December 2015 Christmas Party at Andrée's house
The long drive was well worth it! Andrée's house was the perfect venue. She had every room festively decorated, with an activity going on in each. There were 'ugly sweater' cookies to decorate in the dining room; a table full of swappable items in the livingroom; and in front of the fire and Christmas tree, in the family room, a group gathered to knit and chat. Then, of course we go into the kitchen!
The countertop groaned with the weight of so much scrumptious food. It was a veritable feast with, among other things, savory hors d'oeuvres, a roast pork, shrimp to dip, sausage bread, a jello mold, salads galore, a yummy green bean combo, flavorful squash, Lydia's personal specialty from Argentine cuisine, pies, and two chocolate cakes. That Kahlua cake was very popular! The ugly sweater cookies were edible, but no match for the cakes!
Andrée, as promised, did play her ukelele, so too, did Gail, while we all merrily joined in singing a few carols. The ornament swap was exciting, as each ornament was opened and admired by all, especially the Gene-made, delicate, lace-covered ornament. Katia's dog fur ornaments were the surprise hit. The sheep had us all curious, but the little mouse won our hearts. The plethora of member-made ornaments had the group clamoring for a Fall 2016 ornament making retreat.
Just before wrapping it all up, Andrée demonstrated how to prepare our collection of shopping bags for our January lesson on knitting them into a clever carry-all. [See Jan. 2016 meeting in Coming Events for instructions.] If all that weren't enough, Mother Nature gave us the perfect day to enjoy the long ride home! Sorry to say no photos are available.
The long drive was well worth it! Andrée's house was the perfect venue. She had every room festively decorated, with an activity going on in each. There were 'ugly sweater' cookies to decorate in the dining room; a table full of swappable items in the livingroom; and in front of the fire and Christmas tree, in the family room, a group gathered to knit and chat. Then, of course we go into the kitchen!
The countertop groaned with the weight of so much scrumptious food. It was a veritable feast with, among other things, savory hors d'oeuvres, a roast pork, shrimp to dip, sausage bread, a jello mold, salads galore, a yummy green bean combo, flavorful squash, Lydia's personal specialty from Argentine cuisine, pies, and two chocolate cakes. That Kahlua cake was very popular! The ugly sweater cookies were edible, but no match for the cakes!
Andrée, as promised, did play her ukelele, so too, did Gail, while we all merrily joined in singing a few carols. The ornament swap was exciting, as each ornament was opened and admired by all, especially the Gene-made, delicate, lace-covered ornament. Katia's dog fur ornaments were the surprise hit. The sheep had us all curious, but the little mouse won our hearts. The plethora of member-made ornaments had the group clamoring for a Fall 2016 ornament making retreat.
Just before wrapping it all up, Andrée demonstrated how to prepare our collection of shopping bags for our January lesson on knitting them into a clever carry-all. [See Jan. 2016 meeting in Coming Events for instructions.] If all that weren't enough, Mother Nature gave us the perfect day to enjoy the long ride home! Sorry to say no photos are available.
November 2015: Making Fun and Easy Christmas tree ornaments with Gail
Old Business:
Reminder of our Christmas party at Andrée's house. Car pooling is suggested. It's about an hour ride from our Rescue Squad meeting place. Aim at arriving about 11:30. Don't forget to bring a wrapped tree ornament, hand-made or store-bought. Also bring a covered dish to share. If you have any fiber working supplies you'd like to pass on, a swap table will be available.
Elaine K. is still collecting items for the women's shelter, so if you forgot to bring them to this meeting, you can still bring them to the party. It was so nice to have her back with us this meeting.
Remember to be collecting plastic grocery bags, i.e. Walmart bags, for our January program....making a tote bag with recycled bags, to be offered by Andrée.
New Business:
-We have a new slate of officers for the coming year. Gene continues as President; Donnie is now our VP; Andrée will handle programs with the assistance of Gail and any others who can help out; Elaine B. continues as Webmaster; Susan continues as Treasurer. Dues for the coming year, $20, can be paid at our January meeting, if you didn't pay at this meeting. Donnie will have the membership cards ready to distribute at the party. Remember, you card is valuable, as some knitting shops will give discounts to knitting group members.
