A new creative space dedicated to machine knitting is opening in Ballard in April, bringing a specialized form of textile education to the neighborhood. Seattle Knitting Lab will be located in the Ballard Building at 2208 NW Market Street, above Annie’s Art & Frame.
Christine Dennett, a former machine knitting instructor at the Wool Friends studio, is the founder of Seattle Knitting Lab. She says she created the space to offer more consistent and in-depth learning opportunities for people interested in machine knitting.
Dennett, who also runs the local knitwear brand COMMAND knitwear, originally trained as an architect before discovering machine knitting. She later pursued additional training through courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and workshops with Helen Sharp at The Knitting School.
Dennett says her background in architecture informs her approach to the craft, which she describes as focused on understanding fabric as a system of structure, geometry, and material behavior. According to her bio, she aims to help students understand both how to create textiles and how the machines and materials function.
Seattle Knitting Lab plans to offer a range of programming, including weekly machine knitting courses for all skill levels, open studio hours for those who want to work independently, private lessons, and team-building workshops for groups. Classes will focus on both foundational techniques and more advanced skills, with an emphasis on helping students create garments using domestic knitting machines.
“This studio is designed to be a place where beginners feel welcome, experienced machine knitters can explore new techniques, and everyone has access to tools that are often hard to source,” Dennett said.
To mark the opening, the studio will host a public open house on April 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors will be able to tour the space, meet the instructor, and try out the knitting machines that will be set up for use. The first round of classes is scheduled to begin the following day, April 12.
More information about class schedules and registration is available on the Seattle Knitting Lab website.
Photo: Seattle Knitting Lab will open above Annie’s Art & Frame on NW Market St. (Google Image Capture)