Happy 2013!!! A new year is the perfect time to tackle new challenges and think about new ambitions: practice a new style of yoga, try 3D printing, master your new DSLR, learn to silkscreen, or become a scientist in the kitchen. You’re never too old to learn a new skill!

Rookie of the New Year is a series of five unique intro workshops to discover and learn something new this January.  From Monday, January 14 to Friday, January 18, various Toronto-based experts will be teaching their skills to those willing to learn! 

Not only are the workshops interesting, but also relevant to the time we are living in.  

Rookie of the New Year workshops include:

Monday, January 14:  Introduction to Suspension Yoga Class

Tuesday, January 15: 3D Printing for Total Beginners

Wednesday, January 16: Learn to use your DSLR

Thursday, January 17: Introduction to Silkscreening

Friday, January 18: An Evening of Molecular Gastronomy 

To learn more and book your tickets to any of the above, check out: www.uniiverse.com/rookie2013

Host Spotlight on: Wei Xiu

Ever since I got into making jewelry, learning to bend wire with my trusty pliers back in high school, I have wanted to run my own crafty workshop. However, after coming up with cool workshop ideas, I would always stumble across the same two issues:  “how do I get the word out” and “will there be enough people interested in doing this?” These two questions stuck in the back of my mind every time I thought about sharing my passion with others, and, time and time again, led me to desist.

Then, this February, I discovered Uniiverse. Suddenly, all those issues that had plagued me seemed easy to solve. I quickly wrote up a description for a bracelet workshop, found some pretty photos, created the listing and waited. Before long, there was some interest. I felt elated to know that there were others who were interested in what I had to offer, and started gathering supplies and figuring out how I would actually teach the workshop. 

On a sunny April afternoon, four ladies and I gathered at the Moonbean Cafe in Kensington Market for an “Arm Party.” We had never met before, but got to know each other quite well while sipping ice cold lattes and wrangling waxed linen and beads.

Hosting this workshop was a lot of fun – we made three types of bracelets and chatted about everything from summer camp to the latest innovations in nail polish technology (seriously, did you know you could roll on designs now?). Although working with such small and finicky materials was a challenge at first, everyone came up with their own ways of handling them, and kept at it. I especially loved how the ladies who finished their bracelets first helped their neighbors by holding the strings steady for them – it was teamwork at its best! Before long, we were all donning our new bracelets and heading out to enjoy the rest of the day.

 Now I can’t wait to host more classes through Uniiverse. It’s a great way to meet people who share common interests, and to try out new experiences. Who knows, perhaps we’ll meet again at a sushi rolling night or brownie baking session!