EDIE ECKMAN

Edie Eckman is a life-long knitter and crocheter who loves both disciplines. As a teacher, designer, and technical editor, she is on a mission to empower students to gain the skills they need to confidently and enthusiastically take on any crochet or knitting challenge and to ensure that patterns are as clear as possible to the greatest number of knitters and crocheters as possible and She is the author of a number of best-selling books including How to Knit Socks, The Crochet Answer Book, Around the Corner Crochet Bordersand Every Which Way Crochet Borders. She teaches online at Craftsy.com and Creativebug.com. Find her at www.edieeckman.com.

FRANKLIN HABIT

Designer, teacher, author, and illustrator Franklin Habit is the author of It Itches: A Stash of Knitting Cartoons. (Interweave Press, 2008) and I Dream of Yarn: a Knit and Crochet Coloring Book (Soho Publishing, June 2016).
He travels constantly  to teach knitters at shops and guilds across the country and internationally; and has been a popular member of the faculties of such festivals as Vogue Knitting Live!, XRX/Stitches events, the DFW Fiber Fest, the Squam Arts Workshops, and the Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat.
Franklin’s varied experience in the fiber world includes contributions of writing and design to Vogue Knitting, Yarn Market News, Interweave Knits, Interweave Crochet, PieceWork, Twist Collective; and regular columns and cartoons for Mason-Dixon Knitting,  Knitty.com, PLY Magazine, Lion Brand Yarns and  Skacel Collection/MakersMercantile. Many of his independently published designs are available via Ravelry,com.

SANDY CAHILL

Sandy is a life-long fiber enthusiast.  Her love of fiber and particularly weaving began at an early age sparked by youth art camps and a wonderful mentor at Topeka High School.  Sandy attended the University of Kansas and graduated with a BFA in Design, emphasis in Textiles.  While raising her family with architect husband Tim, Sandy enjoyed an active career showing her wall hangings and wearable art in Kansas City area art shows.  Also, Sandy enjoyed an active participation in Fiber Guild of Kansas City activities including the annual Creative Hand Show and Sale.  After her kids were grown, Sandy was able to concentrate on fiber and weaving explorations traveling to conferences and workshops to learn new techniques and gain inspiration for her own work.  Sandy’s weaving expressions are fine art based creating original art wall sculptures from hand woven fabric as well as original design hand woven and hand knitted wearable art.  Sandy is a self-taught knitter creating and selling original design scarf patterns and kits using her hand dyed yarn.  Currently, Sandy remains active in the Fiber Guild of Kansas City and shows her fiber art work at Images Art Gallery in downtown Overland Park, KS.

MEAGAN CONDON

Meagan Condon is a librarian and fiber artist who has been spinning yarn for over a decade. On top of her experience with spinning, weaving, crochet, and knitting, she is also a woodworker and makes many of her own fiber arts tools.  Meagan teaches fiber arts classes both digitally and in person and contributes content to publications including Spin-Off and Ply.
Meagan strives to grow the fiber arts community through digital connection, free and open access to information, and by providing high quality tools and supplies to help artists develop in their skills.

CINDY CRAIG

Cindy learned to knit while chaperoning Girl Scouts in Norway. As a self-professed knitting geek, she enjoys exploring the technical side of knitting and tinkering with new skills, stitch patterns, knitting patterns, and concepts. Cindy has been teaching professionally in yarn shops, guild events, and knitting shows for more than 10 years. She is the author of The Kids Knitting Notebook and has designs published in Knitter's Magazine, Knitting Today, and Red Heart, in addition to many self-published patterns.



Cindy is the manager of The Studio Knitting & Needlepoint where she loves helping students learn to knit or crochet  and is very skilled at getting students unstuck. She knits everywhere she goes and frequently answers knitting questions on the sidelines of the soccer field, at PTA meetings, or at Scouting events. 

KIM DOMINIC

Kim has been a knitter off and on for over forty-five years, but in the last 20 or so, she has rarely put down the needles. An experienced and well-loved teacher, having taught at The Studio, Stitch Knitch, North Kansas City Continuing Education, and for the Sunflower Knitters Guild meetings and KITH, Kim enjoys sharing her love of knitting with others in a relaxed and easy-going way.

LYNN HAFFNER

Lynn has been knitting for over 20 years.  She works and teaches at The Studio Knitting and Needlepoint.  She enjoys helping other knitters learn new skills.

NIRMAL KAUR KHALSA

My grandmother taught me granny squares when I was seven (many long years ago) and, while my interest waxed and waned over the years, I always kept my hooks and went back to it eventually. 

In the 90's I got very inspired again and then began teaching about ten years ago at The Studio and through Communiversity. I was always changing patterns around and made up patterns for my classes, so I took the plunge and became a designer. 

My patterns have been published in Interweave Crochet, Crochet!, Crochet 1-2-3, on RedHeart.com,  and in several books.

DEBRA LEA

Debra has been knitting and crocheting for more than 50 years (OMG!) and teaching in the greater Kansas City area and at regional conferences for about 20 of those. She is certified by the Craft Yarn Council of America and has had crochet designs published in Interweave Crochet and in The Crochet Prayer Shawl Companion. Debra recently retired and she lives at Table Rock Lake with her husband and the world’s most handsome dog, Louie.

CHERYL MURRAY

I have been knitting for over 40 years and have been sharing my love of the craft through teaching for the past 15. I entered the world of professional knitwear design in 2006 when my first design was published in Knit Simple magazine. Since then, I've been honored to have my designs featured in Vogue Knitting, Knitters, Creative Knitting, Noro Magazine and multiple books published by Sixth & Spring Books. My passion is stranded colorwork, especially Nordic designs. I’m blessed with a husband & daughter who appreciate knitwear and who rarely complain about every surface in our house being covered by yarn, needles & stitch dictionaries.