by Michelle Myers Guest Speaker: Zeb Walter of Disco Fibers (Portland, OR) In Person meeting at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church located at 1907 NE 45th Avenue, Portland, Oregon. 97213. Doors opened at 6:00pm for social knitting. In person and virtual program began at 7:00 pm and there was no entry after 7:00 pm. There were 9 full tables with approximately 40+ people in attendance! Meeting volunteers are needed to set up and put away chairs and tables, registration, meeting assistance, A/V support, the help desk, and to monitor the zoom chat. If you are interested please write to Seth Richardson [email protected]. Seth is our volunteer chair and he can answer questions you may have. Virtual Knit Nights are every Monday from 6-8 pm Pacific Time. Knit and chat from the comfort of your home, pajamas are encouraged. Go to the website at puddletownknittersguild.com and Guild Events and click on the date to join the group. Sioux Van Kol made the acknowledgment of the land we are gathering on as traditionally stewarded by indigenous peoples since time immemorial. Our business members were highlighted and all members are encouraged to support them! Treasury Report: Sioux introduced our new Treasurer, Shela Perrin. We currently have just over $12,000 in the bank. A full treasury Report is available on our website puddletownknittersguild.com under About Us and Finances. If you have questions please email [email protected]. Volunteers are being recruited to show different knitting techniques at Black Sheep Gathering in Albany (OR) June 29-30. Please email Janis Thompson at [email protected] for more info and to sign up. Ellen Silva spoke about our Rose Haven project – initially the project was slow getting off the ground, but as of this writing we are well on our way to meet our guild goal of 150 items (hats, cowls, etc) knitted and available to the guests at Rose Haven in time for Mothers Day. The deadline to drop off items is April’s guild meeting, but arrangements can be made for pick up for virtual members. Additonally Rose Haven has its own knitters & crocheters and is looking for donated yarn (full skeins with ball bands in worsted and/or aran weights, please). Yarn can be dropped off at any guild meeting. Anna Tip! Anna Lorton put together a terrific way of “Picking Up Stitches without Picking Up Stitches” when starting a garter tab (shawls, et al). Sioux introduced our guest speaker, Zeb Walter. Zeb started Disco Fibers in April of 2023. In his youth Zeb learned to crochet, knit and sew. He was accepted into the Fashion Institute, but realized the tuition and other costs would be prohibitive, so he took some time off to do other things. Eventually he was drawn back to knitting and crochet; people began dropping off and donating yarn for his projects and that’s when it hit him – why not repurpose the destashed yarn being donated to Goodwill? (Portland is well known for recycling, upcycling and repurposing a variety of goods… why not yarn?) Zeb carefully curates the donated yarn, airs it out and checks for bugs, etc (hoping one day to have a chest freezer to isolate and kill any critters before resale). Last year he collected 190 lbs of yarn! Zeb decided on the name “Disco Fibers” because “the 70s are back and so is your grandmother’s yarn!” His repurposing efforts are now nationally recognized. He currently has a spot at The Memory Den located at SE 2nd & Stark (central East side). Original skeins of yarn sell for 55% off the original price, 75% off books. Indie dyers’ yarn sells for a flat $17/skein. Zeb collects skeins with or without ball bands, as well as scrap yarn for local artists’ use (which also includes weavers). He takes donated needles and hooks and some published patterns. Zeb works with art teachers and community groups to promote fiber artistry. He is working on obtaining a non profit status for Disco Fibers, so donations can be tax deductible. If you know of any upcoming fiber events or have a guild speaker or topic idea, please email those to [email protected].
Show and Tell was full of beautiful items and included a vest made by a new knitter/crocheter!! If you participate in the show and tell you receive another chance to win a raffle prize. April’s Guild meeting – please bring knitting books and (knitting and other craft) magazines to this meeting. For every item you bring you will be issued a ticket. You will be able to use each ticket to select a donated item during social knitting time. Unclaimed books will be donated to Disco Fibers. There were many skeins of yarn on the “free table” this evening! Leftovers were claimed by Zeb Walters (Disco Fibers). Raffle prizes: Pattern of your choice from Chic Knits (via Ravelry) and a $25 gift certificate to Knot Another Hat. Both prizes were won by first time guild attendees!!! Knit for Food – March 23 9am – 12:30pm at RCPPC Snack and tea/coffee will be available. No need to stay the whole time, just drop in! There will be opportunities to make hats for Rose Haven and door prizes. Find out more about KFF here. April Guild meeting’s speaker is Saffiyah Talley, aka The Drunk Knitter, who will demonstrate two at a time sock knitting. The meeting closed at 8pm with Anna Lorton reminding members to return name badges to the registration table on their way out.