- The next Gloucester Knitting Retreat was announced. It's to be held at the same site as last year, Saturday, January 30, 2016. Please let Gene know if you plan to attend. Guests are expected to bring a covered dish to share. There will be vendors attending, as well, and if the success of last year is any indicator, there will be other fun surprises, too. More info forthcoming soon on this.
Disappointing new was shared that the "Knitting Sisters" in Williamsburg are going out of business. Perhaps, they'll just be selling to new owners who will keep the shop going. Only time will tell. They will be sorely missed.
Show and Tell: It's awe-inspiring to see the increasing skill proficiency, from meeting to meeting, demonstrated by the finished and in-progress projects our members share at each meeting.
-Elaine B.'s assortment of Irish knits gifts, for family, continues to grow. The improvisation of a button placket on a small child's raglan sweater sleeve was a successful attempt to appease a child who doesn't like things pulled over his head.
-Maria has a Hitchhiker in progress that we'll be seeing her wear soon.
-Susan is working on a sweater for her husband, one he's been waiting for a long time. From what we've seen, it will be well worth the wait! -Elaine K. has spent her time at home working up more self-striping, charity, baby blankets. Thanks to her demos, we've all become enthralled with these self-striping yarns.
-Donnie is still working his way through his collection of exquisite Bohus patterns. Wouldn't it be great to see all of them layed out together in the manner of an art exhibit? Donnie is most definitely at the "art" skill level of knitting. We are all envious, and so grateful that he shares his expertise with us.
-Andrée modeled her newest project, a poncho in a lovely color combo of turquoise with bits of plum, celery, teal and a few others. She highly recommended Colinette yarns, such as she used for her poncho. She also modeled a scarf made of silk yarn from China, MiMi. Speak to her personally for her pointed critique of this yarn.
-Gail has a deep pink, Dior inspired jacket in progress. This one will be a stunner when it's done! Can't wait to see her model it! She's also working her way through an Entrelac scarf, that drew so many in-takes of breath at it's beauty, that there was clamoring for a program on doing Entrelac.
-New Deb cleverly improvised a crocheted washcloth, in self-striping yarn, from the knit version that we have in our group pattern collection. It takes an adventurous soul to improvise at that level, as well as, a very adept skill-set. This is the beauty of group membership. One member inspires so many others to strive for new skill levels, knowing there's a collective support system, if a snag appears in the development of a new project. We are so very glad you joined our Guild, Deb! :-)
-Katia is working on a knit bag. Hhmmm, we should have asked if it will be felted when finished, as that is one of her specialty skills. [Note to self: try to remember to ask at the party. ]She also passed around a finished scarf, in delightfully soft merino, with diagonal strips. It had the added bonus of dog hairs, loving donated by her favorite canine, who is a very, well-behaved attendee at some of our meetings. Those of us who are dog owners, know well these special additions to our projects. lol! Currently, she's working on a lace scarf made with angora and bamboo yarn. Very interesting combination!
-Louise knocked our socks off with the sweater she modeled, a first time project, no less. It was a creamy white, with forest green panels up the center front and back done all in cable stitches. Just beautiful! Regretting now that I didn't get a photo to add to our picture page....will ask her to wear it again, so I can show the world her masterpiece.
-Mary was working on a swatch for a project that incorporates beads into the knitting. ...can't wait to see that one done!!!
-Suzanne showed us a hat, cleverly made from 2 patterns for headbands. Creativity abounds in this group!!!
-Martha is working on sox.
-Gene showed us a white, in-progress, cowl that closes with a button. Shhh, it's a gift for his mom!!! This prompted a discussion about the best place to find button. Several recommendations were offered. Speak with Gene for his favorite. He, also brought several more clever animal scarves, made from kits purchased at the Knitting B. The kit includes the finished head and feet, or other add-ons, with the yarn for the knitter to prepare the 'body' of the critter. The sheep scarf was particularly adorable.
Making Fun and Easy, Knitting inspired Christmas tree ornaments, program by Gail. [Click here to see the slideshow.]
