501(c)(3)

Guilds grow. At least, you hope that they do. Atlanta Knitting Guild certainly has. And with that growth has come the need to make a few behind-the-scenes structural changes. One of those has been becoming a full 501(c)(3) organization. Linda F. very kindly took the reigns of the project, and kept at it. Thanks to Linda, we can announce: The Internal Revenue Service has determined that the Atlanta Knitting Guild is a public charity exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 501( c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, effective to March 9, 2010, the date of our incorporation in Georgia.

The remainder of this post are remarks from Diana, our president:

As usual, Linda is WAY too humble about the magnitude of her accomplishment. The AKG Board identified the twin needs for incorporation and identification as a nonprofit organization about a year ago, and Linda volunteered to manhandle what we thought was a relatively simple process. How naïve we were!

A year later, and after many, many letters and emails and conversations with the State of Georgia and the Internal Revenue Service, not to mention enough forms to paper the World Congress Center, Linda has achieved her mission. We really need to put her in charge of the war in Afghanistan. She'd either win it or bring Osama Bin Laden home in a knitted straitjacket.

Anyway, it's done! Linda is a true warrior and a wonderful process manager. She is tireless and determined and we really appreciate her--she's done what we've all talked about for years but haven't done. We just love Linda, can you tell?
So what do you do to recognize a major accomplishment? Well, if you're knitters, you give the honoree a piece of knitting jewelry, in this case a necklace by our own Nancy Thompson, former AKG president and designer/owner of Sassafras Creations. You'd have to look closely to know this but the necklace is made of knitting needles and a crochet hook, a 5, and a 0, and a 1, and a C (the hook), and a 3. Now does it make sense?

Thank you Linda!

11 in 2011

At the January meeting, Jean and Debra announced the "11 in 2011" Challenge. Jean is the driving force behind the trauma bears. Some of our members really get wrapped up in the bear project and let their creativity flow, while others are more uncertain. Jean and Debra thought it would be fun to make a contest out of it. Each month there will be a different project, featuring a different knitting skill. So if you have made a new year's resolution to up your mad knitting skillz, here's your chance to learn. These are all small projects that take up neither a lot of time nor a lot of yarn, and they benefit a very good cause.

The first project, a skirt knit in the round, is already posted on the AKG website. You can access it by following this link. This is in the public area of the website, so you don't even need to log in to download the .pdf. If you are already familiar with knitting in the round, then take this as an opportunity to challenge yourself to learn a new skill, like knitting with double-point needles, try a stranded section, knit it continental (if you're a "thrower"). Or try combo knitting, Eastern Uncrossed, or thumb purling. Jean and Debra certainly welcome any suggestions of new knitting skills you're hoping to acquire.

There is a contest as well. The details haven't yet been worked out, but if you donate dressed bears this year, please be sure that Jean can log your donation. There will probably be some sort of raffle or drawing at the December meeting.

Knitting in the Comics

There have been a number of knitting references in recent comics. Follow the links and laugh (or at least smile).

Rhymes with Orange on Winterizing (4 January 2011)
Rhymes with Orange on Sweater Patterns & New Knitters (30 December 2010)
Wondermark on Emergency Survival (#491 20 February 2009)

Fun with Skacel

We're happy to announce that Karin Skacel's visit has been rescheduled for June. So we only have to wait a few more months to get to play with Art Felt.

In the meantime, Skacel has other ways to keep us happy. There is a national knit-along contest celebrating 20 years of Trekking yarn. Each month there will be a new pattern and technique on the KnitPurlHunter website. The contest started on the 1st of January, and runs through the first six months of 2011. Each month features a specific color of Trekking yarn that can be purchased at specific participating local yarn shops. The prizes in this contest are really sweet. The grand prize is a trip to Seattle to visit the Skacel warehouse where the winner will get a $1000 shopping spree in yarn and needles of her choice. Five great prize winners will receive a year of Trekking -- i.e. a new skein sent each month for a year. It's a sort of yarn-of-the-month club that I think would be welcome by any sock knitter. Each month of the contest, there will be at least seven winners. One will win an addi Clicks needle set of her choice -- Turbo, lace, Natura, or crochet . Two will win a stuffed promo bag. And at least four people who have been to the websites will win other random goodies. For full details on the rules and prizes and yarn availability, follow this link.

The second contest is for us AKG members. Karin graciously sent us a generous supply of red Skacel shopping bags. Inside each bag is a skein of Simplicity yarn and a color card. Karin also included a letter with instructions. She is looking for more patterns for this yarn and would like AKG members to submit design ideas. She plans to gather at least five of them into a pattern book! So members, if you'd like to call yourself a published knitter, here is your chance. Karin lays out in her letter what she needs in terms of swatch, drawing, and other information. She needs it all mailed to her by the 4th of February. So as long as we are all snowed in for a couple days, here's your excuse to swatch a little with the new free yarn you just got at the meeting! This yarn is budget-friendly and washer friendly while still being soft and knitter-friendly.

A Late Link

This video has been making its way around the Internet this holiday.



Notice it took about 400 knitters. And I love the comment that the yarn stores in Norwich ran out of green wool. The project goal is not just beauty and holiday spirit, but also a chance to raise money for a worthy cause -- a group home in Norwich, United Kingdom for people with disabilities.

(Thanks to Linda F. for the link!)