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by Shela Perrin
Guest Speaker: Sivia Harding presents Roosimine and Vikkel - color work techniques In Person meeting at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church located at 1907 NE 45th Avenue, Portland, Oregon. 97213. Doors opened at 6:00pm for social knitting. In person and virtual program began at 7:00 pm and there was no entry after 7:00 pm. In person attendance is limited to 75 people so you must RSVP online to save a seat. Masks are recommended but not required. To continue to be accessible to everyone we will continue to have a virtual format. Meeting volunteers are needed to set up and put away chairs and tables, registration, meeting assistance, A/V support, the help desk, and to monitor the zoom chat. If you are interested please write to [email protected]. Seth Richardson is our volunteer chair and he can answer questions you may have. Sioux Van Kol made the acknowledgment of the land we are gathering on as traditionally stewarded by indigenous peoples since time immemorial. If you know of any upcoming fiber events or have a guild speaker or topic idea, please email those to [email protected]. Raffle prizes for this meeting include $25 gift certificate to JaMpdx as well as a $25 gift certificate to Sunny Day Fiber. If you participate in the show and tell you receive another chance to win a raffle prize. Virtual Knit Nights are every Monday from 6-8 pm Pacific Time. Knit and chat from the comfort of your home, pajamas are encouraged. Go to the website at puddletownknittersguild.com and Guild Events and click on the date to join the group. 2024 Membership: Annual membership is still $35.00 for the calendar year. Join or renew online. Scholarships and gift memberships are available. Email [email protected] or visit our website at puddletownknittersguild.com/membership. To make our guild more accessible, we have a membership scholarship program. To donate towards a membership or receive a scholarship simply send an email to [email protected]. In Memorium of an original member of the Puddletown Knitters Guild, Joanne Hagensick has passed away and will be missed. Joanne was an avid knitter. Bylaws Update: The board has reviewed and updated the guild’s bylaws. The amended version was voted on and adopted. Treasury Report: We currently have just over $12,000 in the bank. A full treasury Report is available on our website puddletownknittersguild.com under About Us and Finances. If you have questions please email [email protected]. Knit for Food: The fourth annual fundraiser for Knit for Food Knit-a-thon will be held on March 23, 2024. Puddletown Knitters Guild will have a watch party for the event. It will be on Saturday from 9:30 to12:30 at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church. This is a 12 hour knit-a-thon and 100% of the funds raised will be distributed to four organizations to abate food insecurity: Feeding America, World Central Kitchen, No Kid Hungry, and Meals on Wheels. You can also join online at nelkindesigns.com and there is more information under the FAQ section. Fundraise and knit whatever you are working on or knit for our Rose Haven 150 item sprint currently under way. Rose Haven is our service partner for 2024 and our goal is 150 adult accessories by April 13 2024. Currently we have approximately 40 items. Please keep knitting and crocheting warm adult accessories for our 150 item dash. We are striving for a cozy gift for every guest attending Rose Haven’s Mother’s Day Parade. Items are due at the April PKG meeting. Please remember to use machine washable yarn. A quick and cozy suggestion is the Checkbox Cowl by Ellen M. Silva. It takes 150-170 yards of Aran weight yarn on US size 9 needles. Pattern is free on Ravelry through April 11th, no code needed (the discount will show in the checkout). Thank you! Guest Speaker for tonight’s meeting is Sivia Harding. Fiber arts has been a life-long passion of Sivia’s beginning when she was 14 years old. She began knitting in 2000. Before that she had been a graphic designer for several years and earned a degree in painting and printmaking. Her designs and patterns are known for being innovative in their use of embellishments (especially beads), shapes and structure. She shared with us the technique called Roosimine and Vikkel. Roosimine is a color work process where you float your yarns as your knit. It produces an embossed texture and Vikkel braids which look like a horizontal line of knitting are complementary to Roosimine; the two techniques are often found together. She shared that you want to be relaxed, so the yarn is comfortably in place. One rule is to keep your floats short, no more than 1” long or 5 stitches. The braiding effect does not affect the elasticity of an item and she said the inlay would not be easily snagged if you keep to short floats. You can use more than 1 color and can use a fair isle pattern with this process. Sivia is widely published and on Ravelry as Sivia Harding Knit Design as well as her own website. Show and Tell: We had a variety of items shown, including a shawl with straight lines, cabled sweater, several cowls, a t-shirt, and a steeked sweater. Upcoming fibre events:
We have a shop at CafePress so you can show your love for Puddletown Knitters Guild. T-shirts, bags, stickers and more to choose from. They are online at in the PKG shop at CafePress (which can be reached from the Puddletown Knitters Guild website drop down menu as well). Next month, March 14, 2024 will feature Zeb Walter of Disco Fibers and he will be discussing making De-Stashing Easy. by Shela Perrin Special Sweater Show and Tell Program In person meeting at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church located at 1907 NE 45th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97213. Doors opened at 6:00 pm for social knitting. In person and virtual program began at 7:00 pm and there was no entry after 7:00 pm. In person attendance is limited to 75 people so you must RSVP online to save a seat. Masks are recommended but not required. To continue to be accessible to everyone we will continue to have a virtual format. Meeting volunteers are needed to set up and put away chairs and tables, registration, meeting assistance, A/V support, the help desk, and to monitor the zoom chat. If you are interested please write to [email protected]. Seth Richardson is our volunteer chair and he can answer questions you may have about volunteering. Sioux Van Kol made the acknowledgment of the land we are gathering on as traditionally stewarded by indigenous peoples since time immemorial. If you know of any upcoming fiber events or have a guild speaker or topic idea, please email those to [email protected]. Raffle prizes for this meeting include a $25.00 gift certificate to Abstract Fiber and Yarn and a $25.00 gift certificate to Weird Sisters Yarn Shop. Virtual Knit Nights are every Monday from 6-8pm Pacific Time. Knit and chat from the comfort of your home, pajamas are encouraged. Link is on the website: Puddletown's Events page. New Year focus: There will be a bylaws update - virtual meeting is January 17, 2024 at 6pm. The board is reviewing and changing the bylaws of the guild. Proposed changes center around term limits and adding the role of Vice President. Zoom link can be found on our website www.puddletownknittersguild.com. If you cannot attend the virtual meeting please send comments to [email protected] or contact a board member. Proposed changes will be emailed