When you see the pictures, you'll notice how enthusiastically members dived into this project. It did involve getting sticky fingers, and sometimes tangling fingers all up making tiny skeins of yarn or yarn balls, but the fun was certainly sticking too! Gail provided each of us with a kit containing 2 clear, plastic ornaments, one circular, the other Christmas-tree-lightbulb shaped. The kit had colorful toothpicks and beads to make the mini-knitting needles. Contagious laughter filled the room as we attempted to knit a tiny sample using toothpicks for needles! Once the components were made, it was easy to assemble and "Voilá !" We had two knitting-themed ornaments....a great little trinket for the tree, or to add onto the bow of a gift-wrapped item for a fiber enthusiast! Many thanks go to Gail for providing us with this timely and fun-filled program.
Coming Events:
Don't forget to bring, to our January meeting, all the plastic shopping bags you've been saving. Andrée will teach us how to recycle them into a tote bag.
See you at the Christmas party, where Andrée will entertain us with her ukelele playing. lol ....sure to be a laughter-filled gathering! :-)
Old Business:
Reminder of our Christmas party at Andrée's house. Car pooling is suggested. It's about an hour ride from our Rescue Squad meeting place. Aim at arriving about 11:30. Don't forget to bring a wrapped tree ornament, hand-made or store-bought. Also bring a covered dish to share. If you have any fiber working supplies you'd like to pass on, a swap table will be available.
Elaine K. is still collecting items for the women's shelter, so if you forgot to bring them to this meeting, you can still bring them to the party. It was so nice to have her back with us this meeting.
Remember to be collecting plastic grocery bags, i.e. Walmart bags, for our January program....making a tote bag with recycled bags, to be offered by Andrée.
New Business:
-We have a new slate of officers for the coming year. Gene continues as President; Donnie is now our VP; Andrée will handle programs with the assistance of Gail and any others who can help out; Elaine B. continues as Webmaster; Susan continues as Treasurer. Dues for the coming year, $20, can be paid at our January meeting, if you didn't pay at this meeting. Donnie will have the membership cards ready to distribute at the party. Remember, you card is valuable, as some knitting shops will give discounts to knitting group members.
- The next Gloucester Knitting Retreat was announced. It's to be held at the same site as last year, Saturday, January 30, 2016. Please let Gene know if you plan to attend. Guests are expected to bring a covered dish to share. There will be vendors attending, as well, and if the success of last year is any indicator, there will be other fun surprises, too. More info forthcoming soon on this.
Disappointing new was shared that the "Knitting Sisters" in Williamsburg are going out of business. Perhaps, they'll just be selling to new owners who will keep the shop going. Only time will tell. They will be sorely missed.
Show and Tell: It's awe-inspiring to see the increasing skill proficiency, from meeting to meeting, demonstrated by the finished and in-progress projects our members share at each meeting.
-Elaine B.'s assortment of Irish knits gifts, for family, continues to grow. The improvisation of a button placket on a small child's raglan sweater sleeve was a successful attempt to appease a child who doesn't like things pulled over his head.
-Maria has a Hitchhiker in progress that we'll be seeing her wear soon.
-Susan is working on a sweater for her husband, one he's been waiting for a long time. From what we've seen, it will be well worth the wait! -Elaine K. has spent her time at home working up more self-striping, charity, baby blankets. Thanks to her demos, we've all become enthralled with these self-striping yarns.
-Donnie is still working his way through his collection of exquisite Bohus patterns. Wouldn't it be great to see all of them layed out together in the manner of an art exhibit? Donnie is most definitely at the "art" skill level of knitting. We are all envious, and so grateful that he shares his expertise with us.
-Andrée modeled her newest project, a poncho in a lovely color combo of turquoise with bits of plum, celery, teal and a few others. She highly recommended Colinette yarns, such as she used for her poncho. She also modeled a scarf made of silk yarn from China, MiMi. Speak to her personally for her pointed critique of this yarn.
-Gail has a deep pink, Dior inspired jacket in progress. This one will be a stunner when it's done! Can't wait to see her model it! She's also working her way through an Entrelac scarf, that drew so many in-takes of breath at it's beauty, that there was clamoring for a program on doing Entrelac.
