Teachers


National Headliners

JC Briar

A self-confessed "technique freak" and "skill junkie," JC dabbles in all kinds of knitting, but has a special fondness for textured knitting and novel construction techniques.  If it involves lace, cables, or seamless construction, it's sure to catch her eye.  She shares her enthusiasm by teaching at shops and fiber festivals, and through her book, Charts Made Simple.  Regardless of the topic, she aims to build confidence by expressing concepts clearly and concisely, and by presenting skills and ideas in a digestible progression.

Lily Chin

Lily Chin, named a "Master Knitter" by Vogue Knitting International, has designed knitwear for magazines and yarn companies for nearly 25 years, and has worked with designers Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, Diane von Furstenberg, and Isaac Mizrahi.  Her work has been on the backs of celebrities and super models, from Racquel Welch and Vanna White to Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell.  She is the author of Knit and Crochet with Beads, The Urban Knitter, and Mosaic Magic, and she has written the "On Designing" column for Knitter's Magazine and the annual "Focus on Fibers" report for Knit 'n Style.  Lily is also the reigning champion fastest crocheter in the world, a title she defended in October 2004 at the world championships in London.  Lily Chin regularly appears as a spokesperson for the yarn industry in media across the U.S., including Time, the New York Times, USA Today, the David Letterman Show, the CBS Early Show, DIY's Knitty Gritty, E! Style Network's Craft Corner Death Match, Lifetime's Handmade by Design, HGTV's Sew Much More, and CNN.  Lily Chin has lived in New York City nearly all her life and has been involved in some aspect of the fashion industry since age 13.  She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology, and was educated at Queens College, City University of New York.

Darla Fanton

A Needle Arts Teacher and Designer for more than thirty years, Darla J. Fanton is intrigued by specialty crochet techniques of the past.  She derives great joy in giving these nearly lost arts new life for today's fiber fanatics to experience.  She is constantly experimenting to discover what new spin she can put on traditional crochet stitches.  Her credits include numerous magazine articles as well as leaflets by publishers such as ASN, Leisure Arts, and Jeanette Crews.  Certified by the Craft Yarn Council, Darla is a popular teacher at national conferences, local guilds and her local yarn shop where she is known for her patience and detailed instructions.

Abby Franquemont

Abby is the author of Respect the Spindle and has been steeped in the fiber arts since birth.  The daughter of field anthropologists studying textile production, she was raised largely in the rural Andes of Peru, where she learned to spin, weave and more starting at the age of five.  In 2006, she left a successful career in information technology in order to write and teach full-time about the fiber arts, particularly spinning.  Why spinning?  Abby says it's the most fundamental of the fiber arts - the one upon which most others depend - as well as the most at risk of being lost and the hardest to pass down in any way other than hand to hand.  Abby is technical, passionate, inquisitive, and informed.  She has taught individuals and groups of all ages and skill levels.  She has written for Spin-Off, Spindlicity, Knitty, Interweave Knits and Twist Collective, and taught at shops and guilds nationwide as well as the Spin-Off Autumn Retreat, Sock Summit, TNNA, The New England Handspinner's Association's biannual Gathering, and more.  Her down-to-earth approach is empowering for students of all levels.


Local/Regional Teachers

Judy Crouch

Judy hails from Southwest Missouri and is a retired paramedic who really got into the fiber arts while waiting for the next call to come in.  She loves spinning all types of fibers, weaving - especially on the rigid heddle loom - and her passion is felting anything that will meld together.  She has been felting for about 20 years and has taken many classes and taught in several states.  Felting silk scarves intrigues her and she is amazed by the never ending results.  She hopes to spark a real love for felting in all those she teaches.  Judy is looking forward to seeing you at DFW Fiber Fest.

Galina A. Khmeleva

Galina A. Khmeleva is the owner of Skaska Designs and author of Gossamer Webs, The History and Techniques of Orenburg Lace Shawls and Gossamer Webs, The Design Collection.  She has earned the reputation as one of the most respected and knowledgeable lace knitting instructors in the country.  As a former clothing and costume designer who worked with the "aristocracy" of St. Petersburg's music and theater society, Galina was a pioneer in brekaing down barriers in the "new" Russia that allowed Russian women the opportunity to achieve ownership status in private companies.  As the principal student to Orenburg's lace knitting elite, Galina brings the classic style and revered traditional knitting techniques of Russian lace to her classes.  Her unique, inspiring and fun-loving teaching style has made her the guru of lace enthusiasts across the US.  And as an extra bonus, Galina's classes are an awesome, unforgettable cultural experience.

Kay Meadors

Kay Meadors lives in Arkansas, the Natural State, with her precious, yarn-enabling husband of 29 years and their 22 year old son, who is in his last year of college.  She is a knitter/crocheter/quilter/weaver/spinner/designer, but knitting and designing are her favorites.  She is the author of many crochet and knitting books.  Her latest is I Can't Believe I'm Lace Knitting.  She says that her greatest challenge is that she is easily distracted by new yarn, but she considers herself very blessed to be doing what she loves every day.  She loves sharing her knowledge and addiction of lace knitting with beads.

Read all about her life on her Natural State Knitter blog.

Misty Urech

Misty learned to knit from her Mom, Sony Hartley, about 12 years ago.  Sony will tell you it took pain killers to get her thru the experience.  (She likes to leave out that she had JUST broken her ankle and would have been on them anyway!)  From there, Misty took spinning classes, more knitting classes, helped to teach some classes with her Mom.  Then she found the DFW Fiber Fest which opened up a whole new world for her.  She was at the first one only 5 minutes before calling her Mom to tell her "We NEED to do this!"  That led to them being vendors two years later as Knitting Lagniappe offering shawl pins, buttons, stitch markers, patterns, Sony's amazing yarn bowls & carousels, and a bunch of "lagniappe".

Besides working with yarn, fiber of all sorts, Misty also LOVES making jewelry and creating functional pieces that are fun to wear like their line of Knitting jewelry.

Misty presently lives in the Plano area where she lives with her hubby (who she swears is a saint), her 5-year old quads, 2 dogs and a cat.  Being able to work with her Mom, and share their mutual love of the Fiber arts and mixing their other loves with it, has been a very special adventure for her and one she LOVES sharing with others!

Lise Wilson

Lise is a knitter, crocheter, podcaster, dyer and budding designer.  She has been a knitter and crocheter all her life.  After serving as a President and Vice-President of the Bluebonnet Knitting Guild of North Texas, she decided to branch out and teach knitting in her spare time.  A multi-ribbon winner at the Texas State Fair for knitting, she is currently working on the Knitting Guild Association's Master Knitter program.  She dropped out of the corporate world in order to pursue her passion of knitting, crocheting and yarns.  Currently a local teacher, she has been teaching at DFW Fiber Fest for the last three years and is thrilled to be invited back again.  Her podcast "Knitting Rose Podcast" is available on iTunes or at knittingrose.com and her hand dyed yarn is available at her online yarn store Knitting Rose Yarns.