Live Online Chats with Engaging Creators

Fiberside Chats are one-hour online (Zoom) sessions with special guests, giving us a peek into their world. These designers and creators will discuss their unique path, creative processes, latest projects—or whatever is inspiring them now. There will also be a Q&A session, giveaways, and other fun surprises for those who join! The gatherings are organized and hosted by our friends at Longmont Yarn Shoppe. The registration fee for each chat is only $20 USD and the proceeds support the guests and participating yarn shops such as ours.

How to register: Join Barb, Cynthia and the Yarniversity team! Register on and find Yarniversity by River City Yarns in the drop down menu. Easy-peasy!

Details:

• October 27: 
• November 4: 
• November 17: 

October 27:

Join Fiberside Chats on October 27th for a special guest appearance by knitwear designer and dyer Dawn Barker. Dawn will delve into the origins, inspirations, and intricate process behind her groundbreaking assigned pooling stitching technique. She’ll offer valuable insights into color theory and yarn selection as she showcases a selection of her patterns. You’ll have a chance to have your questions answered by Dawn during the Q&A session, and you could be one of three lucky winners to receive a pattern and yarn to create your own project. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the pioneer of this transformative method and broaden your knitting horizons!

BIO:
Dawn Barker is the creative force behind the knitting technique known as Assigned Pooling. Through countless hours of research into color pooling dynamics and textured stitches, she has developed a captivating style of knitting that resembles embroidery on a knitted fabric. Dawn’s designs are characterized by clean, modern shapes, featuring classic, deeply saturated colors. Her lifelong love of fiber and her background as a fine artist led her to establish Barker Wool in 2017, a platform where she shares her hand-dyed fine yarns and innovative knitting designs with the world.

Dawn is happiest existing somewhere between the extreme freedom of dyeing and the structured discipline required to create practical, wearable designs from her yarns. Residing in Amarillo, Texas with her husband and two sons, she continues to push the boundaries of knitting, leaving an indelible mark on the worldwide fiber community. www.barkerwool.com.

This is a live Zoom Event on Sunday, October 27th at 1:00pm Eastern, 12:00pm Central, 11:00am Mountain, 10:00am Pacific.

. We appreciate it very much if you register under "Yarniversity by River City Yarns".

November 3:

Join Stephen as he welcomes you into his colorful Wooly World of Westknits. In this 1 hour 15 minute presentation, Stephen will discuss how he chooses his color palettes and share secrets for how to make your palettes pop. This live presentation hosted on Zoom will be a visual feast for the eyes while Stephen gives you an up-close look at his newest designs along with the current, completed MKAL. We will discuss how to create successful color palettes for Marled knitting, Faded knitting, and graphic stripes and slip stitches. You will learn a few of Stephen’s color-changing tricks and color planning strategies to gain more confidence with your own knitting projects.

BIO:
Stephen was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He studied dance at the University of Illinois, where he encountered his first local yarn store, Klose Knit in Urbana. The creative atmosphere of that local shop spurred Stephen to start designing patterns, and he was soon featured in Knitty’s fall 2009 issue with his Colonnade Shawl. Not long after, he moved to Amsterdam, publishing more patterns and launching a series of pattern books under the name Westknits. He continues to produce pattern books and hosts several online knit-alongs each year. His simple, clean, architectural designs have now been knitted by thousands of knitters all around the world.

Stephen has taught workshops throughout the United States and internationally in Finland, Denmark, Germany, Italy, France, Israel, Iceland, UK, and Amsterdam where he co-owns Stephen & Penelope, a yarn boutique in the city center. In 2019 Stephen and his business partner Malia Mae Joseph realized a long-held dream by launching their first yarn brand, West Wool.

This is a live Zoom Event on Sunday, November 3rd at 1:00pm Eastern, 12:00pm Central, 11:00am Mountain, 10:00am Pacific, 7:00pm CET

. We appreciate it very much if you register under "Yarniversity by River City Yarns".

November 17:

Sheep outnumber humans on the Faroe Islands, home to just 55,000 people. Centuries ago, the remote archipelago relied on wool and knitting as primary exports, but as fishery became more important, wool remained vital for providing knitwear to fishermen braving the North Atlantic. Sheep, Sea and Sweater rhyme – and the rise in fishery gave rise to the iconic Faroese Fisherman Sweater, known for its striking patterns and colourwork, and still today, it is significant in Faroese knitting. The islands' isolation and limited land fostered a unique culture that continues to thrive today, even as the Faroese enjoy modern lifestyles.

In her presentation, Sissal Kristiansen will guide you through the rich history and culture of Faroese knitting. She will explore its development and introduce the distinctive traits of the two-layered wool produced by Faroese sheep, discussing its advantages and challenges then and in today’s world. Register now for a virtual visit to learn about these stunning, woolly islands through Fiberside Chats!

BIO:
Sissal Kristiansen is a Faroese knitwear designer and owner of Shisa Brand. She is a proud Faroese and loves her country, its culture, and its history. She has a great passion for Faroese knitting, history, wool, and sheep—to such an extent that she has initiated the project ‘the Wool Islands’ to share the history of Faroese knitting and wool culture and to promote Faroese wool and knitting. She emphasizes the importance of working collectively to advocate for Faroese wool. She is an international lecturer and part of a consortium of like-minded business owners who promote local wool products and knitwear.

This is a live Zoom Event on Sunday, November 17th at 1:00pm EST, 12:00pm CST, 11:00am MST, 10:00am PST, 6:00pm WET

. We appreciate it very much if you register under "Yarniversity by River City Yarns".

Read these helpful tips before you register:

• You should sign up early to get a seat.
• Registration fees must be paid in advance to hold your seat.
• Registrations will close 3 hours before the event starting time.
• You will receive an online invitation and meeting identification code that you will need, from Longmont Yarn Shoppe in order to enter the event. This invitation will come within 24 hours of the event.
• As this is an online event, you need to have  downloaded on a computer, tablet or mobile device. If using a computer, make sure you also have a webcam and microphone built in or attached.
• Refunds? Sorry, there are no refunds if you forget to sign in or cannot attend. A recording will be made available to paid registrants, with a seven day viewing time. So, no worries if you miss the live session!
• Date Changes or Cancellations: in the event the Fiberside Chat has to be cancelled due the the Guest not being able to attend, Longmont Fibers will make the best effort possible to immediately accommodate a new date. All participant registrations will be valid for the new date. In the event an alternative date is not available your registration will be refunded in full. 
• Questions? Send an email to [email protected].