SMKG Blog

Protect your fingers from sensitivity.
Rubber fingers and if necessary cut a slit in the top for your fingernail..
Thimblettes
Liquid skin or new skin bandages
Cutting tools other than scissors
Thread cutter (round disc with various openings for different threads/yarns)
Finger Nail Cutter
Used Dental floss container
Hand Relief
Use a therapeutic glove. (There are two types, The ones with fingers will also help arthritic fingers ).
Cable holder
Use a U cable hook. Holds the cable stitch and it hangs very nicely to the project.
Use a paper clip.
Dropped stitches
Crochet hooks
Yarn Wraps
Use footies from store after trying on shoes, (old nylons, panty hose, knee highs)
Use a nylon scrubby, cut the securing thread and you will have yards of nylon tube you can cut to any size and wrap your yarn balls,
Storage containers for knitting supplies/Organization
Clear Pencil box from department stores (Fred Meyer, Walmart, etc)
Small plastic compartment containers from Dollar Tree
The Knit Kit
Coleman’s dry mustard tin
Take a photo of your project , date it and clip it to your pattern or put it in the page protector sheet.
Put patterns in a page protector sheet and file in a notebook or file folder by project.
Weekly planner – available from JoAnn.
Sort needles and put them in soft pencil holder bags marked with the needle sizes and store them in a tote bag.
Websites
Cheapest price for any particular knitting book or other books https://www.cheapestbookprice.com/
Crazy, fun and free patterns. https://www.instructables.com/
Books
Cast on/Bind Off by Leslie Ann Bestor
The Knitting Answer Book by Margaret Radcliffe
Help aids
Have Staff (Sit with someone who is very knowledgeable)
Needle Threading
Cut a piece of paper approximately 1.5 inches by the width of the eye of your needle. Fold the paper in half, insert the yarn in the paper near the fold and pull the paper through the eye of the needle.
Fold yarn in half over the needle. Pull the needle up holding the yarn tightly, pull the needle out, keeping the yarn pinched between your fingers and slide the eye of the needled through your pinched fingers and pull up the yarn,
Use pieces of jar opener to grip the needle. (Dollar store item)
Quick hand warmers
Use old sock tops. Cut the top off for the length you would like for hand warmer. Crochet or knit a top edge and add a thumb hole.
Counting your stitches
Copy your pattern onto index cards. Punch a hole in top left hand corner, put the index cards on a book ring. Turn the cards row by row. Mark the card you are on.
Small notebook with a pen/pencil
Use bread wrapper tabs as makers
Wrap per inch tool
Use this tool to know how much yarn per inch you need on your project.
Strickspiel Needles
Use these needles instead of doublepoints.
Yarn Bowls
Use cherry tomato containers for yarn bowls
Wooden Yarn bowls by Ken Howald (Turner Turnings)
Historical patterns
http://www.gutenberg.org
Free Patterns
http://www.ravelry.com – Ravelry deisgners have several free patterns in February.
Keep your project clean
Use a piece of masking tape to pull hair – human and pet hair off your project.
Miscellaneous
Use jell pens to mark yarn or project pieces. Be sure they are not permanent. White jell pens for dark fibers.
Have a cup of coffee/tea or wine and a bar of chocolate.
Keychain with needle and directions for kitchener stitch
I-Pad with Adobe.
Yarn winder and hand made swifter.
Portuguese pin for yarn tension when Portuguese knitting technique.

See about us for more information on when and where we meet. We are open to all genders and levels of knitters. Please come join us.

This Month’s Karen Huntzinger taught us several techniques on mending hand knit items. Thanks Karen for a wonderful presentation. Karen’s Ravelry page is Karen Huntz.

Show and Tell:
West Coast Sweater – Ravelry
Sling Sunburst Purse – Ravelry
Alado Poncho – Ravelry
Nae – Ravelry
Cupcake Hats – Ravelry
Mindless Scarf – Ravelry
Alan Dart Toy Patterns for Advent Calendar
Pisac – on Craftsy
Sock Head Hat – Ravelry
The World’s Simplest Mittens – Ravelry
Ripples and Waves Shawl – Ravelry
Quick Ombre Hat – Ravelry
Tea Cozy Hat – Ravelry

Next Month – You are the teacher. Please bring your favorite hints, tips, ideas, tricks and notions to share all of us.

February Snacks – Laura Wagman and Patty Scruggs

Taffee House can use anything for babies, youths, adults, and elderly. Acrylic prayer shawls for Nita Porter’s church. Prayer shawls for hospice groups – Nancy Campion will get these to the hospice organization. Any type of stash busters which can be used for arts and crafts for Laura Wagman for use with students

NEXT MEETING IS – February 11
AT ARROWHEAD MOBILE PARK
5422 PORTLAND RD. NE,
AT 10:00 AM

​http://www.statesman.com/news/national/year-old-man-learns-knit-help-newborn-babies/gRxsUbp4fFehYbnfWP69aK/ 

This Month’s Joyce Authur gave us a wonderful presentation about socks. Thank you so much for sharing your experience, yarn preferences and tips. Maybe those of us who have not made a pair of socks will do so and those who have learned some new tips. Thanks also for the handouts.

