Knit-Away Day is Coming!

A reminder from Julie LeFevre:  Knit-Away Day is "last call" for the "Cancer Kids" knitting, so she can get items to the appropriate people for distribution at their Christmas Party.  So bring the hats, scarves, cowls, purses, or mittens you've made for the siblings of young cancer patients along on October 22 to brighten those kids who get a bit less attention while a brother or sister is ill.  Thanks for your generosity.
 
Watch your emailbox for detailed information from Beth, including a link to her email address to RSVP, a link to Perfect Potluck to let her know what you'll bring (I think that's a BRILLIANT website/thingy), a description of the Chinese Gift Exchange, and a list of free patterns for Stash Buster 1-Day projects Beth searched out for us.  (What to pick, what to pick?  They're all so tempting!)


Can't wait to see everyone there!  Y'all come!





 

It's September Already

And that means that the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival is right around the corner.








It's September 8-11, 2016 at Jefferson Fair Park in Jefferson, WI.  I've never been but, oh my goodness, look at these pictures.  I've heard tales ...

I might have to fire up my vehicle (with room in the back for too much yarn) and tootle on down there.  Aw, look, a baby sweater machine...

BLKG Members at Artstreet

The Bay Lakes Knitting Guild might not have had a booth at Artstreet last weekend but we had a presence.  There's Josh spinning away in the foreground and Zoe spinning in the background.  Way to represent how cool yarn is, you two.

"Not even a steady drizzle could keep art lovers away Saturday.

“I sold quite a bit of yarn, and I was expecting to sell nothing in the rain, to tell you the truth,” said Josh Steger, a fiber artist from De Pere who owns the Icon Fiber Arts studio in Ledgeview.

Steger welcomed the steady stream of passers-by Sunday as he spun yarn with a spinning wheel in the tent area for the Traveling Treadlers Fiber Arts Guild. He’s a member of the local group of fiber artists that meets twice a month."

--article excerpt and photo by Todd McMahon published in the Monday, Aug. 29 GB Press-Gazette

Tomorrow!

This Thursday, August 18 we'll be knitting in Jackson Park which is right across the street from Grace Lutheran Church, our regular meeting place.  Bring a lawn chair and something to drink.  Yeah, it's supposed to be hot so throw on shorts and a tank top and grab something small and/or cotton to knit.  Come on, we'll be in the shade and there'll probably be a breeze.  I look forward to seeing you there.

As always, if it's rainy or too unbearably hot, we'll meet in the Grace Lutheran basement meeting room.

It's Summertime & We're Knitting Outside

This Thursday, July 21 we'll be knitting in Jackson Square Park which is right across the street from Grace Lutheran Church, our regular meeting place.  Bring a lawn chair and something to drink.  Yeah, it's supposed to be hot so throw on shorts and a tank top and grab something small and/or cotton to knit.  Come on, we'll be in the shade and there'll probably be a breeze.  I look forward to seeing you there.

We Picnic-ed & Knit in Public. Here's Proof.

Once again BLKG Picnic Day was drizzly and overcast and cool.  Once again we met at Echota Gardens south of DePere in the little lodge.  Once again those in attendance had good food, good company, and a great time.  We missed you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Worldwide Knit in Public Day June 18 a hardy band of knitters planted themselves on the City Deck along the Fox River in downtown Green Bay and enjoyed the fine weather (inching into the diminishing shade as the hours passed) and the attention of passersby.  One guy took pictures of our new sign to show his knitter wife and another woman stopped so excited to find some knitters to play with.  (we got her contact info and will invite her to a meeting)  It was such a nice morning that we're kicking around the idea of knitting there one Saturday a month until the snow flies, maybe moving closer to the Farmer's Market to grab a little more attention.  What do you think? 
 

We're Having a Picnic & Knitting in Public

This coming Thursday 6/16 we're having our annual picnic at Echota Gardens 2668 Lost Dauphin Road at 5:30 pm.  Bring a dish to pass.  We'll meet, rain or shine, in the lodge there.  Bring a chair and a little money because there'll be an opportunity to check out his unusual plants and pots.  He'll be closing soon and you don't want to miss something wonderful.





Next Saturday 6/18 is "Worldwide Knit in Public Day."  Join us on the Green Bay City Deck between 10a.m. -- 3p.m. Come any time & stay as long as you like. Bring your own chair, water, and a snack, if you like. We will NOT meet if it rains on Saturday. (That's an old KIP picture but it's all I have.)

