Experience Level: Beginner

Learn the process of weaving at Basket Weaving: Back to Basics on Saturday, Jan. 18 from 12 to 4 p.m. in the Greenhouse Auditorium.

At this hands-on workshop, instructor Bonnie Rideout will teach students how to make a basket using reed. Each student will leave with their own unique completed basket.

$80/person. Register by Jan. 3. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Bonnie Rideout wove her first basket in 1994 and quickly caught the “basket bug.” She created a business — Bonnie’s Baskets in Decatur — in 2006 to teach others to weave. She is also a traveling instructor and has taught weaving in 18 states.

Find out more about Bonnie on her website, Facebook, Instagram and Etsy pages.

Experience Level: Beginner

Gather with your fellow dulcimer musicians and create some music at Mountain Dulcimer Jam Sessions on Jan 18 from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. in the Studio. This gathering is perfect for those who have taken Beginner Mountain Dulcimer at The Farms and want a space to practice with fellow players.

$5/person. Register a day prior to each jam session. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Lou Ann Koebel currently leads a weekly dulcimer jam for the East Central Dulcimer Illinois Dulcimer Club at Lincoln Square. She also plays in a local band that visits and performs at local assisted living facilities.

Last fall, she taught a beginning dulcimer class for The Farms, where she had a wonderful time teaching the group and realized her love of teaching and passing on the tradition of playing a mountain dulcimer. Lou Ann also plays at area music festivals.

Experience Level: Beginner

Whether you want to learn to knit or just need a refresher, enroll in Knitting 101: Knitting for Beginners on Thursdays, Jan. 23 and 30 from 1 to 4 p.m. in The Studio.

Led by fiber artist Billie Theide, participants will learn the basics of knitting, including needle and yarn selection. Students will learn how to cast on, basic stitches, how to read work, fix mistakes, cast off and make fringe and pom poms. No previous experience is necessary.

$80/person* (Ages 13+; 13-17-year-olds must be accompanied by an adult, who does not need to register.) Register by Jan. 16. All sales are final.

*Students should bring one of these four supply options (and are advised to purchase them as soon as possible, since availability can change):

OPTION 1: — 2 skeins of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick solid color yarn. This is classified as a Super Bulky 6 yarn made of 80 percent acrylic and 20 percent wool. There are 106 yards per skein. It is machine washable and can also be dry cleaned. — 1 pair of 9-inch long #13 (9.0mm) Clover brand straight bamboo knitting needles OR one 24-inch long #13 Clover circular bamboo knitting needles.

OPTION 2: — 2 skeins of Lion Brand Hometown solid color yarn. This is classified as Super Bulky 6 yarn made of 100 percent acrylic. There are 162 yards per skein (you can also purchase three, 81-yard skeins). It is machine washable. — 1 pair of 9-inch long #13 (9.0mm) Clover brand straight bamboo knitting needles OR one 24-inch long #13 Clover circular bamboo knitting needles.

OPTION 3: — 1 skein of Lion Brand Re-Spun Thick & Quick solid color yarn. This is classified as Super Bulky 6 yarn made of 100 percent acrylic. There are 223 yards per skein. It is machine washable and dryable. — 1 pair of 9-inch long #13 (9.0mm) Clover brand straight bamboo knitting needles OR one 24-inch long #13 Clover circular bamboo knitting needles.

OPTION 4: — 3 skeins of Lion Brand Hue + Me solid color yarn. This is classified as a Bulky 5 yarn made of 80 percent acrylic and 20 percent wool. There are 137 yards per skein. It is machine washable. — 1 pair of 9-inch long #10.5 (6.5 mm) Clover brand straight bamboo knitting needles or one 24-inch long #10.5 Clover circular bamboo knitting needles.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Billie Theide is a former chair of the Crafts Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she was a Professor Emerita. Theide is a metalsmith, jeweler and ceramicist. Her work is in public art collections around the world including the Smithsonian, Museum of Arts & Design in New York City, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City and the Racine Art Museum, among others.

She is the recipient of a Visual Arts Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and five Artists Fellowship Grants from the Illinois Arts Council. Theide has been recognized for her excellence in teaching and is a Distinguished Member and Past-President of the Society of North American Goldsmiths.

Experience Level: Beginner

Step back in time with turn of the century dances at Historical Dancing on Mondays, Jan. 27 through March 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Mansion.

