TIDEWATER KNITTING GUILD OF VIRGINIA May 2014

A message from our president ! I had something completely different written up for the May newsletter but tossed it out when I found out I am going to be a grandmother. I not only wanted to tell someone, I wanted to tell everyone. My son and daughter-in-law gave us the news by telling me that their local Barnes and Noble was having a book signing by a knitting author and they got me a signed copy. The book is a baby knits book, and inside it they signed it and wrote, “You better get started, we will need some things by November.” I have so many ideas going through my head I don’t know where to start, but I am sure I will figure it out.!! Now that I have gotten that news blurted out, I can move on with this newsletter. We will have our Derby Hat contest at the May meeting. Hats do not have to knitted or crocheted, but they must incorporate fiber somehow in the design. That pretty much means you could do just about anything — the bigger the better! Anyone who has ever seen the Kentucky Derby on TV or live can attest that the derby hats women wear get almost as much attention as the horses. !! The program for the May meeting will be a round robin of demonstrations on different increases and decreases and when to use them. If you would like to practice the different methods, make a small swatch and leave it on your needles to use as you make your round.!! Mark your calendars for May 31 for our Annual Scavenger Hunt. Denise Call will have more information at the May meeting and a little twist to this year’s hunt. Jackie Scott is planning a Stitch and Pitch Night for July 12, which is a bag giveaway night. As knitters we can never have too many bags.!! Planning for next year’s retreat will begin soon (sometime in June). If you are interested in working on the committee, please let me know. I need to close this newsletter because I have a lot of knitting to attend to, baby knitting that is.!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Debbie Henderson

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NEXT MEETING

Monday, May 5

• 7 p.m., Meet & Greet

• 7:15 p.m., Meeting & Program: Derby Hat Contest, Round-Robin Demonstration of Increases and Decreases

!WE MEET AT:

Penthouse Westminster Canterbury 3100 Shore Drive Virginia Beach, VA 23451 !NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

Submissions for the June issue of the newsletter are due May 15. Email Editor Sonja Barisic at snbarisic@gmail.com.

INSIDE

• 2 Meeting Minutes, Calendar, Birthdays, Treasurer’s Report

• 3 Charity Knitting

• 4 Guild Members Honored, Health Benefits of Knitting

• 5 Tips for Weaving in Ends

Purls of Wisdom!

TIDEWATER KNITTING GUILD OF VIRGINIA May 2014

April 2014 TKGV meeting minutes ! The president opened the April 2014 meeting at 7:10 p.m. by welcoming four visitors and extending birthday wishes to Guild members celebrating April birthdays.! The February 2014 meeting minutes, as posted in the March newsletter, were approved. Since the March meeting was cancelled due to inclement weather, there were no minutes posted in the April newsletter.! The treasurer reported a balance of $4,377.82. There are a few more minor expenses from the retreat. The treasurer requested that all retreat receipts be submitted as soon as possible.! Charity yarn for Navy-Marine babies is available. Thursday is the volunteer luncheon for the Navy-Marines.! The Guild will be knitting scarves, hats, mittens, cowls, etc. for Samaritan House. Items should be sized for women and children of all ages and be washable. We do not need to wait until Christmas for donation. Please submit your completed items at our monthly meetings throughout the year. Birthright is a charity that needs infant items. The Lighthouse is another charity in need of warm items for adult men and women. They also need travel-sized toiletries. Please also bring these items to our monthly meetings. Please remember to fill in the charity gift log when

you knit gifts for charity. ! Yarn Shop news:! Baa Baa Sheep: There will be a tea and yarn sampling this Saturday, April 9. Yarns to be sampled include Euro Baby, Juniper Moon, Queensland, Ella Rose, Cascade, Noro, Tahki and Borroco. Check the shop’s website and Ravelry page for more details about new yarns, activities and classes.! Yarn Club: There’s still room on the bus for the Maryland Sheep & Wool Fair on May 3. Please call the store for more details. The newest yarn is a T-shirt yarn, knit on size 35 needles, that’s great for summer cover-ups and tops. This yarn is available in several bright summer colors. Check the shop’s website and Ravelry page for more details about new yarns, activities and classes.! New Business: The Linda Browning shawl will be the Guild knit-along pattern for those who wish to participate. The Guild will pay for the pattern on behalf of the participating members. All proceeds from the sale of this pattern will benefit the Guiding Eyes charity. All participating members need to fill in the sign-up sheet with their Ravelry name or their email address to receive this pattern.! The Scavenger Hunt is scheduled for May 31 and will be coordinated by Denise Call. ! Stitch and Pitch Night is July 12, and Jackie Scott is the coordinator.! Marilyn Estrada presented her program on repurposing and recycling items for knitting, sewing and craft uses.! The president presented her program on how to assemble the Ravelry knitted bunny. ! The Guild held the raffle and enjoyed show and tell. ! Some members participated in the “paper bag” yarn exchange. ! There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at !8:47 p.m.!! !! Respectfully submitted,!