and we will vote on them in the February general meeting. Treasury Report: We currently have just over $11,000.00 in the bank. This is typical for this time of year due to new memberships. Full Treasury Report is available on the website. If you have questions email [email protected]. Meet our 2024 Board Members: Sioux Van Kol President Anna Lorton Vice President Simone Heymann Treasurer Michelle Myers Secretary Seth Richardson Volunteers Susan Plack Tech Kate Perry Events Kathryn Gearheard Membership Dana Berry Communications Misty Pacific Programs 2024 Membership: Annual membership is still $35.00 for the calendar year. Thank you to the 143 members who have already joined. Join or renew online scholarships and gift memberships are available. Email [email protected] or visit our website at puddletownknittersguild.com/membership. New Service Partner: Rose Haven will be our re-newing partner for 2024. Judy Anderson will be our new service committee member. If you have questions please email [email protected] for more information. Rose Haven is a day shelter and community center serving women, children, and gender non-conforming folks experiencing the trauma of abuse, loss of home, and other disruptive life challenges. They break the cycle of homelessness by providing meals, clothing, first aid, mailing addresses, hygiene, restrooms, showers as well as educational programs and guidance through medical and social services. By meeting basic needs and building trust we empower our guests to explore long-term change. Our first challenge for 2024 is a 150 item dash for warm winter accessories for adults - hats, mittens, cowls, etc. to be distributed to every Rose Haven guest attending their Mothers Day Celebration. Final due date is the April PKG meeting on April 11, 2024. Please make all items warm and machine washable. Kids items are welcome but they do not count towards our goal. Suggestion is a pattern called Sockhead Slouch Hat. It’s a free pattern on Ravelry. Member Tips with Anna Lorton: Finish your projects. First find all of your projects and take a photo of them or list them all. Second keep non-current projects in see thru containers. Send your tip suggestions or volunteer for future member tip presentations by reaching out to [email protected]. January Meeting Special: Show and Tell Sweaters. Guidelines include naming the pattern, designer, and yarn used along with anything you learned while making it. We shared so many lovely sweaters from members.
Upcoming fibre events:
February speaker will be Sivia Harding and she will be sharing about Roosimine and Vikkel, a perfect pair. Roosimine is an Estonian Inlay Color Work Technique that is easy and produces a delightfully embossed texture that is unlike anything else. by Shela Perrin Guest Speaker: Unexpected Knitting with Xandy Peters In person meeting at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church located at 1907 NE 45th Avenue, Portland, Oregon. 97213. Doors opened at 6:00pm for social knitting. In person and virtual program began at 7:00pm and there was no entry after 7:00pm. In person attendance is limited to 75 people so you must RSVP online to save a seat. Masks are recommended but not required. To continue to be accessible to everyone we will continue to have a virtual format. Meeting volunteers are needed to set up and put away chairs and tables, registration, meeting assistance, A/V support, the help desk and to monitor the zoom chat. If you are interested please write to [email protected]. Seth is our volunteer chair and he can answer any questions you may have about volunteering. Kate Perry made the acknowledgment of the land we are gathering on as traditionally stewarded by indigenous peoples since time immemorial. If you know of any upcoming fiber events or have a guild speaker or topic idea, please email those to [email protected]. The 2024 speaker schedule is currently being developed. Raffle prizes for this meeting include a $25.00 gift certificate to Knitted Wit/Craft Emporium, a gift basket from Knitted Wit/Craft Emporium and a pattern of your choice designed by Xandy Peters. Virtual Knit Nights are every Monday from 6-8pm Pacific Time. Knit and chat from the comfort of your own home, pajamas are encouraged. Zoom links are on Puddletown's Events page. Early Bird Membership Offer: Annual membership to the guild is $35.00. All memberships are up for renewal at the beginning of the new year. If you renew or begin your 2024 membership during 2023 the rate is discounted to $30.00 (A $5.00 savings). Scholarships and gift memberships are available. Just send a note to [email protected] or visit our website at puddletownknittersguild.com/membership. Special Announcement: The Board will be reviewing and changing the bylaws of the guild. The proposed changes center around the board member term limits and the leadership structure. Join us for a virtual meeting January 17th, 2024 at 6pm (Zoom link on will be on the Puddletown website). www.puddletownknittersguild.com. If you cannot attend the virtual meeting please send comments to [email protected]. We hope to have a draft of the changed bylaws ready to be reviewed by the general membership in February and to approve them in an official meeting in March, 2024. Please fill out the membership survey on the Puddletown website under the Guild meetings tab. Service Project for 2023 is complete. We donated 156 items to our partners, Boxes of Love and With Love:
Our service partner for 2024 is Rose Haven. They are looking for hats, mitts and cowls, small things to keep people warm. We are looking for members to contribute to PKG in a fun and joy-inducing way by joining the Service Knitting Committee. Please email [email protected] for more information. Member tips with Anna Lorton: Reverse Long Tail Cast On is her subject this month. Anna shared that the backwards loop cast-on is hard to keep stitches even and that the long tail is really just a fancy backward loop knitted and this will give you very even stitches. Anna wanted to be able to cast on with a perl long tail, so she figured out how to do a reverse long tail cast on. On the 2nd row you can knit into the back loop instead of the front loop to keep your work looking good. Send your tip suggestions or volunteer for future member tips by reaching out to [email protected]. Guest Speaker this month was Xandy Peters sharing his tips for unexpected knitting that can turn into a new stitch pattern or something you love. You can begin by having an idea of something you want to make, but maybe you don’t know how to make it or you might make a mistake that you actually really like. You can be inspired by all sorts of circumstances. Xandy has been knitting since he was in school and when he went to college he started with industrial design. He stresses to pay attention to mistakes and to try things with a new perspective, a new approach. He shared with us that form follows function and that innovation is iteration - once you have done everything, try again. He recommended a book, Principles of Fabric Formation. He starts an idea with diagrams and progresses to knitting swatches with different stitches and said the more you repeat something, new ideas can come up. Save your mistakes and take a picture of it if you are going to tear it out. You can use other hobbies to inform your knitting. Mix your skill sets and expand on them. Xandy offers us a 23% discount up thru December 23, 2023 on any purchases of his patterns just type in winter23 at checkout.
