Month: September 2012

October — Chirstine from Upstream Alpaca will speak and sell her fiber/yarn.  We should still have time to go over the websites that everyone finds useful for knitting and buying related items and show & tell of course.  

November — will be our blocking class with discussion on blocking wires and which method is best for which fiber type

Thanks for understanding, so save your pieces that need blocking answers for the November meeting please

Well we started our meeting by talking about where we will be meeting in the future. The Mill has raised the rent for us to $700.00 a year so we are no longer able to meet there. We have found a new meeting location — Karen Lemmon lives at the Arrowhead Mobile Home Park and they are allowing us to use their Community Center for our meetings.

The address is 5422 Portland Road NE, Salem, OR 97305.  This is up I-5 to the Portland Rd/Hwy 99 exit, turn right and go 1.5 miles and driveway is on the right. It is just a 1/4 mile before Chemawa Rd. There is a right or left as you come in either way will take you to the Community Building it is Blue and runs at an angle. We need to leave three parking spaces open at all times by the mailboxes so the mail truck and residents have space to get their mail. We can park on the streets around the building as well. I figured some folks will form carpools after our first meeting and then we will have less cars to park.

Here is a link to a Google map http://goo.gl/maps/tGNAL

The room is really nice, it has lots of windows and a sliding door. It also has a full kitchen for our Christmas party with a counter that runs around it. We will be able to serve coffee for our meetings as well.

We are also going to change the time so next month the meeting will start at 10AM instead of 9:30. Our meeting next month will be on blocking so it works out great to have the kitchen sink right there to soak the shawl we will be blocking.

I think it is time to have everyone bring with them any websites they buy yarn at or find videos on how to things for knitting. I have recently been told about a few sites I did not know about. There are many good sites to use to help us with our craft and our meeting is a good place to share that info with others. That would work well for our October meeting.

The Sale/Swap went over well, everyone went home with new to them items. We will have to see what comes back to show and tell made from the yarns and books that were sold and swapped.

The Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival is September 22nd (9 – 5) & 23rd (9 – 4) Clackamas County Fairgrounds Canby. Free Admission & Free Parking. Hope to see you all there.

I heard that when Tracy, from Teaslewicks Yarns, heard about how we were pushed out of the Mill building, she wrote a letter to the Management. She let them know that she did not feel it was right how they did this.  She is worried that we will not want to shop at her store because of this. Tracy had nothing to do with us leaving the Mill building and no one needs to boycott her store because of it. When one door closes another opens and I think this will be a good thing for us. Our new room is bigger and closer for some that have been driving in from north Salem, Keizer and Portland. It will of course be further from those of us that live south but it does seem it is our turn to drive a bit.  Also it is close to the Keizer Station mall so we can all shop after the meeting.

So for next meeting — New time, new address, still same date October 13th. Bring all your web sites and any other interesting info to share in regards to knitting. Also if you have something you want to know how to block bring that with as well.

Well this was our annual picnic had only 6 people show up but I heard the food was great (I actually got to taste some of it, Terry brought some by for me and it was good!)  I didn’t make it because I had just had surgery but I am much better now.  Was sad to hear only 6 people made it, last year we had around 23 I think.

Maybe we should take a show of hands at the next meeting to see if we want to do a picnic next year.  Is it that it is too early for a picnic and on that day we should start later or hold it at a park?

The September meeting is our annual Swap/Sell/Trade event.  The only way this works is for many people to want to part with things, they once bought and now may be reconsidering if they will ever use, and others to want to buy these items.  We will need all of you to come out of the woodwork and be present and accounted for.  Where have you all been hiding?  Saturday knitting at the coffee shop has been a small group too.  I realize the sun finally came out but I still miss seeing all of you.

So, Bring your Yarn, patterns, books and bags/baskets you are willing to part with and come find some new things you want to take home with you.  I have enclosed some little pricing tickets to put on your sale things and we will have a place for you to lay your things out.

October will be training on how to block shawls and things.  I will be bringing blocking wires and mats and I am knitting up a Summer Flies shawl for blocking at the meeting.  People can do a hands-on learning by pinning it up with me.  We have had a lot of requests on how to do blocking so hope all those that want to learn can make this meeting.

November will be the gal from Upstream Alpaca to talk about her farm and share her fibers.

Also start thinking about what things you would like for next year, classes or speakers you can think of and send me a note or email.  Another thing for next year is we will need new board members.  Most of the positions will be retiring and to keep the guild going we will need someone to step up and take their places.  I will be staying, but cannot do it all by myself so, if you would like to help me out here and volunteer, I would be very grateful!!!

Hope to see you all,

Mary Blossom showed us knitted covers for breast prosthesis for mastectomy patients.  Here is the website: http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/PATTbits.html

I just did the Relay for Life this weekend and was thinking of starting my own team for Relay 2013.  If anyone wants to join my team, talk to me and maybe we could make some of these for the booth.

Next month is our annual picnic.  This is held at the mill outside in the upper area on the right side by where the mill stream runs.  You can come from the back side and park up there the gate will be open.  Bring your own chair and a drink and eating utensils and a dish to share.

