SMKG Blog

We had 15 members and a guest at our May meeting. It was the highest attended Zoom get-together!

This Month

Birthdays

Happy May Birthday to:

• Cindy Barrick
• Val Boudreau
• Kathy Goebel

Happy June Birthday to:

• Sue Tyvoll

Guild Business

The Board voted for the Guild to no longer sponsor an annual retreat. If an individual is willing to sponsor and organize a retreat, we would welcome volunteers.

Speaking of volunteers, we need people to volunteer to be officers in the future. Also, consider other needs you might be able to fill, and let the Board know.

We want to encourage people to get together in small groups outside of the Guild meetings. If you would like us to share about your knitting get-togethers in the newsletter, let us know.

Reminder that Tia Purdy is collecting hats and scarves for a Christmas tree program for the kids at her school. Their colors are black and orange, and their mascot is a fox. Sue Fennern shared an adorable fox scarf and provided a link to the pattern. The tree goes up in November, so you still have time to contribute and make a child cozy and happy. Contact Tia or any of the Board members to deliver your items.

Program – Socks and Heels

Wow! What a fun program Su put together for May. We had seven members share about socks.  Thank you to Cindy Barrick, Mary Blossom, Val Boudreau, Sandy Galbraith, Kathy Goebel, Kathi Holt, and Marcia Smith. We enjoyed pictures of socks and different sock heels and how to replace the toes of socks when they wear out.

Some patterns were shared including the Van Dyke pattern from Toe-Up Socks in a Box by Wendy D. Johnson and David’s Toe-up Sock Recipe.  I’m sure there were more, but I was so busy looking at the pictures and listening to everyone that I didn’t get them written down!  Fortunately, Su captured a whole bunch and included them in the attachment titled, “Sock Resources and Pattern Lists.”  She also put together a list of “Sock heels” that lists dozens of heels and some places you can find instructions and tutorials. Not satisfied with a good amount of information, she added two more – “Parts of a Sock” and “Leg Diagram.” 

Huge thanks to Su Fennern for putting together the program and following up with so much great sock info!

Su’s Tips and Tricks

As you may have noticed, Su put together a lot of information about socks for the program this month. She topped it all off with a page of fun facts and tips. Open the attachment titled “Sock-Heel Tips” and enjoy.

Member Spotlight: Debbie Juul, Guild Treasurer

• Who do you knit for? Myself, family, friends, and some charity knitting.
• How long have you been knitting? I learned when I was in elementary school, but once I learned to crochet, I preferred that. I started knitting scarves and easy stuff in my late 40s, then took some classes, and now knitting is my first choice.
• Do you have a particular knitting skill (i.e., socks, brioche, lace, etc.)? Not really.
• What is your favorite knitting pattern? I have an easy hat pattern I like. It is my go-to if I just want to keep my hands busy but not think too much.
• Do you have a favorite designer? No
• Is there a finished object that you’re most proud of? I just finished my first top-down sweater, which I had to frog several times for various reasons. I was pretty sure when it was finally done, I would never wear it due to my experience making it.  But I persisted, recently wore it, and I like it.
• What got you started knitting? My sister taught me.
• What are you working on right now? I am crocheting a blanket for a friend of my daughter’s.  I have no knitting projects on needles at the moment.
• How many works in progress to keep going at a time? Not more than 3.
• Do you participate in any other fiber hobbies? Crocheting. I used to do cross stitch and crewel work.
• What (else) do you do when you’re not knitting (job, other hobbies, volunteer work, etc.)? I do taxes and accounting work. I like to volunteer at my church and at UGM. Of course, I haven’t been able to do much of that in the last year.

Upcoming Events

June Meeting – In Person! Yes, you read that correctly!

