Sept-Oct 13 newsletter5 - Greater Boston Knitting Guild

http://www.bostonknitting.com
September-October 2013 Newsletter
2013-2014 Officers:
Gail Press, President ([email protected])
Vivian Bolt, Vice President ([email protected])
Cynthia Scott, Secretary ([email protected])
Jane McKinnell, Treasurer ([email protected])
Rosann Fleischauer, Corresponding Secretary ([email protected])
Board Members:
Susan Flier ([email protected])
Carol Gelb ([email protected])
Bob Jaeger ([email protected])
Cheryl Mariolis ([email protected])
Committee Appointees:
Membership – CC Fitzgerald ([email protected])
Hospitality – Hiroko Massarelli ([email protected])
Program – Anita MacKinnon ([email protected])
Website – Ingeborg Endter ([email protected])/CC Fitzgerald ([email protected])
Newsletter – Linda Darisse ([email protected])
Business Membership – Alice Gray ([email protected])
Community Outreach – Vivian Bolt ([email protected])/Christine O’Neil
([email protected])
Plimoth Plantation – Jackie Fee ([email protected])/Mary Keefe ([email protected])
Letter from the President:
Dear Knitters,
It’s hard to believe it but Fall is right around the corner. It seems as though this summer has
flown right by! I have spent my summer knitting sweaters, hats, and booties for the MGH
Newborn nursery. I think I have found some great, easy to knit patterns and will bring some to
our first meeting. Anita MacKinnon graciously hosted a kit party at her home and about twenty
of us put up almost three hundred kits for Caps for Kids as well as MGH. Vivian Bolt has been
busy coordinating our outreach programs so let’s all chip in and take home at least one kit from
our meeting next month.
We have a wonderful year of knitting planned and I hope to see all of you at the September
meeting.
Enjoy what’s left of the summer!
~Gail
Upcoming meetings: 2013 – 2014 Calendar
The program committee has worked hard to prepare an outstanding program for this year. Please
go to the GBKG website for the complete list.
http://www.bostonknitting.com
September 19 Meeting
To kick off the season, Betsy Perry, owner of Classic Elite presents " Shawls, Wraps & Scarfs",
a trunk show and conversation about CEY's best-selling book. See all 60 pieces from the book
and hear about how it was conceived and how it actually came to be. Betsy will also share her
perspective on yarn-company ownership and answer questions members might have about
turning a "knitting passion" into a career. Classic Elite prides itself on distributing some of the
best hand knitting yarns to shops all across the US and Canada. Books will be for sale and there
will be a small gift for everyone !
October 17 Meeting
Shannon Okey the founder of Cooperative Press, presents "Needles and Artifice" a refined
adventure story with ingenious knitting patterns. Cooperative Press works with authors to help
them put out the best quality books for the knitting world. Many of the patterns could relate to
the world of Masterpiece Theater and beyond. Get ready for a fun, adventuresome meeting of
the GBKG.
Greater Boston Knitting Guild Meeting Minutes:
May Luncheon Meeting:
The Annual May Luncheon Meeting was a celebration of our 20th anniversary! Yes, the Guild
was founded in 1993 and some of our members are part of the original group, formerly known as
the Golden Swan Knitting Guild. Our celebration included a fashion show of designs from
upcoming issues of Vogue Knitting, and a member fashion show of Vogue knits that have been
created by members over the years. What fun it was to look back at what we knit in the past,
thanks to our members who make such great models! The lunch also included a large display of
knits our members have made from Vogue patterns.
At the Annual Meeting held at the luncheon, along with electing new officers and board
members, GBKG announced that in addition to the Dana Farber Caps for Kids Program, we
have partnered with Massachusetts General Hospital's Newborn Baby Nursery. Members of the
Guild will now be invited to knit newborn and preemie hats, sweaters, booties, and blankets.
This is an opportunity to try a new pattern. The Guild will make kits available for these items
along with hat kits for Caps for Kids. We will focus on soft, acrylic, washable baby yarn and
recommend that items be machine washed in cold water and dried flat. The GBKG will no
longer be collecting items for the Women's Lunch Place. Thanks to all for your continued
participation.
