Have you always wanted to learn to knit but not sure where to begin, or do you simply wish to develop your knitting skills?

This course taught over 2 x two hour sessions is will take you step by step through all the basic skills needed to learn how to knit.

Along with your Beginners Kit, you will have everything you need to complete your 1st knitting project~ a pair of Stripy Mitts.

Week 1:

• Learn how to cast on and be introduced to the two most important stitches, knit and purl and how to combine them for different stitch patterns.

• How to use 2 contrasting coloured yarns for knitting stripes.

• Begin simple pattern reading.

Week 2:

• Continue working on techniques from Week 1, as well as

• Looking at simple finishing techniques- including casting off, “blocking” and sewing up your work (mattress stitch seam).

This course will take place on Saturday between 2-4pm (Saturday 1st and 15th March).

The cost of this course is £75 which includes materials, plus tea, coffee and delicious homemade cake.

To book, head to this link.

As a child, Rebecca’s Grandma Mary taught her how to crochet. Using intricate crochet stitches she made the most exquisite lacework but also showed her with just a few simple stitches how to make these beautiful ‘Granny’ squares.

If you have just started to crochet, then Mary’s Cushion is a perfect beginners follow-on project. It uses just 3 simple crochet stitches, slip stitch, dc (double crochet) and tr (treble crochet) for making this pretty retro-style Granny Square cushion.

These stitches and techniques can be found in other ‘Granny Square’ designs so this workshop will be giving you a great foundation for beginning any new projects and developing your beginner crochet skills.

In this mini course, taught over 2 x 2.5 hour sessions, Rebecca will take you through each stage of the pattern step-by-step.

This course takes place over Saturdays 10-12.30pm (Saturday 1st and 29th March).

This mini course is £95 including all materials, plus tea, coffee & delicious homemade cake.

To book, head to the following link.

The all-new ‘Jewellery Basics’ Six Week Course has arrived! This course will take beginners through all the techniques that they need to know to get started in the wonderful world of jewellery making.

The course will follow the structure detailed below:

Week One will introduce you to jewellery tools and basic skills, including using a piercing saw to both cut sheet metal and create something in wax. In Week Two, we will be working with assorted wires, forming the metal and creating joins in order to make a ring. In Week Three, we will be working with a combination of sheet and wire. With the skills learnt so far, you can then start to experiment with your own forms and shapes as you learn how to make a pendant. The focus of this week will be joining methods. Week Four will focus on earrings and ‘finishing’. Polishing and finishing is an incredibly valuable skill to learn. For this part of the course, you will be taught how to sand and refine your work to a high standard using both papers and a polishing machine, with a whole variety of attachments. Week Five will focus on ‘design’; I will introduce a few, new, valuable skills to help explore a smorgasbord of possible ideas and how we can use the different techniques you have learnt over the previous weeks to create something especially for you! The last week, Week Six, will be your chance to bring together all of the skills you have learnt and create your own original piece. For this, you will need to supply your own materials based on your design. I will direct you to trustworthy suppliers and teach you how to order your silver, including how to best plan your pieces to suit your budget. If you prefer, you can revisit unfinished pieces from the previous weeks or even have your wax piece from week one cast and use this last evening to refine and polish it up!

The course begins on Thursday 20th February 2025, and will run for six weeks with the consecutive dates being 27th February, 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th March.

It costs £350pp, and requires a non-refundable deposit in order for you to secure your spot.

To find out more and book your space, follow this link: https://www.the-metalsmith.co.uk/jewellery-basics-course

6 week Drawing & Painting Course 10am-1pm

Thursday 9th January - 13th February

Build confidence in your art and learn new skills within an art historical context.

Rosie Parmley’s classes offer a rich learning experience that build confidence within a vibrant art community. Her courses offer an opportunity to exhibit in the annual Summer Exhibition at The Colour Factory. She likes to share her skills through a range materials and sometimes less traditional resources too! Rosie references her own practice and that of a famous master painter in her courses eg from Matisse to the St Ives artists like Sandra Blow. Her classes teach a variety of skills from observational drawing studies, memory painting to abstraction. She frequently parallels the courses with current major exhibitions. In the warmer months her classes make the most of the fabulous garden at the studios and the local surroundings – en plein air eg Winchester Cathedral and the Hospital of St Cross. There are lots of demonstrations and one to one support/feedback in a small friendly class.

Classes include materials and refreshments. All you need is a sketch book. This course is suitable for all abilities.

The Colour Factor has been the home of Rosie’s courses since 2016. She is a practicing artist who appeared as a contestant on Landscape Artist of the Year in 2021. She will be exhibiting @HandmadeinBritain in Waterperry Gardens in Oxford in June 2025.

Email Rosie for bookings: hello@rosieparmley.com

Follow her on Instagram to see reels from her classes https://www.instagram.com/rosieparmley/