! Debbie Goodman, TKGV secretary!

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EVENT CALENDAR

!

MAY 5 Help Clinic, 6:30 p.m. Guild Meeting, 7 p.m.

MAY 31 TKGV Scavenger Hunt

JUNE 2 Help Clinic, 6:30 p.m. Guild Meeting, 7 p.m.

JULY 7 Help Clinic, 6:30 p.m. Guild Meeting, 7 p.m.

JULY 12 TKGV Stitch and Pitch Night

Debbie Goodman, May 1

TREASURER’S REPORT The Guild’s bank account balance is $4,317.00. Bev Boler

MEMBER BIRTHDAYS THIS MONTH

TIDEWATER KNITTING GUILD OF VIRGINIA May 2014

With warmer weather, knit lighter items for charity By Chris Goudeau ! Thanks to all who brought their charity items to our last meeting. I now have accumulated a great many items for our local charities. Since the weather is turning warmer, I ask that you please hold any winter items you make until the weather turns cooler again as I am running out of space to store them. However, if you have any toiletry items for the Lighthouse Center, I will take them to be donated right away. In the meantime, you could work on pet blankets, baby hats, booties, blankets or prayer shawls, as these items are accepted any time during the year.!! So far this year, 15 members have knitted/crocheted 167 items. Your items have been donated to the following charities:!! Birthright Society!! Lighthouse Center!! Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society!! Newborns in Need!! SPCA!! Samaritan House (women’s shelter)!! Sentara Norfolk General Hospital!! St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church!! St. Luke’s United Methodist Church!! Guild member Vici Kahookele’s pastor at her church, who also is the pastor at the Chesapeake City Jail, has asked her if the Guild would be willing to knit/crochet prayer shawls for the women who are incarcerated there. They can be any size and Vici will distribute them for us. I think this is another great project for us. !! I will not be at the May meeting as I will be out of town, but please bring your items to be donated anyway. Marilyn Estrada will have the charity log for you to complete and will bring the items home for me. If you have items that you have given to an out-of-town charity, note that on the charity log. Remember to sign the charity knitting log each month when you attend our meetings or email me at chrisgoudeau64@gmail.com. Thank you.!

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TIDEWATER KNITTING GUILD OF VIRGINIA May 2014

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society recognizes Guild members during National Volunteer Week By Chris Goudeau ! The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society held its annual luncheon in honor of 2014 National Volunteer Week (April 6-12). Included in the program is the recognition and listing of their volunteers. !! Guild members listed were Beverly Boler, Cindy Call, Margaret Faust, Chris Goudeau, Mary McElroy, Lora Marin, Holly Meise, Helen Prestipino, Jackie Scott and Vicky Shearin.!! Many thanks to you all for taking time to knit or crochet the blankets that are given to families who have just welcomed their babies into the world.!!

Knitting in the news: Do crafts have long-term health benefits? ! Crafters long have recognized the therapeutic value of knitting and crocheting. For example, more than 80 percent of respondents in a 2013 survey of 3,500 knitters worldwide rated themselves as feeling happier after knitting. It also appears that such activities offer more far-reaching, long-term health benefits, and researchers are beginning to understand the neurological basis for why these activities are good for the mind. !! To learn more, check out this recent Washington Post article at http://wapo.st/1jtaTVn.!!

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Baa Baa Sheep is planning a knit-along on Saturday, May 17, to support the Operation Homefront Baby Shower. Operation Homefront, a national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, supports service members, wounded warriors and their families. On June 10, the organization is throwing a baby shower for 150 military moms (E6 and below). They give a baby bundle to each mom with baby essentials and like to include a handmade item. It gives the moms a sense of home when so many of their families are far away. Join us on May 17 any time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to knit or crochet a small item to include in the basket and enjoy each other’s company. Yarn purchased to create the item will be 40 percent off and the donor will receive a one-time 20 percent-off coupon for his or her personal use. You may use yarn you already have and you’ll receive the coupon when you drop off the item(s). I’ll have free patterns for

booties, hats, bibs and washcloths. RSVP so I’ll be sure to have enough drinks and snacks available. Spring yarn continues to be delivered. Last year’s favorites Sanibel and Sunseeker are available in fresh new colors. I’ve already placed reorders for Noro’s Kibou and Tahki’s Tandem. Be sure to check it out soon while inventory is still full. Additional colors of Louisa Harding's Noema are now in stock. If you missed out on getting Unplanned Peacock's beautiful hand dyes, I am now stocking those yarns. Opal's sock yarn of the month is Love Story and has eight different striping patterns. Cheryl's class schedule for May includes an Introduction to Fair Isle, and the workshops are Continental Knitting and Cast-On Methods.

