Hi Everyone
This is the first of our “virus-free” Newsletters. We hope to send it out until such time we can all meet again in person. Sally and I will work together to produce it but we will need help from you, content and photographs, as I’m sure we’ll run out of ideas ourselves.
I’ll kick this issue off with an update about non-club meetings and events and non-club matters.
As you will probably know most, if not all, exhibitions have been cancelled or delayed, so do check before you travel.
Hopefully Southern Wool will be able to go ahead in September. It’s scheduled for Saturday and Sunday 5th and 6th, so put it in your diary now. I have volunteered to go along with a knitting machine to be on the stand for the Knitting and Crochet Guild. If you’d like to volunteer too then I can put you in touch with the right person. Even if you can’t help, visit the show and spend money, otherwise the exhibitors won’t come again!
Fleet Club is also down to put on a display at Machine Knitting Live on Saturday 3rd October at Bournemouth. We’ll be there representing the Knitting and Crochet Guild so I’ll be looking for contributions for items to display and also a helpers at the September meeting. Please do support this event not just by turning up, but by also supporting those with things to sell. Machine Knitting Monthly has been going for 34 years and this will be the 23rd year for a show in Bournemouth. It would be good to do our bit to keep them going a bit longer if we can. I am expecting this show to be busy as the Nottingham Machine Knitting Show which was scheduled for 5th April has been cancelled. Visitors could come from anywhere in the country. They may book into a local hotel and make a bit of a holiday out of it. Some people already do that, coming from Kent, Wales and Cornwall and all points north.
There are plenty of places that supply yarn by mail order so if you are running short you can get re–supplied. They are all taking extra precaution at their end, but do be aware that orders are taking a bit longer than normal due to high demand. At the moment post and courier services seem to be unaffected except by a higher than usual number of items being sent so there is a good chance of receiving your order in a reasonable time frame and they have all put extra protection in place for when your parcel is delivered.
If you’ve found a good supplier, send me a message and I’ll include them next time.
Moving on to club affairs, I have taken the decision to cancel the May and June meetings as well as the one scheduled for 31st March as they both fall within the 12 weeks currently being suggested for social distancing. A decision about the July meeting will be taken nearer the time.
I’ve done a bit of checking into school holidays for 2020/21 academic year and how they are likely to affect our 1st Tuesday meetings. There are potentially three dates when the school will be closed so we’ll be meeting on the Tuesday before, or after, whichever proves more suitable. There may be other changes too, depending on school activities, so I’ll book with school before I announce the dates.
Val should have been coming to speak to us on 31st March. She was going to tell us more about spinning and maybe a bit on dyeing at home too. We have re-booked her for 6th October by which time we hope to be meeting again and in the hope that the school will be available that night.
It has also been suggested that we ask Moon Beads to visit again. Rosie last came to us in September 2014 so I’ll give her a ring and arranged for her to visit us once the school has confirmed the dates are ok. Rosie is a knitter as well as a beader. She is experienced in Kumihimo, with and without beads, too. Don’t know what Kumihimo is? Take a look at these:
I can’t remember a time when I was so ahead on bookings and arranging the programme for the following year. It doesn’t usually get any thought until August! So if there is anything you’d like to do or need help with, someone you think would make a good speaker or you’d like to see again or if you have an idea for a topic for discussion on our knit and natter evenings then now’s the time to suggest it.
- o - o - o - O - o - o - o -
Fed up with watching all the old repeats on TV? Here’s a few websites for you to check out:
Don’t forget to Google “knitting podcasts”. There’s loads out there. If you find a good one let us know so we can pass then name on to others.
Have you got any suggestions for other websites to look at? Next time we could include some that have knitting patterns, free or paid for. Send your suggestions in and we’ll include it.
I’ve just realised this issue is mainly about knitting, machine and hand, and very little about crochet. So here’s a couple of sites that may be of interest. Let me know if you have a favourite or two and I can include them. A crochet tutorial would be good too if you know a good one.
Have you ever crocheted a spiral granny square? There’s a crochet necklace on The Whole Knit and Caboodle (22 March) that I could be tempted to try.
- o - o - o - O - o - o - o -
My Stay and Home and Keep Busy List
So, we’re all staying at home, only going out when essential, and not knowing what to do! The laundry and housework are all up to date, (or we’ve lost interest in doing them) so what can we do now? No point in turning out the cupboards because we can’t take the unwanted items to the charity shop or recycling point or centre as they are closed.
