{"title":"Aleks Byrd at Sunspun 2026","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe are so excited to announce that international designer Aleks Byrd is coming to Sunspun as part of her Australian Tour in July 2026!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAleks Byrd is a knitwear designer with roots in Estonia, Canada, and the USA. She creates modern patterns with a connection to the past using little-known traditional techniques with a fresh twist. She creates unique wearable designs that are fun and rewarding to knit for all knitters. In addition to knitwear design, she works as an illustrator and teaches Estonian knitting techniques around the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHer portfolio of designs includes individual patterns as well as those published in The Knitter magazine and Laine Magazine.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHer latest book Kindred Knits includes patterns from her Estonian Family Archives. It is a captivating collection of knitwear designs inspired by the old sketchbooks of her Estonian grandmother, Hilja. The designs are innovative and modern rooted in tradition: an homage to previous generations and their shared love of craft. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAleks will be here for three days (30\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e July - 1\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e August 2026) sharing her unique Estonian knitting experiences:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThursday 30th July\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoosimine Estonian Inlay Knitting (10 am to 1 pm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLace Overlay (2 pm to 5 pm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFriday 31st July\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSteeking in Style (10 am to 1 pm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRuhnu Braids (2 pm to 5 pm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eSaturday 1st August\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLadderback Jacquard (10 am to 1 pm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLadderback Jacquard Session 2 (2 pm to 5 pm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBook workshops below.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"kindred-knits","title":"Kindred Knits","description":"\u003cp\u003eAleks Byrd\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e“Knitting stitches many things together, far beyond the literal loops of yarn. In this book, it has stitched together generations of my family.” \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAleks Byrd’s Kindred Knits: Patterns from My Estonian Family Archives is a captivating collection of knitwear designs inspired by the old sketchbooks of her Estonian grandmother, Hilja, and some of her family’s heirloom crafts. The book features 15 patterns, ranging from socks and hats to sweaters and cardigans, worked in a variety of techniques — including lace, cables and colourwork, as well as Roosimine, the traditional Estonian inlay method. The designs are innovative and modern, yet rooted in tradition: an homage to previous generations and their shared love of craft. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAleks Byrd is an illustrator and knitwear designer with Estonian, Canadian and American roots. She is particularly well-known as a moderniser of Estonian knitting traditions. Aleks has introduced techniques such as Roosimine and Vikkel to knitters around the world. Kindred Knits is her second knitting book: her innovative debut, Traditions Revisited, was published by Laine Publishing in 2022. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e5 patterns: 4 sweaters, 4 cardigans, 1 vest, 1 shawl, 2 hats, 1 pair of socks, 1 pair of slippers and 1 pair of mitts.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Laine Magazine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":62500171612319,"sku":"kindred-knits-aleks-byrd-laine","price":86.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0305\/5144\/1547\/files\/Aleks_Byrd_etukansi_300dpi.jpg?v=1757986459"},{"product_id":"lace-overlay","title":"Lace Overlay","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Thursday, 30th July\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTime: \u003c\/strong\u003e2 pm to 5 pm (3 hrs)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sunspun Makers Loft\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExplore lace knitting in a new graphic way. Aleks Byrd has given lace a new look by layering lace patterns made from yarn overs and decrease stitches seamlessly over top stockinette stitch. We will create a small lace overlay swatch to learn some lace knitting basics and how to seamlessly attach lace panels onto a planned Stockinette swatch. You’ll be ready to tackle fun lace overlay patterns like the Täppid hat \u0026amp; mitts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-block-id=\"2f5915e8-bb1f-80c5-afa5-fe501c8f3d3b\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSKILL LEVEL\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eAdvanced beginner \/ intermediate knitter; students should be comfortable to knit and purl, cast-on, bind -off, and reading from charts\u003c!