State Fair booth will be August 25^th from Noon till 7pm.  Need people to sign up for time slots like Noon – 4 and 3:30 – 7 and not all come at same time please.  Please call  or email me before August 9^th (after that I will be on pain meds and may not remember I spoke to you).  Parking is free this year and they are giving us 12 tickets for fair entrance.  So first 12 get in free – call fast

We had new members join, Margaret Burden and Emily Markus.  We also had an old friend come back to our group – Sue Walker, welcome back!

First for July, here is what you will need to have made and ready to go if you want to learn the following types of joining techniques at July’s Meeting. Su Fennern will be teaching these techniques to us.

From Su, please use a solid yarn for samples as it will be easier to see your work. I am suggesting size 7 or 8 needles to allow you to see the process easier.

3 needle bind off – 2 samples of at least 10 stitches and 10 rows knitted on 7 or 8 needles –do not bind off, place on stitch holders, leave about 2 to 3 yards of yarn attached.

Russian Graft – 2 samples of at least 10 stitches and 10 rows knitted on 7 or 8 needles – do not bind off place on stitch holders, leave about 2 to 3 yards of yarn attached.

Kitchener stitch – 2 samples of at least 10 stitches and 10 rows knitted on 7 or 8 needles – do not bind off place on stitch holders, leave about 2 to 3 years of yarn attached.

Weaving seams – 2 samples of at least 10 stitches and 10 rows knitted on 7 or 8 needles – these can be bound off as the sides will be use for joining.

There are other means of joining knitted pieces by weaving depending on the stitches used. You can knit weave, purl weave, garter stitch weave, or ribbing weave pieces together. If you want to try all these types of weaving together you will need to have samples in stockenette stitch, garter stitch and ribbing — do not bind these samples off.

Other supplies:

Different color yarns to use for seaming than the swatch

Darning needle

Extra knitting needle, will be used for 3 needle bind off and Russian Graft

Scissors

We had some yarn donated from Hanna Endresen. These skeins found their way to new homes and some day we will see them at show and tell as a completed project.

Our guest speaker, for June, was Judy Becker, who invented the Judy’s Magic Cast-on. Because our group was so large she was not able to teach us the cast-on but did have her book for sale that shows in detail how to do it and here is a link to a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pmxRDZ-cwo&feature=related done by Judy, or same thing done by Cat Bordhi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhBIS0AhhQY This cast on can be used for toe up socks or anywhere that you are asked to do a provisional cast-on.

Judy also told us about most of the items in her book “Beyond Toes” and had her samples for us to pass around. I saw many of you purchase the book and look forward to seeing what everyone will be knitting from her book.

Another thing she talked about was Jenys surprisingly streatch bind off and here is that in picture form from Knitty http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall09/FEATjssbo.php and also from Cat Bordhi in video form http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abBhe-JYmgI

Now that you know these new cast-ons and bind-offs, what are you going to knit…….possibly something that you want to present at the fair to win a ribbon???? Well then this is your time of year. The State Fair is coming and you can enter your items to be viewed by all.

This link http://oregonstatefair.org/entry-form will get you to the first step of registering to enter your project. Kathy explained how after they have enough entries in a category they will then send you the next step in the process. If they don’t get enough in a certain category they will group some and then you can go to the next step.  This does have a June deadline so don’t wait.

Did you all knit in public during the Knit In Public Week???

Our annual picnic will be in August this year hope you will all be in town to join us.

For our Spring retreat, at the coast, there is only one spot left. It is a double room, we can start a wait list too so if you have anyone else interested in joining us, let them know to contact me. (503) 930-4733

Happy Summer Knitting — and bring it to show and tell next month.

We really didn’t have a meeting it was more of a knitting party for Sheep to Shawl.   It was fun to chat and knit with all of you for the day.  And we were very lucky to be seated right next to our favorite thing – a yarn vendor.  I saw most of you purchasing yarn over there and yes, even though I told Terri not to let me buy anything —- she failed in her duties as my manager.  But 750 yards in a skein was just too much to pass up and her prices were great!   

It is always great to watch the bunny lady that combs the bunny right on her lap and spins it right up.  I am bad with names so I actually do not know her name but see i her there each year and am totally amazed at how she does that. 

Also, Goat knoll had a booth there again this year.  This is the gal that spoke at one of our meetings about her cashmere goats.  There were several other vendors with yarn as well that I did not recognize.  

June we will have Judy Becker come to show us the Judy’s Magic Cast-On.  Everyone needs to bring needles and yarn to lean that with.  She will also bring her book “Beyond Toes: Knitting Adventures with Judy’s Magic Cast On”.  

The Spring Fiber Retreat has one more double room available and we will then take names on a waiting list in case anyone has to cancel by the time of the retreat. 

July we will be learning about Joining – different methods.  Su Fennern will be teaching us Three needle bind off and techniques to use if you don’t like the Kitchener stitch.  Kathy and I can show you the Kitchener stitch.  And I may have taught myself the Russian Graft by then.