-New Deb cleverly improvised a crocheted washcloth, in self-striping yarn, from the knit version that we have in our group pattern collection. It takes an adventurous soul to improvise at that level, as well as, a very adept skill-set. This is the beauty of group membership. One member inspires so many others to strive for new skill levels, knowing there's a collective support system, if a snag appears in the development of a new project. We are so very glad you joined our Guild, Deb! :-)
-Katia is working on a knit bag. Hhmmm, we should have asked if it will be felted when finished, as that is one of her specialty skills. [Note to self: try to remember to ask at the party. ]She also passed around a finished scarf, in delightfully soft merino, with diagonal strips. It had the added bonus of dog hairs, loving donated by her favorite canine, who is a very, well-behaved attendee at some of our meetings. Those of us who are dog owners, know well these special additions to our projects. lol! Currently, she's working on a lace scarf made with angora and bamboo yarn. Very interesting combination!
-Louise knocked our socks off with the sweater she modeled, a first time project, no less. It was a creamy white, with forest green panels up the center front and back done all in cable stitches. Just beautiful! Regretting now that I didn't get a photo to add to our picture page....will ask her to wear it again, so I can show the world her masterpiece.
-Mary was working on a swatch for a project that incorporates beads into the knitting. ...can't wait to see that one done!!!
-Suzanne showed us a hat, cleverly made from 2 patterns for headbands. Creativity abounds in this group!!!
-Martha is working on sox.
-Gene showed us a white, in-progress, cowl that closes with a button. Shhh, it's a gift for his mom!!! This prompted a discussion about the best place to find button. Several recommendations were offered. Speak with Gene for his favorite. He, also brought several more clever animal scarves, made from kits purchased at the Knitting B. The kit includes the finished head and feet, or other add-ons, with the yarn for the knitter to prepare the 'body' of the critter. The sheep scarf was particularly adorable.
Making Fun and Easy, Knitting inspired Christmas tree ornaments, program by Gail. [Click here to see the slideshow.]
When you see the pictures, you'll notice how enthusiastically members dived into this project. It did involve getting sticky fingers, and sometimes tangling fingers all up making tiny skeins of yarn or yarn balls, but the fun was certainly sticking too! Gail provided each of us with a kit containing 2 clear, plastic ornaments, one circular, the other Christmas-tree-lightbulb shaped. The kit had colorful toothpicks and beads to make the mini-knitting needles. Contagious laughter filled the room as we attempted to knit a tiny sample using toothpicks for needles! Once the components were made, it was easy to assemble and "Voilá !" We had two knitting-themed ornaments....a great little trinket for the tree, or to add onto the bow of a gift-wrapped item for a fiber enthusiast! Many thanks go to Gail for providing us with this timely and fun-filled program.
Coming Events:
Don't forget to bring, to our January meeting, all the plastic shopping bags you've been saving. Andrée will teach us how to recycle them into a tote bag.
See you at the Christmas party, where Andrée will entertain us with her ukelele playing. lol ....sure to be a laughter-filled gathering! :-)
...October 2015 Part 2: Measuring Up" with Jeri
Old business:
Don't forget.....Christmas party, at Andrée's house, Sat. Dec. 5th... Early arrival 12:00p.m., serving lunch 1:00pm, fun afterwards for as long as we're laughing . Bring a covered dish. It was suggested that car pooling would be a good idea, as it's a bit of a ride to get there. Bring, also, a wrapped tree ornament, for a 'swapping' game. All are eagerly awaiting Andrée's ukulele performance.
Re: Safe House donations, Becky will pick up coordinating this, as Elaine K. has her hands full, at home, right now. Please consider preparing a basket of women's toiletries for this worthy cause and bring it to our Nov. meeting. Also, please, bring any garments that you have prepared for needy children. Items for older children are especially appreciated.
Mary's submission, for our Guild logo, was chosen for it's resemblance to logos for guilds of old. We're excitedly awaiting the finished product when the color is added. Then, we'll figure out where to go from there, to be able to include it on documents, and for sure, this web site.
