Laughing Hens Workshops

Laughing Hens Workshop Schedule for 2008

Saturday 7th June	Beginners Knitting. Learn to cast on, knit and purl and how to sew up. For Adults and Children with Nicki Trench
Saturday 14th June	Knitted Socks Workshop with Vikki Haffenden
Saturday 21st June	Sugarpaste Roses Workshop (Beginners). Learn how to make pretty roses, leaves and flowers to decorate a cake. (with Nicki Trench)
Friday 27th June	Knitting & Finishing Techniques. Learn how to give your knitting a professional finish with sewing up techniques, invisible stitching, edging and much more. (with Vikki Haffenden)
Saturday 12th July	Design & Altering Knitting Patterns: If designing and altering knitting patterns is something you've always wanted, this is the workshop for you. Learn some expert tips with Vikki Haffenden.
Saturday 19th July	Dads & Daughters Workshop: Have a fantastic day out with your daughter at Laughing Hens. Activities for the day include: learning how to make model animals and flowers using sugarpaste and decorate your own cake to take home; paint a picture frame and have your photo taken as a momento of the day, paint some Laughing Hens eggs and have loads of fun and things to do as well as delicious home cooked lunch, biscuits, cakes, drinks and collecting your own eggs from the Laughing Hens chickens.
Saturday 26th July	Learn to love your sewing machine. Learn how to find your way round your sewing machine and gain confidence using the various stitches as well as how to clean and maintain it.  Information sheets will be provided. Learners are recommended to bring the machine manual with them. Bring along scraps of cotton or calico fabric, sewing threads and a basic sewing kit. Unfortunately the course is not suitable for computerised sewing machines, with Sara Cook
Saturday 16th August	Wire & Bead Workshop. Make a stunning sterling silver charm bracelet, with silver wire and Indian glass beads. Have fun creating something special by bending, twisting, hammering and spiralling wire, to make a unique piece of jewellery with Caroline Reynolds.
Saturday 20th September	Silver Jewellery Workshop

See below for Tutors biographies

Please email: workshops@laughinghens.com to book your place.

Our workshops are held in Burwash in East Sussex in a rural setting. We serve plenty of refreshments made home made from organic ingredients with a delicious lunch and afternoon tea. Each workshop starts at 10am and finishes around 4.30/5pm. Our workshops are like a retreat for the day, the groups are generally small so that we can give personal attention. In the summer the workshops are held in our greenhouse and under the trees in the garden when it's hot; and in the winter in our lounge with a log fire with plenty of hot drinks.

The workshops cost between £60-£75. To secure your place we need a £30 deposit with the balance paid 14 days before the workshop date. You can also book each workshop online: http://www.laughinghens.com/knitting-workshops.asp. The Laughing Hens barn shop will be open on the day so you can browse at all our Laughing Hens products. Please view our sample menus below. When booking please let us know if you have any food preferences or allergies.

Laughing Hens Workshop Images

	The Hub
Cake Success!! On our Sugarpaste Flowers Workshop	Creating beautiful cakes on our Sugarpaste Flowers Workshop
Julie Andrews - a Laughing Hens Chicken	more Laughing Hens
Layered flower	Crochet square
Chocolate and Strawberry cake for afternoon tea.

All ingredients are made from organic ingredients where possible and either home grown or bought from local suppliers. See our sample menus below:

Workshop Testimonials: Sugarpaste workshop with Nicki Trench "My mum couldn't stop smiling all the way home! You made us feel very at home - the food was amazing. The teaching was of an excellent standard and we were all clearly able to pick up the techniques very quickly through your explanations and demonstrations"

Workshop Testimonials: Designing & adapting kntiting garments with Vikki Haffenden "Just wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU for such a fantastic day! Not only did I learn loads from Vicky, but also the house and surroundings is fantastic, the food amazing and the company fun and inspiring! I will definitely come again. Really nice to meet you ALL, and may be see some of you again at Laughing Hens!Happy Knitting! PS: On Sunday I frantically knitted the Strawberry Tea Cosy with such excitement! And I made it up perfectly and it looks fab!!!"  "Fun, informative, very clear instruction - delicious food! What I expected and more". "The level was just right - challenging enough but accessible. Lots of the info/input I could see how to use it back home with my own knitting. I am a competent knitter who wanted to move on from slowishly following patterns that other people though would be 'nice' but didn't actually look good on me after I'd finished it. This has really helped me to have confidence to go ahead and design and make the clothes that I know will make me look good" "Really useful in understanding how a garment is put together particularly working out measurements. Very interesting and useful for getting ideas in adapting and changing patterns" "This is the perfect day for all levels of knitters. Vikki lead us gently from a knitted tension square to designing a garment from it. It has freed us from the restrictions of following a pattern. And the food is fantastic too!" "The day was great fun, accurate and enabling - I feel as if I can go home and knit the patter I've always been looking for and never found - all by myself!. Thank you. Beautiful surroundings and delicious food on top!"

Tutors

Nicki Trench: founder and owner of Laughing Hens. Author several books - The Complete Guide to Knitting & Crochet, The Cool Girl's Guide to Knitting; The Cool Girl's Guide to Crochet; How to Sew. Nicki is also a wedding cake designer and regularly contributes to magazines such as Cosmpolitan Bride and Vogue's Brides and also writes a monthly column for Knit Today magazine.

Vikki Haffenden: Writer and lecturer at Brighton University, specialising in textiles and knitting. Vikki has a wide experience of knitting and is an expert tutor.

Natalie Hawes: co-owns The Flower Grove in Radlett, Hertfordshire and regularly makes beautiful flower bouquets and arrangements for weddings and special occasions.

Caroline Reynolds: Caroline's contemporary precious metal jewellery is sold in various galleries and exhibitions across the South of England. She teaches jewellery making for Kent and East Sussex Adult Education, conducts private and festivals workshops. Caroline's work has won awards from Goldsmiths Hall, been featured in Harpers & Queen magazine and the World Gold Council Retail Guide. She is also a member of the Sussex Guild of crafts people.  

Sara Cook: Sara is an experienced tutor how has been teaching at Adult Education colleges for 10 years. She has an extensive knowledge of all aspects of sewing and is a member of the Quilters' Guild of the British Isles.