitch, Ulrika Andersson are very keen to make sure this ancient stitch isn’t lost again!

It’s a really lovely stitch that’s easy to do once you get the hang of it and it creates fabric quite quickly. I hope you’ll love it as much as I do!

Additionally, you will also get the chance to do a little bit of “Slip Stitch Colour-work” which was often used to decorate traditional Scandinavian accessories.

The socks are quite thick, so they are more of a slipper sock or welly sock than one you’d wear with shoes.

You’ll learn:

Crochet Nålebinding stitch
Starting off and finishing with Crochet Nålebinding stitch
Increasing and decreasing
Toe-up sock construction
After-thought heel
Slip stitch colour-work
Braided bind off (a very traditional Scandinavian technique)

All of the sock construction techniques can be applied to normal crocheted socks.

Tools:
3mm hook
3.5mm hook
Pjoning hook (£5 handmade by local woodworker)
Locking stitch markers
Scissors
Darning needle

Materials:
80-100g 2ply Sport weight 100% wool for the main colour (so some of the smaller hanks are fine)
30g each of 3 different colours.

The yarn is a 2ply Sport weight Swedish yarn from Ullecentrum:
http://www.ullcentrum.com/…/y…/wool-yarn/2-ply-sport-weight/

Once tax and shipping is added on, the it’s about £9 a hank.

Group order:
You can use less than 4 colours but to get the proper Scandinavian effect I wouldn’t recommend going for less than 3 colours.
To save costs, I would suggest ordering one hank of your main colour and then choosing your heel and decorative trim colours from the skeins I already have which I will each split into 3 balls. Unless you’re happy to order 3 or 4 full hanks.

Yarn order deadline:
Monday night, 24th October
PLEASE CHECK YOUR COLOUR CHOICE IS IN STOCK otherwise I will just order the next closest colour(s)
Also, let me know if you need a Pjoning hook so I can make sure enough are made.

Course Dates (5 week course):
Tuesday 1st – 29th November 2016, 7:30pm-9:30pm

Course Venue:
Riverhouse Arts Centre
Manor Road
Walton-on-Thames
Surrey
KT12 2PF

Starter Packs For Beginners Crochet Course

October 9, 2016 // by mezza// 1 Comment

I can offer a started pack for the beginners course. This includes a hook and yarn that I have found to be best suited for learning and that won’t break the bank! Over the years I have discovered that many would-be crafters have been put off or impeded in learning to crochet by using unsuitable yarn and hooks.
I always encourage students to start off with the pack I offer or at least buy themselves the same brand of yarn & hooks rather than trying to struggle with cheap acrylic yarns and aluminium or plastic hooks.

The pack includes:

3.5mm Knitpro Waves Crochet Hook.
3 x 50g balls of Stylecraft DK Classique Cotton.
2 x locking stitch markers
1 wool needle pack

I have four colour combinations available:

The cost of the kit is £12. If you would like one, please drop me an email stating your preferred colour option.

New 4 Week Beginners Crochet Course – 29th October – 19th November 2016

August 28, 2016 // by mezza// 1 Comment

I am running a new beginner’s course at the Riverhouse Arts Centre in Walton-on-Thames starting at the end of October 2016.
This course is for you if :

You have never crocheted before.
You have crocheted in the past but are a bit rusty.
You are self taught either from books and/or the internet and want to clarify areas that you are unsure of or worried that you might be doing incorrectly.

I use a specially developed small project to teach you how to make a solid granny square.
You will learn all the essential techniques that can be applied to most basic projects such as:

choosing the right size hook and yarn
how to hold your hook and yarn
chaining
slip stitch, single & double crochet
how to make a square
how to change colours
how to join motifs using sewing and crochet
how to make a cord
how to finish off

The course includes:
4 x 2 hour practical classes, spread over 4 weeks.
Detailed class notes including photos to help you practise at home.
Email support during the duration of the course.

Course dates:
Saturday 29th October 2016 – Saturday 19th November 2016, 14:30 – 16:30.

Cost: £45

Booking:
Please download the booking form from here. A deposit of £20 will be required (paid to Riverhouse Barn) to secure your spot.

Materials required:
3.5mm crochet hook.
200g of DK cotton yarn, preferably in at least two different colours. I would strongly recommond using Stylecraft Classique Cotton. Acrylic, chunky and novelty yarns are not the best choice for learning.
Wool/tapestry needle.

I can provide the materials above as a starter kit for £12 which can be purchased at the first class (please order beforehand).

This is a great way to learn a new hobby in a friendly setting where you can meet other students with similar interest!

To express and interest or for more details, please contact me.

Chipstead Mitts – A Slip Stitch Crochet Pattern

May 11, 2016 // by mezza// Leave a Comment

At the beginning of the year, I taught my class about Slip Stitch Crochet and these mittens are what they made to master the technique.

Slip stitch crochet to creates a dense and warm fabric – perfect for mittens.
Working in a spiral, the hand and cuff are made first followed by the fingers and mitten tip. The yarn is re-joined to make the thumb and thumb tip. The cuff is made last and is worked flat and then sewn on with a simple whip stitch.

