December Show & Tell

A thank you to Linda for the reminder during the meeting that we still needed to do show and tell. After the sun goes down, it isn't going to get any lighter outdoors until dawn, so why not stay a little longer and enjoy?


Nyla moved here from California, where she was in several guilds. This poncho featuring miters and even a little entrelac was a popular project in the group out there. Fun & stylish!



LaVonne knit this beautiful reversible baby blanket. In the photo at left, you see it from the back. You'll notice along the bottom that she even worked the name of the baby into the edging of the blanket. And just to show how beautifully this worked up, here are closeups of both the front and back:






And Donna showed off this gorgeous Jojoland entrelac shawl. She did mention that she had a little trouble with the ruffled edge and had to re-knit it, but the final result is clearly worth the effort. And for those of you who like color but don't feel comfortable wearing bright or strong colors, this yarn is a wonderful way to indulge. There is enough color to be interesting and to make the project coordinate with a variety of outfits in your wardrobe. The final result is colorful and lovely without being garish.

As always, guild members can log in on the guild website to view a wider range of show and tell projects. Other items this month included a Vogue cape that Janelle altered into a stylish poncho, a cabled every 4th row vest by Joyce, an Aran stocking by Nancy, Whit's infamous purple sweater, Kaffe Fassett socks also by Whit, an 8-stitch i-cord scarf by LaVonne, and gifts scarves and a shawl by Maureen. Linda made a pillow using the stash busting technique from Theresa Gaffey's class, so pictures of that will be posted over here.

December meeting

Many thanks to all the members who brought good stuff to the meeting. That includes delicious food for the potlucks, adorable dressed bears, raffle items, women's shelter donations, and supplies for the centerpieces. As always, the central activity of the December meeting (besides eating and socializing) is the presentation of the trauma bears to the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy, which has offices in both Fulton and Dekalb counties.


The Center provides counseling services to the children as well as aiding law enforcement by conducting the interviews necessary to secure the evidence needed to bring convictions. These are children who have suffered an assault (often sexual) or who have been witnesses to a violent crime, such as a rape or murder. After the interview, the child is given a trauma bear. Many of these children come from destitute backgrounds and are not accustomed to having toys of their own. Our designer of teddy bears extraordinaire, Jean Guneysu, presented 170 bears to Senior Psychotherapist Sally Horan (photo above). Jean loves knitting bear outfits and is responsible for dressing a significant fraction of what the guild gives. This year Jean contributed more than half of the total. Thank you to all the members who contributed to this worthy cause through donating a new bear and/or dressing a bear, but an especially big thank you to Jean for consistently donating her time and creativity to this heartbreaking, worthy cause.

And because the bears are cute, here are more pictures of bears:



As we move into the new year, remember that a bear can be a great way to use up scrap yarn or to try out a new technique without over-committing yourself. There are several books and patterns in our guild library that can help you dress a bear. Also, we currently intend to have a table at Stitches South so that attendees can donate a bear.

Tomorrow Night

Since holiday season can be busy, many people are tempted to skip the December meeting. There are several reasons to attend. This is our annual presentation of the Trauma Bears to the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy. The range of creativity on the bears is always inspiring. This is your once-a-year chance to see and participate in this important Atlanta Knitting Guild tradition.

Also related to charity knitting, Rare Purls will be attending with a special offer on helmet liner yarn. This is a fun knitting in the round pattern and a great way to show your support -- regardless of your politics -- for our service men and women overseas who are putting their lives on the line.

Needle Nook will be bringing great holiday gift ideas. Gale's Art will be bringing pretty rovings. You can get some of the stuffing that you want for in your stocking -- Santa will thank you for saving him the trouble of shopping!

There will be a raffle to benefit the women's shelter. You may bring items to donate as you like. There will be kits and patterns to pick up for the Stitches South centerpieces. You may donate yarn and other craft items to that cause. There will be opportunities to sign up for Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer classes. There will be opportunities to sign up for The Mountain. And there will be food since this is our annual holiday potluck. If you can, please bring something tasty to share and possibly show off your culinary skills.

See ya'all at the party!