October meeting

October already! Where has the year gone?

It's our meeting on Tuesday 6th October, 8pm as usual. We are having hands-on evening when you can try something new. One new member, who as yet doesn't know how to knit will be shown the basics, someone else whats to learn tunisian crochet and a few others have asked to a bit of help with DesignerKnit. We are going to try and fit them all in.

So if you have a knitting problem, hand or machine, this meeting will be a good opportunity to try and get it sorted. We will also have a knitting machine there as well. Bring your knitting problem with your pattern along and the experts will show you where you are going wrong (we hope!).

We have also been given 7 sacks full of coned yarns to sell or knit up for charity. With Christmas just around the corner you may find just what you are looking for. There may also be a few accessories and other bits and pieces as well. Now the weather is cooling off and there is less to do in the garden take the opportunity to bag yourself a bargin and knit it up straight away. Don't forget I will be asking for donations our Charity for the December meeting, so you may see something there that you can use.

Hope to see you on Tuesday. 8pm for a fun packed evening.

September Meeting

Tonight was the start of our new knitting year at club, so it had to be the AGM. All matters were dealt with in a timely manner, and we decided to support two charities this year, the Friends of the Royal Marsden, which we do each year, and also SANDS, by knitting small blankets, hats, jackets.





This evening we had a visit and very interesting talk from Kathy M, who told us about SANDS, the Still born and Neonatal Death Society, who support families at these sad times. We learnt a lot about what they do, and how they need help from the public. They have just started a campaign called Why 17, to raise awareness and get funding for research, into the fact that 17 babies a day die in this country either before, at or within 28 days of birth. A very shocking statistic! As knitters we can support them by making small blankets, hats, jackets which will be donated to the parents for their babies, and then kept in a memory box. It does not take long to make these small items which will mean so much to some, so we are hoping to donate generously.

For our challenge this year we decided to make blankets, which will then be donated to SANDS. So get knitting ladies!

Show and Tell

These socks and fingerless gloves were hand knitted by Liz. Also there is a mini sock key ring, very cute gift idea!











These two pretty cardigans were knitted by Sandra for her grandchildren.

Here is a selection of the blankets and clothes knitted by members so far collected for SANDS.

AGM Reminder

As our meeting is on the 1st Tuesday of the month, it falls on the 1st of September so I hope you will remember to come. It's also Bank Holiday week and some poeple will still be on holiday, but I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible. Members will also have received an e-mail if we have your correct e-mail address telling you about the meeting. If you didn't received your summer message, please let me know.



Don't forget to bring the baby blankets and hats for SANDS (see the blog on 16 August for details of sizes etc.) I've knitted only one so far, but then I hope to do a couple more tomorrow.

Looking forward to seeing you all again after the summer break.

Our Guild Competition Entry

This year the theme for the Guild of Machine Knitters competition was Childrens Books. We thought long and hard about what to do and in the end choose The Wizard of Oz. Nina was overall co-ordinator as Liz didn’t have time to chase everyone up. We met a few times to discuss what each of us was going to do and also to do some of the handwork and decide what else needed to be done. These meetings really helped when we got stuck for ideas about how to achieve the desired effect. Those doing the knitting this year were Nina, Sandra, Sheila, Sylvia and Liz. Sadly we didn’t win or even get a place this time. So we will just have to try again next year!

Knit for our AGM

At our AGM on September 1st, we will be having a Guest speaker. Kathy M will be telling us about the work that SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society) does in our area.

SANDS supports parents by amongst other things giving them blankets and hats for their child during a very difficult time. The parents then keep the blankets and hats if they wish so unfortunately there is a constant need for more.

During the next few weeks and longer, please could you spare a bit of yarn and knit a blanket or baby hat for us to give to Kathy. The blankets can be any size from A4 upwards and the hats from doll size to first size baby. They don't have to be white either, they can be any colour, hand or machine knitted or crochet if you prefer. Whatever you can make they will be pleased to receive so bring it to the September meeting. Thank you.

If you would like to know more about what SANDS does visit either the local website at www.farnboroughsands.co.uk or the national website at www.uk-sands.org.

July Meeting

At this meeting we all produced our knitted items for the challenge, which was something to wear on your hands. The photo shows

Gloves, by Sandra

Lacy fingerless gloves, by Chris

Pink mittens, by Sylvia

Mittens, by Sheila

Black fingerless gloves, by Margaret

Teddy mittens, by Nina.

Thank you ladies for your efforts!

Liz will be there in September for another challenge for the next year so watch out for it!

We wish you happy summer holidays, hoping the weather improves, and look forward to seeing you all in September for our AGM and meeting, please be there!

July meeting - the end of the challenge

Our July meeting has become the traditional meeting to end our annual challenge. Back in September last year, I challenged the club members to knit something to wear on their hands or lower arm and I will be interested to see just what they come up with. Nina will be running the meeting as I will be away unfortunately. I have completed my item to wear on my hands or lower arm and passed it to Nina for her to show you all so it isn't a way of me getting out of making something.

Nina will also be bringing our club entry into the Sherborne Vase Competition run by the Guild of Machine Knitters. We haven't won unfortunately, but it's not the winning, it's the taking part that counts. And it has meant that 5 of us have been working together and getting to know each other better whilst we did so. We will be posting a picture of the entry here once the club members have seen it as there wasn't time to show them before the closing date for the competition.