Xandy’s web site is www.xandypeters.com He will be teaching classes at the Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat in Tacoma during February. Show and Tell: we saw some of Xandy’s patterns knit up, sweaters extraordinaire, shawls. January 2024 meeting with be a sweater show and tell to show off your talent and beautiful sweaters and also any goofs or mistakes you want to show. The virtual attendees will be in a zoom meeting instead of a webinar. Upcoming fibre events:
January Guild Meeting is all about the sweaters everyone has made. February speaker will be Sivia Harding and she will be sharing about Roosimine and Vikkel a perfect pair. Roosimine is an Estonian inlay color work technique that is easy and produces a delightfully embossed texture that is unlike anything else. by Shela Perrin Guest Speaker: Overcoming the Fear of Hand Dyed Yarns and Variegation by Ana Campos In person meeting at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church located at 1907 NE 45th Avenue, Portland, Oregon. 97213. Doors opened at 6:00 pm for social knitting. In person and virtual program began at 7:00 pm and there was no entry after 7:00pm. In person attendance is limited to 75 people so you must RSVP online to save a seat. Masks are recommended but not required. To continue to be accessible to everyone we will continue to have a virtual format. Meeting volunteers are needed to set up and put away chairs and tables, registration, meeting assistance, A/V support, the help desk and to monitor the zoom chat. If you are interested please write to [email protected]. Seth is our volunteer chair and he can answer any questions you may have about volunteering. Kate Perry made the acknowledgment of the land we are gathering on as traditionally stewarded by indigenous peoples since time immemorial. 2023 membership from July through December is $17.50. Annual membership is $35.00. All memberships are up for renewal at the beginning of the new year. If you renew or begin your 2024 membership during 2023 the rate is discounted to $30.00. Scholarships and gift memberships are available. Just send a note to [email protected] or visit our website at puddletownknittersguild.com/membership. If you know of any upcoming fiber events or have a guild speaker or topic idea, please email those to [email protected]. Raffle prizes for this meeting are $25.00 gift certificates brought to us from Starlight Knitting Society and Weird Sisters Yarn Shop in St. John’s. Virtual Knit Nights are every Monday from 6-8 pm Pacific Time. Knit and chat from the comfort of your own home, pajamas are encouraged. Zoom links are on Puddletown's Events page. We voted on the Puddletown Knitters Guild board candidates for 2024 and the slate was approved by members as follows: Sioux Van Kol for President 2024 Michelle Meyers for Secretary 2024-2025 Simone Heymann for Treasurer 2024 Anna Lorton for At Large Board Member, Vice President 2024 Kate Perry for At Large Board Member, Events Chair 2024 Susan Plack for At Large Board Member, Tech Chair 2024-2025 Seth Richardson for At Large Board Member, Volunteer Chair 2024 Member Tips were brought to us by Kate Perry who presented two separate ways to weave in ends on our projects as we knit instead of going back after the project is completed. Per Weaven Stephen (Stephen West's method) you can weave in by wrapping the new yarn around the old for several stitches. Also you can catch the old yarn every other stitch via the Xandy Peters’ method. Both are demonstrated on YouTube as well. Send your tip suggestions or volunteer for future member tips by reaching out to [email protected]. The official Service Project for 2023 is Knitting for Foster Families for our partners Boxes of Love and With Love. Thank you to all for the contributions of knit stuffed animals and dolls for the challenge. Please help us find our 2024 partner. Do you know of an organization we could serve? Email Ellen at [email protected].
Guest Speaker: Ana Campos talks to us about overcoming the fear of hand dyed yarns and variegation. Ana is an indie dyer and shop owner located in Salem, Massachusetts. She was born in Sa`o Paulo, Brazil. She is a founding member of Vogue Knittings’s Diversity Advisory Council and is committed to increasing equity and access in the fiber world. As a teacher she strives to empower her students to create pieces they love. Her topics included the following: Controlled or planned pooling Pooling and flashing Types of patterns that discourage pooling How to measure your repeats How to deal with the cast-on Types of hand dying Color theory Contrast & Saturation Myth of Self-Striping Calculating the magic number for repeats Hand Dyed vs machine dyed How to see the contrast of different colors Charting how your colors will pool Ana will be on the West Coast in February for the Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat. Her contacts: websites: circleofstitches.com and toil-and-trouble.com On Instagram: @toiltrouble and @circlestitches Upcoming fibre events:
Show and Tell: We had a plethora of lovely knitted items shown today. A market bag, two, shawls, a vest knitted side to side, three pull-over sweaters and one cardigan along with two hats. Next month Xandy Peters will present Unexpected Knitting. by Shela Perrin Guest Speaker: Bling Your Knits! By Laura Nelkin - this is a deep dive into the multiple ways you can add beads to your knitting. In person meeting was at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church located at 1907 NE 45th Avenue, Portland, Oregon. Doors opened at 6:00pm for social knitting. In person and virtual program began at 7:00pm and there was no entry after 7:00pm. In person attendance is limited to 75 people so you must RSVP online to save a seat. Masks are recommended but not required. In order to be accessible to everyone, we will continue to have a virtual format. Meeting volunteers are needed to set up and put away chairs and tables, registration, meeting assistants, A/V support, the help desk, and to monitor the zoom chat. If you are interested, please write to [email protected]. Seth is our volunteer chair and he can answer any questions you may have about volunteering. Kate Perry made the acknowledgment of the land we are gathering on as traditionally stewarded by Indigenous peoples since time immemorial. 