In this elegant setting, instructor Jeanette Watts will teach1900-era ballroom styles including the waltz and two-step, reflecting the graceful movements that captivated society early in the 20th century. Perfect for history enthusiasts and dance lovers alike, this course offers a unique opportunity to experience the elegance and charm of the Gilded Age.

$90/person for the entire series or $30/class. Register for the series by Jan. 24 or three days before each class. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Jeanette Watts has been teaching historical dances for over 20 years. She is the founder of the Terpsichorean Delights Dance Assembly in Dayton, Ohio, Queen City Vintage Dance in Charlotte, North Carolina, and spent covid writing an 8-volume series of instructional dance manuals for historical museums.

Experience Level: Beginner

Step back in time with turn of the century dances at Historical Dancing on Mondays, Jan. 27 through March 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Mansion.

In this elegant setting, instructor Jeanette Watts will teach1900-era ballroom styles including the waltz and two-step, reflecting the graceful movements that captivated society early in the 20th century. Perfect for history enthusiasts and dance lovers alike, this course offers a unique opportunity to experience the elegance and charm of the Gilded Age.

$90/person for the entire series or $30/class. Register for the series by Jan. 24 or three days before each class. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Jeanette Watts has been teaching historical dances for over 20 years. She is the founder of the Terpsichorean Delights Dance Assembly in Dayton, Ohio, Queen City Vintage Dance in Charlotte, North Carolina, and spent covid writing an 8-volume series of instructional dance manuals for historical museums.

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn the basic mechanics of using a spinning wheel to make your own yarn at Learn to Spin Yarn on Monday, Jan. 28 from 5 to 8 p.m. in The Studio. 

After a brief introduction from instructor Stephanie Block, students will have time for hands-on spinning practice and the opportunity to spin alpaca fiber into yarn using Ashford scotch tension Traditional or Traveler wheels. Discussion of fiber production and preparation methods will also be included.

$130/person. Register by Jan. 23. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate, please email Olivia Bunting at owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Stephanie Block is the co-owner of Sundrop Alpacas near Bement. She has been producing popular yarn from her own alpacas for more than eight years. Stephanie’s spinning style is self-taught, and she is continuously learning so that she can share that knowledge with others.

Experience Level: Beginner

Learn about crocheting at Granny Squares Saturday, Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in The Studio.

In this workshop led by fiber artist Billie Theide, students will learn the basics of crochet, create basic stitches, change colors, read work, fix mistakes and bind off. No previous experience is required.

$75/person* (Ages 13+; 13-17-year-olds must be accompanied by an adult, who does not need to register.) Register by Jan. 29. All sales are final.

*Students should bring:
— 1 Lily Sugar’n Cream 100 percent cotton yarn in two solid colors
— 1 U.S. H/8 crochet hook
— 1 small sharp scissors

If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

About the instructor

Billie Theide is a former chair of the Crafts Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she was a Professor Emerita. Theide is a metalsmith, jeweler and ceramicist. Her work is in public art collections around the world including the Smithsonian, Museum of Arts & Design in New York City, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City and the Racine Art Museum, among others.

She is the recipient of a Visual Arts Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and five Artists Fellowship Grants from the Illinois Arts Council. Theide has been recognized for her excellence in teaching and is a Distinguished Member and Past-President of the Society of North American Goldsmiths.

Experience Level: Beginner

Step back in time with turn of the century dances at Historical Dancing on Mondays, Jan. 27 through March 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Mansion.

In this elegant setting, instructor Jeanette Watts will teach1900-era ballroom styles including the waltz and two-step, reflecting the graceful movements that captivated society early in the 20th century. Perfect for history enthusiasts and dance lovers alike, this course offers a unique opportunity to experience the elegance and charm of the Gilded Age.

$90/person for the entire series or $30/class. Register for the series by Jan. 24 or three days before each class. All sales are final.

If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate, please email owarren@illinois.edu.

By attending, you consent to your image being used in Allerton marketing, social media and publications. Please alert the photographer or videographer if you do not want your image taken.

About the instructor

Jeanette Watts has been teaching historical dances for over 20 years. She is the founder of the Terpsichorean Delights Dance Assembly in Dayton, Ohio, Queen City Vintage Dance in Charlotte, North Carolina, and spent covid writing an 8-volume series of instructional dance manuals for historical museums.