Edited to add:  Sally says she's hoping to set up near Hagemeister Park.  Kathy P will bring the Guild's new chalkboard message sign to help get the message "cool people knit" out to passersby.  I'm looking forward to this, it should be a blast.

 **Remember, the GB Farmer's Market will be on Washington St. from Walnut St. south until noon-ish, so plan your route accordingly.
 

Yarn Crawl Tomorrow!

It's finally here.  Yarn Crawl day.  If you've signed up to go or even if you decide at the last minute that you'd like to go, here's what you need to know.

Meet at 7:45 AM tomorrow, April 30 at the WISDOT Park & Ride 05-05 at WIS172 and County GV.  From WIS 172 you go South on County GV, then West (right) on Hoffman Road, and the lot is on the left.  I linked to the WI DOT site, there's a map.

Bring $20 if you haven't paid yet.  Events Co-chair Kathy W. will collect the money.  (Not President Kathy P. or Membership Chair Kathy E. or Member Kathy T.--be sure you pay the correct Kathy.) There will be carpooling arranged at the Park and Ride.

BYO Coffee or Water.

BLKG isn't providing breakfast because we'll be brunching at the Parkview Family Restaurant around 10:30-ish in Sheboygan Falls after visiting Magpie's Cottage at 9 AM.  She's opening early just for us.

Hidden Valley Yarns at GB Frmr's Makt.

After brunch we'll caravan to Hidden Valley Farm and Woolen Mill in Valders where there will be eight vendors for us to shop.  Plus they have sheep!


 









Then it's on to Intertwined Yarn Shop inside Schroeder's Dept. Store in Two Rivers.  They have yarn and quilting supplies so you can feed two addictions in one stop.  Convenient.

Sounds like a fun day and the weather even looks like it might cooperate. Come along!

Are You Ready?

This coming Thursday, April 21 is the due date for our Design-a-thon entries.  And it's the night that we all finally get to see what everyone's been puzzling over and working on for the last few months... or maybe weeks, if you're one of those last-minute types.  Whatever type you are I, for one, can not wait to see what the creative minds of the Bay Lakes Knitting Guild have come up with.

Remember your entry has to include a copy of your written pattern along with the completed entry/sample so take this blog post/email as fair warning--get that pattern written up, printed out, and tucked into the plain brown paper bag with your brilliantly designed and executed creation so that Becky and Janette can display it to be oohed and ahhed over, fondled, and voted on Thursday night.

If writing up the pattern seems like a barefoot climb up Mt. Everest to you, do what I do--find a pattern that you find clear and easy to follow and use it as a template for your pattern write-up.  Using someone else's format isn't copying, it's saving yourself hours of frustration and maybe even a few centuries in Purgatory for using bad language or taking the Lord's name in vain while you try to put down your pattern in a clear, understandable way.

Ooh, I can't wait.

**For those who don't know, I gracefully but efficiently broke my left ankle on April Fool's Day (of course I did) so I've been laid up on the couch for the last two weeks.  That gave me the time to finish entering the contents of BLKG's library cart onto the Guild's Ravelry library page.  There are a few things that aren't in the Rav database but I thought I could scrounge around on the cart at the meeting, take some pictures, and get that taken care of.  I also spent yesterday redoing the BLKG's Projects page, entering them by month and year instead of by category.

In the early days of the Guild they'd gather all those with things to Show & Share for a group photo.  I'd like to start doing that again.  (Somebody please help me remember that on Thursday night.)  It would probably really help Lindsey put the newsletter together and it'd be really easy to put on the Rav Projects page.

If anyone has Show & Share or charity knitting photos, from 2015 especially, please email them to me so I can include them.  We are a productive and giving lot, also darned creative, and I want to showcase our fabulousness for all to see.  

Thanks.

March Table-top Techniques Prep

Thanks to Jodi Schneider, Karen Starnes, and Julie LeFevre for teaching us some knitting techniques at our March meeting. Please read through the supplies and pre-knitting you need to do to be ready for their lessons.