2023 membership that begins July and going forward are subject to dues pro-rated to $17.50 for the remainder of the year. All memberships are up for renewal at the beginning of the new year. Scholarships and Gift Memberships are available, just send a note to [email protected] or visit our website at puddletownknittersguild.com/membership. If you know of any upcoming fiber events or have a guild speaker or topic idea, please email those to [email protected]. Raffle prize for this meeting is Woolfolk Fall 23 Ebook for both virtual and in person raffles. Winners please contact a board member with your email address so the prize can be sent to you. Virtual Knit Nights are every Monday 6-8pm Pacific Time - knit and chat from the comfort of your own home, pajamas are encouraged. The Stephen West Mystery Knit Along began October 8th, continues October 15, 22nd, and 29th from 7-9pm. The zoom link is on puddletown's website. Information about the MKAL itself can be found at www.Stephenandpenelope.com/pages/faq-MKAL. Puddletown Knitters Guild presents the board candidates for 2024: Sioux Van Kol - President Simone Heymann - Treasurer Anna Lorton - Member at Large, Vice President Michelle Myers - Secretary Kate Perry - Member at Large, Events Chair Susan Plack - Member at Large, Tech Chair Seth Richardson - Member at Large, Volunteer Chair There will be voting for the above slate in the November meeting. The official Service Project for 2023 is knitting for Foster Children and families for our partners, Boxes of Love and With Love. Baby blanket challenge is ongoing until the November meeting. Thank you to all for the knitters’ contributions. Diverse Dolls Prize Winners: 1st prize goes to Ann Howell and 2nd prize goes to Caroline Barnes. Thanks for everyone who knit stuffed animals and dolls for the challenge! Help us find our 2024 partner. Do you know of an organization we could serve? Email Ellen at [email protected]. Member tips with Anna Lorton presented a tutorial on seaming live stitches. It was suggested it was called Russian Grafting and can be used as an alternative to Kitchener Stitch. It is done using a crochet hook and is quick and easy to do. Send your tip suggestions or volunteer for future member tips by reaching out to [email protected]. Laura Nelkin presented Bling Your Knits!
Laura introduced us to knitting with beads showing us multiple ways to add them to our knit items. We learned how to place beads with a crochet hook or super floss, how to work with pre-strung beads in a variety of ways. She shared with us how to choose beads and yarn along with how to look at an existing pattern in your library and add beads to it. She also included a Beading 101 pdf with all the information she shared with us. Laura offered us a 15% discount off all her kits and patterns. Use the code PUDDLE2023 at checkout, good through October 17th. For more information her website is nelkindesigns.com. You can also find her on Etsy (nelkindesigns.com/kits), or Ravelry (nelkindesigns.com/patternsrav). Join her mailing list. Her Ravelry group is nelkindesigns.com/Ravelry. Show and Tell - In person participants brought finished items with pattern name and yarn details handy. Limit to one item per meeting. Virtual attendees, submit your photos, include your pattern name, yarn details and anything special about your project. Email your photos to [email protected]. A shawl collar sweater topped the list at this meeting. We also saw a giant rainbow shawl, a KAL shawl, Frog and Toad with pants, an Icelandic wool green sweater. Another sweater with texture and lace and a gold and green shawl. Upcoming fibre events:
Next Month Ana Campos presents Overcoming the Fear of Hand Dyed Yarns and Variegation. by Shela Perrin
Instead of a guest speaker the September meeting featured a sweater cast-on party. Kate Perry shared the myriad of things to consider before knitting a sweater. Fellow members advised on measurements, gauge, pattern and yarn choice, technique tips, and more. There were snacks and refreshments for those attending in person. In person meeting at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church located at 1907 NE 45th Avenue, Portland, Or 97213. Doors opened at 6:00pm for in person social knitting and zoom participants were in a meeting instead of a webinar so they could interact with each other beginning at 6:30pm for social knitting. In person and virtual program begins at 7:00pm and there was no entry after 7:00pm. In person attendance is limited to 75 people so you must RSVP online to save a seat. Masks are strongly recommended but not required. To continue to be accessible to everyone we will continue to have a virtual format. Kate Perry made the acknowledgement that the land we gather on today rests on traditional village sites of indigenous peoples as they are the traditional stewards of the land since time immemorial. Currently there are three Board Member volunteer positions - Vice President, Secretary, and At Large positions. If you are interested please contact [email protected] before their October board meeting. Meeting volunteers are needed to set up and put away chairs and tables, registration, meeting assistants, A/V support, the help desk, and to monitor the zoom chat. If you are interested please write to [email protected]. You can sign up for one single shift or commit to a position for the rest of the year. Seth is our volunteer chair and he can answer any questions you may have about volunteering. 2023 membership that begins July and going forward are subject to dues pro-rated to $17.50 for the remainder of the calendar year. All memberships are up for renewal at the beginning of the new year. Scholarships and gift memberships are available, just send a note to [email protected] or visit our website at puddletownknittersguild.com/membership. If you know of any upcoming fiber events or have a guild speaker or topic idea, please email those to [email protected]. Raffle prizes for virtual participants of this meeting include a $35.00 Tumalo Fiber Gift Certificate, Tin Can Knits' Strange Brew E-book, or one of their sweater patterns of your choice up to $15.00. Raffle prizes for in-person participants include a Tumalo Fiber Gift Certificate in the amount of $35.00, a set of Fair Isle Pint Glasses, or yarn! Puddletown's meetup for the Stephen West Mystery Knit Along for 2023 is on Zoom Sunday October 8, 15, 22 and 29th from 7-9pm. Zoom links are on Puddletown's Events page. If you want to participate, you'll need to purchase the pattern from Ravelry. Further information about the MKAL itself can be found at https://www.Stephenandpenelope.com/pages/faq-mkal. Virtual