As previously mentioned, I originally developed this pattern for my crochet group, “The Riverhouse Hookers” to learn about slip stitch or Bosnian crochet – working in the round and flat. I have incorporated some of the class notes into the 9 page pattern so it includes additional information, photos and tips, as well as the pattern instructions for making the mittens.

Available in three sizes, with finished hand circumferences:

Size 1 : 15.5cm, Size 2 : 18cm, Size 3 : 21cm

These mittens are best worn with positive ease so choose the nearest size that is wider than your hand.
Materials:

Thick Aran (sample shown uses Artesano Aran in Nightfall).
2 x 100g (288 yards / 264 meters) is enough for all sizes.
5mm & 6mm hook (see note about hooks below).
Tapestry/Wool Needle.
Thin thread for marking the gusset increases (optional).
4 locking stitch markers.

Hooks:
For slip stitch crochet it’s best to use a pjoning or sked krok hook (these are generally one size).
You can use a normal crochet hook. Either choose one with a sharp tip or you can carefully modify the head of a cheap bamboo hook with a Stanley knife/craft knife and smooth with a nail file/emery paper to make the tip smaller.
Hooks with blunt heads or very rounded heads are not suitable as you will struggle to get the hook through the stitches.

My Chipstead Mitts Pattern is available from Ravelry.

Riverhouse Art Scarves – New 5 Week Course February 2016

January 27, 2016 // by mezza// Leave a Comment

I’m excited to announce my new 5 week course at the Riverhouse Arts Centre in Walton-on-Thames.

For this project you will create a piece of art that can be worn as a scarf as well as being beautiful enough to be displayed in a gallery!
Using small and simple motifs such as circles, squares or hexagons you will create a scarf or wrap using hand-dyed yarn by British independent dyers.
The course will cover making motifs, joining motifs as you go and working out how much yarn you’ll need or what size scarf you can make with the yarn you have.
Your tutor will guide you through making your own, unique scarf that you can put up for sale at the exhibition, if you can bear parting with it!

As with all the Rivehouse Hookers’ courses, you’ll have class notes and printed tutorials to keep.

Skill level:
You’ll need basic crochet skills such as chaining, US single/UK double, US double/UK treble, slip stitching.

Materials (not included):
Hand-dyed 4ply / sock yarn (I’ll post soon with a list of suggested suppliers), minimum of 2 colours (2 x 100g) but the more you have the better the effect!
2.5mm hook
tapestry/wool needle

Dates:

1. Monday 15th February 2016
2. Monday 29th February 2016
3. Monday 7th March 2016
4. Monday 14th March 2016
5. Monday 21st March 2016

Please note there is no class on Monday 22nd February!

Time:
8-10pm

Cost:
£45 for 5 week course

Booking is essential – please email me at mezzamay at icloud dot com for a booking form.
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New Intermediates Crochet Course – Crochet Border Edgings

April 16, 2015 // by mezza// Leave a Comment

I’ve been busy preparing for my intermediate group’s next project – Crochet Edgings Using Traditional Crochet Thread. The aim is for my students to get to grips with cotton crochet thread and smaller hooks and apply a pretty border to an item of their choosing.
Each student has a “hanky” (which I made out of cotton sheeting) so that they can practise the skills before applying to the real thing! They will learn how to prepare the fabric with either blanket stitch or back stitch as the foundation for the crochet stitches. Then they will learn how to set up the first crochet row to accommodate a simple shell motif.
Following on from this, they can then choose one of the two additional border patterns I have created or find their own pattern from a book or the internet. I will guide the students on how to make the border fit and also how to tackle problems such as corners, should they arise.

Materials needed:

1.75mm or 1.5mm crochet hook.
1 x 50g ball of cotton crochet thread between 5-20 thickness (you may need more than one ball if you’re planning on edging something large)
1 x sharp, large eyed needle.
tape measure / ruler.
tailor’s chalk (I jhave some students can borrow if they don’t want to purchase any).
small pair of sharp scissors.
removable stitch markers.
plain hankie (I provide one per student, free of charge).

Course Details

Dates: Tuesdays 7:30-9:30pm, 21st April- 30th June (no class on 26th May – half term)
Venue: In the Courtyard Studio, Riverhouse Barn, Manor Road, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
Cost: £45 for 5 weeks

Examples of things that could be edged:

The hem, cuffs of neckline of a t-shirt, vest or top.
The hem of a skirt.
Towel or flannel.
Pillow case or cushion cover.
Table cloth or napkins
The edge of a plain pashmina or shawl (that would be quite adventurous but we do have 5 weeks!)
….I’m sure there are many more and I look forward to seeing what my students decide to trim!

I have really enjoyed preparing for this course – thread crochet creates such a pretty, vintage feel.
Today I also received a lovely large box from Purple Linda Crafts containing my students hook and yarn orders. In my opinion, Linda has the best selection of hooks and threads for crochet and her service is always great too. It’s exciting to see all the things my students have chosen – can’t wait to see what they make with it!

I teach beginner and intermediate crochet at the Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre in Walton-on-Thames during term times.
I am also available to teach private groups in the privacy and convenience of your own home and I can offer one-to-one tuition in my home studio in Hersham, Surrey.
I am available for one day/half day workshops at craft fares and other events.
I can also teach for charities free of charge, as long as participants pay to cover the cost of materials.