Charissa Howe is an avid and self-taught knitter and crocheter from Pittsburgh's Northside. She has been designing and teaching for several years. Her favorite thing to knit is socks and her favorite thing to crochet is afghans.

Charissa is married to a non-knitter (Tim) and has two daughters, Alexis (7- a knitter) and Gloria (1- a knitter in training), a teenaged foster son, Brandon (non-knitter), two cats (they don't knit either, but occasionally curl up in the knitting bag) and a wool licking dog.

When she's not crocheting, knitting, designing, teaching, changing diapers, driving the family around, cooking dinner, vacuuming up animal hair or picking chewed up crayon off the couch, Charissa is a decent seamstress, avid reader, slow hiker and a fair-weather rock climber and cyclist.

Contact Charissa

Please make certain you are aware of our class policies before signing up for a class.

Beginning Crochet - $25
(In September, this will be taught by CarlaK, who crocheted before she ever picked up a knitting needle)
Students will learn the basics to get started in crochet. This is great for new crocheters, those needing a refresher or for knitters who want to learn the basics for those patterns that call them to crochet.

Crocheted Beanie - $25
Students will learn the basics of hat construction by putting together a cool crocheted beanie, perfect for late winter/early spring. This is not a "make and take." Students will be given skills needed to finish project on their own at home.

Crocheted Christmas Stocking - $25
Students will learn the basics of crocheted sock construction by creating a beautiful heirloom Christmas Stocking. Students should have a handle on basic crochet techniques before registering in this class. Skills needed include: chain, single crochet, double crochet, decrease, increase, bind off and color changing.

Crochet with Color - $25
Students who already have a handle on the basics of crochet, including chain, single crochet, double crochet and bind off will learn how to add colorwork to their crochet. Students should bring two or more balls of cotton yarn in colors of their choice (one ball of each color). I recommend Aslan Trends cotton yarn. Students will also need: size f crochet hook, needle gauge, yarn needle, scissors, pen and paper.

Entrelac Crochet - $25
No longer is the awesome look of entrelac only for knitters, my crocheting friends! That's right. You can create entrelac with Tunisian crochet. For this class, you'll need to be solid on your afghan crochet skills. You must have taken Tunisian Crochet 101 or be able to demonstrate equivelant skills.

This is an advanced beginner-intermediate level tunisian crochet class.

Crocheted Flowers - $25
Students will learn about the 3D construction of several types of crocheted flowers. The flowers are great to add as accents to bags, hats, sweaters, jeans and much more! Students should be comfortable with the basics of crochet including: chain, single crochet and double crochet. The pattern used for this class is available free at http://www.howe2knit.blogspot.com.

Crochet Garments 101: Seamless baby cardigan - $50 (2 part class)
In this class, we will learn the basics of planning your own crocheted garment. We'll work on a baby sweater for time's sake, but you'll be able to apply these skills to a wide variety of sizes in many garments.
This is a seamless garment, so we'll be covering shaping and planning. We'll learn about piecing projects in another class. This is a great class for someone who's never done a crocheted garment before or for someone who has done a few from patterns and wants to branch out into their own designs.

Experience Level  Intermediate Crochet

Granny Square Crochet -$25
Students will learn how to create granny squares, a classic crochet technique that can be used to create afghans, purses, scarves, sweaters and much much more. Students should have a handle on basic crochet techniques before registering in this class. Skills needed include: chain, single crochet, double crochet, decrease, increase, and bind off.

Granny Square Purse - $25
We'll use two large granny squares to put together a fun little purse.  The focus in this class will be on the finishing techniques and the construction of the purse, not on the granny squares themselves.  Students should have a good grasp on advanced beginner techniques, including: chain, single crochet, double crochet, working in the round and should have taken the granny square class or be familiar with granny squares.  We'll cover some basics on color changes, piecing granny squares together, adding a purse handle and adding a closure to the bag.

How to Read a Crochet Pattern - $25
Let's face it. Crochet patterns are confusing. There are 8 million abbreviations and what's up with the asterisks and brackets? In this class, students will learn the basics of reading a crochet pattern. Students may also bring (but are not required to bring) a pattern (one that you'd like to work on or have had trouble with) to discuss.