Current business:
Andrée has accepted the position of program coordinator, with the caveat that she would like help from other members. Showers of thanks go to Elaine K. for doing it these last several years. We've all learned so much from the many programs she's arranged.
An unexpected announcement was received with cries of dismay....this would be Betty's last Guild meeting. Sadly for us, she's moving back to the UK... but she's getting there in style, aboard the QEII! Way to go, Betty! [play on words intended] We'll miss you!... maybe a yarn crawl in England would be a great trip for us to plan..... :-)
Show 'n Tell:
As we have all come to expect, some great projects were shared. Our new member, Deb, showed the Halloween costumes she created for family, crocheted Minion hats. The best laugh came for the explanation of the "hair" on top of one hat for a particular gentleman!
The creativity of our members never ceases to amaze! Lydia, in her sleep, came up with a unique stitch pattern for a scarf!!! Writing it down as soon as she awoke, the results were lovely,... sort of a combination basket weave and waffle effect. Amazing! Get lots of sleep, Lydia, we'd like to see what else you can come up with, ... and share with us, of course!
Donnie has finished the white Bohus angora sweater that needed, oh, so tiny needles. It was softer than a feather. Some young lady should be thrilled to receive it.
Gene showed us the tiny socks he's been making for Christmas tree ornaments. Guys, what is this fascination with tiny needles projects???!!! The socks were adorable, and would fit babies nicely.....if one could deal with that size needles! Gene also showed us a baby blanket square using mitered corners....again the tiny needles! He offered to do a program on knitting mitered corners....needles size irrelevant. That would be something very interesting to know. We'll be looking forward to that!
"Measuring Up" with Jeri, Part 2:
Jeri walked us through the text material she had provided us from the Craft Yarn Council, emphasizing some very useful tips. When asked what her personal choice would be for the #1 most important thing to remember, she said, "Using your own measurements, work out on the worksheet any adjustments needed from the pattern provided measurements, so you'll be happy the way it fits." This writer's favorite tip from Jeri, was to pick a pattern size based on your largest body feature and adjust down from there for the other areas of the pattern. This has been such a useful program for all of us. Mostly likely, anyone starting a project, for their own wardrobe, could contact Jeri for help, when it comes to getting those final pattern adjustments just right. Many thanks, Jeri! :-)
Coming next month....Gail's program on making Christmas ornaments. She asks that we bring remnants of sock yarn, some very small needles, such as size 0 or 1, and a tapestry/darning needle. We'll all be seeing tiny needles in our sleep very soon!
Old business:
Don't forget.....Christmas party, at Andrée's house, Sat. Dec. 5th... Early arrival 12:00p.m., serving lunch 1:00pm, fun afterwards for as long as we're laughing . Bring a covered dish. It was suggested that car pooling would be a good idea, as it's a bit of a ride to get there. Bring, also, a wrapped tree ornament, for a 'swapping' game. All are eagerly awaiting Andrée's ukulele performance.
Re: Safe House donations, Becky will pick up coordinating this, as Elaine K. has her hands full, at home, right now. Please consider preparing a basket of women's toiletries for this worthy cause and bring it to our Nov. meeting. Also, please, bring any garments that you have prepared for needy children. Items for older children are especially appreciated.
Mary's submission, for our Guild logo, was chosen for it's resemblance to logos for guilds of old. We're excitedly awaiting the finished product when the color is added. Then, we'll figure out where to go from there, to be able to include it on documents, and for sure, this web site.
Current business:
Andrée has accepted the position of program coordinator, with the caveat that she would like help from other members. Showers of thanks go to Elaine K. for doing it these last several years. We've all learned so much from the many programs she's arranged.
An unexpected announcement was received with cries of dismay....this would be Betty's last Guild meeting. Sadly for us, she's moving back to the UK... but she's getting there in style, aboard the QEII! Way to go, Betty! [play on words intended] We'll miss you!... maybe a yarn crawl in England would be a great trip for us to plan..... :-)
Show 'n Tell:
As we have all come to expect, some great projects were shared. Our new member, Deb, showed the Halloween costumes she created for family, crocheted Minion hats. The best laugh came for the explanation of the "hair" on top of one hat for a particular gentleman!
