Myrna Stahman
Instructor Website: http://www.myrnaaistahman.com/
Myrna enjoys sharing her love of lace knitting by designing shawl and scarves, teaching lace knitting classes and publishing her designs. In 2000 she self-published Stahman’s Shawls and Scarves: Lace Faroese-Shaped Shawls From the Neck Down and Seamen’s Scarves.
Myrna’s definition of lace knitting is using two sticks and some string to connect a series of holes in a pleasing fashion. Lace knitting does not require 000 needles and very fine thread. Worsted weight cotton and size 7 needles make practical, pretty lace dish cloths. Bulky yarn and size 11 needles produce beautiful lacy afghans.
Myrna’s philosophy in teaching knitting includes (a) the “right” way to knit is the way that works comfortably for each individual knitter; (b) she learns much from her students; (c) when encountering a problem with one’s knitting, immediately tearing out the problem area is most often not the best solution; and (d) understanding the structure of knitting and learning to read one’s knitting are important skills to develop.
BIO ~ Myrna Stahman
Myrna’s teaching experiences are vast and varied. She has taught lace knitting classes throughout the United States, teaching for TNNA (The National NeedleArts Association), MAFA (The Mid-Atlantic Fiber Association), NwRSA (The Northwest Regional Slpinners Association), Minnesota Yarnover (keynote speaker), and the Midwest Masters, and others. She has taught at the New Zealand Fiber Festival and in Orkney, was the opening speaker at the Canberra [Australia] Spinners and Weavers Festival and the featured speaker at the Tasmanian Fibre Festival in Hobart, Tasmania.
As a Peace Corps Volunteer Myrna taught elementary school in rural Liberia, West Africa for two years. Upon returning to the states she became the Director of what was then known as the Stevens County Activity Center for Retarded Adults in Morris, Minnesota. Working with these very special adults helped Myrna develop her ability to analyze and break down any task, no matter how large, into small, manageable pieces.
During her many years practicing law, Myrna understood that an attorney must be a good teacher, whether teaching a client, the jury or the judge about the law and the facts as they relate to the issue at hand. Her three years in Germany, while serving in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the US Army, provided the opportunity to teach various legal classes to the troops.
Myrna taught classes on the law as it applied to consumers as a Deputy Attorney General in the Idaho Consumer Protection Division. Serving as the Deputy Attorney General in Charge of the Appellate Unit of the Criminal Division she taught classes on Idaho criminal law to the Idaho prosecuting attorneys, the Idaho magistrate judges and the Idaho district judges. Myrna argued many cases before the Idaho Court of Appeals, the Idaho Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She always had her knitting by her side, whether attending staff meeting and legal education programs or in court observing the oral arguments of the attorneys she supervised.
In the fall of 2004 Myrna retired from the practice of law. She now devotes much of her time to fiber-related activities and traveling. Myrna hosts the Annual Boise Lace Knitting Retreat every October. Her husband, Bob, also retired, enjoys cruising with her.
Books ~ Myrna Stahman
In 2000 Myrna, doing business as Rocking Chair Press, self-published Stahman’s Shawls and Scarves – Lace Faroese-Shaped Shawls From the Neck Down and Seamen’s Scarves, Myrna’s designs have been published in Wild Fibers, Interweave Knits, the Ashford Wheel, Vogue Knitting, Knitter’s Magazine and the Storey One-Skein Wonder books. Myrna is currently publishing pattern collections for Buffalo Gold Yarns and continues to work on two lace knitting books.
Affiliations ~ Myrna Stahman
Myrna is a member of The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA), The Lacy Knitters Guild and The Association of Knitwear Designers, Inc. (AKD, Inc.). She is an affiliate member of the Idaho Bar Association.
Education ~ Myrna Stahman
Myrna earned a B.A., with a major in sociology, from the University of Minnesota, Morris and a JD from the University of Idaho College of Law.