A Great Party

Last Thursday's BLKG Holiday meeting/party was a smash hit.  There was way too much food and all of it was absolutely delicious.  There were a few hot things like meatballs and cocktail weenies (I love those, don't you?) and the cold things were neverending.  There was pasta salad, hummus, shrimp, black bean and avocado salsa (oh, it was so good I skipped the chips), cheese and salami sticks, one of those veggie pizzas with crescent roll dough for the crust, fresh fruit, veggies and dip,  chocolate cake, cookies, some crazy delicious nut cookie bars, candy, and homemade bread with honey from one of the members' bees.  Mm, mm, mm.

Once we had eaten our fill and shared any Show and Tell, the dishcloth exchange commenced.  This year Andy collected the dishcloths and handed them out randomly so we didn't start with our own cloth.  Vicki read a Knitter's Lament and each time she said the word "the" we passed the dishcloth we held to the right.  There were a lot of "the"s and a lot of laughs and only one person ended up with the dishcloth she bought which she quickly gifted to someone and someone else pulled out a spare for her.  I love knitters, there's no end to their generosity.  Here's the one that I got, don't you love the colors?

Our new President, Julie, has declared January "Mitten Month" because our program will be learning to make thrummed mittens so make sure to knit or crochet a pair of mittens to bring to the meeting.  Instructions for program preparations will be in the newsletter and here on the blog as the meeting draws near.  For now I suspect that we're all too tangled up in holiday prep, baking, gift buying and wrapping, tree putting-up and all that crazy December... well, craziness.








I wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah (today Dec. 16 through Dec. 24), Joyous Kwanza (which starts on the 20th), Happy Solstice, and any other mid-winter rite you celebrate to keep the dark and cold at bay.

Thursday, December 11 Meeting

This coming Thursday is the BLKG December meeting which is also our holiday party.  The new adjusted meeting time is 6:30 PM and I am certain there will be someone available at 6:00 PM if you need a spot of Knit Doctor-ing before we start.

Have you thought about what dish you're bringing?  There are no assignments, each member is asked to bring either an appetizer, salad, or dessert to share.  I'm a big fan of all three so I can't wait to see what you all bring.


















The other requirement is that each person bring an unwrapped dishcloth.  During the party someone will read a story or a poem and when a certain word is read, the cloths pass to the left, or right depending on who's deciding.  By the time THE END rolls around we should each be holding a different dishcloth than the one we brought.  Please do not feel as if you have to make the perfect dishcloth or the most complicated patterned one, a dishcloth made with the simplest, Grandmother's Favorite pattern will be just as appreciated.  I always smile and think of the knitter when one of my BLKG Christmas dishcloths comes to the top of the pile.  Plain or fancy they're excellent for wiping counters and scrubbing plates.  You can never have too many handmade washcloths or dishcloths.


   I can't wait to see you all on Thursday!

Hat Heroines

I stopped at Annie Jackson Elementary School the other morning to drop off some of the hats that Kris and Mitzi donated at last week's BLKG meeting and was told by the school secretary that "we've given out a lot of hats from you in the last week." 

Thanks so much, Kris, Mitzi, and everyone who has donated hats this year!  School kids are warm because of your generosity.

Tomorrow Night at BLKG

**Remember the meeting start time has been changed to 6:30.  Knit Doctor is still available before the meeting starts.

First thing tomorrow night will be Election of Officers.  In the November newsletter Beth sent out last week there is a page with bios of the candidates.  The only contested race is Treasurer so do a little homework, then come to the meeting to cast your ballot.

After the voting BLKG is happy to welcome Melissa of The Green Yarn Company.

Andy says she first became aware of Melissa and Carmen at the Spin-In in Waukesha, and was drawn in by their “recycle, reuse, reclaim, re-purpose” business practices. Come and see all the methods Melissa and Carmen have come up with to help us affordably increase our stash and beautify our projects.

The Ladies Behind the Green Yarn Company

It all started with two friends sitting on a porch drinking wine. Our business was born as a stumble upon of some great ideas two half-drunk women had. To some our concept sounded downright insane, and it still does. But the two of us are anything but normal. If you have read any of our social media, blog, or talked to either of us you can probably come to that conclusion on your own. But don't worry we aren't insane in a creepy unstable way, more of a fun crazy.....