For our June meeting on Saturday, the 12th, we’ll be meeting in person in Su Fennern’s beautiful yard at 6383 Inspiration Lane SE in Salem. Not only do we get to meet in person, but we get to shop, too! Su has arranged for Leann Bleakney of Silver Falls Fiber Company and Tonie Young of Butterfly Fiber & Yarn to bring their lovely yarn. They are both yarn dyers, but they use different methods. We couldn’t find a website for Leann, but you can visit the Butterfly Fiber Etsy shop for a sneak peak of Tonie’s yarn. Su is also planning to set up a swift and ball winder for anyone who needs it. Here a few details for you to be aware of:

• The sellers will stay at Su’s from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and you’re welcome to come at any time and stay as long as you would like.
• If you want to shop the best selection, you’ll want to come early. As indie dyers, Leann and Tonie’s stock is limited.
• Bring money if you plan to shop – checks, credit cards, and cash accepted.
• You need to bring your own chair and food and drink.
• Consider carpooling with other members to avoid overcrowding the parking spaces.
• Bring knitting! 🧶

Although current guidance from Oregon Health Authority allows everyone to meet outdoors without masks, it also strongly recommends that people who are not vaccinated and people who are at high risk of severe COVID-19 disease continue to wear masks and physically distance in outdoor crowded areas and large gatherings. We don’t think we’ll be at all crowded in Su’s lovely yard, but please show respect to anyone who prefers to wear a mask or keep their distance. We’re so excited to meet in person!! Also, if restrictions or guidelines change, we’ll let you know as soon as we know!

July Meeting

Program and location details will be shared at a later date.

Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival in October

The Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival has settled on the weekend of October 23-24, 2021 at the Linn County Expo Center.

Do keep in mind that holding OFFF is still tentative, as the safety of our visitors and vendors is our highest priority. We will ultimately be heeding the guidance of the CDC and the State of Oregon as to whether or not we can hold this event.

We had 14 members and a guest at our April meeting.

Guild Business

Business included a discussion about the Guild Board members and roles that need filled. Please be thinking about ways you can help keep the Guild functioning and let Janet Bubl know if there’s a role you’re interested in filling in the coming years.

Reminder that Tia Purdy is looking for donations of hats and scarves for a Christmas tree project at her school. Please feel free to reach out to Tia or the Board if you have any questions.

Program – Where’s Your Stash?

Our program was facilitated by Marcia Smith and included people sharing about their yarn, pattern, and tool storage. One nice thing about the Zoom format for our meetings is that we got some peeks into some of our fellow members’ yarn rooms. We saw baskets, pretty yarn-filled bookshelves, bins, books, and binders. It was a lot of fun!

Su’s Tips and Tricks

After the meeting, Su shared a document with important tips about organizing and protecting our yarn stashes. We’ve invested time and money in our stashes, and it’s worth the effort to keep all the lovely yarn safe and accessible.

Show and Tell

During show and tell, Cindy Barrick shared a lovely knitted Christmas ball from a pattern she found on a blog – www.arnecarlos.com.  If you visit, you’ll need to scroll back a few entries to see the Christmas balls, but there’s plenty more to see, as well.

Upcoming Events

May Meeting – May 8, 10 AM to Noon (see Zoom info below)

We’ll be discussing all sorts of things about socks! Su Fennern sent out questions and is putting together a program that will include Kathy Holt sharing about repairing our precious hand knit socks.

May 11, Newsletter Deadline

If you’d like to share an upcoming event, pattern, or other news with the Guild members, please email Teresa at SalemKnitters@outlook.com. Deadline for newsletter content is the first Tuesday after our monthly meeting. We look forward to hearing from you!

Zoom Info

Join our meetings using your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

• Click the link below and follow the instructions. Your device needs to have audio and video capability.
• Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82622066475?pwd=L2drUXBoSmNIeERHTGZPd2p0dld3dz09
• You may also need this passcode: 227463
• The meeting ID is: 826 2206 6475 (but you shouldn’t need it if joining the meeting this way).

Call into our meetings (audio only)

• Dial +1 253 215 8782 (Note: this is a Tacoma number, which is the closest available for Zoom users in Oregon. You could be charged for the call depending on your phone plan.)
• You will need both the meeting ID and the Passcode.
• Meeting ID: 826 2206 6475
• Passcode: 227463

Resources to help you use Zoom:

Zoom video tutorials: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/206618765-Zoom-video-tutorials

YouTube search results for “using Zoom”: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=using+zoom

Zoom’s support page: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362033-Getting-Started-on-Windows-and-Mac

We had 14 members join our Zoom meeting for our March Guild meeting.

