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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.
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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! May 2023 Meeting Recap: Member Tips and Ellie Alexander-Loomis presents Scrap Down with Skeinanigans5/29/2023 by Shela Perrin In person meeting at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church located at 1907 NE 45th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97213. Doors open at 6:00pm for social knitting. In person and virtual program begins at 7:00pm and there is no entry after 7:00pm. In person attendance is limited to 75 people so you must RSVP online to save a seat. If there aren't enough RSVPs, we won't have an in person meeting. Masks are recommended, but not required. To continue to be accessible to everyone, we will still have a virtual format as long as it is possible. Meeting volunteers needed to set up chairs, greet other members or help monitor the zoom chat. Please share your availability via [email protected] when you RSVP or by filling out this form. Membership new or renewal is available at the website at the Membership page. Cost is $35.00. Scholarships and Gift Memberships are available. Questions can be sent to [email protected]. If you have ideas for programming, speaker suggestions, or know of a local fiber arts event please email them at [email protected]. Virtual knit nights are every Monday from 6-8pm Pacific Time. Chat from the comfort of your own home, pajamas encouraged. Links are on the Guild Events page. Our Service Project has garnered thus far:
Member Tips were brought to us by Margaret Weddell. Margaret talked about Tunisian crochet. You can get involved with the guild if you have a tip to share. Please respond to [email protected] if you can offer tips during an upcoming meeting.
Ellie Alexander-Loomis presented Scrap Down with Skeinanigans! They began with a bit of color theory so your project does not turn out all brown. They then offered tips and tricks developed to make scrappy blankets fun. Ellie is a practitioner of many crafts where she resides on beautiful Whidbey Island in Washington State. They are known for the Northeasterly pattern offered by Skeinanigans Designs. They enjoy acting in community theater, plays Dungeons and Dragons, and cuddling two rescue hound dogs. Show and Tell: Share your projects and receive an extra raffle ticket or online entry. There were several in-person folk and one virtual entry (the last one). Simone used a friend's gift of samoyed dog hair yarn to knit part of the pattern in the sweater Feel the Bern by Caitlin Hunter, Kimberly knit the brioche cables Banneton Hat by Jenn Lampen, Ellen knit a beautiful blanket with her scraps from many class projects based on the Universal Fibonacci Blanket by Annie Modesitt, Rebecca knit the gorgeous beaded lace shawl Peony – Pfingstrose Shawl by Hayley Tsang Sather with over 1000 beads, Susan machine knit a sweater sideways that didn't behave as expected from the swatch and the yarn crawl mystery knit with worsted, Judy knit a blanket directly from swatches so everything in her blanket has come from a project. She used a #8 needle and usually just one strand, but doubled the fingering at times. She knit about 200 stitches and the finished project was 34” X 54”. If you want to share an item, bring your finished projects, have your pattern name and yarn details ready. Virtual attendees, submit photos, including your pattern name, yarn details and anything special about the project. Email your photos to [email protected] before you go to bed on the Tuesday before our meeting. Michele Lee Bernstein is offering a 15% discount with code METEOR on the Starfall Cowl which features assigned pooling. Raffle Prizes for this meeting are as follows: - PomPom Mini Pom: Happy Knits for Little Kids book - 1 skein of Blue Sky Fibers Organic Cotton yarn Next Month our guest speaker will be Seth Richardson presenting Embracing Creativity: How a Natural Human Impulse Drives Us to Knit Amazing Things! Seth is a Portland-based pattern designer who enjoys creating pieces that use simple texture. Upcoming fibre events:
April 2023 Meeting Recap: Member Tips and Amanda Lane presents Reclaiming Yarn From Knit Garments4/25/2023 by Shela Perrin In person meeting at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church located at 1907 NE 45th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97213. Doors open at 6:00pm for social knitting. In person and virtual program begins at 7:00pm and there is no entry after 7:00pm. Covid vaccination, booster proof and masks were required for those attending in person. Masks will only be recommended going forward and vaccination proof will not be required starting in May. We are always looking for volunteers to help at the in person meetings. Please share your availability via [email protected] when you RSVP or by filling out this form. We are in need of a Treasurer. If you are interested please email [email protected]. This position requires being at 2 meetings per month on the 1st and 2nd Thursday of each month. Membership new or renewal is available through the website at the Membership page. Cost is $35.00. Scholarships and Gift Memberships are available. Questions can be sent to [email protected]. If you have ideas for programming and/or speaker suggestions, please share them at [email protected]. Virtual knit night is every Monday evening between 6:00pm and 8:00pm Pacific Time. Drop in anytime and pajamas are encouraged. Visit the Guild Events page on our website for a current link. Member Tips are open for anyone wishing to share favorite tips. Send a note to [email protected] if you are interested in sharing. Raffle prizes for this meeting include a $25.00 gift certificate to Abstract Fiber and Yarn and a $25.00 gift certificate to JaMpdx, ceramics. Gathering of the Guilds takes place April 28 thru April 30th at The Oregon Convention Center and admission is free. Six Portland area Guilds will be showing and selling their art. The Service Projects current challenge items are due. Please email [email protected] if you have any items to contribute. The baby blanket project is a year long challenge to support Boxes of Love and With Love. A new short term challenge will be announced soon. Lori Patterson brought us member tips about color pooling when dying yarn. She has experimented with yarn dyes in a way you can see a distinct pattern in the colors. A Palindrome in this case would be yarn dyed in a sequence that is the same backwards and forwards. The pooling must have a pattern to it, just variegated yarn is not self-stripping and will not give you the effect she demonstrated where the toe and heal knit up as one color and the body of the sock is a mix of colors. Cast on with the color you want to start with and see how many rows of stitches per inch of yarn to make your project. Lori’s list of links on pooling:
