The handknitted shawls of Orenburg, located in the steppes of the southern Ural Mountains, set a world standard for delicate lace patterning. These "gossamer webs" are created from a series of basic elements and patterns handed down from generation to generation. In this video, Galina Khmeleva shares with you her decades of experience working with the knitters of Orenburg:

  • The origins and evolution of Orenburg lace
  • The Orenburg continental knitting technique
  • How to knit traditional Orenburg scalloped edging
  • The elements of Orenburg lace design
  • How to finish, block, and care for Orenburg lace shawls

Experience this rich tradition as Galina Khmeleva shares with you the history, the stories, the patterns, and the knitting techniques of these talented craftspeople, so that you can create your own gossamer webs.

Reviews

An absolutely stunning course!

“This is by far the best knitting workshop I have ever followed, and I am itching to start knitting. But now I will first go and follow the spinning workshop too, so I can process my own alpaca for my projects. Thank you for your inspiration!” - Maria Smuts

Wonderful!

“I so enjoyed this video. The lady explains everything very clearly. She has inspired me to try the techniques for myself.” - Bethan Lloyd

Instructor(s)

Galina Khmeleva

Galina Khmeleva teaches the techniques of Orenburg spinning and knitting throughout the world. She provides tools and materials through her business, Skaska Design, where she also sells shawls created by the knitters of Orenburg. She is author of Gossamer Webs: History and Techniques of Orenburg Lace Shawls (Interweave, 1998), Orenburg Knitting: Knitting Gossamer Webs, and a long time contributor to PieceWork magazine. She lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, with her husband, George Girard and her beloved cats, Sasha and Mukha.