August 2024 Meeting Recap: Member Tips and Pieces of Quiet with Nan Palmer

by Michelle Myers

The meeting was held on line due to the excessive heat Portland has had this week.

Social knitting was managed by Lori Patterson. Attendees said it was a LOT of fun!

The meeting was brought to order at 7:01pm by Sioux Van Kol.

Sioux acknowledged the land we gather on as traditionally stewarded by indigenous peoples since time immemorial.

Sioux explained our new policy regarding shifting general meetings to virtual when the weather is prohibitive, or we have public health concerns, or we don’t have enough volunteers to run the meeting in person.

Membership dues are half off - $17! Renew today!

Raffle prizes for this meeting: $25 gift certificate to Oregon Flock and Fiber (OFFF) in September, and $25 gift certificate to Sunny Day Fibers.

Mondays are virtual social knitting days 6-8pm! Click in and enjoy the fun!

We currently have about $11,000 in our bank account. Specifics can be found on the PKG website… More -> About -> Finances

If you have ideas for guest speakers, please contact Misty Pacific. 

Volunteers: Volunteers are always needed to set up our general meetings, attend community events, and help as needed. We could really use a web designer to attend to our online presence. 
The Hollywood Fun Fest at RCPPC Aug. 17 from 10am – 1pm; volunteers needed to get the word out about PKG. We could use volunteers to work a table at OFFF Sept. 21-22. Please contact Seth if you are interested in helping at either event!

We have a field trip planned October 5 to Alpacas of Oregon! $15 gets you in, meet the alpacas, and explore some of the yarn on site. After our tour we will stop and get coffee at a local café. RSVP on our events page.

Judy reported on Service Committee’s current focus… CowlABunga!!!

Sue and Heidi from Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival  talked about the festival. OFFF has updates on their social media (FB and Insta) pages, as well as their Ravelry group. Although Albany (the site of the festival) is only about an hour away from Portland, ride sharing is encouraged. Workshop registration is open until August 25. If a class doesn’t fill it may be canceled, so look at the catalog and sign up! Attendees can meet the animals that provide the beautiful yarns we work with – this year’s focus is on Angora goats. There will be 100+ vendors on site, Sept. 21 9am – 5pm, Sept. 22 9am – 4pm.

Please consider entering one of your beautiful handicrafts in the Artisan Gallery. Sue will be at Starlight Knitting Sept. 13 from 6-8pm to look over something you may want to enter. Entry fee to the Gallery is $3 per item. Good luck!

Anna’s Tip – how to cast on a small number of stitches and close the hole made (for example at the top of a lacy hat) using a tapestry needle and yarn… so clever!

Our special guest, Nan Palmer then began her presentation. Nan Palmer is a Certified Yoga Therapist at Abiding Yoga Therapy. Nan let us know that, “The goal for this presentation is to teach you some breathing techniques, some easy stretches, and take you to a place of balanced energy at the end of our practice.”

Nan led us through breathing, sitting tall, rounding the spine (undulating), “waving” the spine, then Octopus fingers, wrists, and shoulders, squeezing the “sit upon” (buttock) muscles, squats, shaking out our hips, then gentle centering… Namaste!

Nan also mentioned the use of small flexible balls, like those use in Pilates (spree balls) as an aide to your practice. She also left Sioux with a supply of small balls for hands; they’ll be distributed at our next general meeting!

Next general meeting, September 12 at 7pm – SWEATER CAST ON! Members will be available to measure you for a sweater that fits ;)

The meeting closed at 8pm.