Thanks to all who made the day such a success!
~ Photos by The Courant
Summer Fun Guild Activities:
Perfectly Twisted Yarn Visit - On July 18th, a dozen members braved the intense heat to go
to Tiverton, RI. We met at Provender Fine Foods, a bakery/deli on Main Street. The pastries
were great and so was the iced coffee made with coffee ice cubes...no diluted coffee as the ice
melts! We went next door to shop for yarn. Maureen Rounds, owner of Perfectly Twisted
Yarn, was our delightful hostess. We browsed and bought some of their lovely selection of yarns
and sat inside to knit in the afternoon. It was a fun day and the goody bag Maureen gave each of
us was greatly appreciated. Now that autumn is upon us, it would be a great place to go where it
would be cool enough to enjoy the lovely patio garden behind the shop.
~Submitted by CC Fitzgerald
Knit and lunch with Bon Jaeger - On August 22nd, 30 members enjoyed knitting by the pool at
the Best Western Cold Spring Motel, 188 Court Street, in Plymouth, MA. Bob Jaegar, guild
member and our host, provided a sumptuous buffet luncheon. He is such a super chef, shrimp
skewers, chicken, all kinds of salads, cake, and even ice cream bars for dessert. And, we met his
grandson, such a cutie. It rained cats and dogs on the way home, but while we were there, the sun
was shining. Another fabulous day of knitting.
~Submitted by CC Fitzgerald
Lovely June Outing at Laurie Kent’s Home in Wareham
Over a dozen intrepid Knitters’ Guild members drove off on a hot June morning to celebrate the
summer knitting season and meet for lunch at Laurie Kent's scenic home in Wareham. Gathering
around in the lovely garden overlooking Buzzards Cove, members from Massachusetts and
Rhode Island enjoyed Laurie's gracious hospitality, wonderful Gazpacho soup, and cool drinks.
Donning sun hats under the warm rays, we even spent some time clicking our needles as the mild
breezes came in from the Bay. It was a fitting occasion to mark our special rite of summer.
Thanks to Laurie for her hospitality.
~Submitted by Toni Whitmore
Community Outreach Program: Hat Kit Party!
The Hat Kit Party was held at Anita McKinnon’s condo and was a great success. Eighteen Guild
members attended, some armed with swifts, scales, and ball winders, and quickly became savvy
about matching patterns to yarn. 237 kits were made for blankets, hats, and baby sweaters.
Anita was a great hostess, serving a lovely breakfast, while Vivian Bolt showed off her prowess
in organizing and yarn hauling. People were put into groups of 4 to make the kits.
Yarn was donated by Teresa McGonagle’s LYS, and by Glenn Hoffman, a Umass professor. His
partner of 20 years passed away two years ago, leaving a large stash of beautiful yarns plus
books and other miscellaneous items such as quilting fabric and supplies. Some of the yarn was
put away for the 2014 annual auction and the rest was made into kits.
As Gail mentioned in her letter, it’s important for members to use the kits to make charity items
for our partner organizations. Please try to find the time to help those in need.
(Photo by Vivian Bolt)
LEAF TOP HAT FOR BABY by Michele Sabatier
(Free download on Ravelry)
(My new granddaughter isn’t too happy with her Berry Hat! ~L. Darisse)
SUPPLIES: Worsted weight yarn, preferably cotton/acrylic blend such as TLC Cotton Plus, or
other cotton with a bit of acrylic blended in. I find that 100% cotton sometimes doesn’t have
enough “spring” and the hat can get baggy.
Main color (I’ve used lilac for this example) plus green for the leaves. You can also use a soft
merino or lambswool in worsted weight. Alpaca is good for babies because it’s non- allergic.
Experimenting with different yarns is fun.
16” circular needles sizes 7 & 8 double-point needles size 8 (preferable a set of 5 needles) stitch
marker, yarn needle.