Intro to Crochet Lace: Eva's Shawl Pattern - $25
In this class, we'll explore the basics of lace crochet while beginning a beautiful, versatile shawl. This shawl can be worked in any weight of yarn from lace to worsted and can be adjusted to a variety of sizes. Students will not finish the project in class, but will get started on the three row repeat and will be shown the border. Students who are proficient in the needed skills should be able to leave confident of their ability to finish the shawl on their own.

Experience Level  Intermediate crochet

Crochet for Knitters - $25
This class is designed for knitters who don't plan on taking up crochet as a separate craft, but need to learn the basics of crochet that are commonly used in knitting patterns.  No crochet experience is needed, however students must have basic knitting skills.  Before class, please KNIT a 4 inch by 4 inch swatch in stockingette stitch in a DIFFERENT COLOR than you plan on using in class. 

Crochet Market Bag - $25
Students will use advanced beginner skills (Chain, single crochet, double crochet and working in the round) to create their own one of a kind mesh crocheted market bag. This is a "recipe" class in which students will learn the steps to make a bag in any size or color pattern. There's alot of room for creativity.

Medallion Necklace - $25
Students will learn to create a beautiful medallion style necklace using a unique soy or corn yarn. Students will complete much of the necklace in class and will leave with all the skills needed to complete it on their own. We will use a pattern made free by the Berocco yarn company, but we will explore options for adding your own touch to the piece as well.

Experience Level  Intermediate Crochet

Crochet Rasta Tam - $25
Students will learn the construction of a crocheted tam, based on chezcrochet.com's "Rasta Hat" pattern by Angela Grabowski. This is a flexible project that leaves much room for sizing changes to accommodate more or less hair and also for creativity in color patterns.

Crochet Ripple Stitch - $25
In this class, we'll learn a crochet classic- the ripple stitch. We'll work on a scarf in class so you'll have time to see the way the stitch comes together, but after this class, students will easily be able to translate this into blankets, sweaters, purses, etc. The subtle self-striping in the Duo yarn makes for a fun effect in this stitch pattern.

Student's Choice Crochet - $25
For this class the student has control over what we do. This is where you can bring a stalled project to get help, get help with finishing, get started on a new project, basically anything want. Come in and pick Charissa's brain.

Tunisian crochet - $25
(also known as afghan crochet or crocheknit) is a crochet technique that can mimic knitted fabrics and is often used to create heavy, warm fabrics for blankets and sweaters. This is a great technique for crocheters who like the look of knitted fabric but don't know how to knit, those who want more variety of stitches for their crochet or those who just want a new technique under their belt!
We'll cover the basics of Tunisian crochet in this class, including: getting started, basic stitch patterns, changing balls/colors, finishing off. If there is enough interest, we'll set up a second class for more advanced techniques. We will work on a swatch in this class, but will not complete a specific project.

Kids' Knitting - $20
This is a 1.5 hour class for kids ages 6-12 who want to learn to knit. No prior experience is needed, however kids who have some existing knitting skills already are welcome and encouraged to come practice and learn new skills. Children are encouraged to take this class more than once to build on skills. There is a maximum class size of 4 children in this class, so there will be plenty of one on one attention according to each child's learning style and level of skill. If your child has special needs, please talk to the instructor before signing up to see if this class is appropriate for your child or if a private lesson is more suitable. Parents are asked to remain in the shop while their child is taking a class but will be asked to refrain from staying in or entering the classroom while class is underway.

Teen Knitting - $20
This is a 1.5 hour class for teens ages 13-17 who want to learn to knit. No prior experience is needed, however teens who have some existing knitting skills already are welcome and encouraged to come practice and learn new skills. Students are encouraged to take this class more than once to build on their skills. There is a maximum class size of 4 students in this class, so there will be plenty of one on one attention according to each student's learning style and level of skill. If your teen has special needs, please talk to the instructor before signing up to see if this class is appropriate for them or if a private lesson is more suitable. Parents are welcome to remain in the shop while their teen is taking a class but will be asked to refrain from staying in or entering the classroom while class is underway.