WORKSHOPS

There’s something special about making things from scratch yourself. Here’s our round up of the city’s top classes and workshops to try this month

From knitting to pottery – cool, creative classes to try

Knitting at Craftland

It might be more commonly associated with elderly relatives, but knitting’s image is on the up, thanks to the embrace of hipsters and fashion-types the world over. At Craftland, the small but mighty Jumeirah Road arts and crafts shop, a packed schedule of classes covers all things woolly, from quiltmaking to sewing and crochet. There are twice weekly beginners knitting classes that cover all the basics, from casting on, casting off and classic stitches, while there are also clinic sessions to help you iron out any glitches in your technique. The classes are meant for those completely new to the knitting world, but once you’re feeling confident, sessions on hand and ribbon embroidery will help you upgrade your creations.

aTown Centre, Jumeirah 1, Dubai, Tue 9am to 10.30am, 5pm to 6.30pm, Dhs345. Tel: (04) 3422237. Taxi: Town Centre. mycraftland.com

Pencil drawing and oil painting at Ductac

That Armenian artist Jivan Hovhannisian’s work has been displayed internationally could cause nerves from a novice, but with eight years of teaching at Ductac under his belt, he does an admirable job of putting us at ease. Beginners will start by learning the skills involved in line drawing, before moving onto painting, with tutoring on everything from composition to colour-mixing on offer. Many of Jivan’s students have been attending his classes for years, and the work displayed around the studio will definitely inspire newbies to stick with it. Not for you? The studio hosts a huge variety of creative classes, covering everything from pottery to creative writing, fashion design to calligraphy, so there’s an opportunity to skill up for all tastes and interests.

aDuctac, Mall of The Emirates, Dubai, Sat 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 5pm, Sun, Mon and Thur 10.30am to 1.30pm, Tue 10.30am to 1.30pm, 6pm to 9pm, trial Dhs225, Dhs1,320 six sessions, Dhs1,600 eight sessions. Tel: (04) 3414777. Metro: Mall Of The Emirates. ductac.org