-- notionvc: eed315ef-868a-4467-b7e9-59d7429c4f64 --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-block-id=\"2f5915e8-bb1f-80f0-aa12-c5f22ea497f3\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHOMEWORK\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eStudents will be given instructions to have their base swatch knit so to be ready to begin with the lace in the workshop. The base swatch should take about 1-1.5 hours to knit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- notionvc: 849584ac-4acb-435f-a0ab-fd949203282c --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Aleks Byrd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":62776065720479,"sku":"lace-overlay-aleks-byrd-2026","price":160.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0305\/5144\/1547\/files\/LaceOverlay_71bd0750-5b91-4ac3-80dc-17f6ec5c0ea0.png?v=1776916815"},{"product_id":"ladderback-jacquard","title":"Ladderback Jacquard","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate: \u003c\/strong\u003eSaturday, 1st August\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTime: \u003c\/strong\u003e10 am to 1 pm (3 hrs)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocation: \u003c\/strong\u003eSunspun Makers Loft\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMAKING BEAUTIFUL LONG FLOAT COLOURWORK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreate beautiful stranded colourwork, not just from the right side but also the wrong side with this game changing float management skill. Ladderback jacquard will help you manage floats by keeping them short to avoid any snagging, while also opening up the possibility of knitting patterns which require longer gaps between colours. In the workshop we will explore 2 ways of using ladderback jacquard; the first by adding a ladderback stitch while knitting stranded colourwork and the second by creating the ladderback stitch after you've finished knitting colourwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSKILL LEVEL\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eIntermediate knitter; students should be comfortable to knit with two colours doing simple stranded colourwork \/ Fair Isle knitting in the round.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHOMEWORK\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eStudents will be given instructions to have their swatch cast-on to continue knitting in the workshop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- notionvc: 720ba4ff-1815-40fc-8a33-6b8c6f874f9c --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- notionvc: b615a013-7724-4e71-9c58-c5ddc58f9509 --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Aleks Byrd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":62776065786015,"sku":"ladderback-jacquard-aleks-byrd-2026","price":160.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0305\/5144\/1547\/files\/LadderbackJacquard_ef37de8d-f12f-4708-873f-e3f19daec0c6.png?v=1776916897"},{"product_id":"roosimine-workshop","title":"Roosimine Workshop","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate: \u003c\/strong\u003eThursday, 30th July\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTime: \u003c\/strong\u003e10 am to 1 pm (3 hrs)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocation: \u003c\/strong\u003eSunspun Makers Loft\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eROOSIMINE ESTONIAN INLAY KNITTING\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRoosimine\u003c\/em\u003e is an Estonian inlay technique that creates the appearance of embroidery through intentional floats in contrasting yarn on the right side of your knitting. It’s the perfect technique to add some embellishment to your knitting that is easier than intarsia. The name Roosimine translates to “decorating with roses”, which comes from a style of short stitch embroidery done on the Estonian island of Muhu. Students will knit a small swatch in the round.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSKILL LEVEL\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eAdvanced beginner \/ intermediate knitter; students should be comfortable to knit and purl in the round, cast-on and bind-off.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHOMEWORK\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eNo homework required.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- notionvc: f52fa7b5-5637-4f94-81c7-445282183cd6 --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- notionvc: 6b68c1ae-c9c8-4f5f-9f69-3f79d800cdc8 --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- notionvc: 650e5846-3ca3-4563-8eb4-e929808f7d1e --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Aleks Byrd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":62776065917087,"sku":"roosimine-workshop-aleks-byrd-2026","price":160.