Jodi: 3 needle bind off

• ·         2 separate swatches of stockinette work with stitches still on the needle (about 10 stitches, 4-5 rows)
• ·        A 3^rd needle to match the two needles on which the work is

Karen: provisional cast on

• ·        Bring yarn, knitting needle and crochet hook. 
•      Do not go out and buy a crochet hook if you do not have one – there will be others who will share

Julie: a new type of increase

• ·        Favorite size needles with small amount of correct gauge yarn.
• ·        Cast on 10 stitches. Knit 3-5 rows stockinette. Leave on needles.
• ·        2 Stitch markers

Do You Ravelry?

The program at next Thursday's BLKG meeting is A Beginner's Guide to Ravelry presented by yours truly.  Ravelry is a FREE online place to catalog your yarn stash, keep track of your needles and hooks, keep a listing of the patterns and books in your library, post progress (with photos) of projects On The Needles, show off your Finished Objects, and so much more.  There are special interest groups, knit-a-longs galore, more than half a million patterns listed (both free and for purchase), yarn yarn yarn yarn yarn....  *pant, pant*  Well, there's too much in there for me to encapsulate here.  I'm really looking forward to telling you and showing you enough to get started if you haven't ventured there yet or helping you utilize what's there more fully.

In the meantime, the real reason I'm posting today is to tell you that in order to enter the BLKG library on Ravelry I had to make us a profile page.  If you're already a member of Ravelry go to BLKGuild and touch the "add to my friends" button.  Unlike Facebook, the page holder doesn't have to approve you so when you touch the button you're automatically friends.  I put up a few photos I had of various charity knitting that the Guild has done over the years and think that might be a good use for our Rav page.  I'm hoping to add pictures of the Design-a-thon entries too.



BLKG is already a Ravelry "Group" (search: bay lakes knitting guild).  In the upper right of the main page you'll see a "join this group" button.  I'm thinking that I should start a "thread" where members can enter any charity knitting they've done during the month to help us keep track.  Any suggestions as to how we can better use the group page are welcome.

I can't wait to share the big, exciting world of Ravelry with you on Thursday, February 18.

***Don't forget to bring your sock(s) from last month's sock lessons. Or bring a pair of socks (or one sock, if you're like me) you've knitted before, during, or after the January meeting.  Remember, there will be at least one extra "sock" Knit Doctor there before the meeting if you need help or questions answered.

Some Knitting Days Are Like That...

Karen S. gave me this at the last meeting to share with you.  We've all been there.  I'm thinking "design element."  I just wish I could still get my foot up that high.

Thanks for the smile on a snowy day, Karen.

You Can Do It: Take a Whirl!

Some of you may be thinking that the BKLG Design-a-thon is a place only for the experts to showcase their wares. Although it is a place where the experienced knitter can push his or her limits of style and create something new, it’s just as much a place for the beginner knitter to create and shine.

Don’t wait for the day when you’re at the expert level to enter a project or two in the Design-a-thon. Entering a project now is the step toward becoming that expert, experienced knitter. Just as with any skill, like sewing, cooking, gardening, jogging, or writing, learning to knit better means taking risks and challenging yourself. 

This is why the Design-a-thon has three levels: A, B, and C. You’ll notice that the projects in level A, like pillows and dishcloths are less complicated than those in level C, like a sweater. So take a chance. Challenge yourself. Find a new stitch that you’ve never tried and make a dishcloth, or take that same stitch—make two squares—sew them together—stuff them, and enter your pillow. Try the new skill you learned in November, like the cable or linen stitch, mosaic or Fair Isle knitting, and create a new “something” that you’ve never tried. Make it your own. Be proud of what you’re trying. Be proud of the growth you’ll experience as you experiment and create in knitting.

Remember, on tables throughout the room, your anonymous projects will be laid out with a label announcing the name you give them, so the members can walk around, checking out all of them, and vote for the best of show in all three categories. (There will be both a 1^st and 2^nd prize winner for all three categories.) Another new point about this year’s design-a-thon is that you’ll be able to touch and inspect the projects. So if your project, knitted in one color, doesn’t necessarily highlight the different stitches you’ve used to create it, the knitters will be able to touch it, lift it up, and notice how your cable weaves around your seed stitch background to create a stunning affect.

Go ahead, knitters of Bay Lakes Knitting Guild. Step outside your comfort zone and create! Release the artist inside of you (all of us are artists—that’s why we knit) and share your talents in living color with your fellow knitting community members.

February is your chance to register ($5 a project) and March is the time to bring your projects to the meeting so Becky & Janette can organize them for the April Competition.