Ideas for presenters, ideas or volunteers to do a presentation please contact Joyce Arthur at the email address below.

Show and tell patterns:
Nordic Trail – Elizabeth Smith
Pedi Harbor – Ravelry
Rustic Panel Afghan – Patons Yarn
Linen Stitch Scarf
L-envelope Shawl
Best Friends Shawl – Sally Melville
Conifer Hat
Folk Yarn Sock
Lindsey Hat

Next Month – Pat Pennock will be teaching us about color

Snacks for October – Sue Munson

Charity for 2016 – The 50+ club, is looking for hats, scarves and mittens. Salem Veterans can use anything and it can be for adults, children or babies. Acrylic prayer shawls for Nita Porter’s church. Prayer shawls for hospice groups – Nancy Campion will get these to the hospice organization. Any type of stash busters which can be used for arts and crafts for Laura Wagman for use with students

NEXT MEETING IS – NOVEMBER 12
AT ARROWHEAD MOBILE PARK
5422 PORTLAND RD. NE,
AT 10:00 AM

This Month’s Kathy Thompson on Mill Stream Fiber Mill gave us an excellent presentation on the processes she uses. Don’t forget she can even do something with your pet’s hair as long as it is 2 inches long. If you are in the Lebanon area you are welcome to drop by her shop for yarn, roving felted fabric..

The dishrag pattern Butterfly Lace is month is attached.
Show and tell patterns:
Panoramic Ripple
Pleasant Valley – Boo Knits Brickless
Sweater from Knitted Sweaters for Every Season
Moss Garden
Fintastic Shark Snuggle

Next Month – All about socks – Bring socks, sock tips, sock patterns or anything else pertaining to socks.

Snacks for October – Nita Porter/Su Fennern

Charity for 2016 – New beginnings – baby items but not blankets. The 50+ club, is looking for hats, scarves and mittens. Salem Veterans can use anything and it can be for adults, children or babies. Acryilic prayer shawls for Nita Porter’s church. Prayer shawls for hospice groups – Nancy Campion will get these to the hospice organization. Any type of stash busters which can be used for arts and crafts for Laura Wagman for use with students

NEXT MEETING IS –OCTOBER 8TH
AT ARROWHEAD MOBILE PARK
5422 PORTLAND RD. NE,
AT 10:00 AM

This Month’s We have a vice president. Joyce Arthur. Thank you Joyce for stepping up. Also thanks to Teresa for also volunteering.

Robin Pollard taught us how to create felted cloth from roving. It was a very soothing and relaxing experience for many of us. Robin did a wonderful job and we thank her for sharing her knowledge and skills.

The pattern of the month is a hand towel found at https://www.willowyarns.com/product/fuchsia+flower+dish+towel+free+download.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=Search

Free Patterns at show and tell:
Ravelry – Moss Garden
Regina Marie

Next Month – Kathy Thompson of Mill Stream fiber Mill will be our speaker at the September meeting.

Snacks for September – Nancy Campion/Joyce Arthur

Charity for 2016 – New beginnings – baby items but not blankets. The 50+ club, is looking for hats, scarves and mittens. Salem Veterans can use anything and it can be for adults, children or babies. Acryilic prayer shawls for Nita Porter’s church. Prayer shawls for hospice groups – Nancy Campion will get these to the hospice organization.

NEXT MEETING IS –SEPTEMBER 10TH
AT ARROWHEAD MOBILE PARK
5422 PORTLAND RD. NE,
AT 10:00 AM

Click here to see the fun we had Retreat 2016

Our speaker for June is Linda Fix with Goat knoll Farm for our June 11 meeting. She has cashmere yarns for purchase, yarn kits and patterns. She will also have roving for spinning or felting.
She will share about herself, her animal care, the process for sheep to yarn. She presents at Sheep to Shawl every year as well.

Pictures of Skeino samples and products

This Month’s meeting we had the pleasure of hearing from Gail Smith about her Angora rabbits and the opportunity to purchase some of her luscious yarns. Thank you Gail.

Laura Wagman is collecting an assortment of unused items, buttons, fabric, yarns, art and craft supplies. She is using these items to teach some young crafters.
You can contact Laura directly or bring the items to the next guild meeting.

Next Month –Heather Lawrence will be presenting products from Skeino. Skeino is a new company. More than 50% of the employees in this company are challenged. We will need you to bring a check or cash to pay for anything you wish to purchase. We can only send one check back but our guild will receive 10% of our total sales for use by the guild.

Snacks for April – Patti Locicero/Karen Lemmon

Charity for 2016 – New beginnings – baby items but not blankets. The 50+ club, is looking for hats, scarves and mittens. Salem Veterans can use anything and it can be for adults, children or babies. Acryilic prayer shawls for Nita Porter’s church. Prayer shawls for hospice groups – Nancy Campion will get these to the hospice organization.

NEXT MEETING IS – APRIL 9TH
AT ARROWHEAD MOBILE PARK
5422 PORTLAND RD. NE,