Amanda Lane presented the interesting process of reclaiming yarn found in made objects. Why do this? For one thing it is budget friendly, and secondly it is a sustainable process keeping the old items out of the trash. She walked us through the steps including how to over-dye the yarn. She loves all things fiber and understanding how things work. She loves sharing her knowledge with others. Amanda spends her free time knitting, spinning, sewing and weaving. How to choose an item that can be reclaimed? Shaped pieces vs. cut from yardage must be determined before you can tell if it can be reclaimed. If an item is knit in pieces look for seams. If you see serging that is an indication it cannot be salvaged. Hand knitting pieces are a good beginning clue it will be reclaimable. There is inherent loss in the process so choose bigger items than the one you want to make from it. Cables require more yarn and a cowl neck are also good indications. Once you have chosen your item use a double pointed needle to undo the seams, NEVER scissors, its too easy to cut the yarn. As you unravel the yarn ball it up as you go. Make skeins of the yarn so you can wash it. Once washed squeeze and hang to let dry, this helps in getting the yarn ready to knit. If you want to dye a new color you need to know the fiber content. If there is no tag on the original item you can burn it to tell what type of fiber it is by the smell. Once you are clear on the fiber you can choose how to dye it. Rit Dyes are a combination of agents. Mordants for natural dyes aid in the dye bonding process. Once you are ready to dye you will need measuring spoons, dye pot (not used for food), tongs, gloves, eye protection and a mask. You can use a steamer to straighten yarn of hang with weight on it. The process is an investment in time, very little money. You can find used yarn at Backstory Books and Yarn located at 3129 SE Hawthorne, 503-235-8977. Also Natural Recycled Yarn is a good resource for used yarn. Show and tell: we saw a top down in the round raglan in worsted weight. Also a pressed flower shawl. Starlight Knitting is doing a pressed flower knit along currently.
Upcoming fibre events:
Next Month: Ellie Alexander-Loomis presents Scrap Down with Skeinanigans. by Shela Perrin March went back to a hybrid meeting. In person meeting at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church located at 1907 NE 45th Avenue, in Portland, Oregon, doors open at 6:00pm for social knitting. In Person and Virtual program begins at 7:00pm and there is no entry after 7:00pm. Covid vaccination, booster proof, and masks are required for those attending in person. We are always looking for volunteers to help at the in-person meetings. Please share your availability via [email protected] when you RSVP or by filling out this form. Membership new or renewal is available through the website at the Membership page. Cost is $35.00. Scholarships and Gift Memberships are available. Questions can be sent to [email protected]. If you have ideas for programming and or speaker suggestions, please share them at [email protected]. Virtual knit night is every Monday evening between 6:00pm and 8:00pm Pacific Time. Drop in anytime and pajamas are encouraged. Visit the puddletownknittersguild.com Guild Events page on our website for a current link. Member Tips are open for anyone wishing to share favorite tips. Send a note to [email protected] if you are interested. Member Tips this month are shared by Emme Von about the pros and cons of test knitting. Designers use test knitters for their new designs to get feedback. They use it to decide what level of difficulty the pattern is, as well as to evaluate fit and shape for a wide range of sizes. They also use pictures of the samples to post on Ravelry and Instagram when they make the new pattern available. If you decide to become a test knitter the designer will usually ask for any clarity issues in understanding the pattern. The test items are usually kept by the test knitter. The designers also usually give the tester a deadline by which to complete the knitting. If you tend to modify the pattern heavily, don’t read the patterns, are unable to meet the deadline, or just don’t like the finished object then perhaps being a test knitter is not something you would enjoy. However, if you are ready to grow your knitting community and are not inspired by what you have currently, then be sure to read the expectations set out by the designer. You can begin by signing up for all designers announcements for testers on Instagram and Ravelry to get on their mailing lists. Local fiber events:
Our service project to benefit foster children April challenge is toddler sweaters 2T and 3T and infant sizes are emphasized to be due in April. Baby blankets are a year long need as well. Please bring your items made with SOFT, WASHABLE YARN, to the April meeting or send a note to [email protected] to arrange delivery. They are in need of many items. April 29th is local yarn store day. It lands on a Saturday so get ready to spend some love at your local yarn store! Michele Lee Bernstein designs and teaches from her home in Portland, Oregon. She talked about her journey with brioche knitting and shared samples from her new book, Brioche Knit Love. In her book she teaches a new technique with every pattern. We all brought knitting needles and yarn for a lesson in one-color brioche knitting. Michele shared some of her experiences designing and teaching locally and internationally over 17 years. She began knitting at 14 years old and began brioche in 2017 where she began her love relationship with it. She described her approach in the design and knitting of 2 color brioche, increasing and decreasing, flat color brioche, and syncopation where one color turns to reveal another color as more prominent. Caps, cowls, scarfs, mittens, coasters, stockinette brioche, brioche, and garter stitch. We can sign up for her newsletter by going to her website. Also she has classes coming up at For Yarns Sake in March, April, and May scheduled thus far. Michele can be reached at pdxknitterati.com. She is on Ravelry, Instagram, Payhip, and YouTube. Raffle prizes for March meeting include a signed copy of Brioche Knit Love by Michele Lee Bernstein and a $25.00 gift certificate to Knitted Wit. In person winners were announced at the end of the meeting, virtual meeting participants will receive notification of their win by the Monday following the meeting.