The creativity of our members never ceases to amaze! Lydia, in her sleep, came up with a unique stitch pattern for a scarf!!! Writing it down as soon as she awoke, the results were lovely,... sort of a combination basket weave and waffle effect. Amazing! Get lots of sleep, Lydia, we'd like to see what else you can come up with, ... and share with us, of course!
Donnie has finished the white Bohus angora sweater that needed, oh, so tiny needles. It was softer than a feather. Some young lady should be thrilled to receive it.
Gene showed us the tiny socks he's been making for Christmas tree ornaments. Guys, what is this fascination with tiny needles projects???!!! The socks were adorable, and would fit babies nicely.....if one could deal with that size needles! Gene also showed us a baby blanket square using mitered corners....again the tiny needles! He offered to do a program on knitting mitered corners....needles size irrelevant. That would be something very interesting to know. We'll be looking forward to that!
"Measuring Up" with Jeri, Part 2:
Jeri walked us through the text material she had provided us from the Craft Yarn Council, emphasizing some very useful tips. When asked what her personal choice would be for the #1 most important thing to remember, she said, "Using your own measurements, work out on the worksheet any adjustments needed from the pattern provided measurements, so you'll be happy the way it fits." This writer's favorite tip from Jeri, was to pick a pattern size based on your largest body feature and adjust down from there for the other areas of the pattern. This has been such a useful program for all of us. Mostly likely, anyone starting a project, for their own wardrobe, could contact Jeri for help, when it comes to getting those final pattern adjustments just right. Many thanks, Jeri! :-)
Coming next month....Gail's program on making Christmas ornaments. She asks that we bring remnants of sock yarn, some very small needles, such as size 0 or 1, and a tapestry/darning needle. We'll all be seeing tiny needles in our sleep very soon!
September 2015 "Measuring Up" with Jeri
Business before pleasure.... The meeting was very well attended with several new faces joining us...hope they'll make it permanent. Becky and Gene are looking into the future possibility of organizing area guilds into contributing at the State Fair 2016. It would be a great opportunity to foster interest in our much loved fiber crafts. Stay tuned for more info on this. We are still looking for designs to develop into our own Guild logo. Please submit completed designs at the Oct. meeting. Suzanne will coordinate any donations that folks would like to knit to be sent to Syrian refugees. Watching the news this past week, the need is evident. Andrée and Gail will be presenters at the April 2016 Powhatan Fiber Fest. See Anrée for a brochure. Don't forget, Oct. 3-4 will be the weekend for the Montpelier Fiber Festival, of which several of our members have expressed interest.
Show and Tell was rich with great projects. Donnie had an absolutely, exquisitely delicate, lace, mohair scarf designed by Kieran Foley to show. Andrée modeled it with her distinctly modest style. Elaine passed around some whimsical hats, or were they scarves, no, they were harves, part hat - part scarf, antlers and pompoms included...sure to be enjoyed by the intended recipients. Gene showed us more variations on the Wingspan scarf, and will have copies next meeting with info about how to increase or decrease the length or width of this popular design.
And now without further ado... what a valuable lesson Jeri gave us! The most important point she made, was that most people have a unique feature whose dimensions do not match those of a standard pattern. How disappointing to put time, energy, hopes and money into a project.....and when finished.....it doesn't fit! Along with a very comprehensive packet of information: tables, website lists, and measurement schema, Jeri provided clear instructions on how to modify a pattern, depending on the unique dimensions the future wearer will require. After walking us through the packet, she proceeded to demonstrate, using our always willing Guild President, as a model. We then broke into groups to help each other get a complete list of all our own measurements....including, sadly, the ones we would like to forget we have. Click here for some of our fun with measurements!
