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NEW YARN ALERT!! Browse our BRAND NEW 4 Ply Sock Donegal Tweed called Lore In Oil. It's a Merino Mohair blend and absolutely divine!
Our knitting and crochet classes in Belfast run from the shop on Bloomfield Avenue, taught in small groups by people who craft every day and sell the yarn you will be working with. Whether you have never held a hook in your life or you have knitted for years and want to finally understand short rows, there is a class here for you. Coffee included.
Most people who come to us for crochet lessons have tried a video online, got tangled somewhere around the third row, and given up. That is not a failure of yours. Crochet is one of those crafts that clicks when somebody is sitting beside you, watching your hands and saying "hold it like this instead."
Our beginner crochet classes start with the absolute basics: how to hold the hook, how to make a chain, and how to work the stitches that make up nearly everything else you will ever crochet. You leave with a piece of fabric you made yourself and, more to the point, the ability to make more of it at home.
If you already crochet, we run classes on the things that tend to stall people. Reading a pattern properly. Working in the round. Shaping. Colour changes that do not leave a bump. Tell us what has been beating you and we will point you at the right session.
Knitting classes in Belfast are harder to find than they should be, and beginners often end up learning from a relative who knits beautifully but might struggle to explain what they are doing. We teach it properly, from casting on to casting off, with the tension talk that stops your first scarf from turning into a triangle.
For knitters who are past the beginner stage, the classes tend to be about confidence rather than technique. How to substitute a yarn and still hit tension. How to fix a dropped stitch four rows down without unravelling the evening. How to read a pattern and know, before you cast on, whether it will fit.
We teach with natural fibres, because that is what we sell and what we know. Merino, alpaca, British breeds, and our own genuine Donegal Tweed in the Traditions and Faerie Folk ranges. Learning on good yarn makes a real difference. It behaves, it feels lovely, and it gives you something worth finishing.
Knitting Classes for Improver Knitters
If you consider yourself to be a competent knitter, you may want to join one of our improver and intermediate knitter classes. These sessions are great for challenging your skills and learning how to complete more complex patterns.
Learn from an expert knitter to create more challenging projects such as full sized garments, baby clothes and intricate designs. In the classes, we aim to push your knitting ability and share in the expertise of our craft. You'll be surprised at what you can accomplish with a little guidance and support.
We are a yarn and coffee shop, not a classroom. Classes take place in the shop, usually upstairs, at 53 Bloomfield Avenue in East Belfast, surrounded by the same shelves our customers browse, and there is usually a fair amount of chat alongside the crafting.
Most courses run over four weeks in the evening, from 7pm to 9pm, once the shop has closed for the day or on a Saturday afternoon. Four weeks matters. One session teaches you a stitch; four sessions turn it into something your hands do without being told, and you come back each week with the questions that only appear once you have tried it at home.
Every class is capped at eight places. Craft is taught hand to hand, and you cannot do that properly with twenty people in a room. Eight means nobody sits quietly at the back getting it wrong for an hour, which is exactly what happens in big classes and exactly why people decide they "cannot knit."
You do not need to arrive with anything. If you have needles or a hook you like, bring them. If you do not, we will sort you out on the day, and if you fall for the yarn you have been practising with, it is on the shelf behind you.
Knit and Natter runs in the shop every Friday morning and it is not a class. It is a group of people bringing whatever they are working on, ordering a coffee, and getting on with it together. Some are on their first scarf. Some are three sweaters deep. Nobody is checking.
If you have done a class with us and want somewhere to keep the habit going, this is it. And if you are new to Belfast, or new to crafting, or just fancy a Friday morning with people who will happily discuss yarn for two hours, come along. You do not need to book and you do not need to be any good.
Do I need any experience to join a class?
No. Our beginner classes assume you have never done it before, and that is genuinely the level we start at. If you are further on, message us and we will tell you which session suits.
What do I need to bring?
Yourself. Bring your own needles or hook if you have a favourite, but everything you need for the class is here.
How big are the classes?
Eight people, maximum. We cap it deliberately so everyone gets proper time with the tutor, which is the whole point of learning in person rather than from a screen.
When do the classes run?
Most courses run for four weeks, on weekday evenings from 7pm to 9pm, or Saturday afternoon, upstairs in the shop. Have a look at the current classes to see what is running at the minute.
Can you teach me if I am left handed?Â
Yes. Plenty of left handed crafters have been taught here. Just let us know on the first day so we can sit you in the right spot.
Where are you and when are you open?
We are at 53 Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast, BT5 5AA, in the heart of East Belfast. The shop is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, and classes run upstairs in the evenings after we close.
Can I buy a class as a gift?
Yes, and it is a good one. A Folklore gift card lets them pick the class that suits them, and if there is anything left over they can spend it on yarn or needles instead. Gift cards arrive by email and can be used online or in the shop.
What is the difference between a class and Knit and Natter?
A class is taught, booked in advance and structured around a skill. Knit and Natter is a free social on a Friday morning where you bring your own project and we all sit together.
Do you run classes if I want one to one help?
Unfortunately we don’t have the capacity to teach one-to-one at at the minute. This may change in the future.
With only eight places a class, they fill quickly, so it is worth booking ahead. Have a look at what is coming up and book your place, buy a gift card for someone who has been threatening to learn for years, or drop us a message if you are not sure which class is right for you. We would rather you asked than guessed. And if you are ever passing on a Friday, put your head round the door at Knit and Natter and say hello.
