World Wide Knit In Public Day & July Program Prep

BLKG WWKIP 2011

June begins our summertime knitting in the park.  We meet in the park just south of our regular meeting place.  In case of rain we will meet at our usual place in the Zeimer Building.  (Remember Monroe Ave. is going to be closed between Chicago St. and Main St. until October, so plan your route accordingly.)

Join us for the BLKG Knit in Public Day at our regular meeting time.  (We're jumping the gun a couple days early.)  KIP Day is a chance for knitters to gather to knit in public places so that people see that knitters aren't just gray-haired grannies knitting afghans in their rocking chairs.  Bring a chair, something to drink, and your knitting.  Come knit with us on June 12th and let people see what a group of sassy and creative people looks like.

READ THIS!

If you want to take part in the Knitting with Wire program in July, Andy needs to know soon so she can made sure to have enough kits.  We did a hand count at the picnic but not everyone was there and she'd like the commitment of having the names of those who'd like to participate.  She counted 18 hands at the picnic and only 4 have signed up. The kit will cost a couple bucks and consist of wire and beads.  (If you desire a special color, BYO beads. Andy will email you what size you'll need.)  Andy knitted her shawl pin Design-A-Thon entry with US 8 plastic needles but says you can use any type of straights, maybe not your very favorite ones but she hasn't noticed any damage to the ones she used.  Do not go out and buy size 8 needles if you don't have any or can't find any, US 7 or US 9 will work just fine.  It's a shawl pin, not brain science!  (See me or Andy at the June 12th meeting/knitting in the park for an explanation of that last bit.)  Be sure to bring $2 cash to pay her for your kit.

Please email Andy (put BLKG in the subject line) and she'll have a kit for you at the July meeting.  eastconsingirl (at) gmail (dot) com (without the spaces and with the symbols, of course).

Remember, this is your guild.  If there's a technique you'd like to learn or teach, please email Andy at the above address.


A Note from Our Prez:
I’d like you all to consider running for an office. It is not fair for the membership to lean
on the same 4 or 5 people year after year. Surely you all can see that. New leadership
can only infuse the guild with new energy, so jump on board. Those officers that you
replace won’t leave you high and dry; I know I can speak for them when I say that they
will be right next to you for as much guidance as you would like.
                                                                                                                  --Vicki Jicha

May Picnic Fun & More Fun to Come

The picnic was great.  We had perfect weather to sit outside.  The food was delicious.  The talk was flowing.  The friendships were evident.

 

 

 

 

 
The Design-A-Thon awards were presented with much cheering and applause.  In the Professional category, Vicki won first place for her Alpaca Sweater.  Zoe took second place for her Fair Isle Cable Mittens.  In the Non Professional (or as I like to refer to it, Recreational) category, Beth won first place for her Funky Purse, and Andy won second for the Wire Shawl Pin.  The winners even received ribbons to remind them of all the work they put into their winning entries.

 

A huge THANK YOU to Interlacement Yarns and Spin for the wonderful donations of yarn, patterns and needles.  And a special thank you to our guild for the donation of the Signature Needles gift cards.

Thank you all for making both the picnic and the Design-A-Thon a success!  The guild members voted to have this become an annual event, so start planning your entry for next year NOW.

June Program

June begins our summertime knitting in the park.  We meet in St. James Park across the street, just south of our regular meeting place.  In case of rain we will meet at our usual place in the Zeimer Building.

Bring a chair, something to drink, and your knitting and join us for the BLKG Knit in Public Day.

 

NOTE!!!  READ THIS!

If you want to take part in the Knitting With Wire July program, I need to know so that we are assured of having enough kits.  We did a hand count at the picnic, but I think we need to get names.  The kit will include wire and beads (if you have a special color lot in mind, you may want to supply your own beads).

Please email me your name (with BLKG in the subject line) and I will have a kit for you at the July meeting.  eastconsingirl @ gmail . com (without the spaces, of course!). 

Yarn Crawl-ing

On Saturday, May 3 thirteen BLKG members and one friend met in DePere and set off to crawl through a few yarn shops down Madison way.  Kathy Potter organized and arranged the day, and she did a wonderful job.  She arrived at the DePere Park & Ride with a cooler full of bottled water and a box of fresh Uncle Mike's sweet rolls.  Thoughtful and delicious, what more could you ask?  We got ourselves sorted into three vehicles and set off to Beaver Dam and...

Firefly Fibers which opened its doors half an hour early for us.  Kathy had them draw for a little guild-provided gift certificate and they had a little gauze bag with a tape measure and a few pins for each of us.  Alissa and her husband were friendly and helpful, and she showed us the Hitchhiker Bias Scarf pattern that has been popular there this season.  Firefly Fibers has a wide selection of fine yarns and books in a relaxed, modern setting.












Our next stop was outside of Columbus at Susan's Fiber Shop.  This shop is out in the country on a working sheep farm in a newly remodeled building that goes on and on, with a library's worth of books, rack after rack of yarn (Tracy Schuh's Interlacements Yarn, dyed just north of Green Bay in Abrams, was a feature), roving and fleece to spin, spinning wheels, and looms.  Pete welcomed us, drew for a gift certificate, caught a lamb for us to pet (the lamb was not as enchanted as we were), answered questions, demonstrated spinning and weaving, and worked the register.  We were not the only customers; the man was a whirlwind.







Then it was on to Madison for lunch at The Laurel Tavern where we enjoyed luscious burgers, green bean fries, and a restful sit in a hospitable setting.  (My Brewmaster Burger was so tall I could barely get my mouth around it but, man, was it good.)

Across the street from The Laurel is The Knitting Tree, our 3rd stop, where there was a breathtaking selection of knitting bags and interesting sample knits.  This is also where you find Patternology, which they describe on their website as "our passion for the study, concepts and design of knitted garments, inspired by the hip and eclectic knitters of Madison, Wisconsin.  Presented exclusively by The Knitting Tree."

Our last stop was at Stitcher's Crossing, also in Madison, which is (brace yourself) half yarn shop and half quilt shop.  This time there were drawings for two gift certificates and a short lesson on knitting jogless stripes in the round by one of the staff.  The lesson was clear, concise, and well-presented--and there was a handout.  It was hard to decide whether to buy yarn or fabric, so I got some of each.  I suspect a lot of the BLKG-ers did the same.

By then it was late in the afternoon so we tired Yarn Crawl-ers made our way back to DePere and went our separate ways.  I don't know about the other cars but we made a pit stop in Beaver Dam on the way home.  We needed a little treat after our long day of shopping, riding, and talking.

This was my first yarn crawl and it won't be my last.  You should start saving a bit of yarn money and blocking out Saturdays in early May so you can go along next time.  It was a blast!