knit nights are every Monday from 6-8 pm Pacific time - knit and chat from the comfort of your own home, pajamas are encouraged. Zoom links are on Puddletown's Events page. Service Project still ongoing: Diverse Dolls for Foster Kids. Dolls were due at September meeting or email a photo to [email protected] to arrange a pick up. Prize winners will be announced in October. Other cozy items are also welcome. Baby blanket challenge continues until November. Help us find our 2024 Service Project Partner! Do you know of an organization we could serve? Please email Ellen with ideas at [email protected]. Loose Ends is an organization committed to finishing projects loved one left behind. Contact them if you need a project finished or if you have time to give and you can finish a project. You can register at www.looseendsproject.org and get more information. Member tip suggestions or to volunteer to share tips please email [email protected]. Show and tell sweaters large and small were brought to us by Kate Perry and Susan Plack. In person participants bring finished items with pattern name and yarn details. Limit one item per meeting. Virtual attendees, submit your photos, including your pattern name, yarn details and anything special about the project. Email your photos to [email protected] by Tuesday evening before our Thursday meeting. In lieu of a guest speaker Kate Perry shared a fabulous array of tips at our September Sweater Cast-on Party! How to choose a pattern, places to find sources of inspiration, discerning what pattern elements are preferred, ways to filter our searches on Ravelry, choosing the best yarn for our project, swatching, measurement taking and tools for success. In person participants had stations to visit and the virtual participants took part in a zoom meeting to share information. Also refreshments were served, and a library of resources was shared. Guest Speaker next month will be Laura Nelken presenting Bling Your Knits! She will take a deep dive into all the ways you can add beads to your knitting. Laura is a prolific and innovative knitwear designer with a passion for knitting with beads. Upcoming fibre events:
by Shela Perrin Guest Speaker: Sámi Knitting with Laura Ricketts - Drawing on 10 years of research Laura will acquaint the audience with the subsets of Sámi culture, Sámi knitting and some regional differences in patterns and practice. In Person meeting at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church located at 1907 NE 45th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97213. Doors opened at 6:00 pm for social knitting. In person and virtual program began at 7:00 pm. In person attendance is limited to 75 people so you must RSVP online to save a seat. Masks are recommended but not required. To continue to be accessible to everyone we will continue to have a virtual format. Meeting volunteers are needed to set up and put away chairs and tables, registration, meeting assistants, A/V support, the help desk and to monitor the zoom chat. If you are interested please write to [email protected]. Seth is our new volunteer chair and he can answer any questions you may have about volunteering. Kate Perry made the acknowledgment of the land we are gathering on as traditionally stewarded by indigenous peoples since time immemorial. 2023 membership that begins July and going forward are subject to dues pro-rated to $17.50 for the year. All memberships are up for renewal at the beginning of the new year. Scholarships and Gift Memberships are available just send a note to [email protected] or visit our website at puddletownknittersguild.com/membership. If you know of any upcoming fiber events or have a guild speaker or topic idea, please email those to [email protected]. Raffle prize for this meeting is a $25.00 gift certificate to Sunny Day Fibers, one of our business members. Virtual Knit Nights are every Monday from 6-8 pm Pacific Time - knit and chat from the comfort of your own home, pajamas are encouraged. Visit the Events page for that week's link. The official Service Project for 2023 is knitting for Foster children and families for our partners Boxes of Love and With Love. The Summer Sprint Challenge is diverse skin tone dolls for Foster kids! Baby blanket challenge is ongoing all year long. Dolls are due by September meeting in person or email a photo to [email protected]. Dolls earn two entries and non-doll stuffed animals earn one entry in the random drawing for prizes. Create dolls of any size using your fiber art of choice. Dolls with darker skin tones are especially needed. Machine-washable yarns preferred, think toddler toys. Play it safe, use safety eyes or embroider facial features. It is also time to start thinking about what organization we’d like to serve next year. Please send your ideas to [email protected]. Bonus for all service knitters! Free patterns courtesy of designer, Susan B. Anderson. Patterns include Mary, Millie & Morgan plus Flower Fairy and Leaf Sprite Mermaids. Request your pattern by emailing [email protected] and confirm you are participating in the Diverse Dolls Challenge and agree that you won’t share the free patterns outside of the guild. You can also check our Ravelry group for other pattern suggestions. Member Tips with Anna Lorton was presented at the meeting. Please send your tip suggestions or volunteer for future member tips by reaching out to [email protected]. Guest Speaker: Laura Ricketts presented Discovering the Wonderful World of Sámi Knitting. Laura shared with us her in depth knowledge of Sámi Knitting as well as a wonderful and historical account of the lives and traditions of various Sámi people. The Sámi are Scandinavia’s only UN-recognized indigenous people. On the fringe of European society, their knitting tradition has been largely unknown or ignored. Nevertheless, Sámi knitting is a small microcosm of a beautiful, unique textile tradition. Laura is a Lead Fiber Art instructor at North House Folk School, where traditional craft is taught on the shore of Lake Superior. She has written an ebook, Discover the Wonderful World of Sámi Knitting, available online. This ebook from PieceWork is a pdf with five mitten patterns inspired by the indigenous peoples of Norway, Finland and Sweden. The book offers an in-depth look at the Sámi people and their knitting techniques, including ribbing, using tassels and Pom-poms, etc. Each pattern has a story about customs of the Sami people who first made them.
