SPRING SEMINAR

KNITTING GUILD OF GREATER BUFFALO
SPRING SEMINAR – MAY 16-17, 2026

HYATT PLACE: 5020 Main Street, Amherst, NY 14226

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED and WAITING LISTS ARE FULL

We are so excited to announce our Spring Seminar Weekend featuring Laura Nelkin (aka Lola), a fantastic designer and teacher.

Laura is the queen of beaded lace, sideway sweater construction and innovative ways to use tools. Her designs are unique and sought after. She has many subscribers to her two clubs: Lola’s Choice (a small project – 6 times per year) and the N Club (a large project with bead options – 3 times per year).

Her designs are on Ravelry and her website: . Check out her many kits for sale.

She will be teaching 4 classes, each 3 hours: Saturday am is Beading 101, Saturday afternoon is using an I-cord tool, Sunday am is the many uses of Stitch Saver, and Sunday afternoon is Novus Construction.

Class size is limited to 25. We will register in order of receipt of your registration as follows:

All registrations postmarked or received by Friday, March 1, 2026, from Guild Members, in order of receipt.
All other registrations from Guild Members or Non-Guild Members in order of receipt.

Note: You may register and pay via credit card using the link below, but registration is not complete until you receive a confirmation.

REGISTRATIONS WILL BE CONFIRMED BY EMAIL

Saturday, May 16, 9am – 12pm Beading 101
This class teaches multiple ways of working with beads. It is the PERFECT introductory class!

You will learn how to place beads with a crochet hook or superfloss, how to work with pre- strung beads in a variety of ways, and how to work with beads on bind-offs and i-cord. We’ll discuss choosing beads and yarn, along with how to look at an existing pattern in your library and how to add beads to it. This is a class for those with basic knitting skills who are ready to add a little bling to their knitting!

SKILLS NEEDED: How to knit and purl, the desire to learn!
SKILLS LEARNED: How to shop for beads, working with prestrung and placed beads in a variety of innovative ways, beaded bind off, and beaded i-cord.

Saturday, May 16, 1:30pm – 4:30pm: I Cord Tool – Your New BFF
Have you seen the I-Cord Tool and have no idea how it works or how to use it? Join Laura on a deep dive exploration into a new favorite knitting tool! You will learn how the tool works, how to make basic I-Cord, beaded I-Cord, I-Cord Bind Offs, and then make a beaded Eye-Glass FOB, lanyard, or bracelet to take home and show off to all your friends! This is
destined to be a FUN class!

SKILLS NEEDED: How to knit and purl, the desire to learn!
SKILLS LEARNED: How to use an I-Cord Tool with (and without) beads!
NOTE: You will need to get an I-Cord Tool for the class. You can find a variety of 3-latch hook tools here:

Sunday, May 17, 9am – 12pm: Stitch Saver: What Can’t it Do?
It’s not often that a single tool changes my knitting life completely, but that is what stitch saver has done for me. Soon, it will change yours too! Embark with Laura (and her alter ego Lola) on a 3-hour deep dive into the world of stitch saver.

To start, Laura will teach a few obvious skills to get us comfortable. Then we’ll move on to the more obscure, and finally end with some absolutely game changing techniques. We’ll be covering provisional cast-ons, an alternative to picking up stitches, creating layers of fabric, a trick for entrelac, heel flaps, top down and bottom up folded hems and more…

SKILLS NEEDED: Knit and purl

Sunday, May 17, 1:30pm – 4:30pm: Knitting a Novus Sweater
In this 3 hour class Laura introduces you to the “Novus” construction, her seamless yet structured modern approach to the side-to-side sweater. She’ll cover how the construction works, how to modify the construction to fit your body, any necessary skills needed for the construction (i.e. provisional cast on, lifted increases, German short rows), and provide you with a mini version of the concept to play with. In class you will discuss choosing yarn to knit your sweater so you have success! By the end of class you’ll be ready to independently knit your own sweater from the collection.

SKILLS NEEDED: Knit/purl; comfort reading a pattern; best for knitters who have knit a sweater
before OR are adventurous first time sweater knitters.