Directions to New Meeting Site

Okay, knitters, tomorrow night we meet in our new spot.  We will be at Grace Lutheran Church which is right across Jackson Square Park from our old meeting spot.  The parking lot is accessed off Monroe St. and we enter the door on that side of the building.  That door is locked so there will be friendly faces there to greet us.  If you arrive after 6:30 (when the meeting starts), there is a bell to ring and someone will come to let you in.

President Kathy Potter asks us to "Please wear your name tags to the meeting on Thursday. You may need to show it to get in the door. You will also need it when you pay your membership dues to have the new sticker put on the back. It will also make everything go more quickly if Kathy E. is able to just look at your name tag when checking your name off as paid."


January is the month memberships are renewed.  Remember that dues have increased to $20 and those that joined between September and December 2015 need only pay $5 for 2016.


Also Design-a-thon entry fees are payable this month too.  Fees are $5 per entry.  The entry guidelines were on the blog a few entries back so you can scroll back to refresh your memory.  I hope that nearly everyone gets brave enough to try their hand at designing.  Remember, picking a new (to you) stitch and making a dishcloth out of it is a design.  You can do this!

See you Thursday!

Pay Annual Dues & Sign Up for Design-a-Thon at January Meeting

Welcome to 2016, Knitters!!!

 

We hope you had a blessed and wonderful holiday. It was a Merry Christmas for us, filled with food, family, and fun.

 

As you all know, we’re doing socks in January, and we have a couple of wonderful sessions lined up for you with our teachers: Barbara, Pat, and Denise. If you’re interested in learning how to knit a sock or learning how to knit a sock from the toe up or just coming to the meeting to knit and chat, this meeting is for you.

 

 

However, there is another important part of this meeting that we want to encourage all to consider…it’s time for Design-a-thon registration. We will be signing up everyone at the January (and February) meetings for the Design-a-thon which will take place at the April meeting. (If you’re unable to make it to one of these meetings, just email Becky at smsbmoore@yahoo.com to make other accommodations.

 

Challenge yourself with your knitting—there’s nothing to lose. Choose to design a project from one (or more) of the three project groups. Create a new look, a new stitch, or a new design but most of all, have fun.

 

We will be holding registration toward the end of the meeting, after we’d held Show & Share, so bring your $5 for each project you’re going to enter into the guild's fun & exciting contest. You can enter as many projects as you’d like. It’s going to be a very cool April Affair the talent in our guild is showcased at that special meeting.

 

 

Also, don’t forget it’s time to pay yearly dues. Bring your $20 to sign up for another fascinating year at the Bay Lakes Knitting Guild (those who joined in this fall need to bring $5 for their renewal).

We’re excited for all the wonderful projects that will be coming in for the 2016 Design-a-thon.

 

See you next week,

Becky & Janette

 

P.S.  Check out the new map on the sidebar> so you get to the correct spot for the January meeting.  Many thanks to our new prez, Kathy Potter, for the map.

Getting Started Knitting on DPNs

I've surfed YouTube today and found a few videos to help you learn to get started with them before the Learn to Knit Socks lesson on the 21st.

DPN video #1

DPN video #2

DPN video #3

If none of these does the job for you just check out the videos that come before or after these on YouTube.

I'm getting excited about luring the lot of you to the sock knitting world, are you?

Greetings From the Program Co-Chairs

Happy New Year to You All, 

It’s almost time again for our BLKG meeting although it will be on the third Thursday of the month because we’re moving to a new place. We haven’t seen it yet, but we’re excited for the larger space and the potential to do some really cool things. :)

Remember, our January meeting’s theme is “Sock Month”, where we’ll be offering a couple of different sessions for sock construction and having a demonstration of a sock machine. If you’re participating in one of these, be sure to bring the appropriate materials, listed in the newsletter and past (and future) blog posts. It should be a fun meeting.

However, we just wanted to reassure everyone that there is never any requirement to take one of the sessions. Maybe you’re already quite comfortable with not only basic sock construction but also toe up sock creations, so just come with the personal project you’re currently working on and be a part of the knitting community. You’re always welcome to just sit, knit, and chat with other knitters if you’re not interested in the sessions. It’s always a wonderful night out each month for all of us to be with like-minded “crafters”.

See all of you soon.

Becky & Janette