Show and tell for the March meeting presented a lovely zip sweater, a syncopated shawl, a child’s sweater, all demonstrating skill and design. Upcoming Fiber events:
April 13th meeting will feature Amanda Lane as she presents Reclaiming Yarn From Knit Projects. Amanda will talk about how to reclaim yarn from thrifted sweaters, including how to over-dye the yarn. She is obsessed with all things fiber and understanding how things work. She loves learning new skills and sharing her knowledge with others. She comes with the perspective of an engineer and a garment designer. Amanda spends most of her free time knitting, spinning, sewing and weaving. by Shela Perrin Due to unforeseen circumstances, the meeting was switched to be virtual only on Zoom from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Meetings will return to a hybrid virtual and in-person for the next meeting, March 9th. In person meeting is held at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church located at 1907 NE 45th Avenue, Portland, OR. 6:00pm to 7:00pm is social knitting, meeting runs from 7:00pm to 8:00pm. Capacity is restricted so RSPV is required to reserve a seat. Proof of Bivalent Booster vaccination can be emailed to [email protected] or checked at the door. Masks are also required for the in person meeting. Meeting volunteers are needed to set up chairs, greet other members and help monitor the zoom chat. Please let us know if you can help when you RSVP or by filling out this form. Membership new or renewal is available through the website at the Membership page. Cost is $35.00. Scholarships and Gift Memberships are available. Questions can be sent to [email protected]. If you have ideas for programming and/or speaker suggestions please share them at [email protected]. Virtual knit night is every Monday evening between 6:00pm and 8:00pm Pacific time, drop in anytime and pajamas are encouraged. Visit the Guild Events page on our website for a current link. Member Tips are open for anyone wishing to share your favorite tips. Send a note to [email protected] if you are interested. Local fiber events:
This month Margaret Wendell shared the knitting podcasts she enjoys the most:
Our service project to benefit foster children challenge for April is toddler sweaters 2T and 3T and infant sized are emphasized to be due in April. Baby blankets are a year long need as well. Please bring your items knit in SOFT WASHABLE YARN to the March or April meetings or send a note to [email protected] to arrange delivery. Susan Plack introduced us to the mechanics and inspiration of machine knitting through a demonstration of how a knitting machine makes knitted fabric. She discussed strategies for creating unique projects quickly and encouraged exploration of what is possible with the use of a knitting machine. Susan is a fiber artist who has created and taught many different fiber arts. She currently teaches fibber arts classes at Fiber Rythm Craft & Design. Her area of specialization is machine knitting socks and to date she has knit 245 pairs. The variety of things to make on a knitting machine are endless: color work, ribbing, lace, basic sweaters, socks, jar covers, and you can add hand-done elements when desired. You will likely have to do a swatch to make sure the gauge matches your machine knitted fabric. The machine dictates if you can use fingering or small yarn weight or worsted and larger yarns. You can knit in the round, do a 2x2 cross intermittently in your fabric, cable, etc. The newer machines are made of plastic so look for an older one. Susan is available at [email protected] to help and also Anna is doing machine knitting and can be resourced. Also Karolyn Rainey teaches a zoom knitting class and Susan recommends taking one. There is also a repair person in Washington, if you email Susan she can get you the contact. Raffle prizes for February meeting are 2 $30 gift certificates to Weird Sisters Yarn Shop in St John’s and 2 $30 gift certificates to Close Knit Yarn Shop on Alberta. Announcements will be sent to the winners by Sunday following our meeting.
Show and Tell: Stephen West’s Twist and Turn MKAL was featured. Please send pictures and yarn information to [email protected] before you go to bed on Tuesday March 7th. March meeting we are presenting Brioche Knit Love with Michele Lee Bernstein who designs and teaches from her home in Portland, Oregon. She loves using interesting techniques to make small objects from one or two skeins of very special yarn. She will share her history with brioche knitting and samples from her new book, Brioche Knit Love. Bring your US 15 needles and super bulky yarn or worsted weight and US 6 needles. Her presentation will include a starter one-color brioche project. |
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