We love yarn, we love fiber. We love to crochet and spin and knit, and be crafty and imaginative. We strive to put out a quality product at an affordable price and to help educate people and help them find what they want if we can, and sometimes it is not in our booth or our store and we are OK with that. The bottom line is, we want you to be happy and satisfied and we know that you will remember that and next time you are looking to buy something you will remember how helpful we were.

Come join us at 6:30 (new meeting time) for a little Guild business and a whole lot of yarn fun!

Knit-Away Day Recap

It was fun.


Not enough info?  Okay.  When we arrived at Chateau DePere there was coffee and sweet rolls to help us get the morning started right.  Everyone was happy to be there, talking a mile a minute.  Kathy passed out the pattern for The Elf on the Shelf, along with a jingle bell and pipe cleaner and a tiny bag of sand to use as a weight.  We each were given little hanks of yarn--red, green, and white--and we were off.






Chatter didn't really slow down much once the knitting started but I heard people helping other people learn to wrangle DPNs and reassurance that "yes, it's supposed to look like that."  Soon the bag of fiberfill was being passed up and down the tables as elf bodies got stuffed.




Before we knew it Kathy announced lunch.  There was such a gorgeous spread of delicious salads, breads and desserts, it was impossible to try every one, but we tried.















After lunch we kept knitting on our elves until time for what Kathy called a Chinese gift exchange.  Each of us was asked to bring a small knitting doodad wrapped but not labeled.  We each got a number.  Number 1 chose first and opened her gift, then Number 2 could either choose or take Number 1's gift, then Number 1 got to pick again.  I think I would have been happy with any of them.

Once the gifting was over we went back to knitting, and people started drifting away.  I don't think anyone got their Elf done but we sure had a good time.  Here's a link to the Wikipedia explanation of the Elf on the Shelf story.  I'm sure you can find the book at your local bookstore or order it from Amazon.



Twenty-three members and one guest attended, almost half of the membership.  We had a good time and will do it again.  You should come if you missed this one.

Knit-Away Day

I hope you're all signed up to come to the BLKG Knit-Away Day on Saturday, November 1 from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM.  Here's all the info you need from Events Chairperson Kathy Potter.

Cost: $7 per person (which you should have already paid Kathy at the meeting on October 9) but maybe you can still sign up by contacting Kathy at kpottergb(at)gmail(dot)com if you hurry, and then pay on the day, but I'm not making promises.

We'll meet in the Vineyard Room of Chateau DePere at 201 James St. in DePere, where there's plenty of parking.  Coffee, water, and breakfast rolls will be provided.

We'll be making the Elf on the Shelf.  The pattern and most supplies will be provided but YOU MUST BRING a set of 4 or 5 US6 double pointed needles and a yarn/tapestry needle.  Kathy said that tweezers will be handy for stuffing the tiny arms so bring some if you have some, there will be tweezers for sharing if you don't.

Lunch will be potluck (salad, bread, dessert) brought by members.  Kathy asked what we were bringing at the October 9th meeting.  Do you remember what you said you'd bring?  Contact her if you forgot or are a late sign-up.

At 3 PM we will have a gift exchange and draw for door prizes.  Bring a thoughtful, useful, interesting but inexpensive knitting notion or accessory.  Wrap it up, NO tag, for a "gift grab" and hope someone fights for it.  (I'm not sure this is exactly how Kathy means to run the gift thing but this sounds like what she said she plans to do.)

It promises to be a fun day of knitting and talking and knitting and eating and knitting and talking and getting knitting-related presents.  Y'all come!


**If you haven't done the River Walk in DePere, Chateau DePere is right next to it.  Consider coming a bit early or staying a little later and enjoy the autumn sights.   
 

Meeting Time Change

Just a reminder:  the BLKG meeting will begin at 6:30 on Thursday, October 9 instead of 7:00 as in the past.

Jane Hansen of Autumn Larch Farm will be our guest.

Hope to see you there!