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

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 ...

I have been in the field of carpentry for the past 30 years. Started when I was 15 working with my cousin building custom homes. We built during a time when the only thing that showed up on a job site was a bundle of wood, no trusses, no pre-framed walls, we had to do it all. This experience was tough but overall taught me lessons of what I feel is a dyeing trade.
I can show you how to frame a house, shed, room addition, how to use a framing square, how to cut crown, cut stairs, how to measure and cut rafters, cutting trim, how to hang a door, install door hardware and overall any other general inquiries you may have on building.
My building experience has had me in the custom construction field where I was the owner from building custom lofts in Chicago to large renovations in the suburbs.
Please let me know the specifics of what you need help with and I would be happy to share my thoughts with you.

Embroidery is my favorite subject to teach. It offers the student endless creative possibilities. There are amazing machines that enable you to stretch your imagination beyond just sewing to decorating and personalized branding. You will learn how to hoop and set your machine for the best embroidery experience.

I enjoy introducing others to the joy of creating a beautiful project using needle and thread.

I typically work with adidas cloth and DMC floss, but have also done more creative projects with students including on larger material such as burlap with yarn or projects traced on fabric then completed using thread or yarn.

My goal is to help you learn the basics and then explore creatively to create something unique and individual based on your personal preferences and end goal.

Although a professional musician, Stephen is a passionate chess player with experience working with beginner to intermediate players. My teaching generally revolves around introducing students to instructive and beautiful games of the past, increasing tactical understanding as well as openings and endgames. Prior to the lesson, I like to review the student's recent games to assess which aspects of their game to work on first.