MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS

Here at Apple Yarns we really are a close-knit team. Andrew and Andrea opened our first brick-and-mortar shop in 2007 and our small but dedicated crew has been integral to the growth of Apple Yarns ever since.

One of our goals is to make learning knitting/crochet approachable and fun for everyone, and we've found that small group/1-on-1 sessions often work best when looking to learn something new. Below, meet each of our instructors and learn a bit about their knitting style and approach to teaching.
Class prices: $20 Half Hour - $35 Full Hour
Interested in scheduling?
Email the shop at shop@appleyarns.com or give us a call at (360) 756 - 9992 and let us know what you are interested in learning and what your availability is. We'll take care of the rest.

JESSICA

Jessica Williams has been with Apple Yarns since 2019 and has become integral to shop operations - we don't know what we would do without her! Always an inquisitive mind, Jess enjoys both knitting and crochet but prides herself as a "process knitter" and loves challenging herself with engaging projects and trying new things (in between some meditative stockinette, of course). Jess taught herself how to knit as a junior in high school when she joined a group of other students who knit together in the library before school started (what dedication!) and she began crocheting in 2011. Jess loves to teach and share her joy of crafting with others, one can't help but catch some of her enthusiasm while working with her.

Jess is comfortable teaching: General crochet & knitting, Simple lace knitting, Gauge & determining size, Cables, Magic loop, Double Pointed Needles (DPNs), Short rows, Reading charts, Pattern reading, Fair Isle colorwork, Mosaic colorwork, and Picking up stitches.

FAVORITE YARN >

DEB

Deb Brooks learned how to knit while she was in college by jumping straight into a fair isle project - while this proved incredibly challenging, she persevered and it has been a love affair with fiber arts ever since. A talented knitter and crocheter, Deb gravitates toward fingering-weight yarns in a lovely palette of pinks and softer hues, but she loves and appreciates all the projects we get to see here at Apple Yarns.

Deb is comfortable teaching: General crochet & knitting,  Lace knitting,  Cables,  Reading charts,  Fair Isle,  Steeking,  Interpreting patterns,  Finishing techniques,  Magic loop,  and Sock knitting (top-down).

FAVORITE YARN >

FRANCINE

Francine Heaton has been knitting since teaching herself from books back in 1966. After trying her hand at most techniques out there, Francine found her true knitting passion lies with smaller, technical projects that keep her brain fully engaged. Her tenacity and joy translate to her teaching style, where her expertise shines as she guides her students through challenging patterns with grace. We have been lucky enough to have her part of the Apple Yarns team since our inception in 2007, and while she isn't in the shop as much as she used to be we all still regularly turn to her with our questions.

Francine is comfortable teaching: General knitting help, Lace, Cables, Colorwork, Double Pointed Needles (DPNs), Fixing mistakes, Intarsia, Finishing techniques, Sock knitting.

CHRISTIANE

Christiane Jones joined the Apple Yarns team just after our move to Fraser Street in 2022. She learned how to knit in 2014 with the aim to save money on Christmas gifts by knitting them (ha-ha!). That plan didn't quite work out as intended, and she knit only sporadically until 2018 when she finally picked up her needles with no specific goal in mind - that was when her casual knitting hobby became a full-blown obsession. Christiane considers knitting part of her general self-care routine and loves having multiple projects on her needles, a mix of easy meditative projects with one or two more challenging pieces going on the side to keep her on her toes.

Christiane is comfortable teaching: General knitting help, Lace, Pattern reading, Knitting from charts, Magic loop, DPNs, Fair Isle colorwork, Short rows, Sock knitting (top-down), and Determining gauge and sizing.