Business before pleasure.... The meeting was very well attended with several new faces joining us...hope they'll make it permanent. Becky and Gene are looking into the future possibility of organizing area guilds into contributing at the State Fair 2016. It would be a great opportunity to foster interest in our much loved fiber crafts. Stay tuned for more info on this. We are still looking for designs to develop into our own Guild logo. Please submit completed designs at the Oct. meeting. Suzanne will coordinate any donations that folks would like to knit to be sent to Syrian refugees. Watching the news this past week, the need is evident. Andrée and Gail will be presenters at the April 2016 Powhatan Fiber Fest. See Anrée for a brochure. Don't forget, Oct. 3-4 will be the weekend for the Montpelier Fiber Festival, of which several of our members have expressed interest.
Show and Tell was rich with great projects. Donnie had an absolutely, exquisitely delicate, lace, mohair scarf designed by Kieran Foley to show. Andrée modeled it with her distinctly modest style. Elaine passed around some whimsical hats, or were they scarves, no, they were harves, part hat - part scarf, antlers and pompoms included...sure to be enjoyed by the intended recipients. Gene showed us more variations on the Wingspan scarf, and will have copies next meeting with info about how to increase or decrease the length or width of this popular design.
And now without further ado... what a valuable lesson Jeri gave us! The most important point she made, was that most people have a unique feature whose dimensions do not match those of a standard pattern. How disappointing to put time, energy, hopes and money into a project.....and when finished.....it doesn't fit! Along with a very comprehensive packet of information: tables, website lists, and measurement schema, Jeri provided clear instructions on how to modify a pattern, depending on the unique dimensions the future wearer will require. After walking us through the packet, she proceeded to demonstrate, using our always willing Guild President, as a model. We then broke into groups to help each other get a complete list of all our own measurements....including, sadly, the ones we would like to forget we have. Click here for some of our fun with measurements!
August 2015♦
We were missing some of our regulars today, though we heard they are enjoying a special knitting seminar. Can't wait to hear all about that at our next meeting. Becky was also missed, as she recuperates from knee surgery. It was suggested that a showering of greeting cards might take the sting out of some of that rehab exercise pain. Contact Elaine K. for Becky's mailing address.
Katia provided a wonderful hands-on demonstration of felting. Who knew it could all be done on a kitchen table with hot water and soap! Katia showed some beautiful examples of her work, which can be viewed on the photos page. The really fun part, was wrapping a bar of soap in the basic fiber and turning it into a felt covered soap. They make lovely gifts and it was suggested that they cost about $12 in gift shops! Thanks for a fuzzy, sudsy fun lesson, Katia.
Gene reported that the "dressed" stuffed animals were gratefully received by our county first responders. Time to start on a new menagerie!
At next month's meeting we'll be learning about taking measurements for garments offered by Jeri. Be sure to bring your cloth measuring tape.
We were missing some of our regulars today, though we heard they are enjoying a special knitting seminar. Can't wait to hear all about that at our next meeting. Becky was also missed, as she recuperates from knee surgery. It was suggested that a showering of greeting cards might take the sting out of some of that rehab exercise pain. Contact Elaine K. for Becky's mailing address.
Katia provided a wonderful hands-on demonstration of felting. Who knew it could all be done on a kitchen table with hot water and soap! Katia showed some beautiful examples of her work, which can be viewed on the photos page. The really fun part, was wrapping a bar of soap in the basic fiber and turning it into a felt covered soap. They make lovely gifts and it was suggested that they cost about $12 in gift shops! Thanks for a fuzzy, sudsy fun lesson, Katia.
Gene reported that the "dressed" stuffed animals were gratefully received by our county first responders. Time to start on a new menagerie!
At next month's meeting we'll be learning about taking measurements for garments offered by Jeri. Be sure to bring your cloth measuring tape.
July 2015
Maria demonstrated making round face cloths which involved short row knitting. The session was very productive as evidenced by the number of colorful end results shown at the August 15th meeting. Now we know who to go to for help with projects that involve short rows. Thanks, Maria! Gene shared a tip from the Westpoint Guild about making the washcloths. He said that Premier Home cotton has a bit of poly in it, so when washed, the colors don't fade as they do with Sugar & Cream. Good to know as washing is what these items are used for. All these will go to support our women's shelter project. Donation items for that project are due at the Oct. meeting.
