October 2022 - AGM and catch-up

The meeting started with the existing committee resigning, and new committee volunteering and being voted in. There was discussion about themes for the meetings for the club year, and charity ideas. 

Programme for 2022-23

René suggested we have a Challenge this year, as we've not had one for a few years due to covid. 

Ideas:

• Dress a bear

• Stash-busting cushion covers. Carole shared that she's given up stash-busting projects, because the remainders breed!

The 2022 project is: stash-busting something for your hands. You can make more than 1.

Charity

The club used to make things and take up to the Friends of Royal Marsden charity shop but the shop closed a few years ago.

 

Ideas for 2022 charities to support:

• The Mission to Seafarers are asking for knitted hats etc.  https://www.missiontoseafarers.org/at-church/knitting  They have a freepost address on their website, so scroll down to find it. There is a downloadable pattern on there too. There's also a pattern on this page https://www.missiontoseafarers.org/at-church/knitting/hat-patterns. Looks like it's hats and fingerless mittens that they want.  No scarves, close fitting and no bobbles on the hats as they need to be able to wear a hard hat over the top and fingerless mittens so they can wear them when working and still grip tools.

• The Sailors Society based in Southampton (https://sailors-society.org/). Follow up: They don't have anything on their website about knitted hats so presumably they aren't collecting them anymore.

• Project Linus - making small blankets for toddlers. https://projectlinusuk.org.uk/patterns-and-tutorials/knitted-blankets/

• Checking with local nursing homes if they want twiddle blankets/muffs/blankets for beds. 

• Yateley club are sending stuff to Spotlight at Basingstoke (blankets)

• Homeless night centre at Camberley https://camberleyallnightcafe.co.uk/volunteering-is-easy/

• Trussell Trust Food bank at the back of the church. Ask if they want Christmas presents to give away, such as hats/gloves. 

• Knit-a-square - making for refugees overseas.

• Christmas angels - knitted or crocheted. Get left out and about. 

○ Pattern: https://www.livingstones.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/christmas-angels-knitting-pattern.pdf

○ Information: https://www.christmasangel.net/info/

Meeting themes

General consensus that it's nice to have things arranged. Suggestion to alternate between knit-and-natter/crochet-and-chatter and a specific theme.

Suggestions:

• Uppingham Unusual Yarns

• Making buttons

• Weaving in ends

• Knitting in the round techniques

• Linkers

• Dyeing

• Spinning

• Trunk show from Guild collection (perhaps things for hands to match challenge?)

• Christmas 'do' (6th December). Non-alcoholic drinks and nibbles. No peanuts or pistachios.

• Melissa Warren - dip-dyes things. Previously was a speaker at a Guild of Machine Knitters event.

Events

• Craft and chatter at Fleet library tomorrow (10-12 noon Wednesdays).

• Branch of Knitting and Crochet Guild meets on the 4th Wednesday in Ash. 10am onwards. 

• Yateley Craft group - alternative Tuesday mornings.

Show and tell

Cashmere scarf that was 2 threads twisted into a cake, skein, washed twice, knitted, washed, blocked. Result was the yarn was now very soft. 

Socks in Tutti-frutti yarn

Pink raglan cardigan for tall 7 year old. 

Blue jumper, flat rib.

Yellow top with lace pattern in a silk, alpaca and something else blend that is super soft.