TIDEWATER KNITTING GUILD OF VIRGINIA May 2014

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! How to weave in your ends in your knitting is one of the most common questions we get at The Yarn Club. The answer frequently begins with, “It depends … ” That is because there are multiple solutions to the problems we face.!! In my quest for the best answer to the weaving question, I discovered a blog, Knit Darling, by Alexis Winslow. Below is her article about weaving in ends, reprinted with the author’s permission. So please read, click and enjoy. Also, you may enjoy her lovely patterns on Ravelry. Please view them at your leisure at www.ravelry.com/designers/alexis-winslow. Submitted by Andrea Riddle. !5 Tips for Weaving In Ends By Alexis Winslow (originally published April 30, 2013, at www.knitdarling.com/2013/5-tips-for-weaving-in-ends/)

!Below are 5 t ips for weaving in ends on your hand knits that are beyond a simple “how-to” (here’s my “how-to” video, i f you’re looking for that). Everyone does it a l i tt le differently, and there are probably 100 different techniques. My favorite way is to thread the end onto a yarn needle and use the dupl icate st itch on the wrong-side, but obviously there are many variables that effect the way I do this and contr ibute to the success of the outcome.

1. Do a l ittle planning.  With garments that involve seaming, you can easi ly hide ends in the selvage, st itching up along the edge then backstitching a l i tt le to secure the end. For this reason, it’s best to join new yarn at the beginning of a row. Try to pay attention to the amount of yarn that is left as you begin each new row. Also, i f you wil l be sewing a seam, you can strategical ly place a very long end and use it for seaming, which el iminates two extra ends, and leads to the next t ip.

2. Leave long tails. whether it’s at the beginning middle or end of a row, you always want to leave enough of a tai l to thread one of those giant yarn needles, plus a few extra inches. Eight inches is usual ly enough. Use your long tai ls to attach embell ishments, sew seams or for closing the top of a hat.

(continued on p. 6)

5 Tips for Weaving In Ends, continued from p. 5 3. Block your knits after weaving to smooth everything out. I t ’s not always easy to weave ends into smooth fabric textures. Some of your st itches might end up looking a bit distorted but a l i tt le blocking can work wonders. Wet-blocking wil l y ield the best results. I cannot stress the importance of blocking enough.

4. Split plies for bulky yarn. This is one of my favorite t ips. I f you are using a bulky weight yarn, i t can be diff icult to hide your ends. I f your yarn is pl ied, you can spl it the pl ies apart and weave them in separately. Similar ly, you can grade, or taper. the yarn as you weave it, tr imming the pl ies as you go.

5. Fake the duplicate stitch by doubling your yarn when you join a new ball. This is a great t ime-saving technique for f iner yarns, and especial ly useful when working in the round. When you have about 10 inches left on your bal l of yarn, join the new bal l leaving about a 6-inch tai l . Work 8 st itches holding the old and new yarn together, then drop the old yarn and continue the round (drop the ends on the backside). On the next row, work the doubled st itches normally. When it comes t ime to weave in these ends, al l you need to do is tr im them close. For extra security, I usual ly run the tai l through a few purl bumps to keep the ends from creeping out on the r ight side.

BONUS TIP: SPLICING Sometimes it is possible to avoid weaving in ends by spl icing the ends of two strands together. This works best with especial ly fuzzy yarns that are able to felt.

TO KNOT, OR NOT TO KNOT Someone recently asked me why they shouldn’t just t ie a knot, tr im the ends, and cal l i t a day.

Knots aren’t terr ible, but they don’t always stay t ied and can be uncomfortable to the wearer. Also, they have a tendency to f loat to the r ight side. Knitted fabric can be very f luid, especial ly i f you’re using sl ippery yarn. Over t ime, the knot can pul l and distort the st itches around it. I f you weave in your ends, a knot is total ly unnecessary.

SPECIAL CASES Cotton yarn- I t ’s especial ly diff icult to hide the ends of cotton yarn, but you can almost always spl it the pl ies as in t ip #4 and get a nice looking result. Chunky Single ply yarn- You might st i l l be able to divide the ply in two, but i f not, you can weave the end in t ightly, tr im the end at a long angle to taper it, and then stretch the fabric to pul l the end into the st itches. Some people actual ly secure the ends of very chunky yarn with sewing thread and a sharp needle. I ’ve never had cause to try this, but it’s worth mentioning.

TIDEWATER KNITTING GUILD OF VIRGINIA May 2014

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