Guild Business

Birthday Cards

Tia Purdy has volunteered to send birthday cards to members and reach out to members who might need some contact. Tia told us all that if we don’t share our birthday months, she’ll just pick one at random. 😊

Charity Knitting Project

Tia also shared about a school project we can get involved in. Every year in November/December they put up a tree and place scarves, mittens, and hats on it. Each of the 300 kids, grades K-5th, can take them off the tree. Contact Tia or Su to provide knitted items. Su shared a great hat pattern with basic instructions that includes size suggestions for various ages that you’ll find attached.

Retreat

Due to COVID-19, Twin Rocks Conference Center could not accommodate our group this year, so we cancelled the retreat, and refunds are being sent out. Contact Su Fennern if you have questions.

Program

Patty Scruggs shared how to make glove fingers, and several members shared gloves they had made. Patty shared that her favorite fitting gloves repeat the pattern of 2 rows of K, then a row of K1, P1. She also shared a link to a YouTube video for knitting gloves with magic loop and one for making top down gloves without a pattern.

Show and Tell

We’re getting a little bit better working with our cameras on these Zoom meetings and enjoyed seeing a whole bunch of projects. I’m sure we missed some, but here’s what we captured:

• Debra Paxson’s Lady Vest
• Cindy Barrick’s Wind Mills Hat, Pioneer Gloves, and Treads Tipless Gloves with a lateral braid
• Marcia Smith’s gloves w/a cable
• Teresa Furnish’s Zigzagular socks and Torx hat

Free Yarn

The Guild has received a yarn donation that we’re passing on to the Guild members. It’s first come first serve, so if you want any, don’t hesitate to email Su Fennern to claim it.

The yarn is 3-ply Persian Wool by Paternayan Yanrs. Each hank is 4 oz with 160 yards, except for the Mixed Lot – not sure how much is there.

Persian yarn is well known the world over for its superiority for needlework such as needlepoint, embroidery, and cross stitch. It can also be used for knitting and felting.

Su’s Tips and Tricks – Weaving in the Ends

A class on weaving in ends could take 2-4 hours, but Su put together a one-pager for us to help make weaving in all those ends a bit more bearable. Thanks, Su!

Upcoming Events

April Meeting – April 10, 10 AM to Noon (see Zoom info below)

We’ll be sharing with one another how we stash our treasure – aka yarn and tools. 🙂
Some things to consider talking about during the meeting:

• What helps you keep your yarn/knitting stash available – organized or not?
• Where do you keep your yarn stash?
• Do you sort by: color, yarn weight, or projects?
• Is your yarn in plastic bags, bags, or containers?
• How do you store your needles: all longs, double points, circular?
• Are needles sorted by size? Or something different?
• Do you have a chart listing which needles you have?
• Do you have a chart for your yarn?
• What is the oldest yarn you have?

If you have a picture or link to a helpful “knitting thing” for stash organization, please send it to Teresa at SalemKnitters@outlook.com by Thursday, April 8. You can also share your screen or camera during the meeting if you’re comfortable with the technology.

April 13, Newsletter Deadline

If you’d like to share an upcoming event, pattern, or other news with the Guild members, please email Teresa at SalemKnitters@outlook.com. Deadline for newsletter content is the first Tuesday after our monthly meeting. We look forward to hearing from you!

May Meeting – May 8, 10 AM to Noon (see Zoom info below)

We’ll be discussing all the different types of sock heels that we use. Su Fennern is planning to get some folks lined up to share their favorites. She said she has a list of oodles of different heels that she’ll be sending out and asking us to share what we use, so keep an eye out for it!

Zoom Info

Join our meetings using your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

• Click the link below and follow the instructions. Your device needs to have audio and video capability.
• Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82622066475?pwd=L2drUXBoSmNIeERHTGZPd2p0dld3dz09
• You may also need this passcode: 227463
• The meeting ID is: 826 2206 6475 (but you shouldn’t need it if joining the meeting this way).

Call into our meetings (audio only)

• Dial +1 253 215 8782 (Note: this is a Tacoma number, which is the closest available for Zoom users in Oregon. You could be charged for the call depending on your phone plan.)
• You will need both the meeting ID and the Passcode.
• Meeting ID: 826 2206 6475
• Passcode: 227463

Resources to help you use Zoom:

Zoom video tutorials: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/206618765-Zoom-video-tutorials

YouTube search results for “using Zoom”: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=using+zoom

Zoom’s support page: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362033-Getting-Started-on-Windows-and-Mac