Crafts & Hobbies Lessons in Canton, MA. It's your time.

I learned to play chess from my dad when I was seven. Ever since, I have been playing in national and international chess tournaments. I was a four-time state high school chess champion. I'm an experienced tournament chess player (14 Years) and chess teacher (10 years). I have a masters degree in education from Harvard University. In addition, I have trained as a long distance runner. I was on my high school and college track and cross country team. I continue to run today and train for half-marathons and marathons.

I have taught chess with the US Chess Center in Washington, DC. I have created several after school and in school chess programs in DC, Ohio and Boston. I was a program officer for a small nonprofit that taught chess in hospitals, libraries and schools throughout the Massachusetts area. I have taught chess to both children and adults with a wide range of abilities. I was the Vice President of the Massachusetts Chess Association for 5 years.

Go at your own pace and have fun are my knitting mottos! I teach continental style knitting and have been teaching beginners to knit for over 5 years. Together we'll experience the excitement that comes when you cast on something new, learn a new stich, or finish a favorite project.

I'm can start with the basics (cast on, knit stitch, purl stitch) or jump straight into helping on a project you have planned (or started and got stuck on? don't worry - it happens to all of us!). There is no limit to the kind or number of projects we can do. I have plenty of project ideas and am always happy to help with your ideas, too.

I began knitting when I was twelve years old; I sat beside my neighbor, Mrs. Turner, and listened to her stories while I watched her wooden straight needles move expertly along, clacking-clacking in counterpoint to the crackling of the wood in the corner stove. Mrs. Turner had a laid back approach to teaching knitting. The point of knitting wasn't simply to produce a useful item: it was to enjoy the process. If you made a mistake, just unmake it and try again. The worst that could happen was you would end up with two sticks and some string.

When you're twelve, life is filled with drama. Knitting was not. It has always been a meditative, nurturing retreat. There have been times in my life when I've knitted more, times when I've knitted less. But the lessons I learned from knitting have served me well over the years: patience, perseverance, and keeping it all in perspective.

I'd love to share this craft with someone else. Come, learn to knit and see what else you might learn ...

Beginners can get some idea of how to fold a piece paper into a stuff easy way and I help students who have learned how to make an origami make better quality origami art works.

My approach to teaching is that the lessons have to be customized for each student. I start beginner lessons with exercises that help familiarize them with the movement of each piece. They will also develop a sense of the powers and unique abilities possessed by that piece.

My focus on intermediate and advanced students is to help them develop their tactical ability. Chess is primarily an exercise in pattern recognition. I helped them develop that pattern.

We will then customize the lessons based on the student's interests and the topics that I feel will improve their game. We will play over the games of the great grandmasters and develop endgame technique. We will utilize openings that promote tactical situations.

Finally, we will have a lesson on chess etiquette.

I teach hand embroidery, hand sewing and machine sewing to students of all ages. Beginning students can learn hand sewing stitches that are used in conjunction with machine sewing to finish items.

Embroidery is like painting with a needle and floss. Students can learn basic embroidery stitches to use on pre-printed kits or to create their own drawings.