Last night I took my second class at Handcraft Studio School in Emeryville and came home with a luxurious scarf that I knit on my arms. If arm-knitting sounds like it could be your jam, read on.
Each month, a roster of artist/teachers rotate through the Handcraft Studio School space, offering a few hours of instruction to a group of 10-20 adult students.
A few Saturdays ago, I did block printing with textile artist Jen Hewett, who was a fabulous teacher.
Block printing is an all-day workshop, and so by 3 pm, some camaraderie had developed in the room as we had watched each others projects take shape from sketch to fabric printing.
The space is a small well-lit studio with work tables and stools. Host Marie Muscardini offers a small spread of drinks and snacks and a Pandora station keeps students humming along as they work.
I received the block printing class as a gift from my husband and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to sign up for more right away. I invited my friend Wendy to join me for arm knitting and we had fun escaping our houses for a few hours on a weeknight to learn this skill.
Workshops range from $85 (Make Salsa; Arm Knitting) to $195 (Wooden Spoon Carving) and vary in duration from 2 hours on a weeknight to 6 hours on a weekend or two consecutive evenings (Shift Dress for Beginners). Materials are included in the price of the workshop. Just bring your creative energy — and a lunch if it’s an all-day session.
Marie, who founded Handcraft Studio School in 2013, told me that she may start offering classes during regular business hours as well, because many of her students have non-traditional schedules.
Since I had a friend babysitting my children while I went to my arm-knitting class, I hurried home right afterward, but Wendy and I could have walked across the street for a drink or dessert at The Townhouse for a complete Mom’s Night Out.
Learn more about adult craft classes at the Handcraft Studio School website >
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