Contact: laurarickettsdesigns.com [email protected] Show and Tell: In person participants brought finished items with pattern name and yarn details handy. Limit to one item per meeting. Virtual attendees, submit your photos, induced your pattern name, yarn details anything special about the project. Email your photos to [email protected] before you go to bed on Tuesday before the next meeting. NOTE: September meeting will be a Sweater Cast-On Party instead of the usual presentation. Fellow members to help with measurements and gauge. Snacks and refreshments will be available. Virtual attendees will be in a meeting, not a webinar, so will be able to interact with each other. Board member pattern recommendations: Scrappy Cardigan by Safiyyah Talley Spearheads by Jared Flood Dog Star by Tin Can Knits Strange Brew by Tin Can Knits Featherweight Cardigan by Hannah Fettig Coffee Bean Cardigan by Elizabeth Smith Upcoming fibre events:
PKG Gear is available at CafePress. T-shirts, bags, stickers and more to choose from, you’re bound to find something you like. July 2023 Meeting Recap: Member Tips and Tian Connaughton presents Swatching Beyond the Gauge7/14/2023 by Shela Perrin Guest Speaker: Tian Connaughton presents Swatch: Beyond the Gauge. Tian showed us how valuable swatching is to the outcome of our projects. July was a hybrid meeting with the in person meeting at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church located at 1907 NE 45th Ave, in Portland, Or. Doors opened at 6:00pm for social knitting. In person and virtual program began at 7:00pm. Masks were recommended but not required. In person attendance is limited to 75 people so you must RSVP online to save a seat. To continue to be accessible to everyone we will continue to have a virtual format. Meeting volunteers are needed to set up and put away chairs and tables, registration, meeting assistants, A/V Support, the Help Desk, and to monitor the zoom chat. If you are interested please write to [email protected]. Seth is our new volunteer chair and he can answer any questions you may have about volunteering. Kate Perry made the acknowledgment of the land we are gathering on as traditionally stewarded by indigenous peoples since time immemorial. 2023 Membership that begins in July dues are pro-rated to $17.50 for the year. All memberships are up for renewal at the beginning of the new year. Scholarships and Gift Memberships are available just send a note to [email protected] or visit our website membership page. Raffle prizes for this meeting are copies of the book by Tian Connaughton, Cardigans for Everybody. If you know of any upcoming fiber events or have a guild speaker or topic ideas please email them to [email protected]. Virtual Knit Nights are every Monday from 6-8pm Pacific - knit and chat from the comfort of your own home, pajamas are encouraged. Go to the events page for the link The official Service Project for 2023 is knitting for foster children and families for our partners Boxes of Love and With Love. The Summer Sprint Challenge is diverse skin tone dolls for Foster Kids! Baby blanket challenge is ongoing all year long. Dolls are due by September meeting in person or email a photo to [email protected]. Dolls earn two entries and non-doll stuffed animals earn one entry in the random drawing for prizes. Create dolls of any size using your fiber art of choice. Dolls with darker skin tones are especially needed. Machine-washable yarns preferred, think toddler toys. Play it safe, use safety eyes or embroider facial features. It is also time to start thinking about what organization we’d like to serve next year. Please send your ideas to [email protected]. Bonus for all service knitters! Free patterns courtesy of designer, Susan B. Anderson. Patterns include Mary, Millie & Morgan plus Flower Fairy and Leaf Sprite Mermaids. Request your pattern by emailing [email protected] and confirm you are participating in the Diverse Dolls challenge and agree that you won’t share the free patterns outside of the guild. You can also check our Ravelry group for other pattern suggestions. Member tips with Anna Lorton - Best Friends - two tools that are handy to have together in your working bag are a tapestry needle and scissors. Anna suggested we get a small dot magnet to hold them together or if they are non-magnetic you can use a pin marker that will probably fit through the eye of the needle to keep them close at hand. Please send your tip suggestions or volunteer for future member tips by reaching out to [email protected]. Guest Speaker: Tian Connaughton author of Cardigans for Everybody is also a designer and tech editor. Tian described to us the art of swatching with tips and tricks beyond measuring gauge. She suggested making multiple swatches with different needles and sizes. Be sure to use the same needle you are using on your project when you produce a swatch. By doing a larger swatch you learn the pattern of your stitch and how your yarn behaves. Measure several places on the swatch to see how your knitting changes. If you will be working in the round make the swatch in the round. You don’t need to cut the yarn, just give ample amounts around the back so if you want to take your swatch apart and use the yarn you can. Also wash the swatch the same way you will wash the garment. After you make the swatch let it rest a few hours or even a few days allowing it to relax and return to its natural size. Measure before and after blocking. Also you can weigh on a food scale before you wash and then weigh after. If you are making multiple swatches don’t cut the yarn so you can undo the swatch if you need the yardage. You can use your swatch to calculate yardage needed for your project. Measure length by width and that will equal the area. You can also weigh and see how many grams you will need. Always add 10% to your total yardage just to be sure you have enough. Tian suggested we explore and play, making mistakes, practicing new stitches. Track your progress in a notebook so you can go back and review later if needed. Once you have the swatch carry it with you to see if it balls up or how it will respond to wear. Tian can be reached at her website tianconnaughton.com Show and Tell: On display was a Playful Shawl, a Jr. sweater, a rock it Tshirt and a summer sweater. Also some photos of many dog stuffed animals. In person participants bring your finished items and have your pattern name and yarn details ready. Limit to one item per meeting. Virtual attendees, submit your photos, include your pattern name, yarn details and anything special about the project. Email your photos to [email protected] before you go to bed on Tuesday before the meeting.