THIS WILL MAKE THE INFANT HAT: On size 7 circular needles, loosely cast on 64 stitches
of lilac. Make sure it’s not twisted, and join. It will be very tight for the first round. Knit in
stockinet stitch (K all rounds) for 4 or 5 rounds, using the yarn tail as a guide for rounds. The
length for this part isn’t precise. The edge will curl as you knit more.
Switch to size 8 circular needles, (make sure you still have 64 sts. Now is when you can add one
or k2tog if you need to correct) and continue in st st until hat is at least 4 or 4 1/2 inches from
edge. You can make it deeper so it will pull down over ears. From this point, it will be about 2”
slanting inward for the crown.
The leaves: They are worked in multiples of 8 sts and create a reverse triangle over 4 rows. Kind
of like a bowling pin setup. :-)
Join the green yarn leaving a longish tail, and *K 1 green, then K 7* lilac. Repeat ** around. As
you come around and are 1 st away from the first green st,
NOTE: The last set of each round of repeats will have 1 fewer sts lilacs before you K the greens.
The greens will be centered over the ones from the previous row.
*K 3 green then K 5 lilac.* Repeat ** around until you are 1 st away from the 3 greens. *K 5
green, then K 3 lilac.* Repeat ** around until you are 1 st away from the 5 greens.*K 7 greens
then K1 lilac.* Repeat ** around to 1 st away from the green. You now should have all green
stitches on the needle except for 8 single lilacs.
Using the green yarn, K the single lilac stitch, then 2 greens. Place marker. Continue in green for
the round. Slip the marker. Cut the lilac yarn leaving a long tail.
Begin the decrease: Round 1: *K 2 tog. K 6.* Repeat ** around. Slip the marker. (56 st
remaining)
Round 2: *K 2 tog. K 5.* Repeat ** around. Slip the marker. (48 st remaining)
(You’ll probably need to transfer to the dp needles after this row. You can put 2 sets each on 4
needles and have the 5th to knit onto. Try to keep the marker between 2 sets on a single needle.)
Row 3: *K 2 tog. K 4.* Repeat ** around. Slip the marker. (40 st remaining)
Row 4: *K 2 tog. K 3.* Repeat ** around. Slip the marker. (32 st remaining)
Row 5: *K 2 tog. K 2.* Repeat ** around. Slip the marker. (24 st remaining)
Row 6: *K 2 tog. K 1.* Repeat ** around. Slip the marker. (16 st remaining)
Row 7: *K 2 tog.* Repeat ** around. Slip the marker. (8 st remaining)
Row 8: *K 2 tog.* Repeat ** around. Slip the marker. (4 st remaining)
Top knot: Slip the remaining 4 st onto a single dp needle and make i-cord (see below) for about 4
inches. Bind off the 4 sts. Tie the final loop off and cut a long tail. Thread onto the yarn needle
and insert the needle into the tube, so it pokes out into the center of the inside of the hat. Pull far
enough that the i-cord bunches up a bit and then cut the yarn off. When you release, the free yarn
will be hidden inside the i-cord. Tie to i-cord into a knot close to the body of the hat.
Weave the remaining loose yarn ends into the work invisibly.
If you don’t know i-cord:
With 4 sts on one dp needle, knit onto another dp needle. DO NOT TURN THE NEEDLE AFTER
THE ROW. Slide the sts to the other end and knit again, pulling the yarn across the back of the
work to begin the next row. As you continue, a tube will form.
Make the larger size for toddler on 72 stitches and K the main part for 5 or 5 1/2 inches before
starting the leaves. The leaves are done the same way on multiples of 8 sts, but you’ll get 9
leaves instead of 8. I guess you could make an adult hat with 80 stitches, but you might want to
do 8 leaves on multiples of 10 using the same idea to get a longer crown section.
(Feel free to share the pattern, with attribution, or sell or give away the hats you make. But
please don’t sell the pattern. Thanks. CC Creative Commons rights reserved.
Note from the Editor:
I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to this edition of the newsletter. I am always looking
for stories from members about fiber happenings in your lives. I know all members have had
interesting experiences and if you are willing to share, please contact me so we can get them in
the newsletter. Everyone loves to hear about knitting weekends, fiber trips in the US and abroad,
guilds and other groups who meet regularly, courses and classes, etc. The positive feedback I get
from the newsletter is about stories and photos people have submitted. Please email me at
[email protected] about any articles for publication in the newsletter.