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0305\/5144\/1547\/files\/Roosimine.png?v=1776484766"},{"product_id":"ruhnu-braids","title":"Ruhnu Braids","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate: \u003c\/strong\u003eFriday, 31st July\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTime: \u003c\/strong\u003e2 pm to 5 pm (3 hrs)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocation: \u003c\/strong\u003eSunspun Makers Loft\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-block-id=\"3b40600f-2106-45b4-b127-a113f69b6cd4\" dir=\"auto\" class=\"notion-selectable notion-header-block\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eESTONIAN BRAIDS RUHNU ISLAND STYLE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnitted braids are the perfect embellishment for any project to make it just a little more special. In Estonian knitting, braids are used to embellish hems and cuffs for added interest as well as preventing curled edges. There are many different regional styles of braids in Estonian knitting to explore. We will delve into the special braids from the small Estonian island of Ruhnu, knitting 4 different braids. We will explore a braid cast-on, a 3 colour twisted Ruhnu braid, 2 colour twisted stitch Ruhnu vits braid and a braided bind-off. Each knitted braid creating some unique with just the use of knit and purl stitches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSKILL LEVEL\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eAdvanced beginner \/ intermediate knitter; students should be comfortable to knit and purl in the round, cast-on, bind-off, and reading from charts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHOMEWORK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo homework required.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- notionvc: e0f0ec7d-95e0-42f8-911d-568480f1788c --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Aleks Byrd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":62776065949855,"sku":"ruhnu-braids-aleks-byrd-2026","price":160.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0305\/5144\/1547\/files\/RuhnuBraids_c395690a-18fb-49cc-92e8-633fe99b4748.png?v=1776917152"},{"product_id":"steeking-in-style","title":"Steeking in Style","description":"\u003cp\u003eDate: Friday, 31st July\u003cbr\u003eTime: 10 am to 1 pm (3 hrs)\u003cbr\u003eLocation: Sunspun Makers Loft\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTackle the scary steek and open a whole new world of possibilities with your knitting! Together we will explore two different styles of steek edges from the fun of a knotted fringe steek great for a shawl and the all round great reinforcement method with crochet. We will finish off with the perfect and super neat steek sandwich band that makes a great finishing touch hiding your steek on a cardigan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSKILL LEVEL\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eIntermediate knitter; students should be comfortable to knit and purl in the round, should be comfortable knitting stranded colourwork \/ Fair Isle, cast-on, and bind-off.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHOMEWORK\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eStudents will be given instructions to complete a knitted swatch ready to steek. Swatch should take approximately one hour to knit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- notionvc: fd6b823d-85c7-40ef-9b81-7fabf83702c0 --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c!-- notionvc: 87ec75cb-bee3-452e-8216-6c12a1a5167c --\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Aleks Byrd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":62776066146463,"sku":"steeking-in-style-aleks-byrd-2026","price":160.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0305\/5144\/1547\/files\/Steeking_62adf651-4391-4d86-8982-ac4a872e7bc0.png?v=1777278030"},{"product_id":"ladderback-jacquard-session-2","title":"Ladderback Jacquard Session 2","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate: \u003c\/strong\u003eSaturday, 1st August\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTime: \u003c\/strong\u003e2 pm to 5 pm (3 hrs)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocation: \u003c\/strong\u003eSunspun Makers Loft\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMAKING BEAUTIFUL LONG FLOAT COLOURWORK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreate beautiful stranded colourwork, not just from the right side but also the wrong side with this game changing float management skill. Ladderback jacquard will help you manage floats by keeping them short to avoid any snagging, while also opening up the possibility of knitting patterns which require longer gaps between colours. In the workshop we will explore 2 ways of using ladderback jacquard; the first by adding a ladderback stitch while knitting stranded colourwork and the second by creating the ladderback stitch after you've finished knitting colourwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSKILL LEVEL\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eIntermediate knitter; students should be comfortable to knit with two colours doing simple stranded colourwork \/ Fair Isle knitting in the round.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHOMEWORK\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eStudents will be given instructions to have their swatch cast-on to continue knitting in the workshop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- notionvc: 720ba4ff-1815-40fc-8a33-6b8c6f874f9c --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c!-- notionvc: b615a013-7724-4e71-9c58-c5ddc58f9509 --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Aleks Byrd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":62806590947487,"sku":"ladderback-jacquard-session-2-aleks-byrd-2026","price":160.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0305\/5144\/1547\/files\/Ladderback-Jacquard-Session-2.png?v=1780531194"}],"url":"https:\/\/sunspun.com.au\/collections\/aleks-byrd-at-sunspun-2026.oembed","provider":"Sunspun","version":"1.0","type":"link"}