(There will be no meeting in August, but we will be back again in September for our AGM.)

The date for the July meeting is Tuesday 7th July. I do hope as many of you as possible can make it. 8pm as usual and visitors are welcome to join us.

June show and tell

Two beauiful hand knitted shawls from Chris this month. The first is in a fine random dyed yarn.

The second is in a slightly thicker yarn. Both are beautifully soft and use traditional patterns.

This little garment was knitted by Sandra.

Nina has had a go at knitting a top based on the techniques explained to us last month by Bill King.

Hands-on evening - Crochet an edge

At our June meeting we learnt how to work a crochet crab stitch edging that is suitable to go round the edge of something we have knitted, either by hand or machine. Crab stitch gives a very neat edge with a little bump in it. It's worked in the opposite direction to most crochet stitches. If you have never tried it, there are some good sites on the web showing you how to do the stitch. Some of us found it easier than others to start with. Clover make a set of crochet hooks that have an enlarged handle which some members found more comfortable to use than others, especially those that had problems holding the finer crochet hooks due to arthritis. Everyone joined in and had a go and once they got the hang of it were surprised how easy it was.

June Meeting

Another month has rushed by and it's almost June. Our meeting will be next Tuesday (2nd June) at the usual time of 8 pm. What a difference it makes being about to get there and back in day light.

No speaker this month as I know some of you will be on holiday. Instead, those of us that are there will be learning a bit about crochet and how to use it in conjunction with our knitting. We will be showing you how to do crab stitch which is a great edging to use when putting a zip into our knitwear. Of course it also has other uses as well.

So whether you have never mastered crochet, can do a little bit or are an expert at crochet, do come and join us. If you are an expert, you can pass some of your skills on, or if you haven't every mastered crochet you may have by the end of the evening.

Bring a crochet hook, a tension swatch and a little yarn can. Don't worry if you can't, there will be some there for you.

Visitors welcome.

Bill was quite happy to model his creations!
















Weaving, using wool and cutting the floats.













Bill demonstrating at his machine, so quick using his thumb to push needles in and out of hold!















Another beautiful garment!

A beautiful sample combining texture and lace.











Now this is colourful!











Holding position used to make chevrons.










More patterns made using holding position.













And again, more intricate this time!

Cleverly shaped garment using holding position and ribbing.


















An attractive pattern using a tuck and rib stitch.
















More tuck and ribbing.

















This pattern is reminiscent of a spiders web, all done using holding position to achieve the shape.

May Meeting

Tonight we had a very special, and interesting guest speaker, Bill King, who is a knitwear fabric designer. Bill doesn't design the garments, just the fabric and patterns which will be used in production. His samples are taken to the fashion houses and shows and hopefully bought and eventually end up as garments in our shops! He explained that to show these fabrics at their best he has to knit his samples as mini garments, consisting of the front and maybe one sleeve, with relevant edges and trims. He does not work from charts or patterns, just straight from ideas in his head! On average Bill will produce at least two samples a day.

We all found Bill to be an entertaining speaker, full of ideas which he was willing to share, and he was more than willing to sit at his machine and show us some of the techniques he uses! It was a bit like a magic show to watch as the intricate patterns appeared, sometimes using the most simple of techniques! We do not realise what wonders our little machines are capable of producing. If only we had the time to sit and play and explore all the possibilities, but for now I for one, am quite happy to admire Bill's creations!

This was one evening to remember, and if anyone has the chance to see Bill in action, it is well worth it!

May meeting with Bill King

OK this post is very late, my excuse is I've been away for a few days and didn't have time to do it before I went.

However I do hope you find this in time to come to our meeting tonight. Bill King is coming to speak to us, all the way from Derbyshire. You may have heard of him. He has been writing recently for Machine Knitting Monthly.

I've also spoken to some members of the Guild of Machine Knitters that have attended one of his workshops. They have all thoroughly enjoyed the day, learnt lots and come away with heads full of different things to do on their machines.

I am really looking forward to hearing Bill speak. Visitors are welcome. We will be starting at 8 pm as usual.

April Meeting

This month we had a return visit from the ladies of the Woodley Knitting club. We visited them earlier this year, taking some of our knitting to show, so it was time for them to bring their knitting to us!






This selection of photos shows some of the lovely ladies, and the beautiful knitting they brought with them.







Each lady showed her garments, and explained how it was done, using any special techniques. There were examples of cut and sew too!







And one lady even brought her hand knitting to show us!

We had a fun, lively evening, and think we might all have learnt something. It is so amazing how friendly and willing to share machine knitters are.
Thank you to the ladies from Woodley!

Show and Tell

Two baby cardigans knitted by Sandra.














Two baby jackets machine knitted by Sue.















A jumper machine knitted by Sandra.
















No shawls from Chris this month, instead this beautiful hand knitted top.

April Meeting

This month Woodley Knitting Club are coming to visit us and tell us about what they get up to and what they have been knitting. (We visited them in February). You'd think that there wouldn't be much to tell about what you do at a club, but every club is different. People like different things, use different yarns and work in different ways. And most knitters like to see what other people have made. So these exchange meetings are usually very interesting and a good way to pick up a tip or two.

I look forward to a good turn our of our club members to help make the members of Woodley Machine Knitting Club welcome. As usual visitors are welcome to come and join us as well.