~ Linda Darisse, Editor
Look what Peg Dixon found in the library of Cunard’s Queen Victoria on a
recent cruise…
GBKG Website: http://www.bostonknitting.com
The Guild is trying to focus more on our website and depend more and more on communicating
electronically. The Calendar page is updated regularly. We encourage you to check our website
just before you come to a guild meeting for last minute notices. All newsletters are uploaded at
the beginning of every second month. Business members are listed there as well.
Enjoy!
~Ingeborg Endter, website untangler
Business members:
Receive a 10% discount when you present your membership card at these shops:
Adventures in Knitting, Harwich Port, MA – Cathie Hammatt
Another Yarn, Winchester, MA – Teresa McGonagle
Cranberry Fiber Arts, South Hamilton, MA – Helen Millstein
Green Mountain Spinnery, Putney, VT – Maureen Clark
HodgePodge Yarns, Newport, NH – Suzanne Connary
In the Loop, Plainville, MA – Cheryl Erlandson
In Stitches, Weston, MA – Jean Holtey
Integrated Mind & Body LLC, Boston, MA – Ann Marie Turo, OTR
Island Alpaca Company, Vineyard Haven, MA - Barbara Ronchetti
Maggie’s Muse, Jamaica, VT – Margaret Silvia
Metaphor Yarns, Shelburne, MA – Meta Nisbet
Newbury Yarns, Boston, MA – Aldrich Robinson
Perfectly Twisted Yarn, Tiverton, RI – Maureen Rounds
Putting on the Knitz – Don and Janet Scope
Sally’s Sewing, Halifax, MA - Sally Wells
Stitch House Dorchester, Dorchester, MA – Annissa Essaibi George
Tactile Travel, Melrose, MA – Alanna Nelson
WEBS, Northampton, MA – Kathy & Steve Elkins
Thanks to all our business members for your continued support.
From the Program Department: GBKG Apparel with the Guild Logo.
This spring, the members that participate in the Plimoth Knitter's project decided they needed
GBKG identification in the way of apparel on the days they knit at the plantation. Now, as we
knit there, we are sporting soft fleece crew shirts, and hooded front zippered jackets. We will be
adding baseball/like hats, and soft shell light-weight jackets. All pieces come in a wide range of
colors, and of course, feature the "GBKG" logo.
Prices for the items range from $30 - $55. Orders will be taken at the September meeting. (I
will have the color charts and exact prices.) We will also be modeling the items we have
purchased. Payment is due at the time of the order, made out to the GBKG, and the items can
picked up at the October meeting.
~Submitted by Anita MacKinnon
Plimoth Plantation Community Outreach:
As part of the Guild's community outreach program, several GBKG members knit authentic 17th
c. garments for Plimoth Plantation and Mayflower, and travel to the Plantation once a month to
knit and talk with the Plantation's visitors. The Plantation created a poster to display while
GBKG knitters are on site that shows various knitted items, which are keeping GBKG members
busily attending to their needles (see Jan-Feb issue.) If you would like to join in the fun, please
contact Mary Keefe at 617-522-0235, or [email protected]
A Special Treat at Plimoth Plantation
Early in August, the Plimoth Plantation Knitters were invited to attend the arrival of the
Mayflower II from dry dock repairs. When we arrived on a regularly scheduled visit
Wednesday, August 7th to knit in the visitor's center, the staff of the Plimoth Plantation were
excited because the Mayflower II was finally repaired and coming out of dry dock. It was
scheduled to arrive in Plymouth around noon. We were invited to relocate to the park and wait
for the ship to come in and join the festivities. There was music and fanfare.
We quickly relocated to a park bench and did our Plantation Knitting from there while waiting
for the ship to arrive. Lots of people were interested in what we were doing, and it was exciting
to see the ship come in. It was a nice surprise.
~Submitted by Vivian Bolt
~Photos by Vivian Bolt
GBKG Website
http://www.bostonknitting.com