Maker House, the lucky bastards that took over the Bates Mansion downtown, have announced their first round of classes they're going to offer in their five instructional spaces, and the list is a delightful mix of the immediately useful and delightfully strange. The complete list is online (a schedule is forthcoming, but at least you can get idea of what they're going to offer), but here are some highlights:

Knit-to-Death: Knitting Needles for Self Defense
American Clog
Fabulous Felted Flowers
Hand Brewing Coffee
Healthy Relationships: Communication and Effective Conflict
Student Loan Workshop
Making Jewelry from Guitar Strings
Painting with Oils and Cold Wax
Mini-book Making
Introduction to Steampunk Fashion
Arcade Controls
Principles of Graphic Design
Precision Chainsaw Wood Carving
Screenplay Writing

To get a better idea of the concept behind Maker House and what they're doing with the space, here's a video tour led by founder Tony Ford:

They're also in the midst of a crowd-funding effort to help make all this happen, if you want to chip in.