Maria demonstrated making round face cloths which involved short row knitting. The session was very productive as evidenced by the number of colorful end results shown at the August 15th meeting. Now we know who to go to for help with projects that involve short rows. Thanks, Maria! Gene shared a tip from the Westpoint Guild about making the washcloths. He said that Premier Home cotton has a bit of poly in it, so when washed, the colors don't fade as they do with Sugar & Cream. Good to know as washing is what these items are used for. All these will go to support our women's shelter project. Donation items for that project are due at the Oct. meeting.
June 2015 Annual Picnic
-The picnic was great fun, despite the heat. The shelter worked out very well, and parking was available right next to the one we had. There was even a cool breeze that wafted through from time to time. The food, as usual, was wonderful....so many home-baked cookies. Yum!
-A nice sized group attended. We had a few newcomers, including one of the canine variety, who was very well behaved and welcomed by all. We all missed Elaine K., who is still recuperating. Hopefully, her friendly, sunshine-smiling self will be back in July.
-Some swap items found a new home, and a wide assortment of colorfully dressed, stuffed animals were added to those we already have for donation to our First Responders.
-Katia proposed that we make Angel Wraps for hospitals to give to bereaved parents after a miscarriage or still-birth. She will be the hospital liaison. Truly a sad but worthy endeavor for us to pursue.
-The bingo-style Knit-O game, created by Andrée, was a real crowd-pleaser especially with the assortment of prizes. We even had a generous door-prize from Colesville Nursery.
-In no time, it seemed, it was time to head off to cooler spaces. Someone left a blue striped folding chair. The owner should contact Gene, who took it home for safekeeping.
-The picnic was great fun, despite the heat. The shelter worked out very well, and parking was available right next to the one we had. There was even a cool breeze that wafted through from time to time. The food, as usual, was wonderful....so many home-baked cookies. Yum!
-A nice sized group attended. We had a few newcomers, including one of the canine variety, who was very well behaved and welcomed by all. We all missed Elaine K., who is still recuperating. Hopefully, her friendly, sunshine-smiling self will be back in July.
-Some swap items found a new home, and a wide assortment of colorfully dressed, stuffed animals were added to those we already have for donation to our First Responders.
-Katia proposed that we make Angel Wraps for hospitals to give to bereaved parents after a miscarriage or still-birth. She will be the hospital liaison. Truly a sad but worthy endeavor for us to pursue.
-The bingo-style Knit-O game, created by Andrée, was a real crowd-pleaser especially with the assortment of prizes. We even had a generous door-prize from Colesville Nursery.
-In no time, it seemed, it was time to head off to cooler spaces. Someone left a blue striped folding chair. The owner should contact Gene, who took it home for safekeeping.
May 2015
-We met at the Rescue Squad and a good sized group was in attendance. Donny and Gene lead a creative program on recognizing and remedying knit errors. A particularly eagle-eyed group found all the errors! The rest of us,....not quite so many, but it sure was fun looking.
-The idea was floated that our group design a logo for ourselves. A tomato with knitting needles in it was an imaginative suggestion. We are all to be thinking of this project and we'll come up with a decision at an upcoming meeting. Becky is going to check back through old records to see if there might already be one. Stay tuned for developments on this front.
-Elaine K. was missed by all. It seems she's still recuperating from her foot surgery. We hope to see her at the June picnic. She'd probably appreciate a card or email, especially if you have info that's missing from this report.
-We met at the Rescue Squad and a good sized group was in attendance. Donny and Gene lead a creative program on recognizing and remedying knit errors. A particularly eagle-eyed group found all the errors! The rest of us,....not quite so many, but it sure was fun looking.
-The idea was floated that our group design a logo for ourselves. A tomato with knitting needles in it was an imaginative suggestion. We are all to be thinking of this project and we'll come up with a decision at an upcoming meeting. Becky is going to check back through old records to see if there might already be one. Stay tuned for developments on this front.
-Elaine K. was missed by all. It seems she's still recuperating from her foot surgery. We hope to see her at the June picnic. She'd probably appreciate a card or email, especially if you have info that's missing from this report.