Craftsy Classes at maisieblue Debuts

Some exciting news at the shop. Craftsy.com, a cool online "classroom" for wide variety of crafts, is partnering with local shops like ours. This means when you make any purchase on Craftsy via our special maisieblue links, as a retail partner we receive a portion of the sale. In return, we can promote and host Craftsy classes in the shop.



I'm tickled pink! Craftsy classes are fantastic. I've enrolled in several over the past year. And several new ones thanks to their big Summer Sale going on now (see more on that below). *good news: sale extended through Monday 7/22 EST!*

For those unfamiliar with Craftsy, it's an online instructional site with a wide array of craft classes, all with with well-known instructors in their fields. Each class has 24/7 video access to lessons, patterns, instructors and other students. Instructors answer questions via email any time and there's a classroom student forum to connect with other students. You  take the class at your pace, rewatch videos when you want, take notes with the video as you go, and bookmark areas to come back to. There's an ipad app I love. Easily pulls up all your enrolled classes so you can pick up where you last left off.

When a bout of late-night creative energies keep you awake,  pull up your class and continue, regardless of the late hour. The instructors are no slouches. They're bona fide names you'll recognize: Stephen West, Susan B. Anderson, Donna Druchonnas, Amy Herzog, Edie Eckman, Vicki Howell, Stephanie Japel, Franklin Habit, Laura Nelkin to name a few all have courses. It's like having a Stitches Convention at home, right on your couch all day everyday; whenever you want it!  Check out these free classes to test it out first. That's how I got hooked. The ins & outs of grafting and short rows are fantastic and you'll get a feel for how the whole Craftsy thing works.

Nice bonus: Craftsy is not just knitting or crochet. It's quilting, sewing, cooking, fine arts, jewelry making, designing classes. Any class you purchase via our maisieblue Classes web page or links on our blog helps us continue to host events and classes in our little shop. Click through via our page and we'll get credited for your visit.

In the future we're planning KALs for specific classes we love. First up will probably be: Myra's Crazy Lace Cardigan


I love this class. Enroll on Craftsy, then come to the shop for our meet-ups and we'll work together, knit-along style as we make our sweaters. Right now I'm busy making my first cardigan (Okay....I admit it. I currently have two of these sweaters on the needles as any good Cast On Monster would have). With this class you'll learn to make a sweater from scratch: with any yarn, at any gauge, customized to your own measurements. I've learn SO much already and I'm not even to the armholes yet. It's liberating. I can now pick my yarn, swatch, calculate the numbers and go! Watch for this Craftsy KAL in the shop sometime Fall 2013.

Now's a good time to give Craftsy a try. It's their big Summer Sale jul 17-21. Each new classes a discounted, some big time. I just signed up for Franklin Habits Heirloom Lace Edges and Joan McGowen-Michael's Feminine Fit: Bust Shaping Techniques. I'll be checking daily to see which classes are on sale each day. See one you really like? Let me know and we'll add it to the queue for the fall KAL schedule.

Craftsy Sweet Summer Sale 7/17-7/22 - All Classes now on Sale!

  *sale extended! now runs July 17-22nd!*

Head over to our Classes page on our website. Bookmark it and next time click through to Craftsy from there to help us launch our Craftsy Connect retail partnership in style! This is also where you can find out about our other non-Craftsy classes, like the Building Blocks series (next class starts Aug 3rd) Serious Socks (coming again this Fall & Winter) or details for private knit and crochet lessons.


Now for a little Poll Time Fun!

What Craftsy classes would you like us to do?
	Perfect Fit Crazy Lace Cardigan with Myra Woods
	Knit to Flatter with Amy Herzog
	Shawlscapes with Stephen West
	Wee Ones Seamless Toys with Susan B. Anderson
	Knit Sock Workshop with Donna Druchonas
	Top Down Icelandic Sweater with Ragga Eiriksdottir
	Knitting with Beads with Laura Nelkin
	Celtic Cables with Carole Feller
	Joining Crochet Motifs with Edie Eckman
	Tunisian Crochet with Purl Diva
pollcode.com free polls

Now for those intrepid souls still reading.... a sneak peek: Watch for our Birthday Sidewalk Sale Aug 10-11th. Lots of yarn deals and other markdows. We're cleaning house to make room for new stuff coming this Fall. More details in next newsflash. Just wanted to give our stalwart newsletter fans a heads up today. Also it took forever today to get this Craftsy blurb out so I've run out of time! LOL Thanks for being fans!

Kim and Megan

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