One thing I have done is to make a list of all the things I could do. I’ve called it my “Stay at home and keep busy” list. Every time an idea pops into my head or I see something on line I’d like to try but not right now I write it down, because by the time I have nothing to do I will have forgotten it! It should help me be productive, rather than just sitting at my computer playing games, watching repeats on TV and generally getting bored!
My interest in the old books was sparked by seeing a picture of a misers purse on the Knitting and Crochet Facebook Group. It is part of their Heritage Lottery Fund Project - The Collection in 100 Objects. You can follow the release of one of the objects every day either via their website www.kcguild.org.uk or social media. (You don’t have to be a member of the Guild to join their Facebook Group and join in the conversations but you do need to answer three simple questions.)
I found a imitation misers purse pattern on Ravelry but I really wanted to knit one from an old pattern. I found a You Tube Video that mentioned an old book and after a bit of searching I found one for free download that had a misers purse pattern in it. I don’t have the recommended silk yarn or the No18 (1.25mm) needles to knit it in, but I have found an odd ball of Drops Lace (70% Alpaca, 30% Silk) and some size 14 (2mm) needles, so I’m going to give it a go. There’s also a pence jug pattern that I could be tempted to have a go at after the misers purse. (It’s not quite as fancy as the one in the Guild 100 Objects.) It will make a change from knitting the two scarves and a pair of socks that are currently WIP’s. Lots to watch out for in the show and tell!
Sally has had a go at making a pence jug. Not sure if you can see in the picture, but she has made notations in the margin of the pattern. Some of you may recognise the spool that has the yarn on. It will sit in the palm of your hand.
If you want to have a go at making a pence jug then try this pattern. Don’t forget to let us know how you get on.
Where did I find the old patterns? Not too difficult for me. I have previously been looking at some of the old and Victorian knitting books that can be downloaded from websites such as the Southampton University Archive which has the Richard Rutt Collection plus others. (There is also a digital collection of more modern knitting patterns elsewhere on this website. They will all bring back memories and you may well have knitted some.)
What else is on my list? I’ve weaving on my loom, a band on my inklette and sewing to finish, not to mention enough beads to make a necklace for every day of the year and two for high days and holidays! Curtains to shorten too (they’ve only been waiting for well over 4 years now!). I need to decide what to de-stash in the way of books, fabric, yarn as well as machines and accessories so they are ready to go once we are released from our distancing. I need space to move and to rationalise what I have here! I also need to rationalise my paper craft supplies as they are almost overtaking my yarns! Oh and I need to do some housekeeping on my computer. There’s so much junk on there that could be deleted.
Some of you will remember that I bought a Victorian knitting machine and that I (with a lot of help from my husband) cleaned it and it’s now working. One of the things on my list is to source some new needles for it and another is to actually knit something useful on it and not just a load of test pieces.
If I get really bored I have cross stitch I could do which hasn’t been touched for a good many years. It’s been out of the light so hopefully hasn’t faded.
I think I will have enough to keep me occupied for more than a few months and possibly years, not just weeks! And that’s without any non-craft things.
What’s on your list? Let us know. We all need encouragement and suggestions.
What we’ll all be wearing this winter.
If you’re wanting some ideas of what to knit for later in the year, take a look at part of the Vogue Fall 2020 ready to wear collection! Some of these are knits. To see other ready to wear collections and read more from the fashion industry click on “Vogue” in the top left hand corner of that page. I’ve bookmarked the page so I can go and finish reading it another time.
Show and Tell
Just because we can’t meet in person doesn’t mean we can’t have show and tell, so if you’ve finished a piece of knitting or crochet send a photo and a bit about it We can be included in the next issue. As this Newsletter is electronic it can be as large as we like (well almost!) and include links to websites for patterns and articles relating to yarn crafts,
So our first show and tell item is a pair of socks that I finished a couple of nights ago. The yarn for these socks is Regia 4ply Mosaic which is now discontinued. They are the first pair I’ve knitted toe up and also have an afterthought heel. The rest is plain stocking stitch and rib so I didn’t need a pattern as such. I’ve knitted enough socks to know how many stitches I need, and what size needles to use. I did a figure 8 cast on (a new to me cast on!) using the instructions on the KnitNow magazine website. I need a bit more practice but considering it was the first time I’d used this technique I am pleased with them. I’ll have to persevere and see if I can get the start to look neater so I’ve another pair started already. A girl can’t have too many pairs of socks!
But enough for now. I must stop rambling on and save something or next time. Hopefully I'll hear from club members and can include pictures of their recently finished knits.
Keep Calm
and carry on
Knitting or Crocheting!
Stay safe and keep well.
No comments:
Post a Comment