Upcoming fibre events:
The fire alarm went off and the meeting participants were evacuated. Everyone was ok, meeting was adjourned. Next month Laura Ricketts presents “Discover the Wonderful World of Sami Knitting”. Teaser for September meeting: Fall Sweater Cast On Party. by Shela Perrin June was a hybrid meeting with the in person meeting at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church located at 1907 NE 45th Ave, in Portland, Or. Doors opened at 6:00pm for social knitting. In person and virtual program began at 7:00pm. Masks were recommended but not required. To continue to be accessible to everyone we will continue to have a virtual format. Meeting volunteers are needed to set up and put away chairs and tables, set up AV equipment before meetings, greet other members, and help monitor the zoom chat. If you are interested write to info@puddletownknittersguild.com. Acknowledgment was made that the land we are gathering on was traditionally stewarded by Indigenous peoples since time immemorial. 2023 membership is available for 1/2 the year after July 1st in the amount of $17.50. You can join or renew online. Scholarships and Gift memberships are available. Go to membership page for links to pay and more details. If you know if any upcoming fiber events or have guild speaker or topic ideas please email: [email protected]. Virtual Knit Nights are every Monday evening from 6-8pm Pacific time. Knit and chat from the comfort of your own home. Pajamas are encouraged. Raffle prizes given to on line participants are: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes 100% Peruvian Highland Wool - 6 skeins of brass heather and 3 skeins of bouquet heather Knit Picks Paragon 50% Merino, 25% Alpaca & 25% Silk - 6 skeins of Breeze Raffle prizes given to in person participants are: Brooklyn Tweed Arbor 100% American Targhee Wool - 3 skeins of Firebrush Mystery Alpaca and silk lace weight yarn - 3 skeins Service Project - Summer Sprint Challenge - Diverse Dolls for Foster Kids! Baby blanket challenge is year long. Create dolls of any size using your fiber of choice. Dolls with darker skin tones are especially needed. Machine washable yarns strongly preferred - think toddler toys. Please play it safe use safety eyes or embroider facial features. Dolls are due by September meeting in person or email a photo to [email protected]. Dolls earn 2 entries and non-doll stuffed animals earn 1 entry in the random drawing for prizes. We happily accept other knits for children and youth too! Bonus for all service knitters! Free patterns courtesy of designer, Susan B. Anderson. Mary, Millie and Morgan and Leaf Sprite Mermaids are available. Request your pattern by emailing [email protected] and confirm that you are participating in the Diverse Dolls challenge and that you agree you won’t share the free patterns outside the guild. Check our Ravelry group for other pattern suggestions. Member tips with Susan Plack: If you would like to suggest or volunteer for future member tips reach out to [email protected]. Susan shared with us many of her techniques of washing yarn. We may need to wash yarn if we are taking an item apart, if you are dying yarn or using hand spun yarn or washing hand knit items. If your item is handspun don’t wash it if weaving or felting. Wash it if you are knitting or crocheting with it. Use a Kniddy Noddy for winding. Fill your sink with warm to hot water. NOTE: woolite is not a good option - get a good wool soap for washing. If you are doing multiple soaks be sure to always keep the water temperature the same, if its too hot it will felt and if too cool the oils and/or lanolin will go back into the wool. Squeeze the water out, do not wring. Spin cycle only on your machine if it will be with no water while spinning. If the process stresses you out don’t proceed, roll in a towel and squeeze our the excess water. Susan showed us how to snap the yarn and hang it to dry. She does not recommend hanging with weights as fiber material has a tendency to go back to its natural state. Let the water do the work and be extra sure the yarn is dry before putting into a ball. Do not wind the ball too tightly. Wind over two or three fingers, then turn sideways and wind over two or three fingers, over and over so you have a nice spongy ball of yarn. Guest Speaker: Seth Richardson Seth began explaining how every knitting pattern presents a myriad of problems to solve and creative decisions to be made. We love to make things and those creative decisions are fun along the way. Being able to modify and customize a pattern lets us make creative choices and decisions. As crafters we are all creative and the choices we make are all part of who we are. Seth shared the basic definitions of art, craft and creativity and how they show skill, creativity and workmanship and suggested we might find another word other than crafty to use when describing an item or person who produced the item. We did a visualization exercise, closing our eyes and imagining a few simple items. He gave us a pattern and we chose all the aspects of those things. Everyone had come up with unique aspects. Seth said creativity happens in the brain. Things that influence us come from the outside but on a very basic level we create. The left side of the brain is analytical and the right side is insightful. If we can’t solve a problem with the left side, the right side has to think outside the box to come up with a creative solution. This is a complex process that we can all do. This works best when we are relaxing or daydreaming because in a more relaxed state we have fewer distractions. First thing in the morning is a good time to think creatively or focus on your craft. Meditation is also a good way to get into a relaxed state. Also find your inner child or think like an outsider, as a person new to the field. Travel is a good way to change perspective and collaborate, creativity is contagious. Also experiment, we have to be open to making mistakes. Some ways of applying creativity to our knitting is change your space, travel, plan new projects, museums, local library and explore cultures new to you. Seth is a Portland based pattern designer who enjoys creating pieces that use simple texture. He can be reached at: @Sethrichardsonknits on Instagram SethR on Ravelry www.sethrichardsonknits.com [email protected] World Wide Knit in Public Day is Saturday June 10th. Join Puddletown at IKEA Portland from 9am to noon. We will meet in the couch area of the store. IKEA will have complimentary snacks and refreshments. Additionally, each participants will received a small thank you gift for coming.
Upcoming fibre events:
Show and Tell We had a quick and easy summer sweater, a classic skirt and top, a wrap and our guest speaker shared a large blanket. All very well made. Next month our speaker will be Tian Connaughton presenting Swatch: Beyond the Gauge! |
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